ML20058K822

Discusses Importance of Maintaining Progress on Licensing Support Sys Design & Development Schedule as Long as Respository Program Being Actively Pursued

ML20058K822
Person / Time
Issue date:	07/05/1990
From:	Donnelly L NRC OFFICE OF LICENSING SUPPORT SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR (LSSA)
To:	Bartlett J ENERGY, DEPT. OF
Shared Package
ML19324H521	List: ML20058K818 ML20058K822
References
NUDOCS 9007190183
Download: ML20058K822 (3)

Text

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, f-3,h k,%g lWNITED STATESi i;m MICLEAR REQULATORY-COMMISSON s,~"

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W ASHINGTONi D.C, 30666 ^

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3, 9,*..... *e July 5, 19901 o FFict oF T HE-LSS ADMINISTRAtom

'Dr. John Bartlett,-Directorof fice of Civilian Radioactive Waste Manag R

![A Department of Energy

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U.S.

1000 Independence Avenue, S.W.

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Dear Dr. Bartlett:

to ' thank you for meeting with Chip cameron and ' myself on

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issues related to the LSS-I want number of to discuss aThis meeting gave'us a greater appreciation May 29,' 1990 for the uncertainties f acing your program, both programmatic and development. schedule.

Because of these uncertainties and' your estimate that M

J for. input to. the. LSS until-the budgetary.

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doe data might not be availabletime f rame, you stated that there was a ' p

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LSS development activities might be put on, hold for some time.f all w 1995-1996 A-similar situation' developed lastthe extension of the. repository sc f fice :to

. At that ; time -I sent _ a initiate major delays -in the LSS schedule. expressing my views on the J

(copy attached) albeit on a much letter to, Sam Rousso need to maintain the momentum of the.LSS program,We :later reached agreement smaller scale than previously planned.on a= prototype / pilo

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l lieved was

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'l-As long as this approach.

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sensible program.I think we should continue with h

a. actively pursued, is going to be far more difficult I remain concerned that _ the LSS than you perhaps might envision.

anditime consuming to implement t

IS S ' issues, it has become explored _individualLSS project' is extremely complex, As we have that the f

= increasingly evidentand that it -is further complicated by the necessary l

Time af ter ' time federal agencies have l,

offices.large automated-information management - systems both our Based on than originally planned.

demonstrated that implement these delays are as much attributable to management

' take much longcr to i

Two my knowledge,and-process problems' as they are with technical dif ficu the Securities agencies with projects somewhat similar to the LSS,an have had this experience.

We should not presume the LSS will be e

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different.

Instead, we should recognize this reality and take install advantage of the opportunity to design, develop, procure, unrealistic sched We S

ilot without an T*h to / 83 XX L

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. Dr'. - J ohn' Bartlett =

i that will now have the time to take this pilot system approach yield -. invaluable information bef ore you procure and implement the balance of the system.

I-am also concerned about. the detrimental. ef f ects of a go-stop, As you know, your go-stop approach to the development of the. LSS.

his of fice has a very thin inf rastructure.with which to m LSS A significant delay in the contract will expire this f all.

d to the could very _ likely. lead to DOE having no resources dedicate for an: undetermined period of time.

Meanwhile, the other and contractors who have' an interest in, or LSS responsibility for the LSS, :would have to guess about what to doFor e organizations.

next and when to do it.-

ilot contend with in planning and constructing a f acility for the p cannot Long range planning and sound project management system.

occur in this environment.

is to continue the current LSS development -

I am advocatingis aimed at achieving a fully functional pilotsome stretch-o in. late What plan that This is not to say that schedule is not. possible.

In

fact, the extension of some FY 1992.

f the milestones-are probably necessary to recognize the realities operhaps mid-FY 19 procurement and. development process.for implementing the pilot.to make syste Allowing for a year realistic target and. evaluation, and a few months us close to TY 1995 before the first component of the of test This schedule, of course, assumes would put

.systam would be fully debugged. delays or other dif ficulties which are predictable no plocurement for large inforetation system procurements.

ay The above development schedule would require minimal resources, s I see this over the next few years.

1-2% of your budget per year, is' necessary to apply as much more desirable than waiting until it ih a _ larger amount of resources in a more compressed time f rame, wh c In the final analysis, could possibly occur at characterization could take top priority.the resource expenditures d probably but I believe the outcome would be

'be similar in magnitude,My approach is a low risk approach that will decidedly dif ferent.

right the first time.

It

_give us more of an opportunity to do it will position the system to give users access to a limited high at an appropriate time during the pre-license priority database It will also sustain program momentum, maintain the inf rastructure, and secure continued support f rom future system application phase.

users, all of which are essential to the success of the LSS.

In the near term, it is important to continue to work on the development of the LSS turnkey procurement.

Every step in the procurement process must be carefully planned and implemented, the development of LSS functional specifications.

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' Dr. John Bartlett-Unless this is -done,, considerable -delays could be encountered either due.to protracted bid' protests or problems with the

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In this regard, I think acceptability of contractor. deliverables.through with its ongoing to carry 3

it-is ' critical. f or ' OCRWM initiative to obtain an acquisition support contract through GSA's-Federal Systems Integration and Management-Center (FEDSIM)),

t FEDSIM and its LSS acquisition support contractor will provide the l

necessary augmentation to y.our limited in-house: resources.

I hope you will support the above approach as you re-examine your-1992 budget request.

I program for FY 1991 and finalize your FY would be pleased to discuss this matter with you again should you-As a minimum, I would appreciate knowing your the-LSS as soon as you desire to do so.

plan and schedule. for the-development.- ofhave finished the i

in your May 23, 1990 letter to Hugh Thompson you stated that we should pursue the negotiation of the Memorandum of As a final' point, i

Understanding (MoU)-that sets forth the respective responsibilities of DOE and LSSA in regard to the LSS.

Sometime ago I tried to expedite this process by first forwarding a draf t MOU to your staf f in for review in January and later meeting with them to discuss at February.

only to find it still in theDOE your staff to check on status finalization Your personal attention to the coordination chain.

If there is anything I can do, of this MOU would be-appreciated.

I am prepared to assist.

Sincerely, e

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Lloyd J. Donnelly, Administrator of fice of the LSS Administrator

Attachment:

As stated cc-w/ attachment:

B.

Cerny, DOE-J. Hoyle, LSSARP a