ML20137M096

Forwards Performance Enhancement Programs Status Rept for 851001-860103, Per Commitment from 850529 SALP Meeting. Audit of Program ENG-3, Control of Design Document Encl

ML20137M096
Person / Time
Site:	Fort Saint Vrain
Issue date:	01/15/1986
From:	Walker R PUBLIC SERVICE CO. OF COLORADO
To:	Berkow H Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Shared Package
ML20137M100	List: ML20137M096 ML20137M103 ML20137M125
References
P-86013, TAC-60566, TAC-62169, NUDOCS 8601280189
Download: ML20137M096 (5)

Text

_

o DESIGUATZD ORIGIILUa Certified By  %

- r*.

O Public Service- Company of Colorado P.O. Box 840 Denver, CO 80201-0840 0 03)571 7511 2420 W. 26th Avenue, Suite 100D, Denver, Colorado 80211 January 15, 1986 Fort St. Vrain Unit No. 1 P-86013 Mr. Herb N. Berkow Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Ccamission Washington D.C. 20555 Attention: Mr. H. N. Berkow, Project Director Standardization and Special Projects Directorate Docket No. 50-267

SUBJECT:

Status Report for Performance Enhancement Program

Dear Mr. Berkow:

The purpose of this letter is to update the NRC on the progress of Public Service Company (PSC) of Colorado's Performance Enhancement Program (PEP) and to provide additional information. We are pleased with our' progress.

The PEP began with thirty-four projects and has since increased to the present total of forty-two projects. A total of sixteen projects are complete, of which fifteen were part of the original PEP.

This status update is consistent with our commitment made in our May 29, 1985 SALP meeting to provide progress reports on a quarterly basis if desired. The status report covers the three-month period from October 1, 1965 to January 3, 1986.

During this quarter, we have also addressed several other items relating to the PEP. These items are discussed further in this letter and' include the following:

\

\ \

8601280189 060115 PPR ADOCK 05000267 G PDR k

• An independent audit was completed to evaluate the PEP.

• We recognized and initiated a major new program to address employee attitudes and morale. A new overall project has been added to address these issues.

Responses to your letter of October 3, 1985 to Mr. O.

R. Lee from Mr. D. R. Hunter have been provided.

Independent Audit of PEP In our letter (P-85107) from Mr. O. R. Lee to Mr. R. D.

Martin dated March 29, 1985 where the PEP was defined, we committed to completing Post Implementation Actions. The purpose of these actions is to evaluate the effectiveness of the projects when complete. This after-the-fact evaluation is important to insure that we completed our original objectives. The PEP is so important to PSC that we initiated a full audit of the program. This included looking at projects that were already complete as well as those still in progress.

This audit was conducted under the auspices of the Nuclear facility Safety Committee. S. M. Stoller Corporation was engaged to perform the audit. Their audit was initiated in late October and completed December 20, 1985 with the submittal of their report. The summary report is included as Appendix B.

The audit indicated that we are proceeding in the-right direction. It included the following summary comments about the overall program:

The program seems to us to be very commendable as defined, and the structure is relatively straightforward to monitor. It is very comprehensive in scope, representing a sweeping review and re-arrangement of virtually every aspect of PSC governance of its nuclear activity. It is a very ambitious program, and a costly one. If implemented and followed through diligently and with a strong sense of management commitment, as it appears to be, it should improve the conduct of nuclear operations substantially...

...A't this stage, when'some of the projects are not yet complete, and when this massive change in management and operating procedure has not yet functioned as a whole, such improvement in performance cannot yet be documented.

A more explicit judgment could be better made in six months to a year, when a re-audit would be appropriate.

Two findings and five observations were made regarding the progran itself which are shown in Appendix B. These are being reflected in the overall program.

F- .

l 1

In addition, an overall " basic concern" was expressed.

Among the numerous analyses and audits of the past performance of Fort St. Vrain, lack of management control has been identified as an important factor. The PEP is, of course, aimed at that problem and is a responsible approach to it.

At the same time, it is equally clear that successful operation must include those aspects which bear on human effectiveness. The prior assessments by NRC, INPO, and the Consultant's Report (NUS Operating Services Corporation) make it clear that the human side of the PSC nuclear enterprise has not been operating effectively...

...PSC has recognized this [the human side, retention trends, etc.) and is giving priority attention to human resource programs which extend beyond the defined limits of PEP sub-projects. There is little question that compensation policies and special recognition, at least for selected critical positions in the nuclear divisions, is an area currently under detailed review. PSC has also embarked on an expanded career planning and employee motivation effort including techniques which appear to be representative of the best such techniques in use in U.S.

industry today. For example, the excellent results of an abbreviated special motivational training session have encouraged PSC to authorize an extended and quite comprehensive program, using the services of an expert outside consultant organization, to strengthen the sense of responsibility and personal commitment by the employees.

The steps noted above are commendable and clearly are moving in the right direction. Management commitment to solving human resources issues is so essential that we think a human resources action plan should be formalized and probably structured in the same general form as the PEP. Our concern is that, absent such a structured commitment, putting the prcper number and of quality human resources in place, and retaining them, at Fort St.

Vrain could take so long as to frustrate the very worthwhile objectives intended by the PEP.

Due to the importance of the effort, we have included the above mentioned study as a project in the PEP. It is described in the following section.

Project VII - Morale and Human Productivity Management whereas the PEP is intended to develop policies, procedures, and management controls to improve the performance of PSC's nuclear organization, Project VII will focus upon the successful implementation and optimization of procedures and controls and other enhancement efforts by addressing the human behavioral components of the system. We have engaged 1 -

the services of The Training Company to assist in this effort.

Specifically, the objective of the project will be:to improve the competence, commitment and cooperation of the members of the organization to the end that the i organization's objectives will be achieved in a timely and cost-effective manner, including the successful and efficient implementation of the policies, procedures, and controls developed. through the PEP. Consequently, we will j be dealing with such issues as implementing changes within the organization, resistance to change, decision making and communication processes, attitudes, individual ~

responsibility, ownership,-etc.

This is a long-term effort requiring from six to eighteen months to complete. It begins with an initial project to identify the problems and define supplemental projects that will make changes. Project VII.1, Problem Identification, ownership and Action Planning in this initial project which

has two steps. During step one, the management team from executive managers to first line supervisors will be involved in identifying and " owning" the problems related to competence, commitment and cooperation in the organization.

The consultants have developed the process design and will actively participate as facilitators to assure detailed and comprehensive problem identification and " ownership."

Having identified behavioral problems, the entire management team will participate in the second step which is to define appropriate action plans designed to' improve competence, commitment and cooperation of the members of the organization. The consultants will facilitate step two and assure that realistic and appropriate action plans are developed, and that accountabilities, responsibilities, and completion time frames are agreed upon and documented.

Examples of areas that could be addressed are:

• decision making and problem solving,

• meeting management, l

• effective use of human resource systems,

• 1eadership skills,

-* goal setting,

• individual responsibility and risk taking,-

• communications systems,.

• creativity, etc.

The action plans will be formed into new projects that will.

be included in Project VII. We believe that this new program will significantly influence the results desired in the entire PEP.

We intend to evaluate the effectiveness of the program l several. months after most implementation projects are complete. 'A survey will 'be conducted to measure the

! perceptual and attitudinal shifts that he.ve occured.

i 1

i

t' Please contact Mr. H. L. Brey at (303) 480-6944 for any questions regarding the PEP.

R. F. Walker Presi8ent smc cc: K. Heitner, Fort St. Vrain Project Manager R. D. Martin, Region IV, Regional Administrator Attachments i

-s-

!