ML20248D371

Forwards Rept of Util Plan for Improving Performance of Nuclear Div Staff.New Mgt Described in Plan Will Serve as Catalyst for Decisive Performance Changes

ML20248D371
Person / Time
Site:	Trojan File:Portland General Electric icon.png
Issue date:	09/29/1989
From:	Cockfield D PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC CO.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NUDOCS 8910040224
Download: ML20248D371 (15)

Text

_ _ _ -. _ . _ _ _ _

1. . e

'd

- mamma f M lhy r -E David W. Cockfield Vice President, Nuclear September 29, 1989 Trojan Nuclear Plant Docket 50-344 License NPF-1 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk Washington DC 20555

Dear Sir:

Nuclear Division Improvement Plan Attached is a report of Portland General Electric (PCE) Company's plan for improving the performance of the Nuclear Division staff. PCE is committed to achieve success in Trojan Nuclear Plant performance. The attached plan describes those actions which have been taken and those to be taken to improve performance and to achieve excellence in the operation of Trojan. The new management team described in the plan will serva as the catalyst for decisive performance changes.

The plan is not meant to be a final document. As actions are taken, it is expected that adjustments or additions will need to be made.

Additionally, we will document in the plan the results of our actions and assess their success. In this regard, we will provide periodic updates of the plan to keep you informed of our progress. The first update will be provided by January 31, 1990. We expect, however, that before that time, you will see improved performance in your observation of our day-to-day activities.

h001

'I 8910040224 890929 PDR ADDCK 05000344 P PNU 121 S W Sa mon Street, PoTara Oregon 9720i

Pbetland Gener<d Bectric 00iiiptw ry 4

Document Control Desk september 29, 1989' Pete 2 .

I want' to assure you of. my comunitJhent to see that this plan succeeds and that the performance at Trojan wats my standards of excellence.

s sincerely.

/

w

/N y Attachment c: Mr.' John B. Martin Regional Administrator, Region V

U.S. Nuclear, Regulatory Commission Mr. David Stewart-Smith State of Oregon

-Department of Energy Mr.'R. C..Barr NRC Resident Inspector Trojan Nuclear Plant I<

I l

t.

.- 3 .

.o 4

NUCLEAR DIVISION IMPROVEMENT PLAN SEPTEMBER 29, 1989

, ~ . . , .

r, j' p. . ' 5 y j[.

4 y e

7J' EU em. [ ' '

~

.w -

.x

j. . ..

't

?e '

n

.n,.s

" ' , i. ,

NUCLEAR DIVISION' IMPROVEMENT: PLAN-J, CONTENTS e

5.'."-

J l e .

3.. >

[ Section ' Title # Pare m;r -

k $'.

' ~

1$01-  : INTRODUCTION .- . .. . .- .: .- . '.' . . . . ... . .

1 L,. c w

-1.11 PURPOSEi.:. . . .1.-. . 1 . .r.'.-. .. . ... . . . . . l'-

y ' .

< $ 11.21 . MANAGEMENT CHANGES .. . . . .. .:.. . . .... 1

-1.3

-: PGE's COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE-Y IN NUCLEAR OPERATIONS . . . : .. . . . . .J.'. . . 3 L ,

L2.0l ACTIONS'TO' IMPROVE PERFORMANCE .-. .' . ... . . .. '4 T2.1  : MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE ...-. . . . .. . . . . . 4

'2.1.1: - Summary of Problem =. . . . . . ... . . . . ' . . . . . - 4 2.1.2- Discussion . ..m . . . .- . .- .:. . . . .. . . 4

'2.1.3 - Actions Taken/Pla9ned .-... . ... . . . . . . . . .

=5 3

2.1. 4 ~ - Overall Measure'of Effectiveness-

. . . . . . . . . . 7

( - 2.2 : ' ASSURANCE OF QUALITY . . . . . - . . . . .. . .. .- 8 c

' 2. 2.1. . Summary of Problem. . - . . . .. . . - - . ... . . . ' . .- 8 2.2.2 Discussion . . . .'.. . . . . ... . ... . . . . . . 8 2.2.3 . Action.Taken/flanned . . .- . ... . . . . . . .- . 8

!" 2. 2.4 ' . Overall Measure of Effectiveness . ... . . . . .- 9

.s.

y , 2.3 : - 0THER. ACTIONS-... . . . . . ..- . .. . . . ... . . .. 10.

1,.'

2.3.1J Other Actions Taken/ Planned.... . . . . . . . . . .

10 f

I' i-..

5

{

Y l

- i -

________.____m____

b

- NUCI. EAR DIVISION IMPROVEMENT PIAN 1

1.0 Introduction 1.1 Purpong The purpose of the Nuclear Division Improvement Plan is to assess the performance problems at the Trojan Nuclear Plant in order to develop effective actions to improve performance. This plan contains three major parts : addressing concerns relating to management performance, assurance of quality. and other areas where it has been identified that improve-ments are required. The actions described herein complement actions which have already been taken toward achieving the desired level of performance.

The plan focuses on management effectiveness. The success or failure in achieving performance consistent with PGE's expectations is the responsi-bility of management. Safety and quality expectations will be met through an effectively managed organization. Due to the failure to demonstrate the ability to meet company expectations, leadership changes have been made in several areas. The complete impact of these changes has yet to be realized.

1.2 Manarement Changes One of the actions taken to improve management effectiveness was to replace several managers in the Trojan organization with key individuals selected both from within PGE as well as from other successful organizations. The specific changes are described below.

In November 1988, as a result of declining performance in Nuclear Security, the Manager, Nuclear Security, was replaced. Since that time,

-improved performance in this area has been observed. Some problems caused by previous management are still being uncovered but are effectively being corrected.

Due to a failure to see that management's expectations were being effectively implemented, the Plant General Manager was replaced in February 1989. The General Manager, Technical Functions was selected to fill the Plant General Manager position.

In concert with the move of the General Manager, Technical Functions to the-Plant General Manager position, the Manager, Nuclear Safety and Regulation was promoted to the position of General Manager, Technical Functions. The position of Manager, Nuclear Safety and Regulation, was filled from the outside by a manager with previous licensing experience l at two other utilities with operating nuclear power plants.

2

- In April, 1989, a number of staffing changes were made in the Nuclear Quality Assurance' Department (NQAD) to deal with ongoing performance deficiencies. An individual with experience in licensing and compliance was appointed.to the position of Branch Manager, Quality Operations, and

,also acted as the NQAD manager. An experienced Trojan manager with a quality assurance' background was appointed to the position of Quality

- Support Services Branch Manager. In addition, an infusion of experienced

' technical' personnel was made to the NQAD staff through the addition of a

' Nuclear Engineer, a Mechanical Engineer, an Electrical Engineer, a Radiation Protection Engineer and an Instrumentation and Control (I&C) technician.

Two additional management changes in NQAD have been made to improve and strengthen the Quality Assurance program. First, the position of Manager Quality Assurance, has been upgraded to General Manager Quality Assurance, to put this position on equal level with the other senior  !

managers.in the Nuclear Division. Second, a senior manager, with a l

proven track record in' nuclear quality assurance program development cnd management, was hired from the outside by PGE for the General Manager, Quality Assurance, position.

In the interest of enabling the Plant General Manager to focus his attention more on the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the plant, a new position, General Manager, Plant Support, was created to shift the responsibility for such areas as Planning and Scheduling, Material Control and Administrative Services from the Plant General Manager.

Training will also be shif ted to the General Manager, Plant Support, upon completion of a change to the Trojan Technical Specifications. The General Manager Plant Support position has been filled from the outside  !

by a senior officer from the Navy Nuclear Power Program. l These management changes have resulted in improved performance of the affected organizations. The performance of the Plant Staff, however, was not significantly changed due to a strong resistance to change on the part of key managers within that organization. In retrospect, this resistance to change was tolerated too long, resulting in the problems evident during the Containment recirculation sump events. As a result of their performance, the Manager, Operations and Maintenance and the Branch Manager, Plant Systems Engineering were relieved of their duties. A supervising engineer from the Mechanical Engineering Branch of Nuclear Plant Engineering was selected to fill the Plant Systems Engineering i Branch Manager position. The position of Manager, Operations and Maintenance, is being split into two positions; Manager, Operations and Manager, Maintenance, to increase management oversight in these areas.  ;

PGE is currently conducting a nationwide search to find the right candidates to fill these positions. A contract manager has been acquired to fill, temporarily, the Maintenance Manager's position.

In addition to these changes, the Maintenance Branch Manager will be relieved of his duties in order for him to participate in management improvement programs including gaining additional industry experience (potentially through a short-term assignment with the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations) followed by completion of his college degree i

1. 9 9

requirements.- Following this training, h'e will' be evaluated for assign- l ment to a management position in the Nuclear Division. The Manager of Technical. Services and the Branch Manager of Operations have been

assigned 'to complete performance upgrade programs.

I PGE has also made changes in the executive-level management responsible l for the oversight of nuclear operations. The position of President, Generating Division and President, Energy Services Division have been -

. combined- and Ms. E. Kay Stepp has been named President. of PGE. Ms. Stepp

- has an excellent leadership background and an urvavering commitment to  !

excellence. Ms. Stepp has been with PGE since 1978 and was previously )

- the' President _ of PGE's Energy Services Division. She has previously served as the Vice President of Marketing and Customer Relations, Vice President of Management Resources, and Vice President of Human Resources.

A Senior Vice President has been placed in charge of the Generating Division of PGE. Mr. Walter Higgins has been named to fill this position. Mr. Higgins has been with PGE since 1977 and'has been serving as the Vice President of Power Distribution since mid-1987. He has  ;

previously ' served as the President of a PGE subsidiary, the General l Manager of Information Systems, the General Manager of Construction and l Maintenance, and the Manager of Engineering and Maintenance. Prior to )

joining PGE, Mr. HiF gins was employed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.  !

i

' 1.3 PGE's Commitment to Excellence in Nuclear Ooerations PGE has made major commitments in terms of operations and maintenance budgeting and personnel staffing to provide the resources necessary to

- achieve excellence in the company's nuclear operations. The operations and maintenance budget for the plant is adequate to achieve excellence in the operation of Trojan.

PGE has also built a new Training Building and installed a simulator at the plant site. These facilities became operational in 1989 and enable site specific training for Trojan employees. In 1989, PGE provided a new 3 office building at the plant site to enable relocation of the design  ;

engineering, licensing and support groups to the site. In the short time l since this relocation occurred, the improved support and communications l has already become evident.

In his address to PGE managers regarding five-year goals and objectives, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Portland General Corporation stressed his goal to achieve excellence in the area of nuclear opera- ]

tions. The Trojan Nuclear Plant is clearly PGE's greatest asset and the l need to make it a great success was clearly expressed to be of utmost importance. Having Trojan become a top performer is a specific goal in the corporate long-range plan.

These are but some of the examples of PGE's commitment to excellence in the operation of Trojan. The past performance at Trojan is not consis-tent with PGE's commitment to excellence. This plan is being generated to express PGE's commitment to correct these performance deficiencies.

L-b

h'l. ll W, _.

y. 2.0 ACTIONS TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE' 2.1 MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE il

' 2.1.1 - S - ary of Problem Management ' performance has been inconsistent in the basic tasks of establishing and communicating expectations throughout the organization Land holding people accountable for'their actions.

Identified: problems with; procedure compliance' and recognition land resolu-tion of problems are symptomatic of management performance deficiencies and'the failure to implement accountability.-

2.1.'2 Discussion'-

For the past.two years,_ senior management in the Nuclear Division has espoused basic performance. standards and expectations'by which the Nuclear Division must operate.' These expectations iuclude:

.1. Demonstrating. personal accountability.

2. : Timely and thorough response to problems.

3. Procedure compliance.

4; Management must oversee daily activities.

5. Attentina to detail.

-6. Quality teamwork.

7. Establishment of an environment for success.

8. Always strive for higher standards of performance.

For the past two years these performance standards and expectations have not been fully realized. -There'are two basic reasons for this: (1) the expectations have not been effectively implemented throughout the organi-zation and, (2) the management chain has not consistently demonstrated accountability for meeting the performance standards and expectations.

In order to see improved performance, management must consistently enforce the performance standards and expectations. The change must begin with ownership by management of the performance standards and expectations ~, clear communication of the same to employees, and the resolve to hold people accountable for their actions.

~

??"

y ,

1211'.3 Actions Taken/ Planned-b .As discussed previously, several management changes have occurred. These changes were made.to improve Nuclear Division performance.. Open posi-tions have_been or will be filled with experienced managers who have a demonstrated ability to implement these ' standards and expectations.

1. For over two years, PGE has been.providing training for' managers and supervisors .to equip them to implement performance standards and L expectations. This. training has been referred to as the Trojan

? Excellence Program. This training has achieved success ~for those L~ ,

' managers who have implemented-the principles taught. A continued commitment to this training program will be made as the principles

, taught are. sound and will, if implemented', improve performance. The emphasis of-this commitment will be to have the remaining managers

" . implement these principles. The successes which have been achieved

[ will be utilized as examples in the training.

ACTION: Vice President DUE DATE: . Ongoing ,

f

2. The Vice President and the Genera 1' Managers in the Nuclear Division have hosted communications breakfasts for managers and supervisors for the purpose of communicating performance standards and expecta-tionsuand allowing for an opportunity to provide feedback. These L

sessions have been beneficial to communication within the Nuclear Division and will be continued and expanded in the future.

ACTION:. Vice President DUE DATE: Ongoing i

3. The Vice President held.a series of meetings to communicate to all' employees what problems PGE is facing with regard to the operation

~

of Trojan and'to' reinforce management expectations to correct performance deficiencies. These meetings will be followed by leadership meetings' involving the General Managers and the leadership of each department reporting to them to reinforce both the expectations and how each manager and supervisor will be held secountable for their actions. Managers and supervisors will then be required to conduct similar meetings with working' level e mployees. These latter meetings will be monitored by department managers or above to ensure the correct messages are communicated and to allow a forum for effective feedback. This action has already begun.

ACTION: Vice President, General Managers, Managers, Supervisors DUE DATE: October 31, 1989 l

L -

.

• 3

4. The information booklet entitled, " Guidelines for a Quality Working environment", was issued in 1987. This booklet contains sound principles for achieving success. This booklet will be expanded to provide.a clear statement of expectations and performance standards and will be reissued..

ACTION: General Manager, Plant Support DUE DATE: November 15, 1989

5. The existing Quality Line publication is being upgraded to include a discussion of the management principles and expectations. It will also' include a " lessons-learned" section to provide examples of how t

management expectations should be met. The " lessons-learned" articles will be prepared by Nuclear Division managers and distributed to employees.

ACTION: General Manager, Quality Assurance

.DUE DATE: Ongoing

6. One of-the identified weaknesses in management of the Nuclear Division.is a lack of adequate management / leadership training. Some managers and supervisors have been promoted from within to their current positions because they exhibited sound technical abilities.

More than good technical knowledge, however, is required to develop good managers. The Trojan Excellence Program was begun, in part, to respond to-this identified weakness. An additional management training program will be provided to selected managers and supervisors. This training will better equip these individuals for fulfilling their leadership role.

ACTION: Manager Training and General Managers DUE DATE: Ongoing; additional training to commence by December 15, 1989

7. Incorporate presentations by selected management personnel on Nuclear Division performance standards and expectations as a part of the General Employee Training and Retraining Programs.

ACTION: General Manager, Plant Support DUE DATE: December 31, 1989

8. A human resources assessment of key Nuclear Division managers /

supervisors will be performed using an outside consultant. The assessment will identify strengths and weaknesses of these managers and will recommend corrective measures where needed.

ACTION: Senior Vice President, Generating Division DUE DATE: December 31, 1989 ,

k

" g ,.

i

^

, 9.-'In order for. management expectations to be met,= employees must see a F ' commitment to these. expectations. 1 As such, management needs to demonstrate its commitment by providing: positive examples of

-expected performance. One concrete area where this can be'accom-plished is by a' commitment to the. Plant material-condition.

A.

program?to reduce the backlog of_ Maintenance Requests (MRs) has been

~

' implemented under the Maintenance Improvement. Plan. /This. program-is F being reviewed.to ensure proper goals'have been established and the

'irenources are being applied to achieve a. decisive reduction in the'-

..J f g backlog.: This backlog reduction is seen as a critical action to

^ = improve plant operation. and demonstrate a' visible commitment:to R..

4' ': higher ' standards. to plant ' personnel.

h, _ ACTION:1 Plant General' Manager (review goals and priorities)

DUE DATE: November 30, 1989 g , 211.4 Overail-Measurement of Effectiveness '

" This.section is-under development.

f; -

• ~

2.2 -ASSURANCE OF OUALITY 2.2.1 Summary of Problem The Quality Assurance Program has not been an effective management tool.

2.2.2 Discussion Improvement in quality assurance has been a major emphasis in 1989.

Major actions have been completed including strengthening the Quality

-Assurance management and involving Quality Assurance in all aspects of plant operations. The continuation of the plan to improve PGE's assurance of quality at Trojan will be approached on two fronts. First, attitudes toward quality assurance will continue to be improved through a series of team building programs and by emphasis on quality by the management team. Second, while improvements in the attitudes toward quality assurance and teamwork will help improve quality at Trojan, this plan would be incomplete without delineating further improvements to the Quality Assurance Program. Quality Assuranc.e Program enhancements will seek to improve the technical capabilities of the NQAD organization.

Additionally, the Quality Assurance Program is being reevaluated to assure it provides a viable, critical self-assessment function for management. This change will require that performance-based techniques become a cornerstone of the program while continuing to pursue improvements in the ability to identify and effectively correct compliance issues.

2.2.3 Actions Taken/ Planned

1. Interdepartmental meetings have been taking place to enhance teamwork. These sessions included NQAD. PGE will further expand these team building sessions. These sessions will bring interdependent work groups together to clarify roles and identify and demonstrate support for common goals. These sessions will be aimed at increasing the understanding of different work group functions and reducing potential conflicts between these groups.

ACTION: General Managers and Department Managers DUE DATE: December 31, 1989

2. Future and current vacancies in technical disciplines within NQAD will be filled by degreed personnel whenever possible.

ACTION: General Manager, Quality Assurance DUE DATE: Ongoing b

i. .

3. An aggressive training program is being developed to expand the technical skills necessary to implement performance-based QA techniques. This training curriculum will include mechanical and electrical maintenance, instrument and control, plant systems, operations, radiation protection, chemistry, and radiochemistry.

ACTION:- General Manager Quality Assurance DUE DATE: December 15, 1989 L 4. Specific measurable performance standards for NQAD personnel are I

being enhanced to improve communications of expectations and enhance accountability.

ACTION: General Manager, Quality Assurance DUE DATE: October 31, 1989

5. Trojan's corrective action systema are currently being reevaluated with the assistance of a consultant to identify enhancements, eliminate duplication, and improve effectiveness.

ACTION: General Manager, Quality Assurance DUE DATE: December 31,. 1989

6. Perfonnance-based QA techniques are being established and imple-mented in NQAD audits and surveillance.

ACTION: General Manager, Quality Assurance DUE DATE: Ongoing

7. NQAD audit, surveillance and trend reports are being reevaluated for their effectiveness. Nuclear Division management input will be sought to ensure that QA data is presented in a concise, effective and usable format for management.

ACTION: General Manager, Quality Assurance DUE DATE: November 15, 1989

8. An audit of NQAD has been requested by the General Manager Quality  ;

Assurance and will be performed under the cognizance of the Trojan I Nuclear Operations Board to evaluate the action outlined above and determine if additional actions are necessary.

ACTION: Chairman, Trojan Nuclear Operations Board DUE DATE: December 31, 1989 2.2.4 Dverall Me.asure of Effectiveness This section is under development.

_9_

2.3 OTHER IMPROVEMENT ACTIONS i

2.3.1 Other' Actions Taken/ Planned l

1. As a result of the most recent event involving the RHR system, it was identified that enhanced planning was needed to provide addi-tional assurance that maintenance will not be performed simultane-ously on two trains of the same equipment. The Plan of the Day (POD) has been established as the controlling mechanism for work,.

such that only items en the POD can be worked in a given day. The POD is reviewed and approved by.the Duty Plant General Manager.

ACTION: Plant General Manager DUE DATE: Complete

2. A qualified senior reactor operator or shift technical advisor will be involved in the maintenance and surveillance planning process to ensure the conditions required for the proposed activities are

correctly determined. Emphasis will be placed on minimizing the number of times safety-related equipment is taken out of service and where prudent, maintenance will be deferred to modes where safety-related equipment is not required to be operable. Maintenance documentation relating to safety-related equipment will be boldly marked to indicate that safety-related equipment is involved.

ACTION: Plant General Manager DUE DATE: November 30, 1989

3. Lessons-learned training will be conducted covering recent events at Trojan. Managers from each work group will be involved in giving this training to their groups to ensure the unique concerns faced by their group in the day-to-day performance of work are fully under-stood and responded to. This training will be a continuing practice.

ACTION: General Manager, Plant Support DUE DATE: December 31, 1989 (initial sessions) 4 The corporation's commitment to nuclear safety will be further demonstrated by establishing a proactive ' Quality Team' to collect, investigate and resolve individual safety concerns. This team will monitor and respond to concerns including those on the current Quality Hotline system. Additionally, employees, including temporaries and contractors, leaving PGE will be interviewed by the team to determine if they have any safety concerns.

ACTION: General Manager, Technical Functions DUE DATE: January 31, 1990

F

5. .The existing Design Basis Document (DBD) program is being upgraded.

All previously Essued DBDs will be reviewed and revised to provide additional design basis information. In addition, walkdowns of the systems will'be conducted by teams representing systems engineering, design engineering, and quality assurance.

ACTION: General Manager, Technical Functions DUE DATE: August 31, 1990.

t

6. Significant improvements have been made in engineering in recent years. However, to ensure continued improvements in performance of design-related activities, an engineering Lnprovement program will be developed.

ACTION: Manager, Nuclear Plant Engineering DUE DATE: January 31, 1990 i

l l

i KBR/bsh 3648W.989 ua__ _.__ _ _ _ ___ ,