ML19028A044

Management Directive 3.16, NRC Announcement Program.

ML19028A044
Person / Time
Issue date:	04/18/2019
From:	Raynor K M NRC/ADM/PMAE
To:
Raynor, Kathleen, ADM/PMAE/DAET
Shared Package
ML19028A043	List: ML19028A044
References
DT-19-05, MD 3.16 DT-19-05, MD 3.16
Download: ML19028A044 (12)

Text

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION MANAGEMENT DIRECTIVE (MD)

For updates or revisions to policies contained in this MD that were issued after the MD was signed, please see the Yellow Announcement to Management Directive index (YA-to-MD index). MD 3.16 NRC ANNOUNCEMENT PROGRAM DT-19-05 Volume 3 , Part 1: Information Management Publications, Mail, and Information Disclosure Approved By:

Mary C. Muessle, Director Office of Administration Date Approved:

April 18, 2019 Cert. Date:

N/A, for the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog Issuing Office:

Program Management, Announcements and Editing Office of Administration Contact Name:

Kathleen Raynor EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY

Management Directive (MD) 3.16, "NRC Announcement Program," is revised to- Reflect changes made to the program because of streamlining efforts. Specifically, except for Yellow Announcements that are still reviewed and published by the Office of Administration, each office now publishes its own announcements.

Clarify that the Verizon Notification System (VNS) is not part of the NRC Announcement Program.

Edit the Directive Handbook to include only policy

-related information and point to the Announcement Program Web page for information regarding implementation of the program.

Reflect administrative changes.

TABLE OF CONTENTS I. POLICY ................................

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... 2 II. OBJECTIVES

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2 III. ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DELEGATIONS OF AUTHORITY

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3 A. Chairman ................................

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..... 3 MD 3.16 NRC ANNOUNCEMENT PROGRAM Date Approved: 4/18/2019 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.

2 B. Commissioners

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3 C. Executive Director for Operations (EDO)

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3 D. Office of the General Counsel (OGC)

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4 E. Inspector General (IG)

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4 F. Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

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... 4 G. Director, Office of Administration (ADM)

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4 H. Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO)

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5 I. Chief Information Officer (CIO)

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5 J. Office Directors and Regional Administrators

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....... 5 K. Director, Program Management, Announcements, and Editing (PMAE), ADM ................................

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6 L. Director, Division of Facilities and Security (DFS), ADM

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6 IV. APPLICABILITY

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6 V. DIRECTIVE HANDBOOK ................................

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...... 6 VI. REFERENCES

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6 POLICY A. It is the policy of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to ensure effective and timely communication of information to agency employees. The NRC Announcement Program encompasses systems and methods used to communicate information agencywide and ensure programmatic changes are captured in durable policy and guidance. B. The announcement program, administered by the Office of Administration (ADM), covers announcements issued through the announcement system (network announcements and Yellow Announcements); bulletins (creation of a bulletin is approved by ADM

); public address (PA) announcements; and Intranet highlights, also known as "banners" on the Intranet home page (ADM graphics team help s design, when needed, the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) approves and posts

). C. The NRC Announcement System is not an emergency system. The Verizon Notification System (VNS) is not part of the NRC Announcement Program. More information regarding VNS is available at http://drupal.nrc.gov/ocio/catalog/25189

. OBJECTIVES

- Provide guidelines for authorized use, required approval, proper issuance, and required retention of all types of agencywide announcements, including urgent or time

-sensitive announcements, issued through the NRC Announcement Program.

MD 3.16 NRC ANNOUNCEMENT PROGRAM Date Approved: 4/18/2019 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.

3 - Ensure that an agencywide announcement is properly approved for issuance.

- Provide guidelines for the approval and establishment of a uniquely identified, special e

-mail account for an announcement issued as an e

-mail bulletin.

ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DELEGATIONS OF AUTHORITY A. Chairman 1. Approves changes to the NRC announcement program. 2. Approves the issuance of an NRC Yellow Announcement that- (a) Convey s information about new policies, practices, or procedures; (b) Introduces information about a change in policies, practices, or procedures; (c) Announce s a senior staff assignment or organizational change; (d) Addresses an agencywide event; a nd (e) Communicate s other information of significance to agency employees.

3. Delegates the responsibilities described in Section s III.A.1 and III.A.2 of this directive, as appropriate.

B. Commissioners Approve and sign an NRC Yellow Announcement regarding a staff assignment in their respective offices.

C. Executive Director for Operations (EDO)

1. The Chairman has delegated to the Executive Director for Operations (EDO

) the authority to approve NRC announcement policy.

2. Approves and signs an NRC Yellow Announcement that- (a) Convey s information about new policies, practices, or procedures

(b) Introduces information about a change in policies, practices, or procedures

(c) Announce s a senior staff assignment or organizational change; (d) Addresses an agencywide event; and (e) Communicate s other information of significance to agency employees.

3. The EDO may redelegate the responsibilities and authorities delineated in Section III.C.1 of this directive, as appropriate.

MD 3.16 NRC ANNOUNCEMENT PROGRAM Date Approved: 4/18/2019 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.

4 D. Office of the General Counsel (OGC) 1. Advises on Yellow Announcements concerning legal requirements or issues.

2. Exercises the same role and responsibilities listed in Section III.

J, "Office Directors and Regional Administrators," of this directive.

E. Inspector General (IG)

1. Approves and signs an NRC Yellow Announcement that convey s information about a significant new polic y , a senior staff assignment, or an organizational change related to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). 2. Exercises the same roles and responsibilities listed in Section III.J, "Office Directors and Regional Administrators," of this directive.

F. Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

1. Approve s and sign s an NRC Yellow Announcement that- (a) Convey s information about financial policies, practices, or procedures

(b) Conveys information about changes in financial policies, practices, or procedures; (c) Announce s an Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) senior staff assignment or organizational change; (d) Addresses an OCFO-related agencywide event; and (e) Communicate s other OCFO-related information of significance to agency employees.

2. The CFO may redelegate the responsibilities and authorities delineated in Section III.F.1 of this directive, as appropriate.

3. Exercises the same roles and responsibilities listed in Section III.J, "Office Directors and Regional Administrators," of this directive.

G. Director, Office of Administration (ADM)

1. Oversees the NRC Announcement Program and issues guidance on agency policy and procedures for announcements in accordance with Management Directive (MD) 9.21, "Organization and Functions, Office of Administration."

2. Periodically reviews the efficiency and adequacy of the NRC Announcement Program.

3. Approves a request from an office director or regional administrator for the distribution of an urgent or time

-sensitive announcement to all employees through the NRC Announcement System. This applies to all requests for urgent announcements except those submitted by the Chairman, a Commissioner, or the EDO.

MD 3.16 NRC ANNOUNCEMENT PROGRAM Date Approved: 4/18/2019 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.

5 4. Approves a request for creation of a new category of special topic bulletin

. Information regarding special topic bulletins is available at https://drupal.nrc.gov/content/type

-announcements

. 5. Exercises the same role and responsibilities listed in Section III.J, "Office Directors and Regional Administrators," of this directive.

H. Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO)

1. Announces senior staff assignments or organizational changes.

2. Submits for the offices any announcement regarding a solicitation of interest, rotational opportunit y, retirement, and death of a n NRC employee. 3. Concurs on an announcement related to agencywide training.

4. Exercises the same role and responsibilities listed in Section III.J , "Office Directors and Regional Administrators," of this directive.

I. Chief Information Officer (CIO)

1. Ensures the timely e

-mail delivery and posting of an announcement to the NRC internal Web site.

2. Creates and maintains an account for each bulletin owner to issue e

-mail bulletins to all employees, after confirming approval of the Director

, ADM (see Section III.

G.4 of this directive)

. 3. Exercises the same role and responsibilities listed in Section III.

J, "Office Directors and Regional Administrators," of this directive.

J. Office Directors and Regional Administrators 1. Approve and sign an NRC Yellow Announcement informing agency employees of a management staff assignment or organizational change within their respective offices or conveying important information, including policy, pertaining to their functional areas of control.

Specific information regarding an office's or region's functional areas of control can be found in the office's Volume 9 MD (Volume 9, "NRC Organization and Functions")

. 2. Approve issuance of an NRC announcement within their functional areas.

3. Advise the NRC Announcement Coordinator (or designee) when a new Yellow Announcement supersedes a previously issued Yellow Announcement.

4. Ensure that an announcement originating in their respective offices is issued throug h the NRC Announcement system , is properly approved, and complies with the requirements of this directive. 5. Ensure that an approved announcement do es not contain any sensitive information.

MD 3.16 NRC ANNOUNCEMENT PROGRAM Date Approved: 4/18/2019 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.

6 6.Ensure that an announcement concerning legal requirements or issues isappropriately coordinated with the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) or regionalcounsel, as appropriate

.7.Approve the request to the NRC Announcement Coordinator (or designee) for an urgent or time

-sensitive announcement to all employees through the NR C Announcement System.8.May delegate, as appropriate, authority to approve specific types of announcementsand inform the NRC Announcement Coordinator (or designee) of these delegations.Director, Program Management, Announcements, and Editing (PMAE), ADMDev elops and maintains guidelines for the NRC A nnounc ement P rogram.Ens ures that guidelines for the NRC A nnouncement P rogram a re effec tively andefficiently i mplemented.Ens ures that an NRC A nnouncement C oordinator (or des ignee) i s as signed toimplement and coordinat e guidelines for t he N RC A nnouncement P rogram.Director, D ivision of F acilities and S ecurity (DFS), ADM Approves and e nsures t hat a public addr ess announcement i ntended for N RChe adquarters is a nnounc ed through the NRC Public A ddress System i n a t imely andefficient m anner. This a pplies t o all publ ic addr ess announc ements , ex cept t hosesubmitted by t he C hairman, a C ommissioner, or t he EDO. APPLICABILITY The provisions of this directive and handbook apply to and must be followed by all NRC employees and NRC contractors who are permitted access to the NRC internal Web site. DIRECTIVE HANDBOOK Handbook 3.16 establishes general guidelines that apply to all announcements and describes high

-level procedures related to the issuance of announcements.

REFERENCES ADM Office Instruction ADM

-002, "Redelegation of Authority," June 2011 (ML112000396). E-mail from Maria Schwartz, National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 28, t o Barbara Sanford, Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer, "MD/Yellow AnnouncementLinkage," May 11, 2016, (ML16144A575

).Memorandum from Darren B. Ash, Deputy Executive Director for Corporate Management, to Those on the Attached List, "Improvements to the Management Directive and Yellow Announcement Programs," April 3, 2015 (ML15043A789

).

MD 3.16 NRC ANNOUNCEMENT PROGRAM Date Approved: 4/18/2019 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.

7 Memorandum from Cynthia Carpenter, Director, Office of Administration, to Those on the Attached List, "Status of all Policy Yellow Announcements Related to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Management Directives

," March 3, 2016 (ML15162B068

). Memorandum from Cynthia Carpenter, Director, Office of Administration, to Those on the Attached List, "Streamline the Management Directive Change Process," August 25, 2017 (ML17201Q487

). NUREG-1379, "NRC Style Guide."

Office of the Inspector General Audit OIG A-19, "Audit of NRC's Process for Revising Management Directives" (ML14258A612

). The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and National Treasury Employees Union Collective Bargaining Agreement, available at https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1609/ML16092A326.pdf

. Yellow Announcement to Management Directive Index (YA

-to-MD Index), available at http://fusion.nrc.gov/adm/team/DAS/RADB/MD/Lists/yellowtoMD_index/AllItems.aspx. NRC Internal Web Sites Contact Information for the NRC Announcement Coordinator (or Designee): http://drupal.nrc.gov/content/contacts

. General Guidelines on the NRC Announcement Program:

http://drupal.nrc.gov/content/general

-guidelines

. Information on the Creation and Use of Highlights:

https://drupal.nrc.gov/content/submitting

-intrane t-highlight. NRC Announcement Program Web Site:

http://drupal.nrc.gov/content/nrc

-announcement

-program. NRC Announcement Types:

http://drupal.nrc.gov/content/type

-announcements

. NRC Announcements by Category:

http://drupal.nrc.gov/nrc/nrc

-announcement s-category. NRC Announcements by Year:

http://drupal.nrc.gov/nrc/nrc

-announcement

-year. NRC Announcement Program User List:

http://drupal.nrc.gov/nrc/24461. NRC Internal Web Site:

http://drupal.nrc.gov/

. Verizon Notification System (VNS):

http://drupal.nrc.gov/ocio/catalog/25189

.

MD 3.16 NRC ANNOUNCEMENT PROGRAM Date Approved: 4/18/2019 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.

8 NRC Management Directives MD 1.1, "NRC Management Directives System."

MD 9.21, "Organization and Functions, Office of Administration."

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION DIRECTIVE HANDBOOK (DH)

For updates or revisions to policies contained in this MD that were issued after the MD was signed, please see the Yellow Announcement to Management Directive index (YA-to-MD index). DH 3.16 NRC ANNOUNCEMENT PROGRAM DT-19-05 Volume 3 , Part 1: Information Management Publications, Mail, and Information Disclosure Approved By:

Mary C. Muessle, Director Office of Administration Date Approved:

April 18, 2019 Cert. Date:

N/A, for the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog Issuing Office:

Program Management, Announcements and Editing Office of Administration Contact Name:

Kathleen Raynor EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY

Management Directive (MD) 3.16, "NRC Announcement Program," is revised to

- Reflect changes made to the program because of streamlining efforts. Specifically, except for Yellow Announcements that are still reviewed and published by the Office of Administration, each office now publishes its own announcements.

Clarify that the Verizon Notification System (VNS) is not part of the NRC Announcement Program.

Edit the directive handbook to include only policy

-related information and point to the Announcement Program Web page for information regarding implementation of the program.

Reflect administrative changes.

DH 3.16 NRC ANNOUNCEMENT PROGRAM Date Approved: 4/18/2019 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. MANAGEMENT OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT PROGRAM

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2 A. Distribution of an Announcement and Maintenance of the Program

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2 B. Additional Guidelines Available

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2 II. YELLOW ANNOUNCEMENTS

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2 A. An Announcement May Not Establish New or Revised Policy

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...... 2 B. Expiration Date for Policy

-related Yellow Announcements

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3 C. Provision in the Collective Bargaining Agreement

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3 D. Citation Requirement for Policy and Policy Reminder Yellow Announcements

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4 I. MANAGEMENT OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT PROGRAM A. Distribution of an Announcement and Maintenance of the Program

1. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Announcement Program is managed by the Office of Administration (ADM), Program Management, Announcements and Editing (PMAE), (see Section II of Management Directive (MD) 9.21, "Organization and Functions, Office of Administration"), and maintained electronically by the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO)

. 2. The OCIO Web team provides technical assistance to the NRC Announcement Coordinator, as needed, to maintain and make improvements to the system

. 3. NRC announcement s are available only to NRC staff and those NRC contractors who are permitted access to the NRC internal Web site.

They are not available to the public. B. Additional Guidelines Available Additional guidelines can be found on the NRC Announcement Program Web site at http://drupal.nrc.gov/content/nrc

-announcement

-program. To go to the NRC Announcement Program Web site, select the "Announcement Program" tab in the Announcement box on the home page. Select "Read More," which will take you to the Announcement Program Web site. II. YELLOW ANNOUNCEMENTS A. An Announcement May Not Establish New or Revised Policy

1. Policy for the agency is issued through other vehicles; for example, memoranda signed by the Chairman, the Secretary of the Commission, or the Executive Director for Operations (EDO).

DH 3.16 NRC ANNOUNCEMENT PROGRAM Date Approved: 4/18/2019 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.

3 2. Because it can be issued more quickly than an MD or other document, a n NRC Yellow Announcement is the vehicle used to notify employees of new or revised policy or describe the process to implement a policy; however, it may not establish new or revised policy.

See also Handbook,Section VIII, "Required Incorporation of Policy Changes,"

of MD 1.1, "NRC Management Directives System," for the requirements for incorporating a Yellow Announcement into the MD system.

3. An office that convey s new or revised policy in an NRC Yellow Announcement must post the document containing the policy on the NRC internal Web site. The NRC Yellow Announcement will reference that document and provide a link to the online MD catalog

. B. Expiration Date for Policy

-related Yellow Announcements

1. When a Yellow Announcement is issued to notify employees of new or revised policy , an expiration date will appear at the top of the Yellow Announcement under the signature date. The expiration date can be no more than 5 years following the signature date of the Yellow Announcement. An MD cited in the Yellow Announcement must be revised to incorporate the Yellow Announcement within the 5-year timeframe. (See MD 1.1, Handbook,Section XIII

.) 2. Once the Yellow Announcement has expired (the related MD is revised and published), the NRC Announcement Coordinator (or designee) will ensure that the Yellow Announcement that is posted on the NRC Intranet is clearly marked "superseded

." If the related MD is not revised before the Yellow Announcement's expiration date, the Yellow Announcement will not be marked as superseded until after the revised MD is published. The policy announced in the Yellow Announcement is considered in effect until the Yellow Announcement is superseded by a new or revised MD or by a new Yellow Announcement, including cases where there is no related MD

. C. Provision in the Collective Bargaining Agreement

1. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and National Treasury Employees Union Collective Bargaining Agreement (available at https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1609/ML16092A326.pdf) contains the following provision regarding Yellow Announcements, as applicable

NRC will make all NRC Management Directives concerning personnel policies, practices, and conditions of employment available to employees on the Agency intranet. NRC will also provide an index of all Management Directives with related Yellow Announcements on the Agency intranet. As Management Directives are updated, a direct link will be provided to any related Yellow Announcements. Yellow Announcements not indexed or linked to a Management Directive are not effective with regard to personnel policies, practices and conditions of employment.

DH 3.16 NRC ANNOUNCEMENT PROGRAM Date Approved: 4/18/2019 For the latest version of any NRC directive or handbook, see the online MD Catalog.

4 2. MDs have the following footer on the first page that links to the Yellow Announcement to Management Directive index on SharePoint (http://fusion.nrc.gov/adm/team/DAS/RADB/MD/Lists/yellowtoMD_index/AllItems.asp x). For updates or revisions to policies contained in this MD that wer e issued after the MD was signed, please see the Yellow Announcement to Management Directive index (YA-to-MD index). D. Citation Requirement for Policy and Policy Reminder Yellow Announcements

1. A policy-related Yellow Announcement must cite both the MD to which it is related and the specific section of the MD affected by the policy in the Yellow Announcement (see the Memorandum to Those on the Attached List from Darren B. Ash, Deputy Executive Director for Corporate Management, "Improvements to the Management Directive and Yellow Announcement Programs," dated April 3, 2015, ADAMS Accession No. ML15043A789; and Office of the Inspector General Audit OIG-14-A-19, "Audit of NRC's Process for Revising Management Directives"

). 2. In the event that the Yellow Announcement is not applicable to a specific MD, the Yellow Announcement would remain in effect and would not need to be referenced to a general organizational MD for an office (see the e-mail from the Maria Schwartz, National Treasury Employees Union to Barbara Sanford, OCHCO, dated May 11, 2016, ADAMS Accession No.

ML16144A575

).