Alissa Tabirian
NS&D Monitor
7/10/2015

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and National Security Technologies (NSTec) effectively managed the subcritical experiments they performed at the Nevada National Security Site’s (NNSS) U1a Complex, according to a June 26 audit report by the Department of Energy’s Office of Inspector General. “Nothing came to our attention to indicate that the [DOE] had not effectively managed the subcritical experiment activities at the U1a Complex,” the audit says. The U1a Complex is “the only site where the [DOE] performs these unique experiments” as part of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Stockpile Stewardship Program, the audit says.

Both LANL and NSTec “used project management tools to plan and track the cost, scope, and schedule of the two most recent subcritical experiments,” and the audit identified “well-defined project requirements and effective communication among all project stakeholders,” according to the report. After examining two subcritical experiment projects, the report found “some inconsistencies in budgeting methods for the treatment of contingency/management reserves between Los Alamos and NSTec” and recommended that personnel work together “to mitigate the risk of cost overruns inherent in developing cost baselines for such projects.” The two projects experienced some schedule delays and in one case a cost overrun, but found other sources of funding to address it, the report says.