The Department of Energy has released the first set of revised and canceled directives under an initiative aimed at reducing burdensome processes at its national laboratories, plants and sites.
DOE and the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory Institutional Contractor Assurance Office said Aug. 13 that the Modernizing DOE Operating Directives Initiative, formerly known as Project Velocity, revised or canceled approximately 58 directives in its first phase. The changes are intended to allow scientists, engineers and technicians to spend more time on mission objectives while maintaining safety and security standards.
Of the 58 directives addressed in Phase I, 34 are included in the management and operating contract for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California.
DOE said the initiative was developed with input from laboratory leadership and subject matter experts and is intended to improve efficiency without compromising safety, security or standards-based management.
“Modernization does not mean weakening DOE’s commitment to standards-based management or integrated safety/security management,” the notice said. “It means applying requirements in a smarter, more effective way.”
Berkeley Lab will next work to align its policies, procedures and training materials with the updated directives. The Institutional Contractor Assurance Office will manage that process in the coming weeks and months, the notice said.