Nuclear Security & Deterrence Vol. 19 No. 22
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Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor
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May 29, 2015

NNSA Program Management Comes Under New Scrutiny in Senate Def. Auth. Bill

By Brian Bradley

Brian Bradley
NS&D Monitor
5/29/2015

In light of schedule delays, cost overruns and “other forms of mismanagement” associated with certain National Nuclear Security Administration programs, a Senate panel has cleared a bill that would require the Government Accountability Office to prepare a new report examining, among other things, NNSA program management procedures and performance of associated government and contractor personnel. “A number of NNSA programs and projects have suffered significant delays and cost overruns or other forms of mismanagement that raise questions about how these managers interact, coordinate, and are held accountable,” says the committee report accompanying the Senate version of the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, which was  reported out of committee earlier this month.

The Senate bill would require the GAO to outline, among other things, senior contracting and NNSA managing officials’ mastery of necessary training and technical qualifications, the clarity of their job descriptions, and existing mechanisms aimed at engendering accountability for project performance. In addition, the bill would give the NNSA the ability to withhold bonus payments to employees who “engage in improper program management on the date,” according to the committee report.

Lawmakers Call for New ‘Responsive Capabilities Program’

In addition, the Senate bill would direct the NNSA to establish a new “responsive capabilities program” to help the agency be more flexible to respond to future uncertainties not addressed by existing life extension programs, according to the committee report. The program would integrate physics, engineering and production capabilities into joint test assemblies and designs, resulting in “rapid manufacturing capabilities,” shortened design cycles, and “physics models of components and systems” that can be certified as “safe and reliable in the absence of testing,” according to the text of the bill. “The committee notes it is the view of the Director of the Sandia National Laboratory that we must ‘engage in a long-term transformation of the approach to the design, development, qualification, and production of nuclear weapons,’” the report states. “’Lowering the cost, reducing the time to deploy, and being responsive to changing external threats will help assure we continue to meet the nation’s needs into the future. The nature of the emerging threat itself provides another strategic reason for ensuring we are not surprised.’”

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