Project Management Office and Other Support to NSTec at the Nevada Test Site

Posted in About Us - Accomplishments

Project Description:

For the past three years, PM tec has been providing direct support to the NSTec Project Management Office with development and implementation of processes and procedures for ensuring a consistent approach to deliver project management across the Nevada Test Site. NSTec has accessed PM tec’s expertise through either a direct subcontract or by directing subcontracted work through two of their named subcontractors: Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. or Navarro Research & Engineering, Inc. All activities have been conducted under direct NSTec oversight.

PM tec staff worked directly with NSTec management and was responsible for developing the Project Management Office (PMO) charter, which defined the purpose, vision, mission, and roles of the PMO and the PM Council. It states who the PMO’s and PM Council’s sponsors and primary stakeholders are, the services they provide, and the staffing and support structures required to deliver those services. One NSTec Project – the B-3 Building Remodel – was recently selected as one of DOE’s three “Projects of the Year”. PM tec also conducted a comprehensive Project Management Maturity Assessment/PMI’s OPM3 for NSTec’s organization/operations.

PM tec staff was instrumental in the development of an organization-wide Configuration Management Plan. The effort included the development of the strategy, structure, and the roles and responsibilities of key groups into the configuration process. The effort integrated risk management and the importance of contractual requirements “flow-down” into the plan and the development of a two-tier Change Control Board process based on risk thresholds.

PM tec was intimately involved in supporting NSTec’s achievement of EVMS Certification. Activities included the development of the plan and approach for NSTec to achieve EVMS Certification; development of the NSTec Project Management Manual, including processes and procedures; development of an NSTec-specific EVMS System Description; and the development, implementation, and facilitation of EVMS-specific training for project managers, control account managers, and other staff in preparation for the certification process.

PM tec staff led the development of the template for the format and content that all Project Execution Plans (PEPs) are required to meet. PM tec staff supported the development of multiple Project Execution Plans, including the development of the Work Breakdown Structures, execution schedules, cost estimates, Risk Management Plans and Risk Registers, project-specific processes and procedures for managing the project, and the ultimate production of the plans. PM tec has implemented FastStart for ProjectsTM, PM tec’s proprietary facilitated approach for fast project planning and development of Project Execution Plans and initial Baselines for several projects. Specific PEPs PM tec staff have supported include:

• NTS Facility Transition Project for transferring of all National Laboratory facilities/operations at the NTS to NSTec.
• Fire Suppression System Reliability Project (FSSRP) to upgrade the FSS at a key facility at the NTS
• Nuclear Explosives Operations Project to establish the capability for the Nevada Test Site (NTS) to conduct limited support activities in the areas of nuclear weapon disassembly, repairs, Limited-Life Component Exchanges (LLCE), and trainer support
• Integrated Resource Management Plan Project to develop an approach to improve real property disposition and investment decisions
• Barolo Subcritical Experiment Project designed to examine the strength and damage properties of Pu
• Large Bore Powder Gun Project is a series of twenty-four (24) sub-critical experiments designed to investigate the properties of special nuclear materials (SNM) and enhance the understanding of the Plutonium Equation of State (EOS)
• Radiography and Neutron Sources Development designed to support existing radiography and neutron sources at LANL, SNL and NSTec
• Z-Materials Experiments Project to support SNL in the areas of diagnostics support, fielding experiments, providing engineering design support, and providing database development for dynamic materials experiments on the Z Machine located at SNL (FY10 and FY11)

PM tec staff was responsible for developing the Project Management Certification Process and Protocol for NSTec and development and delivery of Project Management Training Modules and facilitating the associated training courses to more than 250 NSTec staff.

Performance Requirements and Results

PM tec staff supported the development of the process and procedures for the EVMS, supported the certification process through the development and facilitation of EVMS-specific training for NSTec staff, and implemented many of the procedures through the development of multiple projects (e.g., PEP development, baseline development, control account documentation – CAM notebook development, etc.). PM tec has received exceptional customer feedback, with all work being completed within scope, schedule, and budget requirements.

Benefit Resulting from Offeror’s Relevant Experience:

• Affected positive cultural change with respect the importance of detailed project planning through formal processes and documentation
• Instrumental in assisting NSTec’s preparation for the successful EVMS certification review by OECM