Department of Energy: Poor Management of Nuclear Materials Tracking System Makes Success Unlikely
AIMD-95-165
Published: Aug 03, 1995. Publicly Released: Sep 05, 1995.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Energy's (DOE) progress in developing a new nuclear materials tracking system, focusing on: (1) DOE actions to implement previous GAO recommendations concerning the system; and (2) whether DOE is adequately addressing key system development risks.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy should immediately terminate any further development of the replacement Nuclear Materials Management and Safeguards Systems (NMMSS). |
In its official response to the report, the Department of Energy stated that it did not agree with the recommendation. Further, DOE told GAO that the replacement NMMSS began operating as the U.S. government's system of record on September 1, 1995.
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| Other | If, after thorough planning, the Office of Nonproliferation and National Security proceeds with plans to develop a new Nuclear Materials Management and Safeguards System (NMMSS), it should follow generally accepted system development practices. |
DOE proceeded with its transition to the replacement NMMSS on September 1, 1995, without sound analysis or planning and without formal system development documentation. In addition, the subcontractor developing the system had not placed its software under configuration management, and DOE began using the system without requiring that it pass acceptance testing. DOE later stated that it would attempt to rectify weaknesses in the systems development by requiring the NMMSS subcontractor to develop a software configuration management plan and other system design documentation for this effort. Certain project documentation, including a Software Design Description, Test Summary Report, and NMMSS Project Plan, has now been completed. In addition, based on its review and assessment of NMMSS documentation, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory formally accepted the system in March 1997.
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| Department of Energy | In the interim, DOE should continue using the existing NMMSS until the above recommendations are addressed. |
In its official response to the report, the Department of Energy stated that it did not agree with the recommendation. Further, DOE stopped using the old tracking system and began using the replacement system on September 1, 1995.
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Topics
Cost effectiveness analysisExportingInformation systemsNuclear proliferationNuclear weaponsStrategic information systems planningStrategic materialsSystems conversionsSystems designTestingNuclear materials