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Open Recommendations

Naval Reactors: Independent Analyses of Cost, Schedule, and Quality of Work Needed for Spent Fuel Handling Facility Project
GAO-25-106997
Dec 12, 2024
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6 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
National Nuclear Security Administration The Deputy Administrator for Naval Reactors should ensure that cost estimates for the SFHP adhere to GAO best practices for comprehensive and credible cost estimates, including ensuring the completion of an independent cost estimate. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
National Nuclear Security Administration The Deputy Administrator for Naval Reactors should ensure that schedules for the SFHP adhere to GAO best practices for credible schedules, including ensuring the completion of schedule risk analysis. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
National Nuclear Security Administration The Deputy Administrator for Naval Reactors should ensure completion of an independent and objective analysis of the root causes of the SFHP cost increases and delays. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
National Nuclear Security Administration The Deputy Administrator for Naval Reactors should update its Order 413.3B Implementation Bulletin to require implementation plans for major projects include a provision that triggers an independent and objective analysis of the root causes of cost increases when a breach of project performance baseline occurs. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
National Nuclear Security Administration The Deputy Administrator for Naval Reactors should ensure completion of an independent assessment of the SFHP quality assurance program. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
National Nuclear Security Administration The Deputy Administrator for Naval Reactors should update its Order 414.1D—86 Implementation Bulletin to require that a major construction project's quality assurance plan include provisions for periodic independent assessments of the project to measure item and service quality, measure the adequacy of work performance, and promote improvement. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Nuclear Waste Cleanup: NNSA Should Improve Its Strategy for Managing Anticipated Waste from Defense Activities
GAO-25-107636
Dec 11, 2024
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
National Nuclear Security Administration The NNSA Administrator should include the key components of a comprehensive strategic plan and fully address statutory requirements in its update to the strategy for treating, storing, and disposing of waste resulting from stockpile maintenance and modernization activities, which NNSA must submit to congressional defense committees concurrent with the President's budget request for fiscal year 2027. The strategy update should include, among other things, the amounts and types of the anticipated waste and reasonable cost estimates for the entire 25-year period of the strategy, and a coordination mechanism with EM that incorporates leading practices for enhancing interagency collaboration. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Department of Energy Contracting: Actions Needed to Strengthen Certain Acquisition Planning Processes
GAO-25-106207
Nov 21, 2024
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12 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Energy The Director for DOE's Office of Acquisition Management should ensure that for non-M&O acquisitions, the Acquisition Guide clearly specifies what information should be included in the contract file to support how acquisition officials considered prior lessons learned during acquisition planning. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Energy The Director for DOE's Office of Acquisition Management should develop a policy to ensure that DOE acquisition offices consistently document potential lessons learned identified during acquisition planning. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
National Nuclear Security Administration The Associate Administrator for NNSA's Office of Partnership and Acquisition Services should develop a policy to ensure that NNSA acquisition offices consistently document potential lessons learned identified during acquisition planning. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Energy The Director for DOE's Office of Acquisition Management should revise the source evaluation board lessons learned process described in the Acquisition Guide to ensure that it incorporates all leading practices. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Energy The Director of DOE's Office of Acquisition Management should develop guidance to ensure the accurate tracking of information on canceled solicitations in agency procurement systems. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Energy The Senior Advisor for the Office of Environmental Management should implement procedures to consistently record information on canceled solicitations so that the information is reliable and comprehensive. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Nuclear Waste Cleanup: DOE Should Use Available Information to Measure the Effectiveness of Its Groundwater Efforts
GAO-25-106938
Nov 19, 2024
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Office of Environmental Management The Senior Advisor for the Office of Environmental Management should ensure that EM headquarters collects and uses comprehensive information on groundwater cleanup scope, cost, and schedule for all EM sites to enhance technical and policy support provided to sites and inform resource allocation decisions. (Recommendation 1)
Open
As of September 2024, DOE indicated that they are coordinating with sites to make groundwater-specific scope, cost, and schedule information available to headquarters and expect to implement the recommendation by September 30, 2025.
Office of Environmental Management The Senior Advisor for the Office of Environmental Management should establish groundwater cleanup strategic objectives and near-term performance goals for groundwater cleanup that cover all sites and more specifically guide sites' progress in meeting the groundwater cleanup requirements. (Recommendation 2)
Open
As of September 2024, DOE indicated that implementation actions were ongoing with an expected completion of September 30, 2026.
Office of Environmental Management The Senior Advisor for the Office of Environmental Management should develop and use performance metrics to regularly inform groundwater cleanup decisions and document progress toward cleanup goals. (Recommendation 3)
Open
As of September 2024, DOE indicated that implementation actions were ongoing with an expected completion date of April 30, 2027. Additionally, DOE will use the Tracking Restoration and Closure system as a tool to aid in the documentation of progress towards cleanup. According to officials, this tool is in the final stages of development.
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