Livermore Field Office (2020 Presidential transition)
The DOE’s NNSA core mission pillars are to maintain a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent; reduce global nuclear security threats and strengthen the nuclear enterprise; provide safe and effective integrated nuclear propulsion systems to the Navy; strengthen key science, technology, and engineering capabilities; and to modernize the national security infrastructure. To accomplish this mission, the Livermore Field Office (LFO) must maintain crosscutting capabilities that enable each mission pillar including advancing world-class science, technology, and engineering (ST&E); supporting our people; and developing a management culture that operates a safe and secure enterprise in an efficient manner.
Mission Statement
In support of the overall NNSA mission, LFO has been tasked with providing management and oversight of the operations at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Our role includes responsibilities within the following four broad areas:
Program Enablement and Integration
Program enablement and integration works to ensure laboratory facilities, site operations, and people are positioned to successfully execute the variety of DOE/NNSA and other agency programs and projects conducted at the site.
Core Federal Oversight
Core federal oversight focuses on risk-based, required activities associated with nuclear, radiological, and other high hazard operations; site/cyber security; worker safety and health; environmental planning and protection (e.g. National Environmental Policy Act compliance); and radioactive waste management.
Contract Management and Contractor Evaluation
Contract management and contractor evaluation includes day-to-day administration of the management and operations (M&O) contract, as well as periodic evaluation of contractor performance.
Site Stewardship
As the site owner, LFO ensures the effective stewardship of site facilities, infrastructure, land, and intellectual capital, in addition to coordination of site activities with external agencies, local governments, and neighboring communities.
Budget
The LFO program direction budget includes travel, training, support services, space and occupancy, and other related expenses.
| Fiscal Year | Budget |
|---|---|
| FY 2019 enacted | $2,585,248 |
| FY 2020 enacted | $5,169,770* |
| FY 2021 requested | $1,958,043 |
* In FY20, a new DP secure workspace construction project ($2M) was initiated for LFO (Building 311) as well as a “class 3” estimate for a new LFO federal building ($350K).
Human Resources
FY 2020 authorized full-time equivalents (FTEs): 80
History
LLNL was established in 1952. Under the Atomic Energy Commission, federal oversight was managed by the San Francisco Operations Office, which later became known as the Oakland Operations Office under DOE. By 1995, this office had a staff of over 400 federal employees and managed all four DOE facilities in California: LLNL, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, and the Energy Technology Engineering Center in southern California. The Oakland Operations Office maintained a small federal staff on the LLNL site, including weapons program managers, security specialists, project managers, and environmental managers. This core staff was transferred into the new NNSA organization in 2000, along with key staff supporting contract management, legal, business, and administrative functions. Initially, this NNSA office consisted of over 110 federal employees and was called the Livermore Site Office; the name was changed to the Livermore Field Office in 2013.
Functions
The LFO is responsible for providing management and oversight of the operations at LLNL. The partnership governance model changed the focus from transaction-based oversight to system based oversight, resulting in a more effective use of resources. Specific LFO functions include the following:
Security (physical and cyber)
Includes oversight of contractor security programs to assure that security risks to personnel, property, and information and materials including special nuclear materials are adequately managed based on compliance with requirements and contractual performance expectations.
Environment, Safety and Health
Includes environmental regulatory permitting and compliance; Employee Concerns Program; Operating Experience; Injury and Illness Reporting; Packaging and Transportation; Accident Investigation; Federal Employee Occupational Safety and Health (FEOSH); and oversight of contractor Worker Safety and Health such as industrial hygiene and radiation protection.
Nuclear Safety
Includes management and oversight of nuclear facility safety basis, system engineering, configuration management, criticality safety, and startup/restart authorizations. Facilities Management/Maintenance and Operations: Includes oversight of the management of utilities and infrastructure, nuclear facility maintenance, and conduct of operations.
Emergency Preparedness/Continuity of Operations
Implements the emergency preparedness and continuity of operations programs for LFO and oversees the contractor programs.
Site Sustainability, Infrastructure, and Utility Planning
Includes planning for future infrastructure and utility needs, energy and water management, supporting federal sustainability goals and implementing strategies, and contract representation for third-party financed and direct agency contracts.
Project Management
Includes oversight of construction projects and removal of surplus facilities as well as decontamination and decommissioning projects.
Waste Management
Includes obtaining federal agreements and permits and the packaging and transportation of waste.
Weapon Quality Assurance
Includes Quality Index of M&O contractor’s performance, quality Improvement initiatives and quality assurance surveys.
Program Activities
Includes oversight of the Defense Programs, Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, Counterterrorism, Counterproliferation, and Department of Energy program work.
Strategic Partnership Program
Includes ensuring work complies with DOE Order 481.1, Strategic Partnership Projects [Formerly Known as Work for Others (Non-Department of Energy Funded Work)]; offsets operational/overhead costs for Strategic Partnership Project customers and NNSA; and helps maintain critical NNSA capabilities.
Contract Administration
Administration of the M&O contract, development and management of the Strategic Performance Evaluation Measurement Plan, development of the year-end Performance Evaluation Report, and periodic performance assessments throughout the year.
Human Capital Management
Includes site strategic activities, performance management, employee development and training, equal employment and diversity.
Finance and Business Administration
Field Office program direction budget execution, review of M&O internal controls oversight, IG/GAO audit coordination, M&O financial assessments and validations, and M&O budget execution oversight.
Public affairs
Includes internal/external communications.
Records Management and Disposition
Includes physical and electronic records, Vital Records, and Freedom of Information Act request research and support.
Legal
Includes management of the ethics program and all internal and external legal matters, oversight of the M&O legal management program and other legal activities.
Recent Organization Accomplishments
Succession Planning
The LFO leadership team is executing a Succession Strategy with the following near term objectives: managing a significant number of expected retirements in the coming years; communicating new opportunities; promoting and facilitating employee development consistent with needed capabilities; and establishing hiring priorities based on gaps in capabilities. The long term goals are to meet mission and work load projections and planning; achieve employee development and engagement aligned with mission needs; and assure continuity of operations and the long-term viability of LFO and the LLNL.
Employee Development & Engagement
The LFO leadership team improved employee knowledge of the nuclear security enterprise through the development of a nuclear weapons training course and partnered with DTRA for delivery of training, including extensive training on nuclear testing, stockpile, and stewardship and site visits of the nuclear security complex. LFO has also initiated a Science and Technology speaker series in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS) and made the monthly lectures offered by the Center for Global Security Research available to all employees. The Employee Engagement and Empowerment Team (E Team) was established by employees with the support of management in 2020. The E Team is an employee-led initiative that works cooperatively with management to improve the LFO workplace.
Building 311 Facility Improvements
Construction has begun on the Office of Defense Programs (DP) Secure Workspace project in 2020 and this follows the completion of a multi-phase facility improvement project that was aimed at improving LFO employee productivity, retention and recruitment. A class 3 estimate has been initiated for a new federal building.
Collaboration and Exascale
Approved the development and procurement of an Exascale class computer system and collaborated with DOE Office of Science to share costs. DOE has a long history of supporting high-end computing system acquisitions through the DOE Advanced Scientific Computing Research and NNSA Advanced Simulation and Computing programs. With the Exascale Computing Project, the two programs jointly fund a coordinated multi-lab effort to avoid duplication, maximize efficiency, and drive significant new efforts in terms of application readiness; hardware and software co-design; and workforce development. The El Capitan Exascale system will be delivered to LLNL and will support the NNSA Stockpile Stewardship Program starting in 2023.
Decontamination and Decommissioning (D&D)
Executed a Memorandum of Agreement with DOE Environmental Management to initiate D&D at LLNL. Building 280 D&D is planned to begin in late 2020.
LFO Governance
The LFO improved oversight by developing and implementing a joint assessment program with LLNS and recently completed implementation of the next generation Issues Tracking System for improved integration and utilization of the Contractor Assurance System.
Lawrence Livermore Solar Center
The 3.3 MW Lawrence Livermore Solar Center represents DOE/NNSA’s largest purchase of solar power from an onsite facility and the first in the western region. LFO is in Year 5 of a twenty-year power purchase contract through Western Area Power Administration. At peak production, the facility provides 5% of the LLNL electrical demand and is interconnected behind the meter adding resilience to the power supply.
Leadership Challenges
Maintaining the ability to meet major NNSA milestones and deliverables while protecting our workforce.
Employee recruitment and attrition
Maintaining core capabilities in an environment of high attrition rates. Over 30% of LFO employees are retirement eligible in 2020; this increases to 45% in 2023. LLNS similarly faces high rates of attrition and challenges with recruitment and retention in certain fields. The difficulty in recruiting is due to the high cost of living in the San Francisco (SF) Bay Area and competitive hiring from SF Bay Area agencies and employers.
Modernizing LLNL Infrastructure
Need to continue to modernize the LLNL infrastructure, including utilities, facilities, and equipment, to ensure the site can provide necessary capabilities to accomplish the increasing NNSA mission responsibilities.
Security Clearances
Although the time necessary to receive required security clearances has improved and is approaching the goal (80 days for a Q clearance), it remains a challenge impacting both federal and contractor employees and potentially accomplishment of the mission.
Improving Governance
Need to continue to implement and maintain the partnership governance model as a permanent way of doing business for LFO and its M&O partner, consistent with the DOE Governance and Management Implementation Plan.
Critical Events and Action
Items NA-1 Approval of the Publication Draft Site-wide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS) for the Continued Operation of LLNL – March/April 2021.
