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Lessons Learned Issued in 2002
Implementation of New Requirements Management Process
Date: June 12, 2002
Identifier: 2002-RL-HNF-0031
Lessons Learned Statement:
Communication among implementation team members and their management is essential for smooth implementation of new processes. Representatives on implementation teams serve dual roles:
- They provide input to the process based on their knowledge and experience
- They are a communication link to their parent organization to position it to promptly implement and process changes.
Thorough review of PHMS documents for impacts is essential to prevent inadvertent non-compliances when requirements change.
Major changes to governing documents may require formal implementation plans, including training sessions for appropriate personnel. Field and cognizant functional area personnel must identify the need for formal implementation processes.
Discussion of Activities:
Modifications to the FH requirements management process were developed over the past year by a team of project representatives and other subject matter experts. The revised process was incorporated into Revision 5 of HNF-PRO-589, Requirements Management Process, Revision 1 of HNF-RD-8457, Requirements Management, Revision 0 of HNF-RD-8310, Document Control Program, and Revision 0 of HNF-RD-8635, Review of Technical Requirements. All of those requirements document and procedure changes were processed according to the approved document review process, including impact reviews by all project procedures points-of-contact (POCs). When those revisions became effective, some projects appeared to be out of compliance with the new requirements management process. Specifically, at least two projects had documents that referred to approval designator “S” for Safety review and approval of technical documents. That designator, however, was eliminated when HNF-RD-8635 replaced HNF-PRO-233. Furthermore, some personnel responsible for assigning approval designators under the old systems did not understand the new “approval review” process.
Analysis:
The changes to the requirements management documents were developed, reviewed for comments, assessed for impacts, and issued according to the prescribed process for issuing revisions to Project Hanford Management System (PHMS) documents. That process assigns responsibility to project POCs for assessing impacts of all changes to PHMS documents. The projects that identified an impact subsequent to the effective date of the changes apparently had not recognized impacts of the revised process during the formal review process. If they did recognize the impacts, they failed to effectively communicate them to the organization that owned the requirements management documents.
Members of the process development team could have better communicated the changes back to their organizations to keep their management informed of the impending changes. Similarly, project procedures POCs could have kept their management better informed of the impacts of the changes.
Recommended actions:
Members of teams working on major initiatives should keep their managers, including the project or facility manager, well informed of the activities of the team.
Project procedure POCs should ensure document changes are thoroughly reviewed for impacts to their projects during the document review process. Items to consider include impacts to administrative processes, operations, training, manpower, cost, and schedule. Identify whether an implementation period is needed and provide an estimated duration. If POCs identify impacts, they must clearly communicate the impacts to the document author and initiate actions to ensure that those impacts do not adversely affect project/facility activities. Requirements Management & Implementation will screen document packages prior to publication to ensure comments concerning implementation have been addressed.
Estimated Savings/Cost Avoidance: N/A
Priority Descriptor: BLUE/Information
Work / Function: Business and Support Services; Conduct of Operations - Procedure Development
Hanford-Defined Category: N/A
Hazard(s): None
ISM Core Function(s): Feedback and Improvement
Originator: Fluor Hanford, Inc. Submitted by Cynthia Day-Phalen; (509) 376-1787
Contact: Project Hanford Lessons Learned Coordinator; (509) 373-7664; FAX 372-3950; e-mail: PHMC_Lessons_Learned@rl.gov
Authorized Derivative Classifier: Not required
Reviewing Official: John Bickford
Keywords: procedure development, procedure change, requirements management, impact analysis
References:
Surveillance Report S-02-OOD-PHMC-001
HNF-PRO-589, Requirements Management Process
HNF-RD-8310, Document Control Program,
HNF-RD-8457, Requirements Management,
HNF-RD-8635, Review of Technical Requirements
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