DOE Management: Better Planning Needed to Correct Records Management Problems

DOE sent an action memorandum to its heads of headquarters and field offices asking them to develop plans for correcting the remaining deficiencies cited in the NARA 1988 report. Plans were received and analyzed for the records inventory and scheduling area. Overall site plans for other NARA deficiencies were received from all sites. A quality improvement team (QIT) was formed and a departmental strategic plan was developed. All appropriate sites have completed corresponding action plans with specific milestones. All actions are being monitored by the headquarters division and the QIT. NARA has agreed that DOE has met all of its concerns.

DOE has developed guidelines on the plans' development, and has agreed to establish short reporting periods suitable for ongoing review and progress monitoring, and oversee implementation actions until all recommendations have been implemented to NARA's satisfaction. DOE anticipates many years of work to complete actions. A strategic plan for completing all actions by the year 2000 was developed by QIT in August 1994. The plan is called "A Roadmap to the Year 2000." All deficiencies in the Department's records management program are delineated in the plan, and responsibility for monitoring their completion has been delegated to appropriate headquarters and field offices. QIT meets at least semi-annually and the DOE records management division produces periodic status reports on various aspects of the records management program, such as the Departmentwide records inventory.