Measuring Performance And Benchmarking Project Management At The Department Of Energy

In 1997, Congress, in the conference report, H.R. 105-271, to the FY1998 Energy and Water Development Appropriation Bill, directed the National Research Council (NRC) to carry out a series of assessments of project management at the Department of Energy (DOE). The final report in that series noted that DOE lacked an objective set of measures for assessing project management quality. The department set up a committee to develop performance measures and benchmarking procedures and asked the NRC for assistance in this effort. This report presents information and guidance for use as a first step toward development of a viable methodology to suit DOE's needs. It provides a number of possible performance measures, an analysis of the benchmarking process, and a description ways to implement the measures and benchmarking process.

Peer review is an essential component of engineering practice and other scientific and technical undertakings. Peer reviews are conducted to ensure that activities are technically adequate, competently performed, and properly documented; to validate assumptions, calculations, and extrapolations; and to assess alternative interpretations, methodologies, acceptance criteria, and other aspects of the work products and the documentation that support them. Effective peer reviews are conducted in an environment of mutual respect, recognizing the contributions of all participants. Their primary objective is to help the project team achieve its goals. Reviews also contribute to quality assurance, risk management, and overall improvement of the management process. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) conducts different types of peer reviews at the different stages of a project, including reviews to assess risks and other factors related to design, safety, cost estimates, value engineering, and project management. Independent project reviews (IPRs) are conducted by federal staff not directly affiliated with the project or program and management and operations (M&O) contractors. External independent reviews (EIRs) are overseen by the Office of Engineering and Construction Management and conducted by contractors external to the department. EIRs are the primary focus of this report. However, the committee found that, in many cases, IPRs are explicitly used as preparation for or as preliminary reviews prior to EIRs. Thus, because IPRs are integral to the review process in DOE, they are also discussed because they might have an effect on EIRs. In October 2000, DOE issued Order 413.3, Program and Project Management for the Acquisition of Capital Assets (DOE, 2000). The order established a series of five critical decisions (CDs), or major milestones, that require senior management review and approval to ensure that a project satisfies applicable mission, design, security, and safety requirements: approve mission need, approve alternative selection and cost range, approve performance baseline, approve start of construction, and approve start of operations or project closeout. Assessment of the Results of External Independent Reviews for U. S. Department of Energy Projects summarizes the results.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is engaged in numerous multimillion- and even multibillion-dollar projects that are one of a kind or first of a kind and require cutting-edge technology. The projects represent the diverse nature of DOE's missions, which encompass energy systems, nuclear weapons stewardship, environmental restoration, and basic research. Few other government or private organizations are challenged by projects of a similar magnitude, diversity, and complexity. To complete these complex projects on schedule, on budget, and in scope, the DOE needs highly developed project management capabilities. This report is an assessment of the status of project management in the Department of Energy as of mid-2001 and the progress DOE has made in this area since the National Research Council (NRC) report Improving Project Management in the Department of Energy (Phase II report) was published in June 1999.

The law enforcement profession is well aware of the need for performance-based management. Results are what count and programs are increasingly required to demonstrate that activities and programs are viable and worthy of budgetary support. This emphasizes the necessity of ensuring that the managerial processes foster accountability. To ensure success, it is essential that organizational leaders encourage and constantly supervise this management process. Performance improvement occurs when there is an ongoing process that creates strategic performance objectives, such as measures performance, collects, and analyses, which result in the reporting of performance data that can focus on improvement. The key chapter in the text is entitled “Accountability for Performance” inasmuch as it circumscribes the remainder of the concepts discussed, and reviews the necessity of creating an accountability environment fostered by positive communications. The pivotal aspects of accountability are discussed, and each of the five levels reviewed. Chapters deal with a range of potential evaluation tools to include logic models, crime mapping, program evaluation techniques, and problem solving. Considerable attention is given to performance measurement, the different types of measurement and commonly used measures in law enforcement. There is also a brief discussion of CompStat and its four principles with special emphasis on relentless follow-up and assessment. In addition, attention is given to the utilization of performance information and the research measurements that create process improvements. Within the proactive problem-solving process, the reader will find basic questions for the scanning process, objectives, means of defining a problem, environmental surveys, and the recognized sequence of analysis. Consideration is given to the discussion of data quality, verification, validation, and information sources. Law enforcement professionals, re-searchers, planners, policymakers, and stakeholders at all levels can use this text as a significant resource in the development of performance-based management that stresses accountability, competence and performance.

A complex world surrounds the project team. Led by a project manager and judged by the board of directors, executives, customers, and employees, it would be tempting to ask why anyone would choose to work within such an environment, let alone encourage and lead the organization on a potentially perilous road. The answer is simple - there is great joy in working with the talented and able participants engaged in a project while pursuing and satisfying the organization's needs. Prescribed procedures are part of project management. It is these procedures that provide stepping stones from where we are today and what we want and expect to be tomorrow. Many procedures and best practices are based on A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge and ISO 21500, Guidance on Project Management. These guides provide best practices and international standards as well as frameworks that are coupled with steps that should be followed to effectively implement the best practices. However, neither guide discusses how to ensure that people will welcome the results of a project with open arms and embrace wholeheartedly the impact that has been imposed on them. Since people are involved in these projects, their behavior and well-being must be provided for - especially when environmental and procedural changes are being made. Ignoring the psychological and emotional impact on people may result in project failure. It is the project manager's responsibility to examine, understand, and implement best practices, determine the level at which a best practice is used, and accommodate the physical and mental needs of people affected by the projects.

Data for Nurses: Understanding and Using Data to Optimize Care Delivery in Hospitals and Health Systems provides information for nurses on how to work with data to effectively evaluate and improve care delivery for patients. Quality, benchmarking, and research data are increasingly used to guide care in hospitals and health systems, and nurses are expected to actively use this information to identify interventions to optimize outcomes and meet reporting and financial targets. However, not all nurses receive formal training on data utilization, making interpretation and application of the different types of data difficult. This book provides information on topics such as benchmarking and reportable indicators, financial metrics, quality improvement, research, and implementation science, with applications to nursing practice. Important information on protective measures to guarantee integrity and security of personal patient data is also included. The book is a valuable resource for nurses and other healthcare professionals who require a basic understanding of key principles of data utilization in order to increase engagement in evidence-based practices, quality improvement, and mandatory reporting of key indices. Explains the differences between research data and quality improvement data Provides examples of project design, data usage, data storage and data dissemination Presents tables and figures that highlight mandatory reporting and how to correctly interpret and track information when making decisions about care delivery

This book gathers papers presented at the 22nd International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning (ICL2019), which was held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 25 to 27 September 2019. Covering various fields of e-learning and distance learning, course and curriculum development, knowledge management and learning, real-world learning experiences, evaluation and outcomes assessment, computer-aided language learning, vocational education development and technical teacher training, the contributions focus on innovative ways in which higher education can respond to the real-world challenges related to the current transformation in the development of education. Since it was established, in 1998, the ICL conference has been devoted to new approaches in learning with a focus on collaborative learning. Today, it is a forum for sharing trends and research findings as well as presenting practical experiences in learning and engineering pedagogy. The book appeals to policymakers, academics, educators, researchers in pedagogy and learning theory, school teachers, and other professionals in the learning industry, and further and continuing education.