Lehman Reviews

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Lehman Reviews
Department of EnergyProject Management
WorkshopNovember 15, 2006
Ensuring Successful Delivery of SC Projects

• Daniel R. Lehman, P.E., Director
• Office of Project Assessment
• Office of Science (SC)
• www.science.doe.gov/opa/

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Purpose of Presentation

• Provide an Overview of Office of Science Project
  Reviews (known as Lehman Reviews which have
  been cited as a best practice)
• Present Key Features of Lehman Reviews
• Provide Insights and Lessons Learned based on
  over 20 Years of Experience

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Office of ScienceProjects At-A-Glance

• Current Project Portfolio (PARS)
• 46 projects 6.7B
• Annual Construction Funding
• Varies, but historically ranges around 200M
  300M/year
• Number of Independent Project Reviews conducted
  by the Office of Science
• Approximately 30/year

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Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) - Terminated
No Independent Project Reviews after Project
Baselined No Checks and Balances
The project was terminated by Congress in 1993
after 14 miles of tunnel completed and over 2
billion spent.
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Why SC Conducts Reviews
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Key Features of SC Reviews

• Typically conducted semi-annually for large
  projects
• Facilitated within a framework of positive,
  constructive feedback
• Lines of inquiry derive from Committees
  expertise and experience not checklists
• Mutual understanding/learning of Committee and
  Project Team reinforced by role reversals
  (review-ee ultimately becomes review-er and vice
  versa)
• Viewed as forum for training future FPDs and
  project managers

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SC Review Committees

• SC maintains a large cadre (hundreds) of review
  Committee members
• Committee members are world class scientists,
  engineers, and managers
• An appropriate balance of the above member types
• An appropriate balance of member affiliations
• An appropriate balance of personalities
• SC Federal Project Directors from around the SC
  Community participates to broaden their
  experience, and share lessons learned

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Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) - Successful
Purpose To provide neutron beams with up to 10
times more intensity than any other source in the
world. Total Project Cost 1.4
billion Start/End Dates 1999 - 2006 Operating
Costs 160 million per year Features 80
acre site At least 1 MW beam on target 24
instruments for material science
investigations Information www.sns.gov
Seventeen Independent Project Reviews during the
Project Continuous Checks and Balances
Multi-lab partnership ORNL lead ANL BNL
LBNL LANL TJNAF
Exceeded Baseline Objectives Ahead of Schedule
and Under Budget!
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Summary of Lessons Learned

• Projects purpose and benefits must be clear and
  effectively communicated to all stakeholders
• Project teams success depends on establishing
  and nurturing strong working and personal
  relationships
• Front-end planning is an essential mechanism for
  identifying and addressing risk in all project
  phases
• Stable project funding is essential to maintain
  project momentum
• Project reviews provide necessary Checks and
  Balances to keep the project on track and build
  credibility

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Final Thoughts

• Sound baselines are important stable funding is
  critical
• Projects too often have optimistic rather than
  realistic view of events
• Projects slow to look outside for solutions
  (defensive routines)
• Management, Management, Management!