Publications

Safeguards Knowledge Management & Retention at U.S. National Laboratories

Haddal, Risa H.; Jones, Rebecca J.; Bersell, Bridget B.; Frazar, Sarah F.; Burbank, Roberta B.; Stevens, Rebecca S.; Cain, Ron C.; Kirk, Bernadette K.; Morell, Sean M.

In 2017, four U.S. National Laboratories collaborated on behalf of DOE/NNSA to explore the safeguards knowledge retention problem, identify possible approaches, and develop a strategy to address it. The one-year effort consisted of four primary tasks. First, the project sought to identify critical safeguards information at risk of loss. Second, a survey and workshop were conducted to assess nine U.S. National Laboratories' efforts to determine current safeguards knowledge retention practices and challenges, and identify best practices. Third, specific tools were developed to identify and predict critical safeguards knowledge gaps and how best to recruit in order to fill those gaps. Finally, based on findings from the first three tasks and research on other organizational approaches to address similar issues, a strategy was developed on potential knowledge retention methods, customized HR policies, and best practices that could be implemented across the National Laboratory Complex.