Audit Report, Stocked Inventory at the Savannah River Site
Administrative Control of the Hanford Reach National Monument
In January 1997, the Office of Inspector General issued Report DOE/IG-0399, Audit of the U.S.
Department of Energy's Identification and Disposal of Nonessential Land, which identified
approximately 138,000 acres of land at the Hanford Site which were not essential to carrying out the
Department of Energy's (Department) mission. In June 2000, the President created the 195,000 acre
Hanford Reach National Monument (Monument) within the boundaries of the Department's Hanford
Site near Richland, Washington. Although the Department maintains administrative control and
jurisdiction over the land within the Monument, the Department of Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service manages about 84 percent of the land. The objective of the audit was to determine if the
Department should retain administrative control of the land within the Monument.}"}
Department of Energy's Identification and Disposal of Nonessential Land, which identified
approximately 138,000 acres of land at the Hanford Site which were not essential to carrying out the
Department of Energy's (Department) mission. In June 2000, the President created the 195,000 acre
Hanford Reach National Monument (Monument) within the boundaries of the Department's Hanford
Site near Richland, Washington. Although the Department maintains administrative control and
jurisdiction over the land within the Monument, the Department of Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service manages about 84 percent of the land. The objective of the audit was to determine if the
Department should retain administrative control of the land within the Monument.}"}
Financial Assistance for Biomass-to-Ethanol Projects
The Department of Energy (Department) has the strategic objective of reducing the vulnerability of the U.S.
economy to disruptions in energy supplies. As one way of meeting this objective, the Department has had a
biomass-to-ethanol (biomass) conversion program for several years. Working under the Assistant Secretary
for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Office of Fuels Development manages the biomass
program, which had a goal to build a full-scale commercial biomass production facility by 2000. To meet
this goal, the Department awarded financial assistance to two firms during 1997 and 1998. This assistance
was provided through cost-sharing cooperative agreements. One firm has received $4 million and the other
has received $10.95 million. The Office of Fuels Development indicated that these were the only two awards
that could have led to meeting its program goal.§
economy to disruptions in energy supplies. As one way of meeting this objective, the Department has had a
biomass-to-ethanol (biomass) conversion program for several years. Working under the Assistant Secretary
for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Office of Fuels Development manages the biomass
program, which had a goal to build a full-scale commercial biomass production facility by 2000. To meet
this goal, the Department awarded financial assistance to two firms during 1997 and 1998. This assistance
was provided through cost-sharing cooperative agreements. One firm has received $4 million and the other
has received $10.95 million. The Office of Fuels Development indicated that these were the only two awards
that could have led to meeting its program goal.§
Recruitment and Retention of Scientific and Technical Personnel
The Department of Energy (Department), as a result of budget reduction and Government-wide downsizing
goals, reduced Federal staff by about 24 percent between 1995 and 1998. This massive downsizing created
mission-critical staffing needs in a number of technical areas. As of May 2001, the Department's Federal
workforce consisted of about 9,900 permanent employees, including about 4,600 scientific and technical
staff. In a November 2000 report, the Office of Inspector General identified Human Capital as one of the
most significant challenges facing the Department.
The purpose of this audit was to determine whether the Department has been able to recruit and retain
scientific and technical personnel
goals, reduced Federal staff by about 24 percent between 1995 and 1998. This massive downsizing created
mission-critical staffing needs in a number of technical areas. As of May 2001, the Department's Federal
workforce consisted of about 9,900 permanent employees, including about 4,600 scientific and technical
staff. In a November 2000 report, the Office of Inspector General identified Human Capital as one of the
most significant challenges facing the Department.
The purpose of this audit was to determine whether the Department has been able to recruit and retain
scientific and technical personnel
Use of Performance-Based Incentives at Selected Departmental Sites
The Department of Energy (Department) began to incorporate performance-based incentive fees into its
major management contracts after the 1994 Contract Reform report recommended the use of performancebased
management contracts. The performance-based incentive approach ties elements of the contractor’s
profits to the achievement of specific technical performance objectives, delivery schedules, or cost control
objectives. Thus, fees paid to contractors should bear a direct relationship to performance and require that
each incentive have objective performance metrics and an objective evaluation of contractor performance.
Successful use of performance-based incentives should also result in improved contractor performance.
The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Department’s use of performance-based incentives
has resulted in improved contractor performance at selected Departmental field sites.0x
major management contracts after the 1994 Contract Reform report recommended the use of performancebased
management contracts. The performance-based incentive approach ties elements of the contractor’s
profits to the achievement of specific technical performance objectives, delivery schedules, or cost control
objectives. Thus, fees paid to contractors should bear a direct relationship to performance and require that
each incentive have objective performance metrics and an objective evaluation of contractor performance.
Successful use of performance-based incentives should also result in improved contractor performance.
The objective of the audit was to determine whether the Department’s use of performance-based incentives
has resulted in improved contractor performance at selected Departmental field sites.0x
Research and Development at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory