This document provides the minimum requirements for EERE Offices to develop and maintain In-Progress Peer Reviews as part of their program management process. Considerable flexibility is necessary in how EERE Offices conduct Peer Reviews. To ensure independence, quality and rigor while still allowing flexibility, minimum requirements are set as key guides for EERE’s practice of Peer Review. This guidance provides information and examples useful for planning, conducting, and utilizing Peer Reviews based on best practices. Best practices are those that are (1) utilized with the most success by EERE’s own programs or by other institutions, or (2) identified as such by multiple widely recognized experts outside of EERE, including experts at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The guidance describes EERE peer review minimum requirements in the following planning and implementation areas:
- Scope and Frequency of Review
- Timely Preparation
- Core Evaluation Criteria
- Independent External Reviewers
- Collect Reviewer Data
- Produce the peer review reports – Reviewer Report and Peer Review Report, and their Distribution
- Maintain Peer Review Record and Conduct Post-review Feedback Evaluation