Latest Lehman Review completed at US ITER
7 Apr 2011
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Lynne Degitz, US ITER
Brad Nelson presenting during the Lehman Review.
A team of engineering, science, and project management experts led by the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Project Assessment visited the US ITER Project Office (USIPO) this week to assess the status and progress towards Critical Decision 2 (CD-2) for US hardware contributions.
The Lehman Review committee received briefings and reviewed documents from the USIPO. The committee noted several key achievements, including significant progress on recommendations from the last review in August 2010 and paid particular attention to prerequisites for achieving CD-2 status, scheduled for summer 2012. CD-2 is a critical decision that indicates US DOE approval of the project's performance baseline.
Ned Sauthoff, UISPO manager, observed, "This review is helpful for us to continue to learn and to improve. Since our last review, we've made significant headway in resolving design uncertainties and advancing design progress. We will continue to strengthen our team and processes as we move on toward CD-2."
Ed Synakowski, associate director for the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences at the DOE Office of Science, commented, "The USIPO is to be congratulated for their tremendous effort. The work you have done since the last review is obvious."
Left to right: Lawrence Pedrotti, Louis Sas, John Bernardin, Jeff Hoy, Tom Vaneck, Yeong-Kook Oh, Jay Marx, Pepin Carolan, Johnny Moore, Kin Chao, Ken Stanfield, Ed Stevens, Jim Jeck, Larry Dardzinski, Mark Reichanadter, John AGlowienka, Steve Meador, Ed Synakowski, Bill Cahill, Aesook Byon, Daniel Lehman, John Haines, Roy Cutler, Don Rej, Sue King, Bob Kephardt, Peter Ladd, Joe Tuozzolo, Mark Champion, Sasha Zlobin and Walt Polansky.
The committee concluded its report by congratulating USIPO management and recommending attention to confirming a self-consistent baseline as fundamental preparation for future reviews.
The successful three-day review was led by Daniel Lehman, who has served as the Director of Project Assessment for DOE Office of Science since 1991. He has been recognized worldwide for developing a comprehensive review system to ensure DOE's large science projects are delivered on time and on budget. Large projects such as US ITER typically undergo review once or twice each year.
The purpose of the review is to provide independent project assessment that pays particular attention to organization and management practices. This type of review offers a reality check to project leadership and helps projects overcome barriers to addressing challenges. Preparing for regular reviews also aids large-scale projects in focusing on their current status and targeting necessary steps for the future. A successful review adds to a project's credibility and can signal to stakeholders that the project is on track.