Paper (6): Program Management Improvement Team: a Best Practice Based Approach to Process Improvement and Program Governance at the National Nuclear Security Administration.
Abstract: The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) within the U.S. Department of Energy maintains and enhances the safety, security, reliability and performance of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear testing; works to reduce global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the U.S. and abroad. NNSA’s Office of Safety, Infrastructure and Operations (NA-50) is responsible for enabling safe operations, ensuring effective infrastructure and providing enterprise services to NNSA programs and national laboratories to meet the 21st Century needs of the NNSA Nuclear Security Enterprise.
NA-50 plans, directs and oversees the maintenance, operation and modernization of infrastructure and facilities at eight national labs, a vast and complex enterprise of 41,000 employees, 36 million square feet of buildings including 400 nuclear facilities, 2,000 miles of roads, 9.1 trillion BTUs of energy use, and 15.2 million tons of hazardous materials, on 2,160 square miles of land. With an annual budget of approximately $1.5 billion, NA-50 plans, funds, directs and oversees hundreds of projects each year. In September 2015 NA-50 established a Program Management Improvement Team (PMIT) to enhance program, portfolio and project performance through the identification, development and sharing of best practices and to help ensure the achievement of cost-effective, timely, measurable and quality results in support of the NNSA mission. The PMIT is comprised of a small cadre of private industry program management experts who meet with NA-50 federal program managers quarterly to discuss and share successful leading-edge program management practices. This paper will describe the purpose, activities and results to date of the NNSA’s PMIT.
Biography: Miles Shepherd has more than 30 years’ experience in project and program management gained in Government and international environments in the fields of defense, information technology, nuclear engineering, transport, standards development and quality management. He has taken leadership roles in projects for the UK Government, British Armed Services, Taiwanese Armed Services and the European Commission. His expertise has been developed on a variety of programs including decommissioning of nuclear reactors in the UK and Eastern Europe. He has undertaken assignments in rail safety and business development projects, a collaborative project for the European Commission to strengthen Governmental accreditation capabilities in Eastern European countries, and the development of post graduate project management education in USA, UK, Taiwan, Greece and Romania.
He holds significant posts with the Association for Project Management (Vice President, and is a past Chairman) and the International Project Management Association (past Chairman of Council and Past President). He was awarded the President’s Medal by the Association for Project Management for his contribution to the global project management community, particularly raising capabilities in developing countries.
Since 1990, Miles has been a speaker at international project management conferences and meetings in Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine United States of America and the United Kingdom.
He has extensive experience in the development of National and International Standards. Currently Chairman of the British Standards Institute Committee on Project Management, he is also Chair of the ISO Committee responsible for the development of project, program and portfolio management standards.
Miles was an Associate Lecturer and research supervisor for the Open University for 15 years and currently supports post graduate students at the University of Manchester and University College London. He has served as a Visiting Fellow at Bournemouth University, and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at University College, London and is a teaching fellow at 5 other universities in UK and Europe. He is a Board Member for PMI’s Global Accreditation Center for academic programs. Mr. Shepherd is managing director for MS Projects, Ltd., providing executive PM consulting, quality management, auditing and academic development work; he is an ISO qualified Lead Auditor and acts as Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa for Business Development Institute International. Miles has a BS in Management Systems, Post Graduate Certificates in IT Strategy and Project Management as well as various government and industry certifications.
