RNPS Web Site Brainstorming Meeting Minutes
Office of Radiological, Nuclear, and Process Safety (RNPS) Website Planning
Meeting #1
Tuesday 9am-noon, November 19, 1996, 2430
Stevens, Richland, WA
Attending:
Rick Johnson, Dana
Roberson, Mike Talbot, Tom
Sheridan, Cindy Moody-Brock,
Rick Grandy, Dave
Borders, Jenny Oelerich, and
Yvonne Sherman.
Introduction
Rick Johnson presented the agenda and the purpose of the meeting. The
purpose was to identify preliminary functions and requirements for a prototype
website that would serve the needs of RNPS. The attendees introduced each
other.
Overview of the Office of Radiological, Nuclear, and Process Safety
(RNPS)
Tom Sheridan, DOE/RL Acting Director of RNPS, gave an overview
of the Office. Because the TWRS Privatization Contractors bid a *fixed*
price for the services they provide (solidification of Hanford waste tank
slurry), they need certainty of regulation. It was indicated that the purpose
of RNPS is to provide a clearly-understood and independent safety regulation
of the TWRS Privatization Contractors through Phase II.
In Phase II, it is anticipated there may be a shift to external regulation,
possibly by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Because the RNPS
and NRC do not use the same regulations, RNPS is striving during Phase I
to maintain "consistency" with NRC. By adhering to NRC principles
of regulation that are consistent with NRC, the transfer from RNPS to external
regulation should be as seamless as possible. These principles are:
- Independence
- Openness
- Efficiency
- Clarity
- Reliability
The NRC is presently working with RNPS to ensure consistency of regulation.
They will also have a section of their website dedicated to the activities
they perform related to the RNPS. The need to protect sensitive (proprietary,
trade secret, etc.) was identified as important to the success of the website.
It was suggested that the RNPS website should provide more than just informing
the public. There is a lot of review work that could be facilitated. For
example, documents from Contractors need to be distributed to reviewers
in a secure fashion.
During discussion Mike Talbot, DOE/RL, indicated that the name for the regulatory
organization should be changed from "TWRS RU" to "RNPS"
in order to clearly indicate the distinct separation from the TWRS procurement
side of DOE/RL. It was suggested they is a potential conflict of interest,
if LMSI provides the website server and performs the website maintenance,
as one of Contractors is Lockheed Martin.
Schedule
Rick presented a proposed schedule for performing
the RNPS Website-development and maintenance work. The proposed schedule
provided for development of a near-term "prototype" website, followed
by longer-term development and maintenance of a "final" RNPS website.
DOE/RL expressed concern that the resources be allocated wisely in order
to ensure that the best product was provided quickly and at a fair cost.
DOE/RL also requested that specific dates for deliverables be identified
and a revised schedule was produced after the meeting.
Examples of Existing (Similar) Websites
The following websites were displayed to the meeting attendees on-line
using a laptop pc-compatible computer and a high-end projector.
http://128.165.144.22/rnps/index.html
(Temporary RNPS home page)
Rick indicated that there was perceived to be a need for an RNPS presence
on the World Wide Web, and this temporary site had been produced hurriedly
to meet that need.
http://www.nrc.gov/ (USNRC home page)
Rick showed what a website for a regulatory agency looks like and indicated
that this page was not as easy to find information from as others he had
visited. It was suggested that the "search" button becomes more
important as the size and capabilities of a website increases.
http://lssnet-test.cnwra.swri.edu/
(NRC's web page for nuclear waste storage activities)
Rick presented a website that Rex Wescott
had identified to him as an example of the type of site NRC may provide
that would contain information related to NRC's TWRS work. Rex could not
attend the meeting, but suggested that NRC may participate in this activity
by reciprocal linking of our respective websites.
http://www.hanford.gov/ (The Hanford home
page)
Cindy Moody-Brock identified this existing DOE/RL page. Yvonne Sherman,
DOE point of
contact for www.hanford.gov, indicated that linkage from the Hanford home
page to other sites was not performed, normally, until those websites were
more fully developed (than the temporary RNPS home page).
http://www.dsc.doe.gov/ (The Department
Standards Committee home page)
Dana Roberson described some of the key features of this award-winning website.
Later, she gave these suggestions that may enhance our prototyping effort:
Brainstorming / Prioritizing the Prototype Website Functions
The following functions were identified and prioritized (***H = high
priority; **M = medium priority; *L = low priority):
***H - Welcome / Gen Info / Who's who (or About);
***H - Changes - What's New
***H - Meetings / Calendar - Public information meetings, etc
***H - Public Comments (actions/comment periods or ad hoc)
***H - Disclaimer (Dana can provide)
***H - Table of Contents (Information Map)
***H - Website Search Capability
**M - Discrete Communication (Multi-org capability)
**M - Reference Library (All reference documents that support RNPS activities)
**M - Public Reading Room
**M - News
**M - Internal Comment/Review Capabilities
**M - Related-websites Search Capability
**M - Standard Template
**M - Maintain professional appearance...
**M - Definitions/Acronyms
*L - Links to Related Websites
*L - Advanced features: Cosmetics, Logo, Background, Audio Visual
*L - Training / Indoctrination of new DOE employees / subcontractors
Other brainstormed/prioritized functions provided after the meeting:
***H - Provide/protect Proprietary information
**M - Filter to remove offensive words from comments
*L - Chatting capability
*L - Caucuses (info destroyed periodically)
*L - Forum areas (topical)
ACTION ITEMS (proposed)
Cindy Moody-Brock / Rick Grandy - Resolved issue of potential conflict
of interest (COI) with LMAES TWRS Privatization Contractor, if website and
website maintenance (scanning proprietary documents, for example) is performed
by LMSI (both are Lockheed-Martin-affiliated organizations). Suggest alternative
to remove COI, if it exists. Date needed: Nov. 30.
Cindy Moody-Brock - provide rough cost estimate to Mike Talbot for website
work (based on what you know thus far from the meeting). Date needed:
Nov. 30.
Dana Roberson - Provide write-up of RNPS Website Functions and Requirements
based on this meeting and subsequent reading of RNPS background reports
(in the "Blue Book"). Rick Johnson will assist in identifying
the Functions. Date needed: Nov. 30.
Dave Borders - Provide overview of document control process. Date
needed: Done (overview given by Dave Borders and Jenny Oelerich on November
19, 1996).
Rick Johnson - post meeting minutes, schedule, overview presentation
and any other information deemed useful to RNPS website construction team
to the Temporary RNPS Website.
Date needed: Nov. 21.
Rick Johnson - Identify additional requirements and perform additional
(proposed) prioritizing of requirements we did not have time to perform
at the meeting. Date needed: Done (based on conversations with Dana
Roberson and additional reflections of *presently*-known requirements).
Rick Johnson - Change all occurrences of "TWRS RU" or "RU"
to "RNPS" in the existing (temporary) web pages on the Temporary
RNPS Website. Date needed: Nov. 25.
Rick Johnson - Set up weekly phone conference with Cindy Moody-Brock
and Dana Roberson and invite others to participate, if they desire. Date
needed: Nov. 25.
Please Email comments/ suggestions to: RNPS
Website Development
Last updated: December 16, 1996 (rpj)