Fossil Energy

High Level Program Description

*This report is based on an informal information exchange session held
on October 20, 1999 (FE Computer Specialist: Mary Walsh; Collaborative
Management Environment Strategic Information Management (CME SIM)
Process Co-Leader: Kimberly Rasar). The purpose of the information
exchange session was to educate Mary Walsh about the CME and the CME SIM
process and to educate Kimberly Rasar about general management
activities within Fossil Energy related to the processes being evaluated
as part of the CME SIM. The ultimate uses of this document are to: (1)
briefly describe the Fossil Energy program and management processes
related to the CME SIM, (2) validate the information provided by Mary
Walsh through further iteration with her; (3) educate the CME SIM Team,
and (4) aid in the development of structured interviews to capture
additional details and ensure the appropriate information about
processes is gathered and documented as part of the CME SIM.*

**General Information**

The mission of the Fossil Energy program is "to enhance U.S.

economic and energy security by: (1) managing and performing
energy-related research that promotes the efficient and environmentally
sound production and use of fossil fuels; (2) partnering with industry
and others to advance clean and efficient fossil energy technologies
toward commercialization in U.S. and international markets; (3) managing
the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to reduce vulnerability to economic,
national security, and foreign policy consequences of supply
interruptions, and; (4) supporting the development of information and
policy options that benefit the public by ensuring access to adequate
supplies of affordable and clean energy."

**Programmatic Proposal Submission Process**

Fossil Energy negotiates an initial program and financial plan for the
program office. In response to the initial program plan, laboratories
submit Field Work Proposals (FWPs) which are written generically to
allow expansion for additional funding. Projects are identified by FWPs.

**Execution**

Project Funding Authorizations (PFAs) are attached to the FWPs. The
Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC) now National Energy Technology
Laboratory (NETL) uses the PFAs and FWPs to generate guidance and passes
guidance to the laboratories. The NETL, in addition to having oversight
responsibilities over the laboratories' research and development,
performs research and development in-house. One additional management
site exists under NETL: Albany, Oregon. Fossil Energy also has another
field site: National Petroleum Technology Office located in Tulsa,
Oklahoma, which has oversight.

**Tracking Process**

Portfolio managers monitor and track funding. For projects not executed
through NETL, the HQs FE program offices make direct funding
authorizations to the laboratories rather than making through NETL.

**Management Process**

FE has a new internal system, called the Business Management Information
System Net (BMIS Net) based upon an earlier 1980 system called BMIS (not
the same as the CFOs BMIS). BMIS is also based on LOTUS Notes technology
and houses information related to planned funding and obligations to
each of the sites at the accounting control level.

**Summary**

For most of the processes listed in this report, FE normally maintains
the information through in-house manual entry systems, called BMIS Net.
These systems are populated with data reported back from the
laboratories to portfolio managers at NETL, Tulsa, Oregon, and HQs. The
portfolio managers are responsible for entering the BMIS Net data.