Audit of NRC’s

Web-Based Licensing 

System (WBL)

OIG-15-A-17

June 29, 2015

All publicly available OIG reports (including this report) 

are accessible through NRC’s Web site at

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/insp-gen
UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001

OFFICE OF THE

INSPECTOR GENERAL

June 29, 2015

MEMORANDUM TO: Mark A. Satorius

Executive Director for Operations

FROM: Stephen D. Dingbaum /RA/

Assistant Inspector General for Audits

SUBJECT: AUDIT OF NRC’S WEB-BASED LICENSING SYSTEM 

(WBL) (OIG-15-A-17)

Attached is the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) audit report titled Audit of NRC’s 

Web-Based Licensing System (WBL).

The report presents the results of the subject audit. Following the June 18, 2015, exit 

conference, agency staff indicated that they had no formal comments for inclusion in this 

report.

Please provide information on actions taken or planned on each of the recommendations 

within 30 days of the date of this memorandum. Actions taken or planned are subject to OIG 

followup as stated in Management Directive 6.1.

We appreciate the cooperation extended to us by members of your staff during the audit. If 

you have any questions or comments about our report, please contact me at (301) 415-5915 

or Beth Serepca, Team Leader, at (301) 415-5911.

Attachment: As stated
Audit of NRC’s Web-Based Licensing System (WBL)

Office of the Inspector General

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

Results in Brief

Audit of NRC’s Web-Based Licensing System (WBL)

What We Found

What We Recommend

Why We Did This Review

The Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission’s (NRC) primary 

mission is to license and 

regulate the use of radioactive 

materials for civilian purposes 

to ensure adequate protection of 

public health and safety and the 

environment. NRC’s recent 

Project Aim 2020 report noted 

that, although NRC 

accomplishes its mission, a lack 

of standardized processes is an 

obstacle to efficiency and agility.

Deployed in 2012, NRC’s WebBased Licensing System (WBL)

serves as an up-to-date 

repository of all NRC materials 

licenses, and as a Web-based 

license tool for NRC to manage 

the license process and 

information on NRC licensees. 

The incorporation of additional 

modules, such as for inspection 

and reciprocity tracking, ties 

various NRC oversight activities 

to the most up-to-date license 

information.

The audit objective was to 

determine whether WBL meets 

its required operational 

capabilities and provides for the 

security, availability, and 

integrity of the system data.

OIG-15-A-17

June 29, 2015

Through its design and continuous improvement process, WBL generally 

meets required operational capabilities outlined in system requirements 

documents. However, use of WBL can be improved to better support 

effective and efficient operations. Specifically, we found that varied use 

of WBL among the NRC regions, outdated business processes, and lack of 

standardization hinder efficiency and effectiveness. 

By providing automated controls, WBL should support effective and 

efficient operations. However, materials oversight business processes are 

structured on outdated guidance. Outdated businesses processes 

increase time and costs because the “right” people for optimal results are 

not using WBL. OIG concludes that full implementation of WBL’s 

capabilities can unify NRC’s oversight of materials licensees and support 

national efforts to monitor and secure radioactive materials.

OIG recommends steps to improve NRC’s utilization of WBL. In particular, 

the agency should develop and implement agencywide standardized 

business processes for WBL use and require license reviewers and 

materials inspectors to process their work directly in WBL. Also, NRC 

should develop quality assurance mechanisms for confirmation of data 

changes in the system. Further, the agency should identify user needs for 

enhancement of WBL inspection module functionality. 

Management stated their general agreement with the findings and 

recommendations in this report.
Audit of NRC’s Web-Based Licensing System (WBL)

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS .......................................................... i

I. BACKGROUND ................................................................................1

II. OBJECTIVE......................................................................................4

III. FINDING...........................................................................................4

Business Processes Limit WBL’s Benefits ..................................4

Recommendations.....................................................................13

IV. CONCLUSION................................................................................13

V. AGENCY COMMENTS...................................................................14

APPENDIX

OBJECTIVE, SCOPE, AND METHODOLOGY .........................................15

TO REPORT FRAUD, WASTE, OR ABUSE .............................................17

COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS..........................................................17

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Audit of NRC’s Web-Based Licensing System (WBL)

i

LVS License Verification System

NRC U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

NSTS National Source Tracking System

OIG Office of the Inspector General

WBL Web-Based Licensing System

 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
Audit of NRC’s Web-Based Licensing System (WBL)

1

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) primary mission is to license 

and regulate the use of radioactive materials for civilian purposes to 

ensure adequate protection of public health and safety and the 

environment. NRC fulfills this mission by issuing licenses to individuals 

and organizations for the use of radioactive materials and by conducting 

inspections of licensee activities to ensure conformity with safety 

requirements.

NRC’s Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, Division of 

Material Safety, State, Tribal, and Rulemaking Programs, oversees and 

implements the National Materials Program.1 The division develops policy 

and procedures for assessing performance and provides technical support 

and guidance to NRC’s regions for materials licensing, inspection, and 

enforcement activities. NRC offices in Regions I, III, and IV conduct 

licensing and inspection activities. Agreement States2 are responsible for 

certain radioactive material oversight activities within their jurisdictions. 

Responding to a 2007 congressional mandate to enhance tracking and 

verification of radioactive materials transactions, NRC developed the 

Integrated Source Management Portfolio. The portfolio is a suite of 

systems including the National Source Tracking System (NSTS), the 

License Verification System, and the Web-Based Licensing System 

(WBL). Data from the NSTS and WBL support license verification that 

allows suppliers to validate a purchaser’s license and the quantity of 

radioactive material the license authorizes. The systems are nationwide, 

including information on both NRC and Agreement State radioactive 

materials licenses. 

 

1 The National Materials Program is a term used to define the broad collective framework within which 

both NRC and the Agreement States function in carrying out their respective radiation safety regulatory 

programs. 

2Agreement States enter into an agreement with NRC that gives the State the authority to license and 

inspect byproduct, source, and noncritical quantities of special nuclear materials used or possessed 

within its borders. Only NRC regulates nuclear reactors, fuel fabrication facilities, and critical quantities of

“special nuclear material”—that is, radioactive material that can fission or split apart. 

 I. BACKGROUND
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Figure 1: The Integrated Source Management Portfolio

Source: NRC 

WBL was deployed in 2012 to replace and enhance functionality of 

several NRC legacy systems, including the following: 

 License Tracking System.

 Inspection Planning System.
Audit of NRC’s Web-Based Licensing System (WBL)

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 Reciprocity Tracking System.

3

 Transportation Approval Package Information System.

4

 

WBL serves as an up-to-date repository of all NRC licenses and Category 

1 and 25 Agreement State licenses. In addition, it serves as a Web-based 

licensing tool for NRC to manage the licensing process and information on 

NRC licensees. WBL supports the entry of licensing information and 

license images, allowing NRC to manage the licensing life cycle from 

initial application through license issuance, amendment, reporting, and 

termination. 

WBL allows for almost unlimited users compared to the legacy mainframebased systems. Users are assigned roles in WBL according to their 

authority. WBL’s database contains more information fields for each 

license than the legacy systems and offers flexible search functions to 

retrieve data on licenses. WBL is designed to generate the materials 

license and other licensing and inspection documents with the latest data 

from the system. WBL is currently capable of generating routine 

correspondence letters, and work is ongoing to extend this capability to 

generation of materials licenses in the system. WBL also includes 

information on Agreement State licenses submitted by the States to 

support license verification. NRC provides the WBL system, and 

associated startup and user training support, at no charge to Agreement 

States that may want to replace their existing licensing and inspection 

systems. 

WBL has a robust design and a continuous improvement process. It 

meets mandated system requirements and overall materials licensing 

 

3 Reciprocity is NRC recognition of certain Agreement State licenses for work performed in areas of NRC 

jurisdiction. The Reciprocity Tracking System was used for tracking reciprocity activities, assisting in the 

planning of inspections of reciprocity activities, and providing summaries of reciprocity activities and 

inspections on an agencywide basis.

4 The main purpose of the Transportation Approval Packaging Information System was to maintain 

information about NRC certified packages or containers used to transport nuclear materials. These 

packages must undergo a review and approval process that determines if their designs are adequate to 

safely transport the radiological material.

5 The International Atomic Energy Agency promulgated a categorization system of radioactive materials 

for use by regulators. The categories rank radioactive materials in terms of their potential to cause harm 

to human health. Category 1 materials are extremely dangerous, with potential to cause permanent injury 

or fatality in less than an hour. Category 2 materials are very dangerous, with potential to cause

permanent injury in hours or fatality in hours to days. 
Audit of NRC’s Web-Based Licensing System (WBL)

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needs. System use and data accrual since deployment have strengthened 

WBL and highlighted the potential in its capabilities. 

Resources Allocated

WBL expenditures for maintenance and operational support are tracked 

through the Integrated Source Management Portfolio budget; however, it 

is estimated that NRC spends approximately $3 million on the system 

annually. This figure covers 2.5 full time employee equivalents, system 

development, hosting, and user support activities. 

The audit objective was to determine whether WBL meets its required 

operational capabilities and provides for the security, availability, and 

integrity of the system data. The report appendix contains information on 

the audit’s scope and methodology.

Business Processes Limit WBL’s Benefits

Through its design and continuous improvement process, WBL generally 

meets its required operational capabilities as outlined in the system’s 

requirements documents. WBL replaces the mainframe-based License 

Tracking System with a Web-based relational database and application 

system. However, use of WBL can be improved to better support effective 

and efficient operations. Currently, efficiency and effectiveness are 

hindered by 

 II. OBJECTIVE

 III. FINDING
Audit of NRC’s Web-Based Licensing System (WBL)

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 Varied use of WBL among NRC regions.

 Outdated business processes.

 Lack of standardization. 

WBL Should Support Effective and Efficient Operations

Federal Guidance

Internal control activities help ensure that management's directives are 

carried out. Control activities should be effective and efficient in 

accomplishing the agency's objectives. Information systems provide 

internal controls for business processes. Effective operations produce the 

intended results from operational processes, while efficient operations do 

so in a manner that minimizes the waste of resources. 

Automated control activities are either wholly or partially automated 

through the entity’s information technology. Manual control activities are 

performed by individuals with minor use of the entity’s information 

technology. Automated control activities tend to be more reliable because 

they are less susceptible to human error and are typically more efficient.

NRC Guidance

NRC’s Principles of Good Regulation stipulate that NRC should have the 

best management and administration, the highest technical and 

managerial competence, a continual upgrading of its regulatory 

capabilities, and timely decisionmaking while minimizing the use of 

resources. In particular, the efficiency principle states, “where several 

effective alternatives are available, the option which minimizes the use of 

resources should be adopted.” 

What Is Required
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WBL Use Varies by Region

License reviewer and inspector use of WBL varies. Region I technical 

staff make the least hands-on use of WBL, while Region IV technical staff 

demonstrate the most direct use. Use by technical staff within Region III 

represents the full range. 

Technical Staff Duties

Technical staff in NRC regional offices are qualified to exercise authority in 

reviewing and approving licensing actions and in evaluating licensee 

performance during inspections. For many licensing actions and for 

inspections, reliable, current license information is the basis of technical 

staff’s understanding of what is authorized for and required of a licensee.

License Reviewers 

The request for a new license, amendment, or other licensing action, must 

be reviewed for conformity with NRC regulations providing for safe and 

secure use of radioactive materials. This regional review contains both 

administrative and technical steps. A request or application received by a 

regional office must be evaluated for completeness, processed, and

tracked throughout the technical review to license or amendment 

issuance. WBL contains information on all current NRC materials 

licensees and provides milestones for recording steps in the review 

process. 

The administrative and technical aspects of license review are linked by a 

WBL report called the “License Fee Worksheet.” Printed by the licensing 

assistant when the request is initially processed, the worksheet serves as 

a cover sheet for the paper file used in the license review. Reviewers 

mark up the worksheet with needed changes to the license record in WBL. 

Although the worksheet contains data from WBL, the license reviewer 

does not need to refer to WBL to complete the review. Table 1 

summarizes how WBL is used in the license review process in the 

regions. 

What We Found
Audit of NRC’s Web-Based Licensing System (WBL)

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Table 1: WBL Use in Materials Licensing

License Reviewers 

use of WBL for:

Regions

Region I Region III Region IV

Processing License 

Actions

No – Use paper or 

electronic document 

files. Rely on licensing 

assistants to print out 

hard copy license work 

sheets and enter the 

information in WBL.

No – Use paper or 

electronic document 

files. Rely on licensing 

assistants to print out 

hard copy license work 

sheets and enter the 

information in WBL.

Varies – Use paper or 

electronic document 

files. Licensing 

assistant prints 

worksheets and enters 

data. However, some 

license reviewers enter 

changes themselves in 

WBL.

Obtaining License 

Information

No – Use paper 

printouts generated by 

Licensing Assistant

Team or access 

information in 

electronic document 

files.

Varies – Some license 

reviewers refer to WBL 

frequently, in addition 

to paper or electronic 

records, while others 

rarely refer to it for 

information. 

Yes – Frequently used 

as a reference, in 

addition to paper or 

electronic records.

Source: OIG generated

Inspectors

NRC inspectors periodically visit licensees to ensure their activities 

conform to regulatory and license requirements. Although the inspection 

process is inherently less administrative than license review, staff must 

track inspections due, schedule and plan inspection trips to efficiently 

meet inspection deadlines and targets, and track inspection report 

issuance and any findings or resulting enforcement actions. Table 2 

summarizes how WBL is used in the inspection business process in the 

regions.
Audit of NRC’s Web-Based Licensing System (WBL)

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Table 2: WBL Use in Materials Inspection

Use of WBL by 

Materials 

Inspectors For: 

Regions

Region I Region III Region IV

Processing 

Inspections

No – Data entry 

contractors enter 

inspection results in 

WBL.

Yes – Inspector enters 

completed inspection 

date and findings into 

WBL. 

Yes – Inspector enters 

completed inspection 

date and findings into 

WBL. 

Referencing license 

and inspection 

information

No – Inspector / 

scheduler relies on 

reports generated by 

the licensing assistant 

for data to schedule 

trips, plan inspections, 

and track steps. 

Partially – Inspector / 

scheduler exports 

inspection data from

WBL to Microsoft Excel 

and Word to schedule 

trips, plan inspections, 

and track steps. 

Partially – Inspector / 

scheduler exports 

inspection data from

WBL to Microsoft Excel 

and Word to schedule 

trips, plan inspections, 

and track steps. 

Some inspectors 

access WBL from the 

road for reference. 

Tracking and 

Entering Reciprocity 

Information 

No – Use paper files; 

rely on lead licensing 

assistant or data entry 

contractors to print out 

hard copy work sheets 

and to enter information 

in WBL.

Yes. Yes.

Tracking and 

Entering Findings 

Information

No – Performed by 

licensing assistant; 

Inspectors not aware of 

findings data in WBL.

Yes – Entered into 

WBL by inspector.

Yes – Entered into 

WBL by inspector. 

Source: OIG generated

In spite of their use of secondary systems, inspectors conveyed to OIG

their understanding of WBL’s potential benefits. One inspector described 

WBL as the “ultimate source” of license information for an inspector and 

believes the system could also be the primary source for inspection

information. Another inspector envisioned that the overall inspection effort 

will be more effective when greater consistency among the regions allows 

headquarters to get an agencywide view of inspection activities and 

results without having to go to each region for information.
Audit of NRC’s Web-Based Licensing System (WBL)

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Resistance to WBL

License reviewers who do not use WBL are unfamiliar with the system, its 

abbreviations, and the WBL User Guide. Few license reviewers and 

inspectors are entering data directly. All regions use secondary systems, 

both paper files and software applications, to some extent as workarounds 

or to perform duplicative tasks. Lack of familiarity with WBL also fosters 

concerns about data integrity of the system. One staff member suggested 

the system is too complex to be able to maintain data integrity. Another 

acknowledged that it is easy to access information when needed, but 

believed that data integrity is an issue and did not refer to the system for 

license reviews. These concerns regarding data integrity have also 

contributed to delaying implementation of WBL’s license and document 

generation feature. Expressions of distrust are in contrast to the view of a 

frequent technical user, who is willing to enter data directly and believes it 

would help ensure accuracy. 

Separation of Final Processing

After the technical review, the license reviewer creates the new license 

and authorizes the license by signing it. The paper file is returned to the 

licensing assistant, who is responsible for mailing the license and ensuring 

the final steps in recording the licensing action in WBL are completed. In 

two regions, the marked-up License Fee Worksheet is passed to data

entry contractors to make the license changes in the system. Table 3 

summarizes data entry responsibilities in the regions.

Table 3: Responsibility for Data Entry in WBL

Data Entered in 

WBL

Regions

Region I Region III Region IV

Responsible Staff Contract data entry 

staff and licensing 

assistants.

Contract data entry 

staff and licensing 

assistant.

Licensing assistant 

primarily; some 

technical staff enter 

data.

Source: OIG generated
Audit of NRC’s Web-Based Licensing System (WBL)

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While entering the marked changes into WBL, both contract and agency 

data entry staff perform a self-check for obvious errors or items that are 

not clear. Until data changes are entered into WBL, which occurs after the 

signed license is mailed to the licensee, the WBL record of license data is 

not current with the approved license. 

Confirmation of Changes

WBL does not have a capability allowing users to view changes made or a 

chance to confirm those changes prior to saving them in a license record. 

Typically, changes entered into a WBL record are reviewed on the License 

Fee Worksheet as part of the next licensing action. For the most part, 

technical staff do not follow up on data entered by others until a license 

amendment is requested. Because some licenses are amended 

frequently and others are amended rarely, license review staff verify data 

of some licenses multiple times per year, and others not for years until 

amendment or renewal. Periodic quality assurance reviews of licensing 

actions focus on the technical quality of the review and accuracy of the 

license and include only limited review of data in WBL. WBL maintains 

the integrity of data entered into the system, but there is no built-in 

mechanism or control on data entry to ensure that the data entered into 

WBL is accurate. 

Outdated Processes and Lack of Standardization

NRC’s regions appended WBL to the existing license review process and 

procedures, without restructuring how work would be completed. 

Additionally, regional managements have differed in their approach to 

requiring direct use of WBL by those assigned roles in the system. 

Outdated Business Processes 

The existing process is structured on outdated licensing administrative 

guidance that is a legacy of a former system. The current disconnect 

between many license reviewers and WBL reflects the procedures 

Why This Occurred
Audit of NRC’s Web-Based Licensing System (WBL)

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described in NUREG-1556, Volume 20,6 published in 2000. This 

document sharply distinguishes administrative and data entry activities 

performed by licensing assistants using NRC’s legacy License Tracking 

System from technical review activities. When WBL was introduced, no 

substantive change was made in processes. A manager stated that the 

intent was to re-create with WBL the local control that existed with the 

License Tracking System. 

The NUREG guidance also does not reflect other, more recent 

developments. For inspectors, using the applications and relational 

license database in WBL as a tool to track inspections and findings is an 

entirely new function not included in the License Tracking System 

mainframe version. Also, as part of the Integrated Source Management 

Portfolio, WBL plays a role in tracking radiological material transactions, 

another function not envisioned in the License Tracking System and 

related guidance.

Lack of Standardization

Carryovers from legacy system operations, such as the use of the 

worksheet and the clear demarcation between technical review and data 

entry, foster a lack of standardization. In particular, there are no 

agencywide rules for data entry. In some cases, regional offices have 

developed their own job aids for data entry, but one staff member 

reported, “We are told how to enter information but not what to enter.” 

While the use of menus in WBL limits choices for entry in many fields, 

other fields must be filled out or enable notes to be added to the record. 

The inspection module is newer and less developed than the licensing 

module, with fewer search options and less flexibility for users seeking 

information about inspections. Also, WBL inspection milestones are not 

sufficiently detailed to permit tracking of such steps as inspection report 

completion. Inspectors must use secondary systems to bridge the gap 

between an inspection appearing as due in WBL and the final inspection 

information being entered into WBL. In two regions, tracking in secondary

systems is done by inspectors themselves. In another, the licensing 

assistants “close the loop.” Further, the regions use the present

 

6 NUREG-1556, Volume 20, Consolidated Guidance About Materials Licenses: Guidance About 

Administrative Licensing Procedures, December, 2000.
Audit of NRC’s Web-Based Licensing System (WBL)

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inspection milestones differently, and tracking inspections with the 

standard reports is inconsistent among the regions. 

Users who are not fully “engaged” with the system perpetuate what one 

staff member called the “gatekeeper model,” where limited staff have 

access to the information. The separation of data entry from the technical 

work obviates the need for technical staff, particularly license reviewers, to 

engage with WBL. WBL capabilities remain unexploited in several key 

areas:

 Underuse of WBL’s accessibility to a large number and variety of 

users.

 Documents intended to be created in WBL are still prepared in 

Microsoft Word.

 Management reports in WBL re-create legacy system reports with 

unclear benefits.

Current Use of WBL Does Not Promote Effective and Efficient 

Operations

Time and costs are increased because the “right” people for optimal 

results are not using WBL. This lessens efficiency and effectiveness 

because there is

 Continuation of paper processes with a lot of steps while many 

hands touch the hardcopy licensing file. 

 Repeated data verification by technical staff for frequently amended 

licenses. 

 Separation of data entry responsibilities. 

 Continued use of secondary systems. 

Why This Is Important
Audit of NRC’s Web-Based Licensing System (WBL)

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Outdated processes sustain the view of WBL as a data repository only. 

Non-automated steps are inefficient and can undermine real or perceived 

data reliability. The license and the WBL record may not match and 

reports and search results may appear inconsistent. Inspectors want to 

remove WBL limitations so recording and accessing inspection information 

will be more efficient. The lack of connection to the system serves as a 

barrier to acceptance of WBL and prevents realization of its benefits.

Recommendations

OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations

1. Develop and implement agencywide standardized business 

processes for WBL use, and develop appropriate guidance. 

2. Revise WBL roles to require license reviewers and materials 

inspectors to process their work directly in WBL. 

3. Develop and implement quality assurance mechanisms for 

confirmation of data changes in WBL. 

4. Solicit inspection staff input to identify user needs for enhancement 

of WBL inspection module functionality.

NRC’s recent Project Aim 2020 report found that the agency achieves a 

high level of success in accomplishing its safety and security mission, but 

effectiveness, efficiency, agility, flexibility, and performance must improve 

for the agency to continue to succeed in the future. The report conclusion 

reinforces the value of NRC’s WBL to enhancing the effectiveness and 

efficiency of the oversight of nuclear materials. The report further noted 

that a lack of standardized processes is an obstacle to reaching goals of 

efficiency and agility. OIG concludes that full implementation of WBL’s 

capabilities can strengthen NRC’s oversight of the National Materials 

Program, unifying efforts to monitor and secure radioactive materials. 

 IV. CONCLUSION
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An exit conference was held with the agency on June 18, 2015. Prior to 

this meeting, after reviewing a discussion draft, agency management 

provided comments that have been incorporated into this report, as 

appropriate. As a result, agency management stated their general

agreement with the findings and recommendations in this report and opted 

not to provide formal comments for inclusion in this report.

 V. AGENCY COMMENTS
Audit of NRC’s Web-Based Licensing System (WBL)

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Appendix

Objective

The audit objective was to determine whether WBL meets its required 

operational capabilities and provides for the security, availability, and 

integrity of the system data.

Scope

This audit focused on the use of WBL by NRC offices responsible for 

materials safety to determine whether WBL operational capabilities 

support business processes, and whether the system adequately provides 

for the availability and integrity of system data. OIG determined that WBL 

system security controls had been reviewed as part of OIG’s Independent 

Evaluation of NRC's Implementation of the Federal Information Security 

Management Act [FISMA] for Fiscal Year 2013 (OIG-14-A-03). OIG 

conducted this performance audit from January 2015 to May 2015 at NRC 

headquarters (Rockville, MD). Internal controls related to the audit 

objectives were reviewed and analyzed. Throughout the audit, auditors 

were aware of the possibility of fraud, waste, and abuse in the program.

Methodology

OIG reviewed relevant criteria for this audit, including Government 

Accountability Office Standards for Internal Control in the Federal 

Government; NRC WBL System Requirements; NRC WBL Security 

Requirements; and NRC’s Principles of Good Regulation.

The audit team reviewed NRC guidance related to the implementation and 

current use of WBL. Key documents reviewed include NUREG-1556, 

Volume 20, “Guidance About Administrative Licensing Procedures”; WBL 

User Guide; WBL Change Control Board documents; and NRC regional 

office guidance and performance self-assessments. OIG also performed 

WBL system reviews. These reviews evaluated WBL’s conformity with 

security standards, verification of license information through WBL, and 

review of WBL reports and search functions for usability and reliability.

 OBJECTIVE, SCOPE, AND METHODOLOGY
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OIG interviewed NRC staff and management to gain an understanding of 

roles and responsibilities as they relate to how NRC uses WBL in its 

radioactive materials licensing and inspection business processes. 

Auditors interviewed staff from the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and 

Safeguards and from NRC Regions I (King of Prussia, PA), III (Lisle, IL), 

and IV (Arlington, TX). OIG auditors also observed a walkthrough of 

materials license request processing and use of WBL in NRC Region I.

We conducted this performance audit in accordance with generally 

accepted government auditing standards. Those standards require that we 

plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to 

provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our 

audit objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a 

reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit 

objectives. 

The audit was conducted by Beth Serepca, Team Leader; Robert 

Woodward, Audit Manager; Amy Hardin, Senior Auditor; Nandini Sharma, 

Auditor, and Andrew Pham, Student Analyst.
Audit of NRC’s Web-Based Licensing System (WBL)

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Please Contact:

Email: Online Form

Telephone: 1-800-233-3497

TDD 1-800-270-2787

Address: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Office of the Inspector General

Hotline Program

Mail Stop O5-E13

11555 Rockville Pike

Rockville, MD 20852

If you wish to provide comments on this report, please email OIG using this link.

In addition, if you have suggestions for future OIG audits, please provide them using 

this link.

 TO REPORT FRAUD, WASTE, OR ABUSE

 COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS