Strategic Plan

2005

Maintain Stewardship of Nevada Test Site ...

 Meet Emerging Needs of Testing ...

 Accommodate Critical National Requirements ...

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

NEVADA SITE OFFICE
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Message from the Manager

Strategic Intent

Vision

Operational Philosophy

Unique Capabilities

Core Values

Strategic Initiatives
MESSAGE FROM THE MANAGER

1

This 2005 Strategic Plan articulates the strong commitment of our 

office to meet the needs of our Nation's security; improve and sustain 

safety and security programs; streamline business systems; motivate 

and train the workforce; and build strong, productive partnerships. 

As you will see on the next page the whole body of Nevada Test Site federal, laboratory, and 

contractor leadership has developed a strategic intent. Each and every one of your jobs makes this 

objective a truism. Every laborer, administrative, technical, or scientific/professional person 

contributes to this statement of intent through their day-to-day work effort. You as an individual, when 

asked what you do, can say: I Sustain and strengthen the Nevada Test Site as a unique, national 

capability for high hazard activities for the National Nuclear Security Administration and other national 

priorities.

The "how" of that statement is laid out in this strategic plan. .We provide the resources and 

capabilities for organizations to experiment, test and train. Demonstration of new sensors, tactics, 

and diagnostic equipment are fielded at the Nevada Test Site. Every individual in their job 

performance contributes to the daily satisfaction of our customers.

The 2005 Strategic Plan Initiatives were developed by all test site partners. Each and every 

organization, through the successful implementation and conduct of these initiatives, will directly 

contribute to achieving our strategic intent and vision. We have in front of us a very well defined 

roadmap that can clearly move the Nevada Test Site into the foreseeable future.

The Nevada Test Site "Can Do" attitude is very much alive and well. I thank each and every one of 

you for your continued contributions. It is because of you that we continue to have the successes we 

have.

Kathleen A. Carlson, Manager
2

STRATEGIC INTENT

Sustain and strengthen the Nevada Test Site 

as a unique, national capability for high 

hazard activities for the National Nuclear 

Security Administration.

VISION

The Nevada Test Site is the national asset to 

support experimentation, testing, training, 

and demonstration for defense systems and 

advances in high hazard operations. We are 

the leaders for rapidly and safely designing, 

developing, and implementing the 

technological support required for 

experiments and tests of our national 

defense partners.
OPERATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

3

Mutual cooperation, partnership, and teamwork form the foundation of our 

operational philosophy. From its inception, the Nevada Site Office has had a 

strong tradition of teaming with its headquarters elements, principal contractors, the 

National Laboratories, other federal agencies, and community and educational 

organizations in achieving common objectives. These partnership approaches to the development of science 

and technology have led to many successful programs. Key organizations in our business partnerships 

include:

Nevada Site Office: provide Federal 

management and oversight for all activities 

conducted at the NTS and offsite locations.

NNSA Service Center: provide enterprise 

support in the areas of business, technical, 

financial, legal, and management services.

Department of Homeland Security: train the 

nation's first responders and develop and test 

technologies to support those responders.

Defense Threat Reduction Agency: conduct 

experiments of the effects of conventional 

weapons that are focused on improving military 

operations and techniques.

Bechtel Nevada: perform management and 

operational (M&O) activities at the NTS and offsite 

locations and provide engineering, construction, 

and diagnostics development and fielding for 

experimental work done at the NTS and offsite 

locations.

National Laboratories: conduct experiments at 

the NTS to ensure the integrity of the nation's 

nuclear weapons stockpile.

Wackenhut Services, Inc.: perform securityrelated services at the NTS and Las Vegas, 

Nevada locations.

Stoller-Navarro: perform environmental 

assessment, characterization, and remediation 

activities at the NTS and other offsite locations.
UNIQUE CAPABILITIES

4

Nevada Site Office assets include the Nevada Test Site, a 

unique expanse of federally controlled land and facilities in 

a remote region of southern Nevada. The approximately 

1,375 square miles that make up the test site are 

surrounded by the Department of Defense Nevada Test and 

Training Ranges and unpopulated land controlled by the Bureau of Land Management. The geology, 

hydrology, meteorology, and radiological environments are well characterized. The Environmental Impact 

Statement and the associated Record of Decision allow for the execution of a variety of complex and unique 

projects and experiments while ensuring the protection of the workers, the public and the environment.

As a self-sustaining entity the Nevada Test Site provides the supporting infrastructure, air space and utilities to 

serve the nation in developing innovative solutions to complex problems involving special nuclear material 

(SNM); hazardous materials; and multi-agency, integrated operations. The test site represents the United 

States' single, unique capability to support nuclear testing and major experiments that involve SNM or 

hazardous materials. Strong competencies such as nuclear safety and nuclear explosives safety and 

operations; remote field experiments and operations; first responder training; physical and environmental 

science; nuclear waste management systems and technology; design and fabrication of electronic, 

mechanical, and structural systems; remote and robotic 

sensing; management of a broad range of infrastructure, 

mining, engineering, and construction; and chemical, 

explosives, and hazardous materials systems and 

technology reside in the skilled employees of the Nevada 

Site Office partnerships. These people and skills exist at 

facilities located in Nevada, California, New Mexico, and 

the Washington, D.C. area. At these various locations we 

have the ability to support the custom design and 

construction of experimental systems ranging from small 

electronic or remote sensing packages to fielding complex 

laboratories in hostile environments for use anywhere in 

the world.

Fabry Perot Velocimetry

Device Assembly Facility
CORE VALUES

5

The Nevada Site Office will achieve its vision by aggressively 

pursuing each strategic initiative through application of our core 

values. These values guide our behavior and define the 

organizational pathway to success.

• We embrace the highest standard of ethical behavior with 

honesty, integrity, and respect for all those with whom we 

interact.

• We commit to providing an environment where safety and 

security are of the utmost importance.

• We encourage creativity and innovation.

• We employ partnerships and teamwork to maximize the 

synergy of collective thinking and foster cooperative problem 

solving and continuous improvement.

• We value the diversity of our most important resource, our 

people.

• We encourage expressions of various opinions and open communication of information, both internally 

and externally, as the basis for establishing credibility and sound, continuing relationships.

• We assign accountability for actions at all levels of the organization.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

6

The Nevada Site Office has identified strategic initiatives that represent the priorities of this office and 

contribute to the successful accomplishment of the mission elements. Each goal is supported by specific 

objectives to measure progress and documented by implementation plans for each objective, which establish 

tactics, milestones, and metrics for near term accomplishments.

STRATEGIC INITIATIVE – Achieve programmatic missions

Goal

Enhance the NTS capability to conduct experimental and hazardous work in support of the national Stockpile 

Stewardship Program.

Objectives

• Meet/exceed campaign and directed stockpile work 

milestones.

• Ensure operability of critical facilities (DAF, U1a, ATLAS, 

and JASPER).

• Meet the TA-18 CEF Project milestones.

• Prepare for early receipt of material from TA-18.

• Explore option to supplement NNSA program work at the 

DAF.

• Complete startup of planned Defense Program missions and implementation of nuclear facility 

requirements.

Goal

Maintain capability to resume underground nuclear testing within 

an 18 month test readiness posture.

Objectives

• Implement the safety basis program plan to safely execute an 

underground nuclear test.

• Ensure that underground test specific operational capabilities 

are reconstituted.

• Ensure development of a suite of standard diagnostics and 

measurements to diagnose an underground nuclear test.

• Ensure a minimum cadre of underground nuclear test 

diagnosticians is trained and qualified.

Atlas Pulse Powered Machine

Jasper Gas Gun Containment Vessel
7

Area 5 Low Level Waste Operations

Detection Technology Testing 

and Evaluation

Goal

Provide national leadership in the counterterrorism and homeland 

security test and evaluation, training and exercise, and applied 

engineering efforts.

Objectives

• Establish and maintain premier facilities and cadre for local 

responder and military training.

• Effectively utilize NNSA/NSO assets to enhance the national 

counterterrorism programs.

• Enhance the use of NNSA/NSO facilities to promote 

nonproliferation programs.

First Responder Training at the Nevada Test Site

Goal

Enhance NNSA/NSO leadership posture in the National 

Radiological Response programs.

Objectives

• Proactively establish NNSA/NSO as the consequence 

management national leader.

• Maximize the use of NTS facilities to enhance technical 

support for National Radiological Response programs.

• Maximize NNSA/NSO capabilities to provide leadership 

among the interagency and local responder community.

Goal

Perform characterization and remediation of legacy nuclear testing sites and safely manage 

NTS waste management operations.

Objectives

• Ensure all environmental management activities meet 

regulatory agreement milestones.

• Maintain capability to receive and dispose of low level 

waste at the NTS.

• Conduct hydrological investigations and modeling to 

support the Underground Test Area Program.

• Complete planned shipments of transuranic waste to 

the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

• Carry out remedial actions on NTS boreholes.
8

STRATEGIC INITIATIVE – Implement long term strategies that foster the development, and 

enhance the capabilities, of the Nevada Test Site as a unique national resource for conducting 

high hazard operations

NTS Power Work at Mercury

Area 12 Camp

Goal

Provide safe, reliable, and economical facilities and 

supporting infrastructure to meet mission requirements.

Objectives

• Develop and implement an NTS Infrastructure 

Master Plan that will guide the planning and 

implementation of future infrastructure 

recapitalization and upgrade efforts, the transition 

from the Facilities and Infrastructure Recapitalization 

Program to the Readiness in Technical Base and 

Facilities Program, and the siting of new NTS 

mission activities and assets.

• Initiate the process to transition NTS administrative land withdrawals to legislative land withdrawals.

• Evaluate the potential impacts of the ORD land withdrawal on current NNSA/NSO assets and develop a 

plan for mitigating those impacts.

• Realign and implement 

the Site Development 

Working Committee to 

serve as the 

recommending body, for 

senior management, that 

identifies and prioritizes 

mission needs for 

infrastructure and reviews 

potential new mission 

assets for compatibility 

with existing NNSA/NSO 

assets.
9

STRATEGIC INITIATIVE – Strengthen workforce capability

Goal

Attract, recruit, reward, and develop a technically competent, 

motivated workforce.

Objectives

• Fill critical skill gaps consistent with hiring, retraining, and 

diversity objectives.

• Maintain viable professional certification programs.

• Encourage and reward performance.

• Continue to support employee job related training and provide 

for career development opportunities.

Goal

Refine NNSA/NSO business and management systems to support Site Office needs and staffing levels.

Objectives

• Update NNSA/NSO Directives to reflect current Site Office requirements and necessary Service Center 

support.

• Provide all NNSA/NSO staff with web-based management system training.

• Refocus the majority of federal oversight activities to a risk-based validation of contractor acquired 

assessment data.

• Develop and maintain a CRAD database for use by federal staff to help focus validation and assessment 

efforts.

STRATEGIC INITIATIVE – Continuously improve NNSA/NSO management systems

Goal

Enhance ES&H programs, tools, and capabilities.

Objectives

• Integrate quality assurance requirements into NNSA/NSO's 

Integrated Safety Management oversight, planning, and execution.

STRATEGIC INITIATIVE – Continue to improve the safety 

and security performance and implement the necessary 

policy and programs to protect the public and the workers.

Induction Voltage Adders U1a Complex

LLNL Subcritical Experiment
10

STRATEGIC INITIATIVE – Preserve and enhance partnerships

Goal

Strengthen and foster relationships with partners.

Objectives

• Strengthen and improve communications across the 

NTS partners and at all levels.

• Enhance communications within the NNSA/NSO and 

with the Service Center and Headquarters.

• Strengthen communications within the NNSA/NSO and 

local community at all levels.

• Develop and implement a site-wide environmental management system which will facilitate the safe and 

cost-effective stewardship of environmental resources.

• Sponsor the development and implementation of a safety and health management system which integrates 

current and legacy health hazards information.

• Establish and implement an effective and compliant nuclear safety management process for NTS nuclear 

facilities and activities that will ensure a continually improving nuclear safety culture.

Goal

Enhance security program, tools, and capabilities.

Objectives

• Continue to investigate, assess, and implement stateof-the-art technological security issues.

• Strengthen and improve the NNSA Nuclear Material 

Control and Accountability programs.

• Expand Cyber Security programs to safeguard 

against rapidly emerging threats.

Security Training at NTS

Atlas Dedication
11

U.S. Highway 95 turnoff towards Mercury

For additional information, please write or call:

U. S. Department of Energy

National Nuclear Security Administration

Nevada Site Office

P.O. Box 98518

Las Vegas, NV 89193-8518

Phone: (702) 295-3521

Fax: (702) 295-0154

E-mail: Nevada@nv.doe.gov

http://www.nv.doe.gov