The only problem was the SSC, which was effectively exempted from the normal peer review process. That's an important lesson. We conduct many of our own reviews in preparation for these semi-annual reviews. Perhaps we do it too much, but this review culture has turned out to be extremely valuable. We don't have a monopoly on wisdom, and any large project can benefit by bringing people in with outside expertise, both from the US scientific community and from abroad.
Good advice is essential.
Frankly, I went into this somewhat skeptical about the level of commitment of the other national laboratories. Having worked closely with the directors of all of these labs, I have been very impressed by the level of commitment that they all have shown. It is essential to have the full attention of the upper management of the partner laboratories and the full personal commitment of the lab directors. It's definitely there for this project, which will certainly benefit the SNS throughout its construction phase. I have also been very gratified by the endorsements the SNS has received, including the APS Council resolution.