Improving Project Management in the Department of Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy has been at the center of many of the greatest achievements in science and engineering in this century. DOE spends billions of dollars funding projects—and plans to keep on spending at this rate. But, documentation shows that DOE's construction and environmental remediation projects take much longer and cost 50% more than comparable projects undertaken by other federal agencies, calling into question DOE's procedures and project management. What are the root causes for these problems?

Table of Contents


Front Matter
Executive Summary
1 Department of Energy Projects
2 Project Management
3 Use of Project Reviews to Improve Execution
4 Acquisition and Contracting
5 Organizing for Excellence in Project Management
Appendix A Evidence of Problems With DOE Project Performance
Appendix B Communication of Project Costs and Durations
Appendix C Characteristics of Successful Megaprojects or Systems Acquisitions
Appendix D Biographies of Committee Members
Appendix E Committee Meetings and Activities
Glossary
Acronyms