Pacific Northwest National Laboratory – NNSA NA-70 Security Management Improvement Program and CSTART Support

Sigma Science provides technical advisory services and subject matter expertise to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Defense Nuclear Security (NA-70) field operations program. Sigma Science provides services under a $2.5 million three-year contract awarded in January 2020. The contract scope calls for program management, contractor oversight, field assistance visits, and developing and implementing crucial NA-70 activities.

Sigma Science is performing the following:

• Development and implementation of three essential Security Management Improvement Program (SMIP) activities:
• Security Risk Review Process
• Field Assistance, and
• Biennial Collaborative Program Review.
• Sigma subject matter experts (SMEs) advise PNNL on design, development, and implementation strategies to optimize Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) community collaboration.
• Sigma SMEs ensure current strategies enable NNSA to achieve the results desired of continuous improvement of the Defense Nuclear Security Program:
• Conduct and support surveys, program reviews, issues trending and analyses, staff development and training, and program development activities.
• Evaluate NNSA Safeguards and Security (S&S) programs, including physical security, information security, and cybersecurity.
• Define measures and metrics associated with performance assurance to quantify program performance and identify improvement areas.
• Provide designated SMEs directly supporting the establishment of the Center for Security Technology Analysis, Response, and Testing (CSTART), Security Operations Center of Excellence.

Key accomplishments under this contract include:

• Coordinated with PNNL experts, other DOE/NNSA Laboratories, and specific subject matter experts to gather data, analyze existing reports and data, and develop methods to make the data available through CSTART.
• Authored the NNSA Chief, Defense Nuclear Security Post-Critical Incident Response Guide, which identified DOE Order requirements and incorporated best practices and lessons learned (ensuring appropriate protective force actions following a deadly force incident). Note: The DOE published this guide NNSA-wide, and it is also being used by various sites across the complex.
• Contributed to the NNSA, Chief, Defense Nuclear Security, Security Policy Review Group.
• Provided security SMEs tasked with policy review and development and making NNSA security operations improvement recommendations.
• Collaborated with DOE national laboratories, NNSA, and the Chief of Defense Nuclear Security, identifying ways and structures to promote protection effort unity within NNSA Emergency Management.