Office of Project Management (PM) External Independent Review (EIR) Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Revision 3.6 - Dated November 2019

The DOE Office of Project Management (PM) performs External Independent Reviews (EIRs) to provide Project Management Executives (PMEs), senior leaders within the DOE, and Congress a fact-based assessment of whether a capital asset project can be executed within the proposed scope, schedule, and cost commitments, while also meeting its key performance parameters and fulfilling its associated mission need. The EIR Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) documents EIR expectations and is intended to facilitate EIR planning and execution by PM, its support contractors, DOE Program offices and project teams.

The approval process for DOE capital asset projects includes five sequential approval steps, each of which is referred to as a Critical Decision (CD) as defined in DOE Order 413.3B, Program and Project Management for the Acquisition of Capital Assets. DOE Order 413.3B requires PM to perform a performance baseline EIR prior to CD-2, Approve Performance Baseline, for all capital asset projects with a Total Project Cost (TPC) ≥ $100 million (unless the program office has qualified for an exemption). An EIR is also required for projects with a TPC > $50 million for Program Offices that have not established a Project Management Support Office (PMSO) capable of performing an Independent Project Review (IPR). For Program Offices with an established PMSO, the PME may request that PM perform an EIR in lieu of an IPR for projects less than $100 million. PM must also perform an EIR prior to the approval of a Baseline Change Proposal (BCP) for projects with a TPC >$100M that have a new performance baseline established as a result of a performance baseline deviation.

PM conducts a performance baseline EIR to validate a project's proposed performance baseline including the original and any major revisions to a previously established performance baseline. Upon completion of a performance baseline EIR, PM should be able to complete an assessment to verify:

• A project is poised for success to complete its scope and meet its Key Performance Parameters (KPPs) if applicable within the approved/defined performance baseline cost and schedule, TPC and CD-4, respectively.
• Project planning has progressed to a point where a performance baseline and associated funding profile can be “locked-in” with an assurance that it will remain intact and stable through project completion.
• A fully staffed, trained, and skilled integrated project team is or will be in place along with the appropriate management systems and tools to successfully execute a project.

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