TRAINING PLANS AND PROGRAMS: PERFORMANCE OR PROMISES?

The Department of Energy/Office of Safeguards and Security (DOE/OSS) Training Advisory Committee (TAG) and DOE Order 5633.3 are generating interest within the Material Control and Accountability (MC&A) community to examine current and future MC&A training needs. Producing a consistent training standard should be a common concern for those responsible to provide training. The Westinghouse Hanford Company Safeguards Training Plan provides a formally documented custodian training program that specifies the audience, pre-determined objectives, and purposeful learning activities based on realistic training needs assessment, such as on-the-job training. It also includes a thorough record of participation and results for internal and external audit and inspection purposes. Custodian training designed to convey basic MC&A concepts and philosophy broadens understanding and improves performance of those providing the first line of defense against insider threats. Custodian performance is often the key factor used to evaluate the effectiveness of the overall MC&A system. Adequate resources must be applied by management to develop and provide a training program standard that reflects the importance of MC&A responsibilities within the DOE complex.