MISSION STATEMENT

The objectives of the Laboratory Operations Board (LOB) are to strengthen and enhance the partnership between the Department of Energy and the National Laboratories. The LOB also works to improve management and performance in order to more effectively and efficiently execute the missions of the Department and the National Laboratories.

FUNCTIONS

The LOB is a key part of the Department’s effort to strengthen the partnership between DOE and its 17 National Laboratories.  The LOB provides the primary enterprise-wide forum for addressing operational and management improvements in areas that impact the National Laboratories. 

The LOB is managed by a LOB Director, is chaired by the Under Secretary for Management and Performance, and its membership includes senior Federal and Laboratory leadership.  The LOB’s FY 2018 Budget is $843K with 3 authorized employees.  The LOB undertakes such studies and activities as its membership proposes and agrees, operating by consensus, and/or as requested by the Secretary. 

The LOB contributes to an enterprise-wide effort to identify, manage, and resolve issues affecting the management, operations, and administration of the National Laboratories.  It facilitates and monitors the Department’s implementation of actions to strengthen the DOE-laboratory relationship.  The LOB promotes best practices in this area across the enterprise, and works to support DOE programs to: consistently and effectively partner with the laboratories, delegate authorities to the laboratories where warranted, and invest in leadership development for both Federal and Laboratory staff.  

ORGANIZATION ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The LOB has taken a critical role in moving forward internal regulatory reform efforts. Immediately after Secretary Perry’s appointment, he asked the National Laboratory Director’s Council (NLDC) for recommendations to eliminate DOE processes and regulations that are unnecessary, ineffective, and/or impose costs that exceed benefits proposed critical areas. The LOB then recruited and led working groups comprised of Laboratory and DOE representatives to provide recommendations in these areas to the DOE Regulatory Reform Task Force established under Executive Order 13777, Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda. Due to these efforts, significant reforms are being implemented to alleviate transactional, time-consuming and costly regulatory burdens while maintaining an appropriate level of DOE oversight. 

The LOB is responsible for certain enterprise-wide initiatives, including:

  • CRENEL Implementation. The LOB is the primary Departmental entity responsible for the Department’s fulfillment of the commitments outlined in the Department’s February 2016 report to Congress in response to CRENEL. The LOB is preparing the Report to Congress due November 1, 2017 on the Department’s completion of those commitments.
  • Annual State of General Purpose Infrastructure Report. This report is developed by the Infrastructure Executive Committee, a LOB-chartered subgroup.

  • Biannual Excess Facilities Report (Plan for Deactivation and Decommissioning of Nonoperational Defense Nuclear Facilities). This biannual report to Congress is developed by the Excess Contaminated Facilities Working Group, a LOB-chartered subgroup.