ML19240A856

Dirs Safety Culture Combined Action Plan for Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey Results

ML19240A856
Person / Time
Issue date:	09/04/2019
From:	Chris Miller Division of Inspection and Regional Support
To:	Division of Inspection and Regional Support
Lintz M, NRR/DIRS, 415-4051
References
Download: ML19240A856 (7)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 September 4, 2019 MEMORANDUM TO: Division of Inspection and Regional Support FROM: Christopher G. Miller, Director /RA/

Division of Inspection and Regional Support Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

SUBJECT:

DIRS SAFETY CULTURE COMBINED ACTION PLAN FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEE VIEWPOINT SURVEY RESULTS Data from Federal Employee Viewpoint Surveys (FEVS) going back to 2015 identify several areas for improvement. To address these areas, the Division of Inspection and Regional Support (DIRS) Safety Culture Team (SCT) developed mitigating actions to be accomplished by division management and the branch chiefs. These actions are listed on the attached Action Plan.

Recent FEVS data, from 2017 to 2018, show DIRS improvement in cooperation (25% increase),

and in knowledge and skills among staff (14% increase). However, this same data also showed DIRS areas for improvement: feeling encouraged to innovate (14% decrease), and a reasonable workload (24% decrease).

In 2019, the DIRS SCT conducted branch-specific focus groups to determine perceptions of safety culture that led to these results. Actions were developed from results of the 2018 FEVS and the focus group activities conducted with each branch. These actions were added to the previous Action Plan, which was developed in 2016. The observations and themes from those focus group activities were presented to DIRS management and discussed during a management and branch chief retreat in early 2019. This discussion identified three high-level areas for improvement.

• Decision-Making - Focus group responses indicated a perception that decisions were made both without adequate staff involvement and with too much pressure from outside DIRS

• Recognition - Staff satisfaction could be improved with simple steps to communicate management appreciation and recognition of staff efforts

• Workload management - Responses across branches indicated that staff felt innovation was discouraged in practice because of inefficient prioritization and the inability to shed work as new work emerged This combined Action Plan captures each of those areas for improvement and recommends actions that DIRS management take in addressing each area. Pending receipt of the 2019 CONTACT: Mark Lintz, NRR/DIRS/IRGB 301-415-4051

FEVS data, anticipated in October, division staff members who want to communicate issues or concerns can contact SCT members directly or complete a suggestion form for deposit into the DIRS SCT Suggestion Box located by the coffee maker to the left of the sink in the 13th floor kitchen. Suggestion forms are located with the Suggestion Box.

Enclosure:

DIRS Safety Culture Combined Action Plan

ML19240A856 OFFICE NRR/DIRS/IRGB D:NRR/DIRS NAME MLintz CMiller DATE 08/ 28 /19 9/ 4 /19

DIRS Safety Culture Action Plan, August 2019 What is the specific goal? What actions are needed? (NRC Values in Bold) What is start and What are the resource How will the goal be end date? needs? measured?

1.Improve Supervisor Employee Cooperation, Respect, Service, - October 2016, and 1,2) Front office Possible short survey Relationships Openness/Communication ongoing commitment after performance Question(s): 1)Emphasize 2-way/360 feedback during appraisals, and appraisals

1. Regarding suggestions for change from throughout the year (DIRS FO) 1,2) Branch chiefs time employees, my supervisor is usually 2)Establish expectations for BC open door time (DIRS FO) receptive (OIG)/My supervisor listens to 3)Set up recurring Safety Culture team meetings that allow 4,5) Safety culture team what I have to say. (FEVS) staff to voice concerns to the team (DIRS SCT) time to plan team building

2. Contrasting views are openly discussed in 4)Set up SharePoint and physical suggestion/concerns box activities reaching decisions in my work unit. (OIG) (DIRS SCT)

3. In my judgment, the following are well 5) Encourage and execute team building activities (DIRS FO, managed: My work unit (OIG) SCT)

4. My supervisor treats me with respect.

(FEVS)

5. Overall, how good a job do you feel is being done by your immediate supervisor?

(FEVS)

6. Supervisors in my work unit support employee development. (FEVS)

2. Foster Collaborative Environment Cooperation, Respect, Service On going 1) Safety culture teams Query staff for

1) Enrich interactions with other divisions (team building, etc.) and some staffs time feedback during Question(s): 2) Increase regional/DIRS staff interaction through HQ Bimonthly branch/DD

-The people I work with cooperate to get the participation in counterparts, inspections meeting, Safety job done (OIG) 3) Increase DIRS interaction with regional staff when visiting 2) Budget for travel culture team meeting, HQ (e.g., for training, meetings) and possibly short

-In my experience, there is good cooperation surveys between headquarters and the regions (OIG)

Enclosure

3. Strengthen Safety and Quality Focus Excellence, Commitment, Cooperation, On going 1) DIRS FO, BC and TA. 1) Asking staff if due Openness/Communication, Integrity Possibly NRR and other dates are reasonable.

Question(s): 1) Leadership discuss with division to establish prioritization: offices depending on the -Asking the staff if due

-We too often sacrifice the quality of our work in -Are the dates sent to the staff in a timely manner? issue. dates were adjusted.

order to meet established Metrics (OIG) -Are the dates realistic? 2) SCT -Asking the staff if

- We too often sacrifice the quality of our work -Given multiple priorities are items being prioritized members/meetings leadership gave clear in order to meet personal or political need (OIG appropriately? guidance on how 2012) -Can the due dates be changed? much effort to expend

2) DIRS FO needs to consider how ADHOC requests affect on the project.

the staffs daily work and prioritization. Consult with staff prior 2) SC FBFs to committing resources (obviously sometimes this cannot be done).

3) FO/BCs need to ensure the right staff working the projects/questions.

-Get rid of the middle man. This can drag things on unnecessarily.

2) DIRS FO - are we working to a metric? This is not what the NRR FO expects of us.

-Can the metric be missed? Maybe the right answer is the metric should be missed to help ID where a problem might be.

3) Leadership needs to ensure the staff knows how much effort to put into a project. Communicate with the BCs and staff.

-Maybe these projects dont need to be of the highest quality but maybe they do.

4. Continuous Improvement (Overlapping Openness/Communication, Excellence On going 1) DIRS FO and SCT 1) Next safety culture with Agency/NRR Action Plans) 1) SCT set up charter, reoccurring meetings with the staff to survey discuss Safety Culture items; update, revise, add/delete items, -possibly an office Questions: and clarify issues; include the staff in the safety culture safety culture survey

- I feel significant actions have been taken as a improvement process. 2) FO engaging and result of the previous Safety Culture and 2) SCT communicate with DIRS FO on issues that need to be talking to the staff Climate Survey. (OIG) addressed at their level. Make recommendations to them, 3) SCT FBFs document actions, and communicate back to the staff as appropriate.

3)

Note: Coordinate effort with NRR Plan.

5. OCWE (Overlapping with Agency/NRR Excellence, Commitment, Cooperation, On going 1) DIRS FO, BC and TA. 1) Next safety culture Action Plans) Openness/Communication, Respect Possibly NRR and other survey

1) Training on DPO, NCP, OD policy - Ask senior manager(s) offices depending on the -possibly an office

- Regarding the Differing Professional Opinions to talk to us about their DPO/NC experience briefly. issue. safety culture survey

[DPO] Program and Non-Concurrence 2) ET/LT need to exam where this idea is coming from and, 2) SCT Process: It has no negative effect on career regardless off the validity of it, address the origin and members/meetings development at the NRC (OIG) underling issues. Why does the staff think this (if it is true or not true)? Did ET/LT level action play a part in this belief?

Note: Coordinate effort with NRR/NRC Action Plans

6. Decisions that are consistent, clearly Integrity, Service, Openness, Cooperation, Excellence Start immediately Division management Internal and external communicated, and well-founded. A decision-making process for major decisions consists of the after distribution of commitment and support feedback. Staff, BCs, following, depending on the impact and complexity of that this Action Plan. and managers are Decisions are required in situations of varying decision. BCs and staff time encouraged to discuss complexity, data availability, timeliness, and 1. Define the problem; On-going. and to provide consequence. The actions described apply to 2. communicate the decision-making process to stakeholders feedback.

those major decisions as made and determined to inform them of the issue and the planned resolution; by a BC (e.g., the GFE process) or by division 3. decide a well-founded end-point; Informal survey by management. 4. determine the drivers for change (e.g., budget, internal or SCT after 6-9 months.

external requirements, regions, Commission, etc.) and weighs their relevance and accuracy;

5. generate and evaluate alternative solutions;

6. develop a position (the nascent decision);

7. generate consensus (mini-decisions) and modify the position, as needed; then

8. communicate that final decision, with a review of how the decision was made.

Develop a DIRS management meeting agenda item to ask the following.

1. Is a decision required?

2. What decision-making process is to be used?

7. Employees who feel recognized in a Integrity, Service, Commitment, Cooperation, Respect Start immediately Division management Informal survey by personally satisfactory way. BCs are in the best position to determine the recognition after distribution of commitment and support. SCT after 6-9 months.

preferences of each staff member, as different people respond this Action Plan.

In addition to current practice of formal award differently to the various recognition and rewards. BCs can BCs time presentations, etc. Staff preference is key. perform a short email or verbal survey after mid-year or On-going.

performance appraisals, or at another convenient time.

1. Monetary rewards (probably the most popular).

2. Free or low-cost rewards (small, but more timely and focused, e.g. letters or handwritten notes from management/EDO/Commissioner; flowers or food arrangement; gift card for store/restaurant/film; OD/DD drop-by; branch meeting recognition; etc.) (Regions are already doing this).

3. Time off.

Develop a DIRS management meeting agenda item to ask the following.

1. Is any staff to be recognized this week?

2. What form will the recognition take (i.e., at what level is recognition planned)?

8. Workload priorities that are realistically Openness, Commitment, Cooperation, Excellence, Start immediately Division management and BC to determine the established, periodically re-evaluated, and Respect after distribution of BC commitment following examples of clearly communicated to internal and external 1. BCs establish a team, as appropriate, to initiate project. this Action Plan. workload information stakeholders. 2. BCs establish realistic priorities list, with dates, for DIRS. Division management and from staff feedback.

3. BCs post priority list publicly. On-going. BCs time 1. Are milestone dates

4. Review incoming tasks and re-establish priorities monthly are reasonable?

(vice assign top priority to each new incoming task). 2. Do milestone dates

5. BC/DD update priorities and provide staff feedback need adjustment?

quarterly. 3. Is there clear guidance on level of Develop a DIRS management meeting agenda item to ask the effort to expend.

following. 4. What interferes with

1. Are staff workloads stable? Realistic? Progressing? priority work?

2. Coordinate/allocate staff workloads as appropriate.

Informal survey by SCT after 6-9 months.