Title:
Safeguards and Security Tracking, Analysis and Reporting
System (SSTARS)
Facility: B&W Y-12
Point of Contact: John Woods, 865-241-3555,
woodsjb@y12.doe.gov; Steve Payne,
865-576-3979,
paynejs@y12.doe.gov
Brief Description of Best Practice:
SSTARS is a
multi-user, classified web application developed by Y-12 to
support the Issues Management Program in accordance with
requirements specified in the site’s quality program
document and the Issues Management program document.
SSTARS captures data about management issues and
facilitates the evaluation, resolution, trending, and
reporting of those issues. The
application has intuitive user interfaces, uses role-based
user access, and includes data validation and data integrity
controls.
Why the best practice was used:
The current Issues
Management System (IMS) for the site does not have
classified information capability, nor does it have the
capability for trending analysis and reporting. SSTARS is a
complete issues management process that includes the issue
data; compensatory measures; causal analysis; corrective
actions; extent of conditions; lessons learned; and issue
reports. There are
enhanced tracking and trending capabilities along with many
trending variables, that include security areas, key words,
topical/subtopical codes, causal codes, and locations or
buildings. In
addition to the multi-faceted issue management capabilities,
SSTARS includes a screening tool to review and document
potential 10 CFR 824 noncompliances.
Future tools scheduled to be implemented include a
Requirements Compliance Assurance Matrix (RCAM) tool and an
Assessments/Performance Testing module to assist in
scheduling, report generation, and links for automated issue
processing and RCAM.
What are the benefits of the best practice: SSTARS is
approved for classified data and allows simultaneous data
entry by multiple users and departments.
In addition, it provides many possible combinations
of reporting variables for trending purposes.
Users can better identify security trends occurring
within their own area of responsibility, as well as across
the Y-12 site.
The system allows issues to be sorted broadly or
specifically by date range, functional area, keywords and
security areas for trending purposes.
It provides on-line access to safeguards and security
issue data according to the designated user role.
What problems/issues were associated with the best
practice: This
activity involved the development of a web-based
application.
Using proper development techniques, testing, and
configuration management practices eliminated problems with
deployment.
There are no issues for improvement identified.
How the success of the Best Practice was measured:
SSTARS was
demonstrated during the recent B&W Y-12 safeguards and
security assist visit conducted by the Office of Health,
Safety and Security Office of Security Enforcement October 5
– 8, 2009. As a
result of the demonstration, the Office of Security
Enforcement has noted SSTARS as the example for other
contractors to emulate.
To date, five contractors have benchmarked the
process here at Y-12 since October 2009.
Description of process experience using the Best
Practice: The
application was developed using in-house programmers,
knowledge, and skills.
Using proven programming techniques, testing, and
applying basic principles of software quality assurance,
made the deployment successful for the end user.
When the application was put into production, all
testing had been completed and there were no areas of the
application that did not function as designed.
The end user was able to focus on suggestions for
possible future enhancements rather than documenting and/or
troubleshooting errors.
When fully deployed, this application will support
the foundational elements of contractor assurance for risk
management, assessments, event reporting, feedback, issues
management, lessons learned, performance metrics, and the
Requirements Compliance Assurance Matrix (RCAM).
