Happy New Year and welcome back. I hope you had a restful break and are looking forward to the year ahead.
Shortly before the holiday break, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Science provided Argonne’s annual performance evaluation covering the period from Oct. 1, 2017, to Sept. 30, 2018.
Report Card Summary
| Goal | Grade |
| Mission Accomplishment | A- |
| Scientific Facilities | A- |
| Program Management | A- |
| Contractor Leadership and Stewardship | B+ |
| Environment, Safety and Health | B- |
| Business Systems | B+ |
| Facilities and Infrastructure | B+ |
| Security and Emergency Management | B+ |
Overall, our “report card” indicates strong performance in several areas, as well as opportunities for improvement. We can be proud of the work we do to accelerate science and technology for U.S. prosperity and security — how we manage our user facilities, conduct our programs and maintain relationships with our sponsors. DOE’s highly positive evaluations in these areas cite our world leadership in many fields of science and technology and the future vision we put forward in our 2018 Annual Laboratory Plan.
Our safety incidents and injuries are down in the last six months; however, safety performance remained below expectations for much of FY2018. We are seeing a positive trend — thanks to each of you — and DOE recognized our progress, including our revamping of Work Planning and Control processes, increased collaboration in work planning and participation in Safety Academy for Excellence (SAFE) training.
It’s critical to stay ahead of potential safety incidents. Seemingly small events can be precursors to larger incidents. Swift notification is essential whenever something out of the ordinary occurs. Calling 9-1-1 from an Argonne phone, or 630-252-1911 from your cell phone, for both emergency and non-emergency assistance is critical to protect the safety, security and well-being of ourselves and those around us. We must continue to respond quickly to events, investigate the causes and take prompt corrective action when necessary. I thank you for your continued focus on working safely.
You can find more information about the laboratory appraisal process and scores from other Office of Science laboratories online. If you have questions about the feedback Argonne received, please reach out to your manager. You can also email questions to listen@anl.gov. I look forward to speaking with you at my next Conversation with Kearns, scheduled for Friday, Jan. 11, at 10 a.m. in Building 241, Room D173.
Thank you for all you do to demonstrate our leadership in science and technology, drive operational excellence and build a world class community of talent. I look forward to working with you to improve our performance throughout the remainder of FY2019. It is a privilege to lead this laboratory.