Office of Security Evaluations

Reports to the Office of Independent Oversight

Mission and Functions

Mission

The Office of Security Evaluations is responsible for the independent evaluation of the effectiveness of safeguards and security policies and programs throughout the Department, including protection of special nuclear material, protection of classified and sensitive information, and foreign visits and assignments. The office develops and validates reports that identify findings, issues, and opportunities for improvement. It also performs follow-up reviews to ensure corrective actions are effective and that complex-wide studies of issues and generic weaknesses in safeguards and security are appropriately addressed.

Functions

• Conducts regular evaluations of safeguards and security programs at DOE sites that have significant amounts of special nuclear material, classified information, or other security assets. The scope of the evaluations include any or all aspects of safeguards and security including physical protection of special nuclear material, accountability of special nuclear material, protection of classified and sensitive information, personnel security, and foreign visits and assignments.
• Conducts special reviews on issues that may arise from time-to-time or which may be mandated by the Secretary.
• Develops recommendations and opportunities for improving safeguards and security by line organizations.
• Evaluates and assesses DOE policies related to safeguards and security.
• Performs complex-wide studies of issues and generic weaknesses in safeguards and security.

• Performs regular assessments of nuclear materials assurance at DOE sites.

• Reviews other government and commercial safeguards and security programs to provide a benchmark for DOE performance.
• Develops and validates reports that identify findings and issues, and opportunities for improvement.
• Performs follow-up reviews to ensure corrective actions are effective.
• Conducts oversight to ensure the accurate identification of information and documents that must be classified or controlled under statute or Executive Order to protect the National Security and controlled but unclassified Official Use Only information for the effective operations of the Government.
• Develops the DOE annual report to the Information Safeguard Oversight Office (ISOO) regarding National Security Information under Executive Order 12958, and ISOO Implementing Directive 32 CFR 2001.
• Manages oversight of DOE and NNSA Headquarters and field Federal and contractor organizations to evaluate the effectiveness of their classification and control programs and their conformance with current policies and procedures.