Publications

This Institutional Plan is the most comprehensive yearly "snapshot" available of Sandia National Laboratories' major programs, facilities, human resources, and budget. The document also includes overviews of our missions, organization, capabilities, planning functions, milestones, and accomplishments. The document's purpose is to provide the above information to the US Department of Energy, key congressional committees, Sandia management, and other present and potential customers. Chapter 2 presents information about Sandia's mission and summarizes our recent revision of Sandia's Strategic Plan. Chapter 3 presents an overview of Sandia's strategic objectives, chapter 4 lists laboratory goals and milestones for FY 1999, and chapter 5 presents our accomplishments during FY 1998. Chapters 3 through 5 are organized around our eight strategic objectives. The four primary objectives cover nuclear weapons responsibilities, nonproliferation and materials control, energy and critical infrastructures, and emerging national security threats. The major programmatic initiatives are presented in chapter 7. However, the programmatic descriptions in chapter 6 and the Associated funding tables in chapter 9 continue to be presented by DOE Budget and Reporting Code, as in previous Sandia institutional plans. As an aid to the reader, the four primary strategic objectives in chapter 3 are cross-referenced to the program information in chapter 6.

Sandia embarked on its first exercise in corporate strategic planning during the winter of 1989. The results of that effort were disseminated with the publication of Strategic Plan 1990. Four years later Sandia conducted their second major planning effort and published Strategic Plan 1994. Sandia`s 1994 planning effort linked very clearly to the Department of Energy`s first strategic plan, Fueling a Competitive Economy. It benefited as well from the leadership of Lockheed Martin Corporation, the management and operating contractor. Lockheed Martin`s corporate success is founded on visionary strategic planning and annual operational planning driven by customer requirements and technology opportunities. In 1996 Sandia conducted another major planning effort that resulted in the development of eight long-term Strategic Objectives. Strategic Plan 1997 differs from its predecessors in that the robust elements of previous efforts have been integrated into one comprehensive body. The changes implemented so far have helped establish a living strategic plan with a stronger business focus and with clear deployment throughout Sandia. The concept of a personal line of sight for all employees to this strategic plan and its objectives, goals, and annual milestones is becoming a reality.

During the DOE Onsite Review in August 1996, Sandia`s Executive Vice President formally proposed combining Sandia`s Institutional Plan and Operating Plan, and their associated processes. The Assistant Secretary for Defense Programs subsequently approved a pilot plan to do so. This pilot plan is intended to comply with one of our new strategic objectives (see section 3.7), which entails creating an infrastructure that is a competitive advantage for our strategic missions. Therefore, Sandia`s planning organization integrated the information in the two plans and collected the data with a unified call. These data can not be combined in multiple ways, depending on customer requirements. Recently, executive management revamped Sandia`s Strategic Plan by creating eight new strategic objectives: four primary whats and four supporting hows. The new strategic objectives are set forth in chapters 3 through 5 of this document. The four primary objectives cover nuclear weapons responsibilities, nonproliferation and materials control, energy and critical infrastructures, and emerging national security threats. The major programmatic initiatives in chapter 7 are grouped accordingly. However, the programmatic descriptions in chapter 6 and the associated funding tables in chapter 9 continue to be presented by DOE Budget and Reporting Code, as in previous Sandia institutional plans. As an aid to the reader, the four primary strategic objectives in chapter 3 are cross-referenced to the program information in chapter 6.

Sandia National Laboratories is operated for the United States Department of Energy by a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation. National security programs and defense-related environmental programs for DOE comprise 65 percent of Sandia`s work. We are the DOE Defense Programs laboratory responsible for engineering development of all US nuclear weapons and for systems integration of the nuclear weapons with their delivery vehicles. Our responsibilities include design, certification, and assessment of the nonnuclear subsystems of nuclear weapons; safety, security, reliability, and use control; issues associated with production and dismantlement of nuclear weapons; surveillance and support of weapons in the stockpile; and work in nuclear intelligence, nonproliferation, and treaty verification technologies. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory. Ten percent of our work supports DOE missions in energy science, research, and development. When appropriate, we also perform work for other government agencies, particularly the Department of Defense, in programs where unique competencies built our mission responsibilities can add value. This report discusses the activities of these responsibilities at the Sandia National Laboratories.

Sandia`s Institutional Plan is by necessity a large document. As their missions have grown and diversified over the past decades, the variety of technical and site activities has increased. The programs and activities described here cover an enormous breadth of scientific and technological effort--from the creation of new materials to the development of a Sandia-wide electronic communications system. Today, there are three major themes that greatly influence this work. First, every federally funded institution is being challenged to find ways to become more cost effective, as the US seeks to reduce the deficit and achieve a balanced federal spending plan. Sandia is evaluating its business and operational processes to reduce the overall costs. Second, in response to the Galvin Task Force`s report ``Alternative Futures for the Department of Energy National Laboratories``, Sandia and the Department of Energy are working jointly to reduce the burden of administrative and compliance activities in order to devote more of the total effort to their principal research and development missions. Third, they are reevaluating the match between their missions and the programs they will emphasize in the future. They must demonstrate that Sandia`s roles--in national security, energy security, environmental integrity, and national scientific and technology agenda support--fit their special capabilities and skills and thus ensure their place in these missions for the longer planning horizon. The following areas are covered here: Sandia`s mission; laboratory directives; programmatic activities; technology partnerships and commercialization; Sandia`s resources; and protecting resources and the community.