Employees asked to provide input on improving security

Safeguards and Security is looking for a few good employees — to give suggestions on improving security at the Lab.

The Integrated Safeguards and Security Management (ISSM) program is progressing toward implementation at the Lab, and the current phase is centered on employee input.

"The pilot groups we held provided us with a lot of good input," ISSM project leader Stu Jossey said. "We found out through those groups what we need to change to improve participation and make responses meaningful." Jossey was referring to a series of four pilot focus groups held three weeks ago.

The second round of focus groups is comprised of 10 different groups. Four of those groups will discuss general security topics, and the other six will focus on security specifics like classified document handling and unclassified computer security.

"We are interested in volunteers for the general security focus groups," Jossey said. "Associate Directorate staff will hand-pick employees for the six specific topic groups."

Employees can volunteer to serve in a general topic group on July 16 at 1:30 p.m., or July 19, 20, or 23 at 10 a.m. These facilitated sessions will last 90 minutes and no more than 15 people will be in a group.

"Essentially, it’s first come, first served," Jossey said. "We aren’t pre-screening employees — if they want to volunteer, that’s fine with us." He also stressed that any Lab employee is welcome to volunteer.

"Sometimes a new employee will see a security practice that is problematic or would like to make a suggestion based on their previous work environment," Jossey said. "If someone has concerns or suggestions regarding safeguards and security practices and the services we deliver, they should volunteer."

The general focus groups will tackle four questions about security at the Lab: What aspects of the LLNL security program are working well? What aspects are not working well and how do they impact the employees’ ability to do their work? What suggestions do employees have for correcting what is not working well? What communications techniques regarding security work best?

Jossey also noted that Safeguards and Security will have a Website in the near future to accommodate the suggestions and questions of employees who aren’t able to participate in any of the focus groups.

"This Web-based mechanism should be online in the next few weeks," he said. "That will allow employees to have input into the system even if they aren’t in one of the groups, and we value that input, too."

To volunteer for one of the ISSM focus groups, contact Marie Bell in the Safeguards and Security Office of Program Planning at 2-2658 or by e-mail at bell23 [at] llnl.gov ( bell23[at]llnl[dot]gov ) . Again, volunteers will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis, and the deadline to volunteer is July 16.