Audit of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Web-Based Licensing System

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Date Issued

Monday, June 30, 2025

Submitting OIG

Nuclear Regulatory Commission OIG

Agencies Reviewed/Investigated

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Report Number

OIG-NRC-25-A-09

Report Description

The audit objective was to determine if the Web-Based Licensing (WBL) System effectively manages the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) materials licensing and inspection information and provides for the security, availability, and integrity of the system data.

The OIG found that the WBL System’s inactivity controls interrupt users’ work processes; WBL users are unable to edit role-based licensing information in the Export/Import and Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery and Waste Programs modules; the WBL User Guide lacks quality information for using certain WBL modules; WBL users are generally unfamiliar with the change control process; several WBL enhancements do not work as intended; the licensing and inspection modules do not contain quality data; and, WBL System data is not readily available for the agency to use in other applications.

The report contains 15 recommendations to increase the WBL System’s functionality, effectiveness, and users’ efficiency.

Report Type

Audit

Agency Wide

Yes

Number of Recommendations

Questioned Costs

Funds for Better Use

Report updated under NDAA 5274

Open Recommendations

This report has 15 open recommendations.

Recommendation Number	Significant Recommendation	Recommended Questioned Costs	Recommended Funds for Better Use
1.1	Yes	$0	$0
The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations update the inactivity control in the Nuclear Material FISMA Systems-system security plan to include references to the 30-minute deviation request and approval.
1.2	Yes	$0	$0
The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations update the Web-Based Licensing System User Guide’s instructions on clearing the cache to access the system without closing the browser.
2.1	Yes	$0	$0
The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations evaluate and update the Web-Based Licensing System to ensure users assigned to multiple roles may perform tasks associated with the highest access rights.
2.2	Yes	$0	$0
The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations update the Web-Based Licensing System’s user role descriptions to ensure users’ capabilities in the system are properly defined.
2.3	Yes	$0	$0
The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations develop and implement a process to periodically update user roles in the Web-Based Licensing System to ensure users may perform tasks commensurate with their assigned NRC responsibilities.
3.1	Yes	$0	$0
The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations update the Web-Based Licensing System User Guide to incorporate guidance on how to use the new modules added to the WBL System, and describe how to use new enhancements to the system.
3.2	Yes	$0	$0
The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations establish a schedule to periodically review the Web-Based Licensing System User Guide and determine if it incorporates significant enhancements made on how to use the system.
4.1	Yes	$0	$0
The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations update the Web-Based Licensing System Change Control Procedure and related information resources to accurately reflect the current process and issue a memo to WBL users informing them of the updated process.
4.2	Yes	$0	$0
The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations clarify the role of a Web-Based Licensing System module point of contact and update the points of contact list for the Web-Based Licensing System Change Control Procedure.
5.1	Yes	$0	$0
The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations prioritize and fix any current features within the Web-Based Licensing System that are not operating correctly.
6.1	Yes	$0	$0
The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations identify and automate the appropriate data entry areas within the Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery, and Waste Programs module to promote accurate, complete, and standardized data entry.
6.2	Yes	$0	$0
The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations update existing inspection data entry guidance to include how to document assist inspections and general license inspections.
6.3	Yes	$0	$0
The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations review the existing guidance for each Web-Based Licensing System module and update it to reflect current data entry practices, as appropriate.
7.1	Yes	$0	$0
The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations identify and implement strategies that improve the search functionality of the Web-Based Licensing System.
7.2	Yes	$0	$0
The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations update the Web-Based Licensing System to make the search functionality consistent across all the modules.