Battelle is finishing 2003 with another stellar evaluation from the U.S. Department of Energy, which gave the contractor a rating of "outstanding" for its performance in management and operation of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

This is the sixth straight year of earning the top rating from DOE, and it will bring Battelle $7.1 million as a performance-based cash award. That is 98 percent of the maximum amount available.

DOE's announcement Tuesday was based on evaluations in three key areas: science and technology, management and operations, and leadership.

The scores, which were based on a scale up to 4 points, were outstanding across the board.

Science and technology, rated a 3.67 and was worth 60 percent of the composite score. Management and operations, worth 25 percent, and leadership, worth 15 percent, each rated a score of 3.7.

The composite score was 3.69.

"(This) is a strong endorsement that we are delivering excellence in science and technology, operations and leadership," Len Peters, PNNL director, said in a prepared statement. The lab is one of DOE's nine major multiprogram labs across the country.

This was the eighth year that DOE used a performance evaluation based on critical outcomes to assess Battelle's management of the lab.

"DOE continues to be very pleased with Battelle's overall performance," wrote DOE's Hanford manager Keith Klein to Peters in a letter reporting the evaluation results. DOE's Pacific Northwest Site Office concluded that Battelle "generally exceeded expectations throughout (fiscal year) 2003," Klein said.

He cited Battelle's high quality, externally recognized scientific research and development programs. The six DOE Headquarters offices for science, defense nuclear nonproliferation, intelligence, counterintelligence, assistant secretary for fossil energy and the assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy each rated Battelle's overall performance as outstanding.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management rated Battelle one notch lower, as excellent.

Klein offered praise for Battelle's work in biomolecular networks, computational sciences and nanoscience and technology initiatives.

Battelle's outstanding rating in management and operations reflected success in meeting or exceeding expectations for 2003 on safety for workers, the public and the environment.

There is room for improvement, however, with a "significant weakness" noted by the Office of Independent Oversight and Performance Assurance in the area of cybersecurity, Klein wrote. DOE wants more security on Battelle's computer systems that store and transmit information about lab activities.

The cybersecurity issue had no effect on the evaluation of Battelle's management performance, said Greg Koller, manager of medial communications for the lab.

Battelle's efforts to work in the community and region to have a positive effect and to be seen as a leader in addressing regional needs helped bring an outstanding rating in the leadership category.

Klein said Battelle has kept pace in meeting physical and intellectual capabilities for the future, but needs to improve its self-assessment process.

"This is ... of particular concern for DOE since the adequacy of self-assessment is a key factor in establishing an effective corporate assurance process and achieving the DOE oversight changes envisioned by the new contract," Klein wrote.