Consider an ASDSO Peer Review to get an expert critique of your dam safety program performance.

To improve dam safety programs and to elevate the level of dam safety practice, ASDSO created the Peer Review Program. Since 1990, ASDSO has completed more than 20 state and organization peer  reviews. Two states have gone through this beneficial process twice.
 
The ASDSO Peer Review Program committee members evaluate your agency/organization mission, objectives, policies and procedures. Next, the team examines your compliance with those policies and procedures. Then your program is reviewed in relation to the standards of dam safety. When the review is complete, the ASDSO Peer Review Program team provides a confidential report of the findings to the agency engineer or director.

This process can both validate agency/organization decisions and point the way to improvements.

All ASDSO Peer Review Program team members are experienced dam safety professionals who have at least 15 years of related experience. Most are senior members of agencies or consulting firms and all have attended an ASDSO dam safety policy workshop. The team consists of a minimum of three reviewers including a state dam safety official, a dam owner’s representative, a consultant and in some cases a federal dam safety official. The review team is impartial and independent of the agency being reviewed.

Time/Costs

A review usually lasts 4 or 5 days for state reviews and can last 1 week or more for larger programs.

Peer Review services to state agencies are included as part of states’ membership in ASDSO. Reviews of outside organizations are paid for by the organization requesting the review. Costs vary depending on size and depth of review and may be tailored to your needs and budget.

Past Reviews

In addition to state reviews the U.S. Bureau of Interior asked ASDSO to review the dam safety programs of six bureaus under its jurisdiction. Bureaus included:

 o Bureau of Reclamation; 
 o Bureau of Indian Affairs;
 o Bureau of Land Management;
 o National Park Service;
 o U.S. Fish & Wildlife; and
 o The Office of Surface Mining.

Other reviews include B.C. Hydro, Ontario Hydro, Seattle City Light and Public Utilities, and the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration dam safety programs.

Qualifications of Reviewers

A peer reviewer is an experienced dam safety professional who is or recently was a senior member of an organization. Reviewers have a minimum of 15 years of experience in engineering related to the design, construction, maintenance, or operation of dams. Reviewers have made significant contributions to the profession through professional societies, registration boards, or other professional activities, and have a keen interest in improving the quality of engineering related to dam safety.

Potential Customers

The ASDSO Peer Review Program is open to governmental and private sector dam safety programs, including, but not limited to state regulatory programs, federal dam owner agencies and regulatory programs, and local government dam owners.

Here are some comments from clients: