The MMS and the OCS operators saw the following benefits from having performance measures:
- Benchmarking:
Performance measures provide the MMS and industry with an
objective basis upon which to identify "pacesetter" companies. These companies
will be asked to make presentations on how they achieved their performance at periodic
workshops sponsored by MMS and industry. Sharing best practices can elevate performance in
all companies.
- Relative Perspective:
Company management will be better able to focus their
continuous improvement efforts if they know how offshore operators as a group are faring,
and where their own company/facility fits in the range of performance for each measure.
This knowledge should lead to more cost-effective corrective actions that can help prevent
accidents and thereby protect people and the environment. This perspective may also help
industry focus and maximize its research and management systems audit efforts.
- Regulatory and Research Perspective:
Knowing how offshore operators as a group are
performing across each measure will allow MMS to better focus its regulatory and research
programs. MMS will be able to focus on areas where the performance measures indicate OCS
operators as a whole are having difficulty meeting MMS expectations. MMS will be better
able to leverage its limited resources by redirecting research efforts, promoting
appropriate regulatory initiatives, and shifting inspection program emphasis.
Additionally, the MMS will use these measures in combination with other internal analyses
during annual performance reviews the Agency conducts with each OCS operator.
- Public Information and Relations:
Offshore operators and organizations will have a
credible data source that will enable them to better demonstrate the long-held opinion
that OCS operators have an excellent safety and environmental record. Because this data
will be normalized, where appropriate, it will provide more consistent information that is
comparable across the companies operating on the OCS. This information will also begin to
serve as a basis to compare the relative records of this industry with other industries.
- Alternative Approaches to Regulatory Compliance:
Many operators have expressed a
desire to see MMS grant permission on ad hoc requests for alternative compliance with
specific Agency regulatory objectives for solid performers who have demonstrated
successful implementation of their SEMP plans. Such an approach could provide operators
the regulatory flexibility to more efficiently, and possibly more effectively, meet the
Agency’s performance goals. The OCS Performance Measures will be one verifiable gauge
of the reasonableness of such requests and will be a starting point for dialog with MMS.
MMS expects that operators will want to use additional performance indicators and
information related to their management’s proactive commitment to safe and
environmentally sound operations to support each specific request. Such
"leading" indicators of performance often focus on the "quality" of
the implementation of individual SEMP elements.
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