Modules · Compliance studies · Module 008
GO/GOP Compliance Program
End-to-end program management across your registered Operations and Planning and CIP scope: procedures, evidence collection, audit preparation and regulatory change monitoring.
About this module
What this module covers.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) establishes mandatory reliability standards applicable to Generator Owners (GOs) and Generator Operators (GOPs) registered with NERC. These standards span Operations & Planning (O&P) and Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) categories and require documented compliance programs, procedures, evidence retention, and periodic reporting to the applicable Regional Entity and NERC.
This module develops and then supports your NERC GO/GOP compliance program, using the GridStrong Dashboard to allow for transparent and efficient compliance program documentation tracking, retention, procedures, and workflows.
Module: 008
Kind: Compliance studies
Governing body: NERC
Applies to: Before and after commercial operation
Typical time: Ongoing
Dashboard capabilities
- Automated GO/GOP Compliance Program Workflow
Support services
What GridStrong does inside this module.
- NERC GO/GOP Compliance Program Development: Support the development of your GO/GOP compliance program, creating oversight body charters, compliance program policies and procedures that include applicable GO/GOP standards, evidence collection activities, reporting tasks, and various NERC and Regional Entity tasks such as responding to NERC Alerts and Requests for Information (RFIs). Create repeatable, high-level processes for the NERC Compliance Department and the Compliance Manager, identify subject matter experts (SMEs) for the applicable O&P and CIP GO/GOP Standards, and develop an SME tracking matrix for each applicable standard.
- Onboarding Procedure Development for Your Existing and Future Facilities: Support you in creating procedures to onboard existing and future facilities into your new NERC GO/GOP compliance program. This includes reviewing existing Operations and Maintenance (O&M) procedures, identifying gaps as they pertain to NERC GO/GOP standards compliance, and collaborating with O&M SMEs to create Reliability Standard Audit Worksheets (RSAWs) for the GO/GOP standards and resolve identified gaps.
- New Site Registrations: Support you in developing policies and procedures for the NERC Compliance Department to register new sites with the applicable Regional Entity and NERC.
- Compliance Monitoring, Internal Control Evaluations, and Periodic Self-Assessments: Support the development of policies and procedures for compliance monitoring, internal control creation and evaluations, periodic compliance self-assessments to ensure that key compliance areas are functioning effectively, and compliance investigations for any areas of concern with the program or specific NERC GO/GOP Standards.
- Tracking and Reporting Potential or Actual Compliance Violations: Assist in the development of policies and procedures for self-reporting of compliance violations, compliance violation mitigation plans, tracking and implementation of corrective actions, and monitoring closure of enforcement items working in collaboration with the Regional Entity and NERC.
- Compliance Documentation & Evidence Retention: Assist the NERC Compliance Department with the creation, review, and updating of compliance documentation such as policies, procedures, logs, and records necessary to support you in demonstrating compliance with applicable standards.
- Periodic Data Submittals, NERC Alerts, and RFIs: Support you in creating applicable procedures and documentation for timely responses to any required data submittals from the Regional Entity and NERC, including applicable Generating Availability Data System (GADS) reporting, NERC Alerts, Requests for Information (RFIs), and other requests that may be required.
- New Standard Development / Regulatory Developments and Updates: Support the NERC Compliance Department with actively tracking regulatory developments, alerts, and bulletins from NERC and the Regional Entities. Relevant information is summarized and communicated as part of this tracking and includes communication plans to inform your departments and leadership team.
- Audit Procedures: Develop procedures, policies, and preparation materials for any future audits, spot checks, or self-certifications. These documents include information regarding evidence gathering efforts, readiness reviews, mock audits, drafting responses to data requests, and participating in communications with the Regional Entity and NERC.
- Training: Work with the NERC Compliance Manager to develop training materials to train your SMEs on the new NERC GO/GOP compliance program. These training materials include what it means to be an SME of a NERC Standard, how and where to save evidence, the applicable NERC GO/GOP Standards, and forms for SMEs/Standard Owners to sign off on their knowledge of the Standard(s) and their responsibilities under the Standard(s).
- Subject Matter Expertise: Provide general subject matter expertise on compliance program details and NERC GO/GOP Standards.
Final deliverables
Deliverables include new and/or updated compliance program documentation, which may include, but is not limited to:
- NERC GO/GOP Compliance Program charter documents, including policies, procedures, forms, and related materials.
- NERC Standard Compliance Procedures and RSAWs at the NERC GO/GOP Compliance Program level.
- Training materials to train your organization on the new NERC GO/GOP compliance program and requirements for SMEs and Standards Owners.
- All NERC compliance deliverables compiled, tracked, and prepared through the GridStrong Dashboard for effective and transparent collaboration.
What we need from you
- Existing NERC compliance program documentation, procedures, and evidence (if any).
- Existing Operations and Maintenance (O&M) procedures.
- Plant registration details and applicable function types (GO, GOP).
- Access to engineering, operations, and compliance SMEs for each applicable standard.
Assumptions and considerations
How the scope is bounded.
- You supply all required documentation and access to engineering, operations, and compliance SMEs.
Other modules
Every module runs on the same record.
Run this module on one site.
Tell us the plant and the deadline. An engineer confirms the inputs, the schedule and what the Dashboard needs from you.