This program establishes procedures, coordination and approval that must be applied to any deviations from DOE safeguards and security program directive requirements. There are three categories of deviations—variance, waiver, and exclusion. All deviations to directive requirements in Headquarters facilities must be approved by the Head of the Element and submitted to the Office of Security Operations for concurrence/approval.

1. Variances are approved conditions that technically vary from Safeguards and Security directive or Headquarters Facilities Master Security Plan (HQFMSP) requirements, but afford equivalent levels of protection without compensatory measures.
   
   Duration of Variances is 5 Years from date of concurrence.
   
   
2. Waivers are approved nonstandard conditions that deviate from a Departmental safeguards and security directive or the HQFMSP requirements that if uncompensated would create a potential or real safeguards and security vulnerability. Waivers, therefore, require implementation of compensatory measures (e.g., additional resources to implement enhanced protection measures) for the duration of the waiver.
   
   Duration of Waivers is 2 Years from date of concurrence.
   
   
3. Exceptions are approved deviations from a Departmental safeguards and security directive or an HQFMSP requirements that create a safeguards and security vulnerability. Exceptions must be approved only when correction of the condition is not feasible and compensatory measures are inadequate to preclude the acceptance of risk.
   
   Duration of Exceptions is 3 years from date of approval by the Deputy Secretary.
   
   Compensatory Measures: Compensatory measures implemented as the basis for an exception request must be subject to formal vulnerability assessments. Compensatory measure implementation must be tested and validated.
   
   Annual Validation: The need for an exception must be validated annually (every 12 months) and documentation submitted to the Office of Headquarters Security Operations, Headquarters Deviation Program.