Roadmap Leads to Increased Efficiency, Improved Function in Forensics Labs

• NCJ Number: 250161
• Journal: Techbeat Dated: July-August 2016 Pages: 3-8
• Author(s): Becky Lewis
• Date Published: August 2016
• Length: 6 pages
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Technical Assistance; Instructional Material

Annotation

This article reviews the content of a report prepared by the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) entitled, "Development of a Lean Facility Design Roadmap for Design-Bid-Build Forensic Facilities."

Abstract

This report, which was released in April 2016, contains guidelines and checklists based on Lean Facility Design (LFD) principles and integrates them with the guidance in "Forensic Science Laboratories Handbook for Facility Planning, Design, Construction and Relocation (also known as the "White Book"). The latter 2013 publication from NIJ and the National Institute of Standards and Technology has been considered the "gold standard" in laboratory design and planning. The new publication complements the earlier report by developing a "roadmap" for planning and constructing 21st century "Design-Bid-Build" forensic facilities. This roadmap moves beyond the traditional model that keeps laboratory operations separated and compartmentalized. A principle emphasized in the design and planning phase is the involvement of crime lab staff in the facility design process from the outset. This ensures that a highly efficient and effective forensic facility is designed and constructed to meet the needs and expectations of both the crime lab customers and the crime lab staff for decades to come.