The goal of the Safeguards and Security Plan is to ensure that safeguards and security requirements are identified and integrated into a capital asset project early in its development timeline and that their implementation and effectiveness are assessed throughout the project life cycle. Protection strategies should consider potential threats to assist early on during the asset design process. Establishing and integrating safeguards and security requirements early in the project is necessary for efficient project planning and cost estimating to avoid scope creep later in the project which leads to cost and schedule overruns.

Prior to CD-1, general safeguards and security requirements for the recommended alternative and preliminary identification of alternatives (including facility design and the incorporation of safeguards and security technologies) must be made and these alternatives evaluated with respect to their impact on mission needs, satisfaction of other requirements (such as safety requirements) and other cost considerations. This input becomes part of the conceptual design requirements for further development.

Prior to CD-1, a Preliminary Security Vulnerability Assessment must be conducted that accounts for the set of applicable safeguards and security requirements, evaluates the methods selected to satisfy those requirements and addresses any potential risk acceptance issues. The Project Execution Plan (PEP) and the Performance Baseline (PB) must be reviewed to ensure that cost, schedule, and integration aspects of safeguards and security are appropriately addressed, all feasible risk mitigation has been identified and concerns for which explicit line management risk acceptance will be required are appropriately supported.