  In the past several years, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab)
has suffered a number of troublesome setbacks. In some cases, failures to
respond effectively have only made things worse, resulting in the current
crisis atmosphere at the laboratory. This is reflected in part in the poorly
rated performance appraisals (or PEMP) that the DOE provides to the lab every
year. Three entities are currently responsible for supporting, managing,
operating, and leading the lab: the Department of Energy (DOE), Fermi Research
Alliance (FRA), and the Laboratory Director Office. Two recent events provide
opportunities for interested parties to reverse the recent decline: the release
in December 2023 of the P5 Report and the DOE decision to rebid the Management
& Operating (M&O) contract. The P5 Report a decadal update of recommendations
for US particle physics, includes an ambitious and positive roadmap for
projects and activities at Fermilab. Carrying out the P5 plan successfully,
however, will also require addressing many of the other problems currently
besetting the lab. The selection of a new M&O contractor is under the
responsibility of the Deputy Director for Operations of the DOE Office of
Science Dr. Juston Fontaine. A new M&O Contractor would replace FRA and name a
new Director effective January 1, 2025. A new management team, one hopes, would
be motivated to solve problems and would enjoy a honeymoon period, enabling
them to make positive changes more easily. Stimulated by these recent
developments, the authors of this document, all present or past employees,
convened confidentially in order to collect testimonials on a series of events
symptomatic of the lab problems, to provide constructive criticism and offer
possible solutions. This document summarizes this work.
