Current Activities

Management of Human Resources in the Nuclear Field

A reliable supply of competent workforce is one of the biggest challenges for the entire nuclear power industry, whether you are a new entry into the world of Nuclear Power or a mature operating organization. An integrated and comprehensive approach is needed to react to this challenge.

A new Nuclear Energy Series Guide "Managing Human Resources in the Field of Nuclear Energy" is being prepared for publication within the 2008-09 cycle.

Workforce Planning for New Nuclear Power Programmes

Workforce planning is one of important activities within the integrated management of human resources. This activity is particularly important for the newcomers to the nuclear power world. A new report "Workforce Planning for New Nuclear Power Programmes" is being prepared in the 2008-09 cycle for publication within the Nuclear Energy Series.

Improving Performance and Training of Nuclear Facility Maintenance Personnel

Adequate performance of the maintenance personnel and quality of their training are the important sources for the enhancing safety and increasing efficiency of the nuclear facilities. A new Nuclear Energy Series report "Achieving excellence in maintenance personnel performance through training and other management initiatives" is being prepared for publication within the 2008-09 cycle.

To share experience, a specialists´ meeting to disseminate good practices in training and performance of NPP maintenance personnel and contractors was performed in Balatonfured, Hungary, on 3-6 September 2007. Thirty-seven participants - representing nuclear power plants, operating organizations´ headquarters, training organizations, NPP equipment vendors, nuclear regulatory authorities, educational institutions - from eighteen countries and IAEA took part.

Knowledge preservation and transfer are important for improvement of performance. Within the IAEA Technical Cooperation Project for Ukraine "Improvement of training system for nuclear power plant maintenance personnel", a pilot project on Knowledge Management for maintenance personnel is being performed at Zaporozhzhie NPP. International experts and IAEA staff share their expertise with the Ukrainian colleagues in introducing Knowledge Management at the NPPs; in capturing both explicit and tacit knowledge; in employing project management practices for implementation of the projects related to Knowledge Management; in achieving management support; and in using particular methods, information systems and software tools. Using this knowledge and technology transferred, tangible results were achieved at the Zaporozhzhie NPP through a one-year pilot project. Similar assistance is possible for other countries and nuclear facilities upon request.

Human Performance Improvement

Monitoring and continual improvement of performance is one of important objectives of effective managing human resources. Adequate use of Human Performance Improvement (HPI) techniques is one of the key prerequisites for ensuring safety and efficiency of nuclear facilities. Event-free performance in the nuclear industry requires an integrated view of human performance; how well managers, supervisors and facility staff function, the alignment of organizational processes and values in achieving facility operational and safety goals, and the behaviour of individuals. In order to provide support to line managers in managing their human resources to sustain and improve performance, a new Nuclear Energy Series report "Improving Human Performance in Nuclear Facilities" is being prepared for publication within the 2008-09 cycle.