Quality assurance

Quality assurance and a results-based approach are essential to the IAEA’s technical cooperation (TC) programme. A quality based planning process lays the foundation for efficient project implementation and for effective delivery of the programme. All TC projects must meet the TC quality criteria, which are based on the central criterion of the Technical Cooperation Strategy. A project meets the central criterion if it:

• addresses an area of real need in which there is a national programme enjoying strong government commitment and support, and
• aims to produce a tangible socioeconomic benefit in an area in which nuclear technology has a comparative advantage, or
• clearly supports an enabling environment for the use of nuclear technologies (such as safety infrastructure or energy planning).

The TC quality criteria also include: Relevance, Ownership, Sustainability, Effectiveness, Efficiency

Quality in all phases of the TC programme cycle

The TC quality criteria are applicable to all national, regional and interregional projects, based on the project documentation developed using the Logical Framework Approach (LFA). An e-learning course is available to introduce the LFA to all TC project stakeholders.

The quality criteria apply to every phase of the TC programme cycle. Project quality is considered and addressed at the planning stage, throughout the process of project design, and when consolidating the projects before they are submitted to the IAEA Board of Governors for approval. Similarly, the TC quality criteria are applied during project implementation, annual progress monitoring and reporting, and when assessing achievements prior to project closure.

Continuous learning

The Department of Technical Cooperation’s Quality Assurance Section provides guidance and expertise on TC project quality issues, through the collaborative development of quality standards, passing on knowledge and skills through training and workshops, ensuring continuous improvement through the review of processes and feedback, identifying and sharing best practices, and participating in communities of practice.

The TC Best Practices initiative has supported the identification, documentation and dissemination of relevant programmatic best practices since 2013, highlighting the application of the TC quality criteria.