NEA Mandates and Structures

Expert Group on Knowledge Management for Radioactive Waste Management Programmes and Decommissioning (EGKM)

Mandate (Document reference):

• Mandate of the Working Party on Information, Data and Knowledge Management 2020-2022 [NEA/RWM(2019)9/FINAL]
• A New Initiative on Information, Data and Knowledge Management (IDKM) Terms of Reference [NEA/RWM(2019)8]
• Summary record of the Kick-Off Meeting of the Working Party on Information, Data and Knowledge Management (WP-IDKM) [NEA/RWM/IDKM/M(2020)1]
• Mandate of Preservation of Records, Knowledge and Memory (RK&M) across Generations – Phase II 2016-108 [NEA/RWM(2016)6/PROV]
• Sub-Group Reporting to the Parent Committee Document [NEA/CDLM/RWMC(2019)2]
• Update of the Mandate of the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) Following the Creation of the Committee on Decommissioning of Nuclear Installations and Legacy Management [NEA/NE(2017)14]
• The Information, Data and Knowledge Management Roadmap [forthcoming]
• Mandate of the Expert Group on Knowledge Management for Radioactive Waste Management Programmes and Decommissioning (EGKM) [NEA/RWM/IDKM(2020)3/FINAL]
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Mandate (Document extract):

Extract from Document NEA/RWM/IDKM(2020)3/FINAL

[...]

Scope

The EGKM shall consider activities to support RWMOs in the definition of efficient and effective strategies for the long-term management of a knowledgeable workforce. The expert group is concerned with the creation of knowledge management strategies as well as the analysis of digital technologies and their potential to be used as tools for these strategies.

Mandate

The Working Party on Information, Data and Knowledge Management (WP-IDKM) has decided to establish the third-level Expert Group on Knowledge Management for Radioactive Waste Programmes and Decommissioning (EGKM). The EGKM shall carry out the following key tasks

1. Definition of state-of-the-art knowledge management strategies and methodologies suitable for RWM organisational cultures and processes.

• Prepare and draft operational guidelines for implementing KM strategy and methodologies in RWMOs, along with justification and recommendations to decision-makers.
• Prepare and animate dedicated channels for conveying the resulting information and messages to key RWM actors in Member States.

2. Seizing and application of state-of-the-art knowledge management methodologies, focussing particularly on implicit and tacit knowledge sharing and preservation.

• Prepare methodology and identify key subjects and knowledge holders for application.
• Organise collective knowledge sharing, transfer, analysis, consolidation and codification and report on lessons learnt from application to adjust methodology.

3. Development of ontologies and assessment of cognitive computing technologies suitable for RWM to be included in knowledge management systems in RWMOs.

• Prepare methodology and develop formal RWM ontology and set of applied ontologies.
• Prepare and draft guidelines for implementing cognitive computing technologies (for example, artificial intelligence, machine learning) in RWMOs to support knowledge management systems.
• Prepare and form the NEA Community of Practice in RWM KM technologies, bringing together RWMOs staff as well as relevant stakeholders across generations of workers and stakeholders throughout the life cycle of the waste repositories.

To support these primary activities, the expert group shall identify relevant secondary activities to be progressed.

Working methods

The mode of operation of the EGKM is based upon plenary meetings and an ongoing, project-oriented working programme.

A Bureau consisting of a Chair and one or more Vice-Chairs shall co-ordinate and facilitate the work of the EGKM. The Bureau shall normally meet once or twice a year, with one meeting normally held in conjunction with the annual EGKM plenary meeting.

Communication within the EGKM shall primarily take place through annual plenary meetings. The plenary meeting is devoted to:

• the exchange of information on recent developments in the member countries;
• in-depth discussions of current developments and topical issues, where additional specialists may also be invited;
• the identification of main outcomes/insights to be reported to the WP-IDKM; and
• the discussion and coordination of the working programme, including the evaluation of possible collaboration with other projects in and outside of the NEA, in particular with other expert groups of the WP-IDKM.

The EGKM shall report to the WP-IDKM at the annual meetings of the working party.

Additionally, the EGKM shall: (i) identify resources (including funding) and schedules for its activities; and (ii) review the programme of work and its effectiveness.

In fulfilling its Mandate, the EGKM will be supported by the staff of the NEA Division of Radioactive Waste Management and Decommissioning. 

Membership

The EGKM is a task-oriented expert group that should be composed of a diverse range of experts in the field of knowledge management in RWM, decommissioning and non-related fields from NEA member countries, e.g. engineers and scientists in RWMOs, decommissioning and other technical domains involved with data and information management, knowledge managers and social scientists involved with knowledge management on extended timescales (hundreds of years).

Interactions

The work of the EGKM shall be complementary to that of the IAEA and the EC, and the group should co-operate with its relevant counterparts as well as provide relevant input to the activities of these institutions, as appropriate.

Through the RWMC and Secretariat, the EGKM will co-operate with the NEA standing technical committees and their subsidiary bodies when relevant, in particular those of the Committee on Decommissioning of Nuclear Installations and Legacy Management (CDLM) to identify (i) interfaces between the groups and (ii) overlaps and common issues. It may also collaborate with the NEA Data Bank.

In particular, the EGKM will take into account the following NEA report:

• Preservation of Records, Knowledge and Memory across Generations: Final Report [NEA report 7421]

Deliverables

The expert group will produce appropriate reports, presentations or workshops with the support of the Secretariat.