Nuclear Security Training Culture Awareness, Assessment And Advancement Initiative (NuSeTCA3I)

As the number of countries with or seeking nuclear technologies continues to grow, moreneeds to be done to tailor nuclear security outreach efforts to take local cultural factors intoaccount. This initiative’s purpose is to develop guidelines for integrating culture-specificelements into approaches and delivery mechanisms used by international nuclear securityadvocates to promote sustainable advanced nuclear security practices around the globe. Theinitiative builds on the discussions and conclusions of two 2016 sequential Wilton Parkworkshops focusing on the impact of culture on nuclear security - both on how theinternational community promotes security practices and how security implementers managecultural obstacles in their own countries. Colleagues from Jordan, South Africa, Japan,Argentina, and many other countries contributed to the workshop discussions and results, andhave been invited to collaborate further in this work. The initiative’s goal is to develop amethodology to assess the extent to which aspects of culture should be embedded ininternational nuclear security advocacy and capacity building programs. The initiative also aimsto provide recommendations for facilitators, workshop-conveners, moderators, and others, onhow to be better prepared, informed, and equipped to address cultural issues in implementingtechnical exchanges and nuclear security and associated capacity building programs. Theauthors strongly believe that developing a Nuclear Security Culture Awareness, Assessment andAdvancement Initiative (NuSeTCA3I), to support more effective delivery of nuclear securitycapacity building, workshops, exercises, and other activities, will improve the indigenization ofcore concepts by partner countries and thus the sustainability and impact of the investment.Elements of culture that can be addressed include language, societal structure, organizationalstructure (including the role and influence of hierarchies), political systems, empowerment, andother challenges (such as bribery, nepotism, etc.), and fitness for purpose.