POTENTIAL ENHANCEMENTS TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN NMMSS

The Nuclear Materials Management and Safeguards System (NMMSS) is the U.S. Government’s official system to track movements, uses, inventories, and locations of all nuclear materials including plutonium (PU) and highly enriched uranium (HEU), domestically and internationally. It is the most comprehensive transaction based information system on nuclear materials, including those involved in worldwide commerce. As the U.S. State System of Accounting for and Control (SSAC) of nuclear material, NMMSS also fulfills United States’ nuclear material accountancy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other governments under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Voluntary Safeguards Agreements, and Peaceful Use Agreements. NMMSS is a complex system; it’s a classified database; and its products, operating rules and processes are governed by a multitude of regulatory mandates and terms of agreements negotiated by the United States government with international entities and trading partners. Organizations within both the Executive and Legislative Branches of the U.S. Government routinely request and use NMMSS products and services. The analysis is used as input to policy, national security, and programmatic decision-making. As such, the timeliness and completeness of insights and takeaways provided by NMMSS are critical. In 2016, NMMSS undertook an internal review and analysis of potential enhancements to strengthen data analytics and operational capacity. The review focused on multiple fronts. Highlights of the on-going review, methodology and major takeaways are presented.