QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SAFEGUARDS INSPECTORS

The Strengthened Safeguards System has created new demands on inspectors’ qualification. Remote Monitoring, Complementary Access, Environmental Sampling and other new tools and techniques define a new set of necessary skills for Safeguards inspectors. At the same time, the world’s new political environment attracts an increased focus of public opinion on the inspection services provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Department of Safeguards must continue to maintain high standards of inspector performance. Further, it is important to continuously reinforce the credibility of inspectors with Member States and to provide assurance of inspector competence within the Agency. A qualification program for safeguards inspectors is one method being considered to help achieve these goals. The conclusions from a feasibility study developed by a US Support Program (USSP) team have recommended the implementation of a basic qualification program, taking into consideration that the institutional foundation for this implementation is present within the Safeguards Department. Based on this feasibility study and practices and policies used by nuclear installations under inspection, a qualification program was developed by the Section for Safeguards Training (SGTS/TTR) and is now under implementation. The formal qualification program demonstrates, in a clear and transparent way, the competence of inspectors and the continuing efforts to cope with these new demands and formalizes training and experience requirements for the conduct, in support and lead capacities, of the various inspection activities at different facility types. It also promotes a sense of professionalism within the inspectorate and assures management that those qualified have the education, training and experience required to perform the activities under their responsibility. A “gap assessment” was made in order to evaluate the impact of the implementation of the qualification program. Qualification requirements, re-qualification policy, qualification maintenance, qualification waivers, provisional qualification and many other important aspects of the program are formally defined in an approved procedure: “Qualification Requirements for Safeguards Inspectors”. This paper presents and describes the steps of the design and development of the Qualification Program and explains the benefits that will come from its implementation.