SAFEGUARDS COOPERATION BETWEEN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND THE INDONESIAN NUCLEAR ENERGY REGULATORY AGENCY

In November 2004, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Indonesian Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (BAPETEN) signed an arrangement to cooperate in areas of nuclear material security and safeguards technologies. Three action sheets, or projects, resulted from this agreement. Their purpose is to facilitate a joint assessment of the current status of the security and safeguards (S&S) regulatory, operational, and training organizations and structures related to nuclear facilities in Indonesia and to identify S&S needs. This paper describes the method and approach used to perform the needs assessment and development of the roadmap. A “joint-assessment” approach was used, and the assessment team consisted of experts from the U.S. national laboratories and key representatives from BAPETEN. Three groups collected information on BAPETEN’s S&S needs using predetermined interview questions as a guide, as well as information from presentations, discussions, and a tour of nuclear facilities. This joint effort between DOE and BAPETEN is expected to culminate in a roadmap that will define the path forward for technical cooperation between the two partner organizations—it is a vital part of Indonesia’s nuclear future. The roadmap will prioritize Indonesia’s S&S needs for future effort and specific tasks that future action sheets will define for areas of mutual benefit for BAPETEN and DOE. The decision to conduct the work as a partnership between DOE and BAPETEN is vital to promoting understanding and will increase the chances of long-term success of the program. The joint DOE-BAPETEN needs assessment, as well as tools and techniques developed to perform this assessment, could serve as a model for determining S&S needs in other countries and regions throughout the world. When other countries become equal partners, there is a much better chance that both partners will fully participate and help identify weaknesses and develop solutions. DOE’s partners then become willing stakeholders in the process and are better able to find ways to make the project a success for both sides.