Year
2008
Abstract
The upcoming INMM 50th Anniversary calls for celebration of its rich history, proud past and its successful MC&A discipline. As a transition for the future, the new INMM MC&A Policy & Best Practices Standing Committee is expected to serve as the reservoir for knowledge management of the institutional lessons learned and best practices for the future workforce. It is crucial that the policy experts and practitioners of the discipline pass the baton of institutional knowledge to the next safeguards generation. By design, this inaugural special session presents current MC&A policy insights and organizational effectiveness methods for assuring contractor compliance among Department of Energy (DOE) field and contractor organizations. In addition, a unique solution is presented for measuring Plutonium as part of hold-up concerns identified in the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board 2007-1 Report and of interest to the community. Examining international safeguards and best practices should also represent an opportunity to understand, share and apply similar benefits to US domestic MC&A programs. This is particularly important as the globalization of nuclear energy programs and new plant operations place pressures of change on old MC&A paradigms and methods of operating. Furthermore, with the coming wave of new generation technical talent and leadership into the fields of nuclear nonproliferation policy and various engineering disciplines, including computer software engineering, creativity and innovation for leveraging new technologies will call for integrated safeguards by design - designs that will challenge existing resource-intensive operations, yet will become the norm for future operational/recycling production activities. The presentations and panel discussion introduces the INMM community with a strategic opportunity to understand, appreciate and engage in some of the challenges facing the MC&A discipline, with an inaugural special focus on the future of safeguards and some of its young leadership already working on integrated technologies and leading related INMM student activities.