This is the fourteenth in a series of workshops that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Atomic Forum (FORATOM) have organized jointly to raise awareness and increase understanding of management systems integrating all the vital objectives of nuclear facilities and activities. These workshops also involve promoting application of the IAEA safety standards. The nuclear industry is currently in a period of significant change where there are many countries with new build projects, either in progress or planned. Among them there are countries where nuclear energy is being implemented for the first time. At the same time, there are countries where the nuclear industry is struggling, downsizing and even phasing out. Political and economic reasons play the main role in this change, which is affecting all of the organizations concerned.

The nuclear industry is also seeing many people with specialist knowledge of e.g. design, fundamental safety principles or operation and maintenance, retiring from the workforce, and a new generation replacing them. Topics such as public opinion, safety, economics of nuclear energy, project- and risk management, security, safeguards, management of supply chain, and both internal and foreign affairs are perhaps more important now than ever before.

These drivers bring new challenges in terms of leadership, organizational culture, management, and management systems. All of these factors mean that effective leadership, well-developed organizational culture and well-thought management, also including the management of change, are vital, and there are both opportunities and threats involved. When introducing changes in a company, one should bear in mind that organizational culture is very important and changes slowly. International guidance and standards are being developed to support organizations in managing change and at the same time maintaining safe operations.

This workshop is intended to give participants an opportunity to discuss these topics, to learn from one another, to influence international progress in this area, and to better understand their own situation and the potential development needs within their organizations.

The meeting is intended for individuals from Member States with an operating nuclear power plant (NPP) or other operating nuclear facility, Member States that are planning to build an NPP or research reactor facility, and from international organizations involved in the development and/or promotion of integrated management system-related documents and activities. Participants should be senior managers in charge of developing, implementing and improving management systems at their facilities, responsible for oversight or dealing with quality. Specialists from regulatory bodies who are in charge of the review and assessment of their organization’s quality management; representatives of engineering, procurement and construction contractors; and specialists from international organizations who are involved in the development or promotion of management system standards also are encouraged to participate.

The participants may submit abstracts on challenges, practical solutions and lessons learned in relation to the topics of the workshop. In particular, presentations dealing with the application of different standards and implementing management systems in practice in the nuclear industry would be highly pertinent. The proposed presentations, or an extended outline of these, should be sent to the Scientific Secretary, Mr Pekka, for review and incorporation into the meeting agenda not later than 31 July 2016.

Nominations should be submitted on the attached Participation Form. In case the nominee wishes to give a presentation, this should also be indicated on the Participation Form together with the suggested title. All the additional information about the presentation is recommended to be submitted by filling the following Abstract Submission Form.

Completed forms should be endorsed by the competent national authority (e.g. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Mission to the IAEA, or National Atomic Energy Authority) and returned through the established official channels. They must be received by the IAEA not later than 30 September 2016 (please note that, for prospective participants submitting abstracts, we expect to receive the nomination by 31 July 2016). Nominations received after that date or applications sent directly by individuals or by private institutions may not be considered. Nominating Governments will be informed in due course of the names of the selected candidates and at that time full details will be given on the procedures to be followed with regard to administrative and financial matters.

For Member States receiving financial assistance through technical cooperation funds, applications for financial support should be made at the time of nominating the participant.