Feedback Mechanisms
for Lessons Learnt
in the Decommissioningof Nuclear Facilities

An international snapshot

NE ABackground
The NEA Committee on Decommissioning of Nuclear
Installations and Legacy Management (CDLM) and the TechnicalAdvisory Group (TAG) of the International Co-operative
Programme for the Exchange of Scientific and Technical
Information Concerning Nuclear Installation Decommissioning
Projects (CPD) addressed the topic of “Feedback Mechanisms
for Lessons Learnt” in the topical sessions of their 2021
meetings. This brochure summarises the key findings.

Objectives
Given the amount of active nuclear decommissioning projects,
including the 203 nuclear power plants that have been shut
down and numerous legacy sites, the sharing of strategies,
lessons learnt and advancements in the field is of great benefit
to the involved stakeholders. For this reason, work on the topic
of “Feed-back Mechanisms for Lessons Learnt” addressedby CDLM and CPD-TAG members considered the means andadequacy of established processes for experience feedback
by involved stakeholders (i.e. regulators, utilities, technicalservices organisations, service providers, researchers andothers). Because most of the time the activities are one-ofa-kind in their respective projects, the topic took into accountthe following fact and questions:
Fact:• The feedback could be of great benefit to otherdecommissioning projects, although the reporting entity
might not profit from the knowledge gained.
Addressed questions:• What are the existing means of information sharing?
• How should existing reporting mechanisms be assessed tosee if they are reflecting the right information on incidencesor lessons learnt?
• What type of information should be reported?
• How could knowledge management be improved in thisregard?

Basis and structure of theexchange
Due to travel restrictions in 2021, the individual topicalsessions with members of the CDLM and CPD-TAG werecarried out through videoconferencing.
The CDLM topical session took place on 17 March 2021 with80 registered participants from 22 NEA and one non-NEA
member country, as well as the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA). The session was structured in two parts:
1) Presentations from five different perspectives: a German
regulator, a US operators coalition, an independent
professor from Japan, as well as two perspectives fromimplementers, the CEA (Commissariat à l’énergie atomiqueet aux énergies alternatives, France) and Rosatom (Russia).
2) Discussions among participants in breakout groups as well
as a plenary exchange.
The CPD-TAG topical session took place on 12 May 2021
with 37 participants. The topical session covered threepresentations including experiences collected by JAVYS(Slovak Republic) and Enresa (Spain) as well as preliminary
findings from the collected inputs from the CDLM topicalsession. The presentations were followed by a plenary
discussion resulting in further recommendations to support
feedback mechanisms in the field.

Information assessed
The discussion included an overview of the current
international practice to support feedback mechanisms.
Using lessons learnt is important to improve and optimise
decommissioning, to share experiences, to improve safety
culture, and to allow the transfer of information and knowledge
to different projects and activities. The following main
mechanisms were highlighted:• Close links during transfer periods (between generations,
between the different stages of the life cycle). These take into
account industry sustainability throughout the supply chain.
• Use of existing and new technologies – such as modelling,databases and other advanced methods – to capture,visualise and transfer knowledge (e.g. Wikis, BuildingInformation-Modelling); keeping in mind:-Intellectual property (IP);-Security aspects;-Resources (e.g. time, cost, dedicated and knowledgeablestaff) required for digitalisation.

• Use of existing reporting systems, such as the International
Reporting System for Operating Experience (IRS).
• Seminars, conferences, community dialogue and otherevents allowing stakeholder interaction.
• Bilateral exchanges between individuals, organisations,programmes and other national and international platforms.
Regulatory Inspector Training (Dean Calma/IAEA).

• Capturing and making public experiences in literature anddata banks (reports, papers, books, documentation, etc.).

Beyond the existing and straightforward means of knowledge
sharing, the following aspects were identified:• There is a need for integrated project management tosupport decommissioning projects (with reasonable safetyfocus) taking into account experience from operation
maintenance, radiation protection, engineering and wastemanagement.
• There are good exchange mechanisms between regulatorsand/or operators. There are varying levels of maturity
regarding the inclusion of contractors/service providers
and technical support organisations in these exchanges.
• There is a need for training and educational tools to gain
a qualified workforce. This includes hands-on experiencethrough implementers. The use of digital tools could help
make the field more attractive to young professionals.
• The development of a patterning method (similar parts
description from facility to facility) ensuring correct useof the data (not just collection of it) should be considered.
• Issues (technical, societal, economic, etc.) including nontechnical knowledge management, such as community
engagement and consultation processes, should be taken
into account.

according to the volume of work and the complexity andscope of the contracts.

• The relationship with interested and affected parties shouldbe improved in a systemic manner to increase understanding,trust and engagement in the decommissioning process.

-The possibility of subcontracting large and mediumsized tasks, as well as the technical specifications
required for tenders.

• Mechanisms for transparent information sharing should
be encouraged.

-The number of workers to be involved by each contractor
and their internal organisational structure.

• Exchanges between industry sectors are needed to allow
the transfer of technical solutions.

-That documenting, processing and optimising theseprocedures helps derive lessons learnt.

• Having a centralised reporting system with clear andcommon criteria, taking into account transparency andtrust, should be encouraged.

• Interaction with the regulator:-

Early engagement to develop and approve licensing
documentation in key areas such as radiologicalprotection, radioactive waste management, operating
conditions in the transition period, quality assurance,
fire protection, development of technical specifications,liquid and gaseous effluents, and ventilation.

-

Establish different working groups to facilitate greater
knowledge by the regulator and support the licensing
and acceptance process of licensing documentation.

From the operators’ experience, the following proposals weremade:• Comprehensive collection of data that should include,
beyond operator information, inputs from subcontractors,
project management, regulators and literature making useof advanced technologies for visualisation and data analysis.
• Development of data-supported action plans, with regular
updates and improvements by management.
• Transparency, integration and trust-building throughstakeholder involvement (discussion with team, contractors,etc.).
• Early establishment of an organisation involving experienced
workers from operation, maintenance, radiation protection,engineering and waste management.
• Implementers and contractors taking into account:-That the different types of recruitment, procurement
procedures and tender actions must be consideredbased on fixed prices, administration, service delivery
or supplies. The strategy will have to be considered

The challenges identified from these findings are:• Individuals need to be motivated to contribute and present
lessons learnt given the lack of competence and knowledge
it could reveal.
• A large number of contributors should be engaged, since
the usual mechanisms are limited to a few individuals.
• Dissemination of information only brings short-term impact.
Long-term information preservation means are required.
• Database management requires continuous and regular use
so as to integrate it operationally.
• The cost-benefit of the feedback mechanisms systems
has to be adequate.

Future perspectives andconsiderations• Improve the involvement of the industry sector (including
other business areas) by adopting a transparent andsustainable feedback mechanism.

The topical session is a useful tool to better understand thestatus and challenges of the feedback mechanisms used
to improve nuclear decommissioning. The current travel
restrictions have a significant impact on bilateral exchange
opportunities. Nevertheless, virtual breakout sessions provided
a good opportunity to assess and process the experience andknowledge of large groups in a short time frame.

• Improve, in a systemic manner, the relationship withcommunities.

The main takeaway actions for the CDLM and CPD include:• Continue to benefit from the NEA groups focusedon different aspects of decommissioning including
regulatory challenges, social engagement, management
and organisational as well as technical, environmental andsafety aspects, costing, decision-making, information, data
and knowledge management and dedicated robotics andremote systems.
• Enlarge, in a structured manner, the relationship and common
views with other international organisations (IAEA, World
Nuclear Association, Electric Power Research Institute, etc.).
• Support the creation/extension/strengthening ofinternational systems to share knowledge and experienceof decommissioning.
• Evaluate the need for change, updates or modifications to
the reporting requirements for operating facilities and thedecommissioning stage. This takes into account shifts inreporting criteria (including non-technical, e.g. human factors).
• Provide guidance on the development of standard reporting
systems in all countries.

• Support capacity and skills building and knowledge
maintenance for decommissioning and legacy management.

Complementary information
The CDLM was created in 2018 following a request fromNEA member countries to enhance NEA visibility in nuclear
decommissioning and the remediation of legacy sites. The
creation of the CDLM reflects the NEA goals in providing
governments and other interested stakeholders withauthoritative and reliable information on the political, strategic,regulatory and social aspects of decommissioning activities
and the management of legacy and complex sites.
The CPD is a joint undertaking of a limited number oforganisations executing or planning the decommissioningof nuclear facilities. The objective of the CPD Programme,
launched in 1985, is to exchange and share informationfrom operational experience in decommissioning nuclear
installations to advance and support current and future
projects. The programme covers 75 projects in 15 NEA
member countries, two non-NEA members and the EC in theirbiannual meetings of the TAG. These biannual meetings are
hosted at the site of one of the participating projects, ensuring
both an exchange of information among the members as well
as a visit of site.

Potential drivers of feedback mechanisms for lessons learnt• Advanced knowledge management tools and data
analysis capabilities.

• Sustainability in the usage and maintenance of thefeedback mechanism.

• Safety and security improvements of people andenvironment.

• Capacity and skills building involving the onboardingof young professionals.

• Long-term engagement and stakeholder involvement.
• Trust building and maintenance.
• Transparency (communication, strategy, process,roles, etc.).
• Value of personal exchanges.
• Motivational tools to support individual engagement.
• Increase of project efficiency.

Questions and contact information
Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)
46, quai Alphonse Le Gallo
92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France
E-mail: cdlm@oecd-nea.org• Knowledge maintenance and knowledge transfer toprofessionals entering the decommissioning field.
• Organised and efficient information exchange(experiences, specific tools, waste treatment) between
members (taking into account the intellectual property).
• Establishment under the NEA umbrella of aninternational relationship dialogue platform between
operators and regulatory bodies on decommissioning
issues.

OECD/NEA, November 2022
Cover pages photos: Decommissioning at Hinkley Point A, United
Kingdom (NDA); dismantling of the Dounreay fast reactor researchand development centre, United Kingdom (Dounreay Site Restoration
Limited [DSRL] and Nuclear Decommissioning Authority [NDA]);
NDA Workshop at Stakeholder Summit 2019 (courtesy of NDA).