NRC INSPECTION MANUAL NMSS 

MANUAL CHAPTER 1246 

 FORMAL QUALIFICATION PROGRAMS IN THE 

 NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS PROGRAM AREA

Issue Date: 10/26/11 i 1246 

1246-01 PURPOSE ................................................................................................... 2

1246-02 OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................. 2

1246-03 DEFINITIONS .............................................................................................. 2

03.01 Attitude ......................................................................................................... 2

03.03 Category ...................................................................................................... 2

03.03 Continuing Training ...................................................................................... 2

03.04 Equivalency Examination ............................................................................. 2

03.05 Interim Qualification ..................................................................................... 2

03.06 Knowledge ................................................................................................... 2

03.07 On-the-job Training (OJT) ............................................................................ 3

03.08 Oral Qualification Board ............................................................................... 3

03.09 Qualification Journal .................................................................................... 3

03.10 Refresher Training ....................................................................................... 3

03.11 Specialized and Advanced Training ............................................................. 3

1246-04 RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITIES .................................................. 3

04.01 Associate Director for Training and Development (ADTD), Office of Human 

Resources (HR). ............................................................................................. 3

04.02 Director, Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards (or designee) .. 3

04.03 Regional Administrator (or designee) ............................................................ 3

04.04 Directors, NMSS and Regional Divisions ....................................................... 4

04.05 Chiefs, NMSS Program Branches ................................................................. 4

04.06 Immediate Supervisor of Qualifying Individuals ............................................. 4

1246-05 REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................ 4

05.01 Training and Qualification Requirements ....................................................... 4

05.02 Final Qualification Activity .............................................................................. 4

05.03 Changing Disciplines. .................................................................................... 6

05.04 Special Circumstances .................................................................................. 6

05.05 Interim Qualification ....................................................................................... 6

05.06 Formal Training Requirements and Expectations. ......................................... 7

1246-06 POST QUALIFICATION TRAINING ............................................................ 7

06.01 Refresher Training. ........................................................................................ 7

06.02 Continuing Training ........................................................................................ 7

1246-07 PROGRAM REVISIONS .............................................................................. 7

1246-08 EXCEPTIONS .............................................................................................. 8
Issue Date: 10/26/11 2 1246 

1246-01 PURPOSE 

01.01 To define training and qualification requirements for U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission (NRC) staff performing activities in the Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards 

(NMSS) program area. 

01.02 To establish the requirements for completing refresher and continuing training as a 

means for updating and maintaining qualification. 

1246-02 OBJECTIVES 

02.01 To ensure that NMSS program area staff has the necessary knowledge and skill to 

successfully implement the NMSS program. 

02.02 To define a standardized methodology for determining that NMSS staff has met the 

established qualification requirements. 

1246-03 DEFINITIONS 

03.01 Attitude. A manner of performing tasks that demonstrates an understanding of and 

an appreciation for the NRC’s organizational values of integrity, excellence, service, respect, 

cooperation, commitment, and openness. 

03.02 Category. An area or class of activity for which a license or certificate of compliance 

may be issued (such as medical, academic, irradiators, well logging, cask system design, 

etc.). 

03.03 Continuing Training. Activities designed to build on what an individual learned in 

initial training by: 

a. Providing in-depth knowledge in areas that are covered in initial training. 

b. Addressing changes to the programs and processes that affect how NRC staff 

conducts job related activities. 

c. Providing lessons learned from recent industry and agency activities. 

03.04 Equivalency Examination. An examination administered through the training 

organization staff or its contractors, in lieu of specific course attendance. 

03.05 Interim Qualification. Qualification of an NMSS staff member to independently 

conduct activities in specified areas before completion of all qualification journal 

requirements. 

03.06 Knowledge. The facts, concepts, ideas, and relationships that support successful 

on-the-job performance. Normally referenced together with skills and abilities and 

abbreviated as KSAs.
Issue Date: 10/26/11 3 1246 

03.07 On-the-job Training (OJT). A training method that uses structured hands-on 

activities to develop the required job-related knowledge and skills. 

03.08 Oral Qualification Board. A board, consisting of management and staff, established 

to assess the knowledge and skills of an individual to independently perform the prescribed 

NRC inspection or licensing program. 

03.09 Qualification Journal. The document that establishes and documents the minimum 

training requirements for formal classroom instruction, on-the-job training, local training 

sessions, and self-study. 

03.10 Refresher Training. Training designed to update and maintain qualification. 

03.11 Specialized and Advanced Training. Technical training which increases the depth of 

an individual’s knowledge in a specific area. Additional required training beyond that 

identified as core training. The additional training will be determined by the individual's 

supervisor and will depend on the individual's previous work experience and planned 

inspection or licensing activities in specific areas. 

1246-04 RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITIES 

04.01 Associate Director for Training and Development (ADTD), Office of Human 

Resources (HR). Administers and implements the formal training programs for NMSS as 

identified in this inspection manual chapter (IMC). Assesses training course effectiveness 

and identifies areas where the course content needs to be revised. 

04.02 Director, Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards (or designee). Ensures 

that NMSS staff achieves and maintains qualifications in accordance with the guidelines in 

this IMC. Establishes the training qualification requirements for staff who perform activities 

for which NMSS is responsible. Develops procedures for implementing this IMC for NMSS 

staff. Certifies the headquarters staff who qualify under this IMC. 

04.03 Regional Administrator (or designee). Ensures that regional staff achieves and 

maintains qualifications in accordance with the guidelines provided in this manual chapter. 

Certifies the regional staff who qualify under this IMC. 
Issue Date: 10/26/11 4 1246 

04.04 Directors, NMSS and Regional Divisions. Approve the use of and accepts the 

justification for using an alternate method for meeting qualification program requirements. 

Assist the ADTD in developing, monitoring and reviewing training courses for the NMSS 

qualification program. Identify and document in an individual's qualification journal, 

specialized training activities necessary to supplement core training requirements. 

04.05 Chiefs, NMSS Program Branches. Develops and maintains, in conjunction with the 

ADTD of HR, and headquarters staff, the qualification journals listed in the Appendices of 

this IMC. Evaluates proposed changes to NMSS programs for impacts on training. 

Periodically reviews and assess the effectiveness of staff in implementing NMSS programs 

to identify needed refresher and continuing training topics. Assesses the training and 

qualification program effectiveness and identifies areas where the program needs to be 

revised. 

04.06 Immediate Supervisor of Qualifying Individuals. May assign fully qualified individuals 

to work with trainees during the qualification process. Ensures that qualifying individuals 

have successfully completed requirements. Certifies that the individual is qualified. 

Assesses the ability of the qualifying individual and provides appropriate levels of detailed 

supervision based on the individual’s level of proficiency. Ensures an individual’s readiness 

to independently perform job responsibilities. Recommends each qualifying individual 

assigned to them as prepared for the qualification board. 

1246-05 REQUIREMENTS 

 

Staff implementing the NMSS program must understand the facilities, equipment, 

processes, and activities of this program, as well as the criteria, techniques, and mechanics 

of implementing the program. The qualification process is intended to provide staff with 

sufficient information to perform program activities that are technically correct and in 

accordance with NRC regulations, policies and procedures. 

05.01 Training and Qualification Requirements. Staff assigned to perform inspections, 

technical reviews, or project management in the NMSS program area must successfully 

complete the applicable requirements of the applicable qualification program, and the 

appropriate qualification journal. The appropriate qualification journal described in the 

Appendices to this IMC specifies the minimum inspector, technical reviewer, or project 

manager qualification requirements. Qualification journals may be customized to add other 

requirements as appropriate. Exemption from specific training topics may be granted in 

accordance with Section 1246-08 of this chapter. 

05.02 Final Qualification Activity. 

a. Qualification Board. Upon completion of the training identified in the qualification 

journal, the individual’s understanding of the material will be evaluated by an oral 

qualification board (Board). The Board assesses the qualifications of an individual 

to conduct his/her duties under the NMSS program. The Board will recommend to 

the Office Director or their designee whether or not the individual should be certified. 

 
Issue Date: 10/26/11 5 1246 

b. Board Members. A qualification board will consist of at least three members. A 

cross-section of qualified personnel should be included and can range from a peerlevel inspector, technical reviewer, or project manager to a Division Director. 

Management of at least the branch chief level should be included on each Board. 

The peer-level member of the Board should be qualified in the discipline for which 

the candidate is seeking qualification. The board chairman shall be at the branch 

chief level as a minimum but cannot be the individual’s immediate supervisor. 

c. Board Conduct. 

1. The board members should develop topics for questioning and the board 

chairman should assign topics and questions to each of the board members 

to ensure that the questioning will address all of the KSAs to be verified by the 

board. Board members are encouraged to have a planning meeting to 

discuss how various questions or scenarios will ensure the various KSAs will 

be covered. 

2. The board members may develop a list of questions, or question bank, that 

include all areas of the qualification journal. Specific questions can be 

selected from those used in previous qualification boards or new questions 

can be written. These questions should allow and encourage the individual to 

answer in such a way as to demonstrate a depth of knowledge and 

understanding of a given area, rather than to simply answer "yes" or "no". 

Questions should focus on those situations that require the employee to 

demonstrate a knowledge of NRC policy and philosophy, as they relate to the 

licensee and the implementation of the NMSS program. 

3. Questions of a technical nature should not be excluded; however, they should 

pertain to the technical area in which qualification is sought, and should not 

represent a major area of Board questioning. 

4. The board should typically require about 2 hours completing its assessment 

but the time may vary based on the individual board and the candidate. 

(a) Board Recommendations. The board will document the results of their 

assessment in writing to the Office Director or designee each time a 

board examines an individual. 

(1) If the board’s assessment is favorable, the recommendation will 

be to grant qualification. Any areas where additional review was 

required (look-up items) must be completed by the individual and 

verified by an assigned member of the board before forwarding 

the recommendation to the Office Director, or designee. 

(2) If the board has identified areas of weakness requiring formal 

remediation, the board will identify the areas for improvement in 

writing and recommend that the individual appear before a board 

for reexamination when the remediation activities are complete. 

The board and the individual’s supervisor will agree on a 

schedule for reexamination. 
Issue Date: 10/26/11 6 1246 

(3) If the board has identified performance deficiencies that could not 

be successfully addressed with a remediation effort, the board 

will document the full scope of the deficiencies and recommend 

that the individual not be remediated or reexamined. 

(4) The employee will receive a copy of the board’s findings and 

recommendation. 

(b) Reexamination Board. A reexamination board must include at least 

one individual from the original board. The board questioning during 

reexamination will focus on the areas of identified weakness. The 

board may explore an area where weakness is identified during the 

conduct of the reexamination. 

(c) Board Documentation. The board’s recommendations are forwarded to 

the Office Director or designee for certification. Upon certification, the 

qualification will be documented in the employee’s official personnel file 

and will identify the effective date of the certification. 

05.03 Changing Disciplines. An individual who changes disciplines must meet or complete 

the training and qualification requirements for the new discipline. In such cases, previous 

equivalent training requirements in common between the two disciplines need not be 

repeated, and credit for the previous similar training will be indicated in the current 

qualification journal. An oral qualification board will be utilized unless waived in accordance 

with the provision of Section 1246-08. 

05.04 Special Circumstances. Special circumstances (e.g., budget reductions, delays in 

establishing replacement contracts, or unavailability of critical instructors) may result in the 

temporary unavailability of courses required for formal qualification. In this case, the ADTD, 

HR, will communicate with the cognizant NMSS program area division directors explaining 

the situation. This does not remove the need for the qualifying employee to attend the 

required course. It is expected that employee schedules will be adjusted as necessary to 

allow and require the employee to attend the required training when it is made available. 

Requests for course substitutions or other equivalent training activity shall be submitted by 

the qualifying individual’s immediate supervisor to the cognizant Division Director for 

approval. 

05.05 Interim Qualification. Staff who have not completed all requirements for final 

certification may obtain interim qualification to independently conduct activities in specified 

areas for which prescribed training has been completed. To establish an interim 

certification, the individual's immediate supervisor will evaluate the individual's qualifications 

and identify the categories for which interim qualification is appropriate. A request will then 

be generated through the individual's management for interim qualification in the identified 

areas. The request should be approved by the Office Director, or their designee. Approval 

of interim qualification will be documented and a record kept in the individual's training file. 
Issue Date: 10/26/11 7 1246 

Staff undergoing qualification may perform activities under the direction of a qualified staff 

member in their specified area. In situations where qualification is delayed as a result of the 

unavailability of required formal training courses, or for other compelling reasons, the Office 

Director (or designee) may provide interim qualification for those categories in which the 

staff member is considered qualified. Interim qualification includes license signature 

authority for select license categories in accordance with a written delegation. 

05.06 Formal Training Requirements and Expectations. 

a. Trainees are expected to attend all parts of a formal training program in order to 

receive credit for the course. 

b. Written examinations are administered for designated courses to evaluate the 

employee’s understanding of the material. The passing grade for most 

examinations is 70 or 80 percent 

c. In courses where a formal examination is not given, satisfactory course completion 

is determined by attendance and completion of class activities. 

d. Individuals who fail examinations may be given the opportunity to review the 

material through self-study and may then be reexamined. If deemed desirable, 

individuals who fail a course may also repeat the course in accordance with 

established ADTD policy. 

e. In all cases, completion of formal training courses will be documented by HR. The 

individual is responsible for making sure that the course completion record is noted 

on the signature cards in the qualification journals. 

1246-06 POST QUALIFICATION TRAINING 

06.01 Refresher Training. All qualified staff is required to complete refresher training to 

maintain the overall level of performance as specified in the discipline specific qualification 

journals. 

06.02 Continuing Training. Qualified staff is expected to build on what they have learned 

during initial training as well as to keep up-to-date on changes to the NMSS program area. 

Temporary Instructions (TIs) or Policy and Guidance Directives (P&GDs) that focus on a 

specific area may necessitate staff receiving special training before performing activities. 

The NMSS division having lead responsibility for preparing the TI or P&GD will identify 

these special training requirements, and communicate the training needs to the ADTD as 

necessary. The schedule for preparation of any special training should allow enough 

advance time for the lead NMSS division, in coordination with the ADTD, to prepare the 

required training course and implement it, before inspection or licensing is performed using 

the TI or P&GD. 

1246-07 PROGRAM REVISIONS 
Issue Date: 10/26/11 8 1246 

This manual chapter is periodically revised to reflect the training needs of staff as 

determined by changes to current policy or changes to procedures, or both. When new 

revisions are issued, personnel who qualified under previous requirements shall remain 

qualified, but must complete any new formal classroom training requirements in their area 

within three years from the date of the revision. Personnel in the process of qualifying when 

new revisions are issued, may complete their qualification under their original requirements, 

but must complete any new formal classroom training requirements in their area within three 

years from the date of the revision. Waivers to specific new formal training requirements 

and extensions to the three year time period can be granted using the procedures outlined 

in Section 1246-08. 

1246-08 EXCEPTIONS 

a. Staff who, through education and prior experience of at least 5 years in the specific 

field, possess sufficient knowledge to meet minimum requirements of a qualification 

journal, may be grandfathered. Requests for such exemptions should be made 

from the individual's immediate supervisor to the Office Director and should consider 

the candidate's ability to conduct inspections or licensing activities without the 

benefit of the additional knowledge and regulatory perspective which would be 

gained by attending the specific courses. This exemption should be documented in 

the employee’s official personnel file. 

b. Staff qualified for one program area covered in this IMC, such as those for fuel cycle 

facilities; need not duplicate qualification requirements that are common for another 

discipline. The individual, after completing the additional training required, including 

all of the necessary specialized and technical training for the new discipline, may 

receive qualification in writing from the Office Director or their designee without the 

need for a Board, provided that the common requirements (such as requalification 

courses) have been kept up to date. This exemption should be documented in the 

employee’s official personnel file. 

c. Staff who, through prior experience and education, possess sufficient knowledge to 

meet minimum requirements, may validate specific courses through satisfactory 

completion of equivalency examinations. Requests for equivalency examinations 

should be made from the individual's supervisor to the ADTD and should consider 

the candidate's ability to conduct inspections or licensing activities without the 

benefit of the additional knowledge and regulatory perspective which would be 

gained by attending the course. Use of these examinations is generally expected to 

be a rare occurrence. This exemption should be documented in the employee’s 

official personnel file. 

d. The Office Director or their designee has the authority to waive any requirement or 

extend the time period for any requirement listed for a a staff member in this manual 
Issue Date: 10/26/11 9 1246 

chapter. Justification for the waiver or extension will be documented, and entered 

into the individual's training file. 

END 
Issue Date: 10/26/11 10 1246 

Appendices: 

Appendix A, Training Activities for Staff in the Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards 

Program Area 

Division of Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation Training Requirements and Qualification 

Journals 

B1, Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for Spent Fuel Storage and 

Transportation Technical Reviewer and Project Manager 

B2, Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for Spent Fuel Storage and 

Transportation Inspector 

B3, (Reserved) Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for Independent Spent 

Fuel Storage Installation Inspector 

Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards Training Requirements and 

Qualification Journals 

 C1, Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for Fuel Cycle Technical Reviewer 

 C2, Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for Fuel Cycle Project Manager 

 C3, Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for Material Control and Accounting 

License Reviewer 

 C4, Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for Fuel Cycle Safeguards Physical 

Security Inspector 

Division of High-Level Waste Repository Training Requirements and Qualification Journals 

D1, Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for High-Level Waste Repository 

License Technical Reviewer 

D2, Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for High-Level Waste Repository 

Inspector 

Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Program Training 

Requirements and Qualification Journals 

 E1, Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for Materials License Reviewer 

 E2, Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for Health Physics Inspector 

E3, Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for Division of Waste Management 

Inspector and License Reviewer 

 E4, Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for Decommissioning Inspector 

E5, Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for Division of Waste Management 

Decommissioning Project Manager/Technical Reviewer 

E6, Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for Materials Exempt Distribution 

License Reviewer 

 E7, Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for Uranium Recovery Inspector 

E8, Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for Uranium Recovery Project 

Manager/Technical Reviewer 

E9, Training Requirements and Qualification Journal for Byproduct Material Sealed 

Source and Device Technical Reviewer 

Attachment: 

Revision History of IMC 1246 
Issue Date: 10/26/11 Att1-1 

Attachment 1 

Revision History for IMC 1246 

Commitment Tracking Number 

Document Accession Number and Issue Date 

Description of Change Training 

Needed 

Training CompleDate 

N/A ML112350733 

10/26/11 CN 11-022 

Major re-write to match format of IMC 0040. Appendix A revised. Appendix A, Sections 1-17 consolidated into renumbered Appendices B1, B2, C1, C2, C3, D1, D2 and E1-9, and then were deleted. Appendix A3, A5, B3, B5 deleted because they are incorporated into IMC 1247. Revision history page added. 

None N/A