The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

Last Updated: 22 March 2011

Information and Knowledge Management underpins all of the NDA's primary objectives representing a key area of compliance and offering significant benefits in its own right.  In looking at maintaining our ability to deliver effective decommissioning activities we must also establish clear Information Governance and ensure that the information, knowledge, skills, and expertise are managed, preserved, protected, accessible and backed by the details (metadata) and records needed to support all activities across the estate.

Objective

To ensure we are compliant with legislation and regulations, follow good practice and establish and maintain a fit-for-purpose infrastructure to capture and manage information and knowledge across the estate. Further, it is also to ensure that the NDA preserves the records and knowledge required to fulfil its mission and that this information is shared and available to all in a timely and cost effective manner for as long as it is required, after which it will then be destroyed in accordance with the relevant policies. 

Scope and Boundaries

The scope of this Topic Strategy covers the NDA, its SLCs and direct subsidiaries, and where relevant it includes key organisations within the supply chain.  It seeks to establish a clear direction for Information and Knowledge Management within the NDA estate, with links to Government thinking and strategy, and clearly underpinning the activities needed to deliver the NDA mission.  This topic encompasses the following strands:  

• Information risk management - to ensure compliance with statutory, regulatory and HMG guidelines on Information security, assurance and risk management
• Knowledge management - to ensure that the NDA estate captures and preserves the knowledge required to fulfil the NDA mission and makes it available across the estate
• Information management - to ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements for the management and accessibility of public records
• Intellectual property management – to ensure that the NDA understands its Intellectual Property portfolio and manages it effectively.

Interfaces

As a critical enabler the Information and Knowledge Management Topic Strategy interfaces with most of the other NDA topic strategies, in particular:

• All forms of waste because of the need to maintain accurate records
• Nuclear materials and fuels because of the need to maintain accurate records
• People strategy because of the need to maintain skills, expertise and capability
• Supply chain because of the need to maximise purchasing power and ensure cost effectiveness
• Research and Development due to the importance of capturing relevant knowledge and maintaining accurate and accessible records which invariably represent significant value in terms of investment or potential commercial opportunity.

Current Position

The Information and Knowledge Management strategy is currently approved and the development of an estate-wide high-level compliance programme is underway. The Strategy will need to be regularly reviewed as this programme develops and our thinking matures.

The strategy seeks to primarily build on relevant compliance requirements and existing government strategic initiatives. A number of estate wide forums have been established to develop the strategy and implementation plan collaboratively and a number of significant projects and work streams are already planned and, in some cases, underway.  

Alignment of the estate is particularly important as we seek to maximise economies of scale. However, alignment with a Central Government strategy might limit our ability to benefit from private sector innovation.