An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) led expert mission conducted this month in Russia looked into current approaches and practices on design knowledge management in nuclear organizations.
The five-day IAEA Knowledge Management Assist Visit (KMAV) was held on 13-17 March 2017 at the Moscow office of the Atomstroyexport Group of Companies (JSC ASE EC), an Engineering Division of Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM. The visit was conducted within the framework of Practical Arrangements between the IAEA and ROSATOM.
Under its Design Knowledge Management - Plant Information Models initiative (DKM-PIM), the IAEA works with Member States in identifying good practices on managing design knowledge in nuclear organizations. The main objective is to develop a better understanding of effective design knowledge management, including modern applications and tools. KMAV missions support this goal.
During the mission, the JSC ASE EC experts have presented the IAEA mission team unique tool, a project management system, entitled Multi-D®, that allows for effective management of design knowledge and information throughout the life-cycle of a nuclear power plant (NPP).
The six-member team comprised experts from four Member States and two IAEA officials. The team identified a number of good practices to share with the global nuclear sector, including:
- Joint project by JSC ASE EC and NEOLANT on design basis reconstitution executed at Russian NPPs,
- Application of design knowledge transfer for decommissioning project at Leningrad NPP,
- Application of DKM in implementing joint engineering, procurement, construction schedule for new build projects.
The mission also noted a number of recommendations for improvement, including:
- Encourage design knowledge sharing between different stakeholders and provide benchmarking with other nuclear organizations on DKM,
- Reinforce DKM with contractors on ‘responsible designer’ principle,
- Encourage commitment and active support in DKM-PIM development from ROSATOM and Rosenergoatom.
The mission brought together various national stakeholders in Russia, showing the growing interest in design knowledge management. These included representatives from ROSATOM, the nuclear regulator Rostechnadzor, the nuclear operating organization Concern Rosenergoatom, RASU (Rusatom Automated Control Systems), NEOLANT (engineering company) and VNIIAES (All-Russian Research Institute for NPP Operation). The participants reviewed and discussed the case study report on "Application of Design Knowledge Management in ROSATOM". The report will be part of a future IAEA publication on current approaches and practices in DKM and PIM implementation in nuclear organizations.
Background
The IAEA helps its Member States to develop and maintain appropriate technical expertise throughout the nuclear technology life cycle. Effective knowledge management helps achieve this objective. As one of the tools to support this objective, an IAEA KMAV may be requested by a Member State for one of its nuclear organizations. Its objectives include:
- Providing assistance and consultancy to counterparts who want to benefit from good practices in knowledge management strategies and techniques.
- Identifying good practice areas where knowledge management is already providing benefits.
- Making recommendations on how knowledge management shortcomings identified in the visit could be rectified.
