The value of Member Engagement in Atlanta Centre
Member Story
Vol 26 No 1 2018
5 July 2018
Working together to achieve better results
Cooperation plays a crucial role in any task or project - one person operating independently cannot fulfill the role of an entire team. This is particularly true in the nuclear safety industry, which is built on a foundation of information sharing and cooperation amongst peers.
It is crucial to ensure that the right voices are heard at the right time, and the most appropriate expertise is applied to the problem encountered.
A strong collaborative process, where team members have an agreed understanding of both short- and long-term goals, optimises results by deploying the unique perspectives and strengths of each team member.
The Member Engagement Survey sought out the views of members to identify areas for improvement. And there is already evidence that this peer-to-peer consultation process works.
WANO Atlanta Centre (AC) has proven this in their approach to creating new products for the industry. They have found that by seeking input from all members of the region, they are able to refine the project and gather guidance on how to implement it efficiently:
IER 17-5, Line of Sight to the Reactor Core
Members throughout the region collaborated to create this Level 1 IER, the first of its kind since 2014, to address weaknesses in operations performance. The team reviewed significant events and made recommendations to ensure that the final document was actionable and would drive the necessary actions to close the identified gaps. In the past, a similar document would be written and then the industry would be invited to review the document and provide feedback retrospectively. This time, there was a consultative process from the beginning - members were involved throughout the entire process.
Industry observer(s) for Industry Performance Meeting
The INPO senior leadership team and performance leaders meet quarterly to discuss the performance of each station in WANO AC. To improve the effectiveness of this meeting, INPO invites a chief nuclear officer to observe and contribute feedback and observations. This not only demonstrates transparency of process but also creates an opportunity for senior industry leaders to see the process in action and take any learnings back to their organisations.
“Listening to our membership helps build strong relationships, which ultimately serves to strengthen WANO” said Dave Crabtree, director of WANO-AC Operations.
“Engaging our members helps foster long-term performance improvement and accountability with team members at the sites. Leveraging all of this expertise is crucial as we continue to operate plants in the United States and look to have an influence on plants currently in construction internationally”.