Knowledge Management in EURAD: the Roadmap

Abstract

Abstract. Knowledge management (KM) is a core activity of the European Joint Programme on Radioactive Waste Management (EURAD), which has driven the development of the EURAD Roadmap, a roadmap for the implementation of radioactive waste management (RWM) leading to geological disposal, using the experiences of advanced national and EU programmes. Because these programmes have been developed over more than 40 years and have adopted different technical and strategic approaches to deep geological repository (DGR) development, the roadmap has been structured to capture largely generic best practice in its presentation of programme Phasing and Thematic goals breakdown structure: 5 Phases of Implementation: Initiation, Site Selection, Site Characterization, Construction, and Operations and Closure. For each phase the roadmap explains how activities and existing knowledge are used to fulfil generic safety and implementation goals common across RWM programmes. 7 themes: Programme Management, Predisposal, Engineered Barrier Systems, Geoscience, Design and Optimisation, Siting and Licensing, and Safety Case. Each theme is further elaborated into sub-themes and domains. The intention of the EURAD roadmap is to provide information and guidance to three primary user groups: Organisations that are developing or updating their national RWM programmes with the objective of moving towards deep geological disposal of some of their wastes and requiring information on the steps involved; Organisations with advanced RWM and DGR programmes that require an informative training tool for new staff and a means of propagating knowledge across the groups involved in diverse activities; All organisations concerned with identifying potential future gaps in capabilities that could hinder implementation of their DGR programmes in decades to come. We recognize that there is not a unique route through the roadmap – like any roadmap, it can be used to stimulate consideration of alternative options and can be adapted by each Member State to suit national priorities. Because of its generic nature, the EURAD roadmap will be populated with content that is common to all programmes, creating a basis and strategy for a long-term project of Knowledge Management and Networking in RWM. The current focus is on signposting to existing content and the generation of new content to fill identified gaps for State of Knowledge, State of the Art, Guidance, Training and active Networks or Communities of Practice.