IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MODEL PROJECT: Experience of peer review assessment missions

摘要

The Model Project approach introduced in 1994 was based upon five objectives called milestones, developed to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and tor the Safety of Radiation Sources (BSS). The primary objective of the project, the technical co-operation Model Project for Upgrading Radiation Protection Infrastructures is to assist Member States of the IAEA to address protection, safety issues and shortcomings in safety infrastructure for the control of radiation sources. Fifty-two Member Slates of the IAEA were assisted from 1995 to 2000. Currently, about 80 countries are benefiting from IAEA assistance under the framework of the Model Project. Participating countries in the different regions have been divided into two groups: those focusing on national regulatory control and occupational radiation protection programmes (Milestones 1 and 2); and those focusing on the development of technical capability for sustainable radiation and waste safety infrastructure (Milestones 3, 4 and 5). Peer review assessment missions were instituted in 1999 by the IAEA to assess the effectiveness of regulatory programmes for radiation safety, and thereby enable appropriate recommendations to be made which are meant to strengthen or upgrade the programme commensurate with the extent of application of ionizing radiation and radiation sources in the assessed Member States. The IAEA, noting that many of the peer review assessment missions are of a qualitative nature, is developing, in collaboration with consultants, a quantitative assessment scheme for evaluating national infrastructures for radiation safety. This scheme makes use of infrastructure parameters, assessment criteria and a performance indicator grading scheme to quantify and assess the progress in achieving compliance with the performance criterion for each of the infrastructure parameters of the milestones. The paper focuses on findings and recommendations of peer review assessment missions regarding the status of implementation of Milestones 1 and 2 and key issues for discussion.