NRC ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC PLAN FOR FISCAL YEARS 2008-2013
Printable Version

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission today issued its new Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2008 to 2013, establishing how the agency intends to carry out its mission to protect people and the environment by licensing and regulating the safe and secure use and management of radioactive materials for the public good.

"This Strategic Plan reflects real world changes and describes how the NRC as a strong, independent and stable regulator will continue to ensure the safe use of radioactive materials and nuclear power in a dynamic environment," said NRC Chairman Dale Klein. "Some of the more significant challenges facing the agency over the next several years include the expected receipt of applications to construct and operate new nuclear power plants and a high-level nuclear waste facility."

The Strategic Plan sets forth two goals: 1) Safety – Ensure adequate protection of public health and safety; and 2) Security – Ensure adequate protection in the secure use and management of radioactive material. The plan reflects greater emphasis being placed on improving regulatory processes for ensuring the safety of new power reactors while reflecting the agency's continuing priority to ensure that existing reactors continue to operate safely. Strategies also reflect increased security requirements for radioactive sources and highly-enriched uranium fuel.

In addition, the plan has three organizational excellence objectives that describe how the agency intends to carry out its safety and security goals. They are:

1. Openness - Keep stakeholders informed about and have an opportunity to participate in NRC's regulatory process;
2. Effectiveness - Take actions that are high-quality, efficient and realistic; and
3. Operational Excellence - Use business methods and solutions to achieve NRC's mission.

The document emphasizes the importance of effective leadership and the relationship between human capital, knowledge management and space challenges that must be addressed in order to ensure that the agency can succeed.

Success in achieving each goal will be determined primarily through performance measures developed for the agency's annual performance budget and reported in the annual Performance and Accountability Report.

Stakeholder feedback was particularly valuable in helping the Commission develop a clear and comprehensive Strategic Plan.

The new Strategic Plan (NUREG-1614, Volume 4) is available on the NRC's Web site at this address: http://www.nrc.gov in the lower left-hand corner of the home page. Copies are available from the U.S. Government Printing Office by calling 202-512-1800.

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Tuesday, April 08, 2008