READIT-2007 - Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research

Nuclear Knowledge Management (NKM) at IGCAR:
A case study on Fast Reactors
A.Narayanan*, J.Srinivasan*, V.Rajendran* and M.Somasekharan *
Abstract
Knowledge is increasingly being recognized as a primary source of wealth that makes a difference
between success and failure. Managing knowledge can be seen as the process governing creation, the
dissemination and utilization of knowledge. Any organization carrying out research & development
activities in nuclear engineering, especially in diversified areas of Fast Reactor technology to solve topical
problems based on experiences, model-oriented experiments and fundamental research, needs a
continuously updated body of knowledge.
The loss of organizational memory of nuclear knowledge in governments, organizations,
academia and research institutes could become the precursor in dealing with the problems in nuclear
safety, security and non-proliferation. Thus knowledge management of fast reactor technology has emerged
as a growing challenge in recent years.
This paper covers the general aspects of Knowledge Management including fundamental concepts
and overview model for KM depicting explicit and tacit knowledge transfer on fast reactors. It also briefs
the IAEA’s initiatives on KM activities practiced in their member countries on fast reactors. The authors
are dwelling upon the procedures and methods for creating module for knowledge preservation and
maintenance to be followed in IGCAR – taking FBTR as a case study.
An effective KM tool is needed to assist, understand, benchmark the current practices followed
against their past performances. Examples of KM performance indicators include savings due to the reuse
of knowledge; availability of expertise networks; time to create new knowledge, accessibility and
availability of various KM & information sharing tools to peers and contributors as well.
1. INTRODUCTION
The fast reactor technology, the mission oriented endeavour of this centre, relies
heavily on a vast amount of accumulation of knowledge, in inter-disciplinary scientific
research, engineering analysis, design documentation, operational data, maintenance
records, regulatory reviews and countless other pieces of technical information. This
organizational knowledge combined with an immense and complex reservoir of people
such as scientists, engineers and technicians of many disciplines having the requisite
educational and technical background, expertise and acquired insight to apply that
body of knowledge safely and effectively to further the cause of energy security and
environmental perspective of India.
The effective knowledge management process of fast reactor includes ensuring
the continued availability of the above essential reservoir of knowledge, experience
available in explicit, implicit and tacit form from the qualified personnel that need to be
developed and preserved. The critical issues of knowledge management on fast reactors
are to ensure safety, security, and encouraging new innovation and also to ascertain
harnessing benefits of nuclear energy remains available for future generation.
* Scientific Information Resource Division, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam,
Email: an@igcar.gov.in
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