IRRS follow-up mission to France - October 2017

24 IRRS team suggested that ASN extend the use of bottom-up approaches and the involvement of the staff to grade the priority of activities and the effort required to perform the activities. ASN could consider polling the staff through questionnaires and interviews to identify improvements for efficiency and incorporation into its plans to implement the efficiencies using a graded approach. An investment is required to implement improvements through innovative methods such as IT solutions and improved resource management tools. The IRRS teamnoted that it is difficult to eliminate certain areas of work (e.g., research activities) and that ASN is considering what activities it can reduce or take longer to complete with limited resources (e.g., inspection and licensing activities). The team also noted that French civil servants staffing policies encourage quicker staff turnover and that the expeditious training of people should be a priority. The IRRS teamhighlighted that ASN management needs to communicate with the staff in a timely and efficient manner to demonstrate how the staff’s work contributes to the overall mission of the agency. These communications are particularly important when efficiency initiatives or budget decisions could lead to reallocate or even reduce staffing levels in the organization. In addition, the IRRS team noted that ASN has sought efficiencies on financial resources. The IRRS team acknowledged the difficulty of finding the right balance in terms of financing a nuclear safety authority, between receiving funding from operators at the risk of appearing dependent on them and funding from the state budget with the risk of inadequate funding.