The Bulgarian Nuclear Regulatory Agency has enhanced its regulatory capabilities by modernizing its knowledge management and human resource development systems, with support from the IAEA.
"The IAEA has been instrumental in enhancing Bulgaria's regulatory capabilities," said Eve-Külli Kala, Director of the IAEA's Technical Cooperation Division for Europe. "Thanks to the new systems and strategies in place, the country is now well-prepared to meet future demands and ensure the safe use of nuclear technology."
The Bulgarian Nuclear Regulatory Agency (BNRA) faced numerous challenges, including increasing demands on technical staff, limited training opportunities, an aging workforce, and the need to preserve accumulated nuclear regulatory knowledge. An Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission conducted by the IAEA in 2016 had highlighted the need to develop a systematic programme to address staff turnover.
"The IAEA's support has been crucial for addressing these challenges," says Peter Vankov, a senior officer at BNRA. "Their guidance and expertise have enabled us to develop a sustainable system that integrates all aspects of capacity building."
One of the project's major achievements was the establishment of a modern knowledge management system (KMS). This digital platform integrates various processes related to training and qualification, providing BNRA employees with access to a wide range of categorized information resources such as training materials, documents and inspection reports.
"Thanks to the KMS, each employee has a personalized profile to monitor their development and training history," said Vankov. "We can track, store and retrieve essential documents and ensure that all staff members have the information they need to perform their duties effectively."
The IAEA's efforts to enhance transparency and international knowledge sharing have also benefited the BNRA. The IAEA Data Platform was launched in November 2023 to centralize access to various publicly shared datasets, making them more accessible to decision makers, experts, and the public. With this platform, the IAEA supports countries by providing tools to maintain, visualize and download data. This effort promotes better data management practices. The platform's application programming interface option allows BNRA and other users to access the latest data remotely, ensuring they have up-to-date information crucial for regulatory activities and decision-making.
Within the scope of the project, the IAEA conducted one evaluation expert mission, two consultancy meetings and three scientific visits. The experts' recommendations led to the development of high-level strategies, including a National Strategy for Human Resources Development in the Nuclear Sphere.
"The exchange of experiences with leading nuclear regulators in Europe has been extremely beneficial," remarked Vankov. "The visits to the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority's in Finland, the Nuclear Safety Council in Spain, and Bel V in Belgium provided insights into best practices in knowledge management, human resources development, and specialized training, which are critical for our ongoing development."
"The successful implementation of the project underscores the importance of international collaboration," said Geza Macsuga, an IAEA Nuclear Safety Officer. "BNRA's commitment to learning and adopting best practices from other nuclear regulatory bodies has significantly strengthened their regulatory framework. This project highlights how shared knowledge and cooperation can contribute to improvements in nuclear safety and regulatory effectiveness."
