Milestone 1

In the early stages of development of a State’s nuclear power programme, valuable advice on staffing levels and organizational structure/responsibili — ties may be realized by asking other SSACs on their experience and per­spectives. In doing so, the questioner will be exposed to various organizational concepts and experiences, and at the same time, will see there are a variety of views on other State responsibilities that may be assigned to the SSAC staff (e. g., responsibility for safety, security, import/export control, safe­guards training). Such input is also helpful when assessing what may be needed in order to increase the effectiveness of an established SSAC, and determining how best to tailor the responsibilities and staffing level of the SSAC to the individual needs of the host country.

The size of an SSAC organization is ultimately determined by the respon­sibilities assigned to it, financial considerations and the experience level and effectiveness of the staff members in carrying out their assigned responsi­bilities. An SSAC may require only one or two professional staff in the beginning, assuming only a CSA is in force, there are no nuclear facilities, and there are no or only small quantities of safeguarded nuclear materials in the State. As the nuclear programme in the State is developed further, such as when the first nuclear power plant (or research reactor) is under construction or an AP is to be brought into force, the State would want to start looking ahead as the required technical capacity/capability of the SSAC will need to grow in size and importance.