Title: The management of nuclear knowledge and expertise for sustainable development

Authors: Waldo Stumpf

Addresses: Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract: Knowledge is the key resource of most organisations in today|s world. To manage it effectively requires the concept of organisational knowledge rather than simply knowledge that is centered in individuals. This needs to be addressed through the concept of an ||organisational core competency| that has proven itself within many organisations. Hard knowledge can be captured easily but not the nebulous ||tacit learning|| that is embodied in the life-long experience of employees. Some of the more recent methods to capture the tacit learning within organisations are explored. Since the middle 1990s, the International Atomic Energy Agency has redirected its technical co-operation (TC) programme towards a focused ||needs driven|| approach away from the former ||technologically driven|| approach. From a ||before|| and ||after|| comparison, it is concluded that the new strategy is better placed to manage the preservation of the nuclear knowledge and to ensure the sustainability of these projects.

Keywords: nuclear knowledge; nuclear expertise; organisational knowledge; organisational core competency; IAEA Technical Cooperation projects; knowledge preservation; knowledge management; organisational learning; sustainable development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNKM.2004.005112

International Journal of Nuclear Knowledge Management, 2004 Vol.1 No.1/2, pp.165 - 176

Published online: 02 Sep 2004 *

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