This report was prepared by the Working Group on Public Communication of Nuclear Regulatory Organisations (WGPC) of the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA). It was based on a survey on national crises to which 17 countries responded, drawing on their own communication expertise and know-how in emergency response.
Considering a previous analysis of communication during abnormal situations, this guidance seeks to help nuclear regulatory organisations (NRO) widen their common knowledge of communication requirements and practices amongst different countries, as well as existing informative tools to use before, during and after crises.
The purpose of this document is to report on the survey's key findings and to draw a road map to improve the effectiveness of crisis communication management under all types of critical situations (from anomalies to major accidents). Among other topics, this report includes practical information on reaction time, elaboration and delivery of coordinated and accurate messages, new channels to be explored, and priority challenges to ensure transparency under close public scrutiny.
It should be kept in mind that the present document was mostly completed before the nuclear crisis in Fukushima (Japan) that followed the catastrophic natural disasters that affected the region in March 2011. Therefore, this report does not take into account the necessary analysis of national practices derived from international crisis communication management.