The quality of quantitative measurements by bulk (mass and volume), destructive analysis (DA) and non-destructive assay (NDA) methods is a decisive factor for the effectiveness of the safeguards system. Therefore, a reference system, providing a set of benchmark measurement performance values for state-of-practice measurement capabilities, is required. The Safeguards Technical Report (STR) – 368 entitled The International Target Values for Measurement Uncertainties in Safeguarding Nuclear Materials addresses this need by providing an international reference to which safeguards inspectors, nuclear fuel cycle facility operators, States and regional authorities, safeguards laboratories, instrument developers and other safeguards practitioners can compare their measurement performance. International Target Values (ITV) are reviewed regularly, and the most recent revision – under the ITV 2020 Project – introduced new functionalities, including: the IAEA ITV Network website, a modern communication tool, and the ITV Expert Network, a community of more than 100 experts with a wide range of bulk, DA, NDA and uncertainty quantification expertise. With these functionalities and the completion of the ITV 2020 Project, the review and updating of ITVs is entering a new era whereby they are now subject to a continuous review process, which allows for their updating and addition of new values, methods and applications whenever the need arises, instead of having the traditional 10-year gap between revisions. This paper introduces the framework of the continuous review process.
Year
2024
Abstract