First Webinar: Ensuring Balanced Power and Influence Among Stakeholders

Second Webinar: Mitigating Power Imbalances

Third Webinar: Topic TBC

The NEA Stakeholder Involvement Workshops (SIWS) are known for fostering active discussions and collaboration. The first edition was held in 2017 with a focus on stakeholder involvement in nuclear decision making. The second edition in 2019 focused on risk communication. The third workshop held in September 2023 was centred around the theme of optimisation in decision making. Other relevant workshops have included the joint NEA and DSA (Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority) workshop “Regulatory Framework of Decommissioning, Legacy Sites and Wastes from Recognition to Resolution: Building Optimisation into the Process” (2019), the NEA workshop “Optimisation: Rethinking the Art of the Reasonable” (2020), and the NEA workshop “Multifactor Optimisation of Predisposal Management of Radioactive Waste” (2020).

Power imbalances among stakeholders can be further intensified in cases where there is inadequate representation and/or limited resource availability to representatives from civil society and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in official forums and decision-making processes. The design of the decision-making process is crucial in effectively involving stakeholders. If the process lacks transparency and outcomes may be altered behind closed doors, then the decision-making process has not been properly designed to balance power, foster learning, and enable consensus-building.

The NEA recognises the importance of continuing its work on stakeholder involvement, which is a key goal outlined in its Strategic Plan 2023-2028. In this regard, setting the stage for the fourth edition of the NEA Stakeholder Involvement Workshop in the fall of 2025 is a priority.

To address the above topics, the first preparatory webinar for the fourth NEA Stakeholder Involvement Workshop had the following overarching objectives:

1. Improve understanding of (power) imbalances that may occur when involving stakeholders in decision-making processes, and examine the implications for policymakers, regulators, and in particular, civil society, within the nuclear sector.
2. Identify the key contributors to power imbalances and the possible reasons for them.

The outcomes of the first preparatory webinar informed discussions during the second preparatory webinar held online on 11 December 2024.

The second preparatory webinar discussed mitigating power imbalances and had the following overarching objective:

• To collect diverse perspectives on international good practices and lessons learnt relating to mitigation of (power) imbalances from the breakout sessions to facilitate the systematic compilation and structuring of information to highlight key aspects and practical approaches to mitigation of power imbalances.

Lead thoughts: 

• What are effective strategies to manage challenges that lead to power imbalances? What worked and what did not work?
• What solutions can be implemented to better address such imbalances and foster more genuine and inclusive stakeholder involvement?

The outcomes of the second preparatory webinar will inform discussions during the third preparatory webinar to be held online in spring 2025, the date will be confirmed by the end of January and this page will be updated accordingly. 

The target audience includes a diverse range of stakeholders, such as representatives from government institutions, industry sectors, academic and research institutions, and NGOs from NEA member countries and beyond. Particular focus will be placed on ensuring representative participation from civil society. Additionally, the audience is set to include participants from previous editions of the NEA Stakeholder Involvement Workshop series.

The fourth edition of the NEA Stakeholder Involvement Workshop, with the working title Optimisation in Decision Making: From Insight to Action, is scheduled to take place in Paris from 15–17 October 2025.

We kindly ask you to save the date. Further details on registration will be provided soon.