Inspection Assistance and Response

EXCEL routinely provides this service utilizing former NRC inspectors and senior executives to advise and provide assistance to senior client management in strengthening NRC’s confidence in the client’s safety and security performance (often referred to as “regulatory standing”) and in improving the client’s relationship with the NRC regional office/ Resident Inspectors and selected program offices at the NRC headquarters. EXCEL has a broad bench of talent with extensive experience in many areas, which allows clients to select experts with varied skill sets to address the precise problem that exists.

Within this service area, EXCEL can offer assistance that:

• Helps nuclear operators to prepare for and follow up on periodic and reactive (9500X Series) inspection activities by providing mock inspections and other services
• Provides support for interaction with the regulator in dispositioning Greater-than-Green inspection findings and assistance in improving performance problems that have moved performance out of Column 1 of the ROP Action Matrix
• Ensures a robust and professional response to traditional enforcements by providing guidance, preparation, and coaching for enforcement conferences, Alternative Dispute Resolution sessions, and Safety Culture issues

These services would normally include:

• Advice on developing communication tools, including well- timed strategic drop-in visits with NRC senior leaders that share successes in the station’s recovery effort, and more frequent periodic briefings to the Resident Inspectors and Regional Branch Chiefs, Program Office Reviewers, Project Managers, and their supervisors that drill down further into the station’s recovery;
• Advice and assistance to the station in its development of a recovery plan that includes a timeline (with milestones) for the station to achieve success in gaining back NRC confidence; and
• Review of findings and input for responding to NRC written correspondence on the progress made in regaining NRC confidence.

These services can be adapted as necessary to meet the unique needs of each client.