Application of concept mapping principles to managing steam generator knowledge at the CNSC

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) oversee proper regulation required for the operations of more than 180 commercial steam generators housed in Canadian nuclear power plants. The number of inspection reports and other technical reports concerning the operation of these units result in a significant amount of information over time. Consequently the method to access the information easily and in a timely manner can require improvement. The Steam Generator Knowledge Management project was developed as a mode to efficiently manage and integrate all knowledge and resources relevant to steam generators found in a variety of sources used by the CNSC to conduct assessments. From a regulatory point of view, the tool was created to facilitate the assessment process of inspection reports as well as licence renewal requests proposed by licensees. The project provides a concise and logical interface between the user and diverse resources involved in performing regulatory activities. These include links to standards, CNSC license documents, operating experience from other regulators and licensees, electronic banks of research documents, journal articles, studies, and previously submitted licensee reports and responses. The concept of knowledge mapping was applied using Excel and Access software in order to achieve these goals. This software uses an approach toward associating related concepts, which is modeled after the way in which the human brain is believed to acquire and assimilate new knowledge into its existing framework. This results in a network that is intuitively set up and conducive to the accumulation of further knowledge and resources. This paper provides an abridged account of the theory governing concept mapping, not to mention its origins and the impact generated by its application in an organizational milieu. In addition, an indication of those successful integrations of concept mapping into large organizations, both commercial and scientific, is provided. Finally, the integration of various distinct concepts and modes of information into a concise and logical schema will be demonstrated by means of the CNSC Steam Generator Knowledge Map system. (author)