INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY /
GUIDELINES AND OPERATING RULES
FOR THE RCA PROGRAMME
Adopted at the 36th RCANRM
April 2014
INTRODUCTION
These Guidelines and Operating Rules (GOR) prepared by the RCA Secretariat based on the decisions made by the National RCA Representatives at Policy Level Meetings contain basic information on the RCA Programme (Section 1), Procedures for Development, Approval, Implementation, Review and Reporting of RCA Cooperative Projects (Section 2), Roles and Responsibilities of the Project Coordinators (Section 3), Roles and Responsibilities of policy related RCA stakeholders (Section 4), Policy Level Meetings of the National RCA Representatives (Section 5), the Role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in the RCA (Section 6), the RCA Annual Report (Section 7), and other information relevant to RCA Programme. It is meant for the use of the National RCA Representatives and the other RCA stakeholders as a reference manual.
A simplified version of the GOR containing only the operational details of the RCA Programme is available for the use of the Lead Country Coordinators, the National Project Coordinators and National Project Teams.
The current version of the RCA GOR was adopted in 2014 at the 36thNRM. It contains the elements of the Medium Term Strategyfor 2012-2017,which was adopted by the meeting of National RCA Representatives in September 2009.
History of recent revisions to the GORYear / Meeting at which updated GOR was adopted
2004 / 33rd GCM
2007 / 29th NRM
2010 / 32ndNRM
2014 / 36th NRM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACRONYMS
1.THE RCA AGREEMENT
1.1Nature of the Agreement
1.2 RCA Vision
1.3RCA Mission
1.4Basic Principles
1.5 RCA Core Values
1.6RCA Programme
2.COOPERATIVE PROJECTS
2.1National Thematic Sector Coordinators
2.2RCA Programme Advisory Committee
2.3Project Development
2.4Participation in RCA Projects
2.5 Criteria to Ensure a High Level of Impact of RCA Projects
2.6 Project Implementation and Monitoring
2.7Project Closure
3.ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF PROJECT COORDINATORS
3.1Appointment, Roles and Responsibilities of Lead Country Coordinators
3.2Appointment, Roles and Responsibilities of National Project Coordinators
3.3Appointment, Roles and Responsibilities of National Project Teams
4.ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF RCA GOVERNMENT PARTIES AND POLICY RELATED RCA STAKEHOLDERS
4.1Obligations of RCA Government Parties
4.2Appointment, Roles and Responsibilities of National RCA Representatives
4.3Appointment, Roles and Responsibilities of the RCA Chair
4.4Appointment, Roles and Responsibilities of the Committee of the RCA Chairs
4.5Appointment, Roles and Responsibilities of the Director of the RCA Regional Office
4.6 Roles and Responsibilities of the Standing Advisory Committee of the RCA Regional Office
5.MEETINGS OF NATIONAL RCA REPRESENTATIVES
5.1Regional Meeting of the National RCA Representatives
5.2General Conference Meeting of the National RCA Representatives
5.3 Adoption of Meeting Reports
6.ROLE OF THE AGENCY IN THE RCA AGREEMENT
6.1 Roles and Responsibilities of the Agency
6.2.The Agency’s RCA Focal Person
7.RCA ANNUAL REPORT
8.FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS
9. RECOMMENDATIONS ON ENHANCING TCDC IN THE RCA PROGRAMME
ANNEX 1
ANNEX 2
ANNEX 3
ANNEX 4
ANNEX 5
ACRONYMS
DIR-RCARODirector of the RCA Regional Office
GCMGeneral Conference Meeting of the National RCA Representatives
GOR Guidelines and Operating Rules
IAEAInternational Atomic Energy Agency
LCCLead Country Coordinator (formerly Project Lead Country Coordinator)
MS(s)Member State(s)
MTS Medium Term Strategy
NPC(s)National Project Coordinator(s)
NPT(s)National Project Team(s)
NR(s)National RCARepresentative(s)
NRMRegional Meeting of the National RCA Representatives
NTSC(s)National Thematic Sector Coordinator(s)
RCARegional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology
RCA FP RCA Focal Person
RCAPACRCA Programme Advisory Committee
RCARORCA Regional Office
RCARO SACRCARO Standing Advisory Committee
RRURegional Resource Unit
TCDCTechnical Cooperation among Developing Countries
UNDPUnited Nations Development Programme
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1.THE RCA AGREEMENT
1.1Nature of the Agreement
The Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training (RCA) is an intergovernmental agreement established under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (the Agency). It is open to the participation of any Member State (MS) of the Agencyin the area of South Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific or the Far East. A MS from one of these regions may become a Party to the RCA by notifying its acceptance thereof to the Director General of the Agency.[1] The text of the RCA provides the fundamental framework and guidance for regional cooperation. It is the source document for any guidelines, operating rules and procedures needed to govern regional cooperation.
1.2 RCA Vision
THE RCA SHALL BE RECOGNIZED AS AN EFFECTIVE PARTNER IN PROVIDING NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES THAT ENHANCE SOCIO-ECONOMIC WELLBEING AND CONTRIBUTE TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE REGION.
1.3RCA Mission
The Mission of the RCA is to:
(a)Identify and implement nuclear technologies for regional needs;
(b)Encourage sustainability of nuclear technology capacities in the RCA Government Partiesand to ensure transfer of those technologies and associated technical know-how to end-users;
(c)Coordinate cooperative research in nuclear science and technology;
(d)Promote the benefits of nuclear technologies and identify funding mechanisms; and
(e)Develop regional networks for exchange of technologies, training and equipment.
1.4Basic Principles
The RCA specifies mechanisms for implementation. The following are among the basic principles to be applied in the RCA Programme:
(a)The responsibility of formulating the RCA Programme lies with the RCA Government Parties and is carried out through a process of discussion and consensus, and the assistance of the Agencymay be sought if required, without prejudice to the financial support that the Agencymay provide to the RCA Programme;
(b)RCA Government Parties have full responsibility and autonomy to agree on their priorities and the projects to be included in the programme;
(c)MSsthat are party to the RCA have equal rights in the decision-making process of the RCA Programme;
(d)Each RCA Government Party shall use the assistance provided to it under the RCA solely for peaceful purposes, in accordance with the Statute of the Agency;
(e)In accordance with its applicable laws and regulations, each RCA Government Party shall ensure that the Agency's safety standards and measures relevant to a cooperative project are applied to its implementation;
(f)Activities undertaken in the framework of the RCA shall promote Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC) in the RCA region;
(g)The formulation, design and implementation of the RCA Programme and itsprojects shall maximise the use of available regional expertise and existing infrastructural facilities;
(h)The RCA Government Parties shall each appoint a National RCARepresentative (NR) who will have the responsibility for all RCA matters related to the MS and the collective responsibility for all policy matters related to the RCA Programme; and
(i)In accordance with RCA Article X, the Agency and any RCA Government Parties may, where appropriate and in consultation with each other, make cooperative arrangements with appropriate regional and international organizations for the promotion and development of Cooperative Projects in the areas covered by the RCA.
1.5 RCA Core Values
RCA members are committed to high standards of professionalism, safety and ethical behaviour in the use of nuclear technologies. These core values are fundamental in all RCA activities and underpin the way in which strategic directions of the RCA Programme will be delivered:
(a)Safety, Security and Sustainability: ensuring safe, secure and environment friendly utilisation of nuclear science and technology and contributing to sustainable development within the region,in accordance with the relevant international arrangements, national laws and regulations applicable to the RCA Government Parties;
(b)Honesty, Openness and Integrity: building trust and respect within the RCA Government Parties and with all other stakeholders through effective communication;
(c)Collaboration and Responsiveness: understanding stakeholders' needs, fostering cooperation and teamwork, embracing new ideas and recognising new trends; and
(d)Competence and Professionalism:striving to improve standards of expertise and delivery to our stakeholders.
1.6RCA Programme
The objective of the programme in the framework of the RCA is the promotion and coordination of cooperative research, development and training projects in nuclear science and technology, covering subjects in the fields of isotope and radiation applications in agriculture, human health, industry, hydrology, and terrestrial and marine environments.
The RCA Programme contains the following two categories of projects.
Cooperative Projects
Cooperative Projects are designed to meet the needs for development and practical applications of nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes. Although the Cooperative Projects may contain a research component, they are not primarily research projects. Cooperative Projects enable the RCA Government Parties to acquire well-established nuclear technologies to address socio-economic development problems. The projects should provide socio-economic benefits to the RCA Government Parties. It is essential that these projects are in areas of development priorities of the RCA Government Parties, which should have the physical infrastructure and human and financial resources to implement the project activities and to sustain the activities after the project is closed following completion of the delivery of the technical inputs.
The technical inputs shall be in the form of:
- Regional and national training courses;
- Meetings for reviewing the progress of the projects and planning future activities;
- Services of experts and consultants; and
- Award of contracts for specific tasks.
Coordinated Research Projects
Coordinated Research Projects are essentially networks of national research institutions which work within anoperational framework for research with a similar and well defined regional theme or problem focus that is relevant to, or can be resolved through, nuclear science and technology.
2.COOPERATIVE PROJECTS
This section describes the basic administrative infrastructure that has to be established in the RCA Government Parties for implementation of the Cooperative Projects, and the procedures for project development, implementation, monitoring and reporting.
2.1National Thematic Sector Coordinators
EachNR shall appoint a National Thematic Sector Coordinator (NTSC) for each Thematic Sector to provide advice and support to the NR on national participation, priorities and sustainability of the Cooperative Projects. The precise arrangements for establishing and conducting the work of NTSCs would be determined at a national level to suit the specific circumstances of individual RCA Government Parties.
2.2RCA Programme Advisory Committee
An RCA Programme Advisory Committee (RCAPAC) has been established to provide advice to the NRs on matters related to the planning, management and direction of the RCA Programme. The mechanism for appointment of members of the RCAPAC, the qualifications required of the RCAPAC members, and the functions, meetings and reporting mechanisms for the RCAPAC are set in the RCAPAC Terms of Reference and Operating Procedures.
2.3Project Development
All RCA Cooperative Projects shall be in areas identified by the NRs as the priority areas for the region at a Regional Meeting of the NRs (NRM), taking into consideration the RCA Strategic Priorities (Annex 1). The Individual NRs may seek advice from their respective NTSCs, and the NRs maycollectively seek advice from RCAPAC in identifying these priority areas. The number of projects will be decided by the NRM using the RCA Medium Term Strategy (MTS)as a guideline and taking into consideration the projects that will continue from the previous cycle.
The following criteria will be taken into consideration in deciding on the priorities:
(a)The relevance to RCA Vision and Mission;
(b)Development needs of individual RCA Government Parties (identified through consultations with relevant stakeholders) and the expected impact;
(c)Commitment at national level to maximize sustainability;
(d)Potential to benefit from the advantages of using nuclear techniques;
(e)Potential for regional cooperation;
(f)Potential for improving the utilization of established regional networks and resources and value addition to previous inputs to the project area; and
(g)Millennium Development Goals.
The procedure for project development shall depend on the requirements of the sponsoring agency. The procedures for development of projects to be supported by the Technical Cooperation Programme of the Agency and the projects initiated by the RCA Regional Office are given in Annexes 2 and 3 respectively. The procedure for initiation and implementation of projects by any other agency has to be approved by a Meeting of NRs prior to implementation (Annex 4).
2.4Participation in RCA Projects
RCA Government Partiesmay participate in Cooperative Projects as described in the RCA.
Full participation
An RCA Government Party should satisfy the following requirements for full participation in an RCA Project:
(a)Should have the infrastructure and human and financial resources required to implement the project;and
(b)Should have a strong Government commitment to the project.
In addition the RCA Government Party should satisfy the other requirements for participation in TCDC projects, in order to receive support under the Technical Cooperation Programme of the Agency.
Limited participation
This is meant for countries that do not have the required infrastructure and other resources required for full participation in an RCA project but have the potential to benefit from the technology that will be transferred through the project. They could participate in a project in order to gain awareness needed to assess the relevance of the technology to their national development priorities, and will be invited to participate only in some of the project activities.
Participation of non-RCA Member States in RCA Projects
Non-RCA MSs should preferably be supported through their appropriate agreement. Where that is not possible,the non-RCA MSs should approach the TC Programmeof the Agency to see if they can be supported through their national projects. Participation of a non-RCA MS in an RCA project would require the consensus of all RCA Government Parties.
Participation of non-RCA Member States in RCA Activities
Where support through a national or a regional project is not possible or optimal, participation of a non-RCA MS in a specific event (such as workshop or training course) could be considered provided this non-RCA MS has the necessary infrastructure, Government commitment, expertise and the capacity to absorb the technology.
Any such participation should not be at cost to the RCA, and also should not exclude any RCA Government Party from participating. Participants should have the agreement of thehost country.
2.5Criteria to Ensure a High Level of Impact of RCA Projects
The Project Document should have a clear description of the socio-economic benefit. A RCA project should:
- Address a significant multi-country issue;
- Address an issue identified as a regional priority;
- Be accepted as a part of national programmes with strong Government support;
- Have strong support and continuous involvement from end users;
- Have a large number of identified beneficiaries and partnerships;
- Be of sufficient size and duration to enable significant outcomes to be achieved;
- Be implemented by a team that has high expertise and commitment; and
- Be well managed.
2.6Project Implementation and Monitoring (RCA Projects Supported by the Technical Cooperation Programme of the Agency)
- The RCA Secretariat shall inform the NRs of the projects approved for implementation under the Technical Cooperation Programme, together with the descriptions of the projects, as soon as the Technical Programme for the following programming cycle is finalized.
- The RCA NRs will appoint National Project Coordinators (NPCs) for the projects they intend to participate in, taking into consideration the criteria for full and partial participation given in Section 2.3, and inform the RCA Secretariat the names and contact details of the appointed NPCs.
- For each Cooperative Project, the LCC, the NPCs, the Agency Programme Management Officer and the Agency Technical Officer constitute the project committee described in RCA Article VI.
- The NPCs, in consultation with NRs, shall appoint a National Project Team (NPT) comprised of personnel with required expertise, develop a Work Plan for the implementation of the project, and assign tasks for the members of the NPT. The persons nominated to attend regional events of the project shall be members of the NPTs. The end-user organizations should be represented in the NPTs.
- The RCA Secretariat, in consultation with the relevant Technical Officers of the Agency, will arrange for the technical inputs of the project, in the form of regional training courses, project planning and review meetings, and expert missions, to be delivered to the RCA Government Parties.
- The NRs shall take measures to ensure the availability of national resources for project implementation.
- The NPC shall report on the progress of the implementation of the project at the progress review meetings of the project and submit a progress report to the Lead Country Coordinator (LCC) every six months. The LCCs shall compile the reports from the NPCs and submit a progress report to the Agency every six months via PCMF. The LCCs shallalso annually prepare a summary report highlighting the project achievements and constraints, based on the reports submitted by the NPCs, which will be submitted to the NRMs by the respective NRs.
- Following the completion of the project, the NPC shall prepare and submit a detailed project achievement report to the RCA Secretariat and to the LCC.
Individual NRs may seek advice from their respective NTSCs and the NRs may collectively seek advice from RCAPAC in carrying out these tasks.
2.7Project Closure
The RCA Projects implemented under the TC Programme of the Agency are closed by the Agency following the delivery of the planned project inputs. Recognizing the need for more time to achieve outcomes and the objectives of a project, RCA Projects will be considered to be active for a further period of two years in order to assess the full impact of the projects. The progress of the projects will continue to be monitored during this period, through NPC and LCC reports.
3.ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF PROJECT COORDINATORS
3.1Appointment, Roles and Responsibilities of Lead Country Coordinators