ITER NEWSLINE
147
Implementing the Project Board
Osamu Motojima, Director-General
Implementing the Project Board
The newly created Project Board is meant to serve as a platform for sharing information on actual developments within the project.
One of the new features that I have introduced into the management structure of this Organization is the Project Board.
The Project Board meets regularly to share information on actual developments within the project, Member states or Domestic Agencies. It is the forum for the Director-General and senior staff to present and discuss outstanding issues, in particular those with regard to safety, the overall management of the ITER Organization and the development of the ITER Project, with a view to:
- Assisting the Director-General in his decision-making in the execution of his/her duties as defined in the ITER Agreement;
- Facilitating the implementation of policies and measures decided by the Director-General;
- Contributing to the disclosure of information on the design and construction of ITER.
The Project Board is chaired by me and I decide on its members. Currently six Deputy Director-Generals are the core members. When a member is absent, alternates may be invited, after consultation, to attend the meeting if deemed appropriate by the agenda items. I may also decide to invite specific staff on an ad hoc basis to attend the Project Board meeting if so required by the agenda items. When a restricted session of the Project Board is deemed necessary, the participants will be limited to the Members and the presenter of the agenda item. The Chair of the Staff Committee may be invited to present the Staff Committee's views on specific issues on the agenda of the Project Board when such issues may affect the conditions of staff.
Unless otherwise decided by the Chair, Project Board meetings shall take place preferably on every Tuesday beginning at 10:00 am, and lasting between one and two hours, depending on the agenda items.
The first meeting of the Project Board was held on 29 July, only one day after my appointment as Director-General at the Extraordinary Meeting of the ITER Council. Since then, the Board has convened five times. Developing action plans for "simplification" and proposals for "cost containment and cost savings" are among the Board's main concerns and have since been a regular item on its agenda.
The Office of Director General provides secretarial support to the Project Board. Both the agenda and the Record of Decisions of the Board are published on IDM.
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