More than 90% of stakeholders believe the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is protecting society by securing safe standards within the industry, an independent survey has found.
Professional (93%), trusted (88%), independent (86%), operating in the interests of the public (86%) and fair (85%) are the five attributes that stakeholders most strongly associate with ONR, with results across these topics remaining consistently high year-on-year.
The Stakeholder Survey 2023 concluded that ONR has a positive impact on public safety (85%) and notably influences improvements in nuclear safety and security culture among licensees and dutyholders (81%).
More than four out of five people said the information, guidance and advice provided by ONR was clear (85%), accessible (86%) and consistent (85%), figures which are increasing compared with previous surveys.
On the subject of knowledge and advocacy, the report found that stakeholder understanding of ONR’s role and purpose had increased, with almost three quarters of those asked believing they ‘understand it a great deal’, and 99% ‘understanding this to at least some extent.’
Results did identify areas for continued attention – agility in responding to external changes (41%), responsiveness to change (54%), and efficiency (38%) – topics that we are already committed to improving.
Key conclusions from the survey stated that, ‘ONR’s role is well-understood among stakeholders, and the vast majority are confident in its ability to deliver on its mission to protect society by securing safe nuclear operations.’
It was also found that: “Communications are strong, and ONR’s information, advice and guidance are perceived as clear, accessible and consistent.”
And it added: “Overall, ONR can continue to be assured of stakeholder confidence in its core remit, and there are no major gaps in ONR’s fundamental operations in the eyes of stakeholders.”
Rachel Grant, ONR Director of Policy and Communications, said: “This is another strong set of results that show stakeholder confidence in ONR remains high across many different areas.
“I’m delighted that stakeholders feel listened to (80%) and are more likely than they’ve ever been to say that we proactively seek their feedback (75%) and engage with them about our priorities and plans (73%), which are all areas we committed to improving as part of our 2020-25 Stakeholder Engagement Strategy.
“While there is much to celebrate in these results, we aren’t complacent, and recognise there are certain areas that will require our continued attention to ensure we remain the high performing regulator that our stakeholders and the wider public expect.
“Constructive stakeholder insight – in all forms – is invaluable to us. Understanding what stakeholders believe we do well, and those areas they think we could give greater focus to, is vital in helping us to achieve our strategic aims and objectives.
“We thank all those who took the time to take part in the survey and to share their views with us.”
This year’s survey was conducted by Savanta ComRes, a specialist independent research company.
The survey drew 282 responses from a range of different stakeholders including nuclear site operators, government departments, international regulators/organisations, public bodies/agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), transport and safeguards dutyholders and academic institutions.
If you have any comments or feedback that you’d like to share with ONR, you can email us at contact@onr.gov.uk