The Briscoe Panel convenes

The Briscoe Panel is back on site this week. This group of expert cost assessors, including at least one representative from each ITER Member, is meeting for its second review of ITER construction resource estimates.

Commissioned by the ITER Council in June 2008, the Panel's first report in October 2008 made recommendations for potential savings and improved cost awareness at ITER, and resulted in a major restructuration of project management systems.

In response to these recommendations, a new office was created at ITER to improve technical and engineering coordination—the Office for Central Integration & Engineering. The Project Office was reorganized to focus exclusively on project management, with increased staff for scheduling and estimating. Tools for estimating and for risk assessment have been brought on line to improve project management and cost control.

The ITER Organization and the Domestic Agencies have worked collaboratively over the year to identify cost-saving measures, through monthly IO-DA coordination meetings and—for the most technically-challenging components—through newly-created Integrated Product Teams (IPTs). These measures were implemented to help promote common work approaches.

At an interim meeting this past April on site, the Briscoe Panel endorsed the methods and processes developed by ITER management in response to the October 2008 recommendations (see Newsline 80).This week, the Panel will be assessing the results.

The Panel's conclusions will be presented to the ITER Management Advisory Committee (MAC) at the end of the month.