ID: 2122
Presenting Author: Susan Brissette
Session: 681 - Gender and Intersectional Analysis in IA: Showcasing theory and practice
Status: pending
Social Operating Experience (OPEX) adapts the nuclear methodology for organizational learning to transform engagement insights, advance GBA+ and impact assessment and de-risk projects.
In the nuclear sector, Operating Experience (OPEX) is a cornerstone of safety culture — a disciplined process of capturing and sharing lessons learned to improve technical performance. This presentation introduces a parallel concept: Social OPEX — a framework for structured learning, reflection, and improvement across the social dimensions of nuclear development, including engagement, inclusion, GBA+, and community well-being.
As Canada enters a new phase of nuclear expansion under the Impact Assessment Act, the sector faces growing expectations for transparent, evidence-based approaches to understanding and managing social impacts, particularly in Gender Based Analysis + (GBA+). This work explores how Social OPEX can strengthen impact assessment practice by embedding continuous learning into engagement and decision-making processes. This approach can transform qualitative insights from community feedback into organizational knowledge and mitigation strategies that inform future projects.
Participants will explore how Social OPEX can align with the Impact Assessment Act, embed GBA+ learning within organizations, and make engagement as systematic and measurable as safety culture — reducing uncertainty, de-risking decisions, and reinforcing confidence in Canada’s clean-energy transition. This approach can be applied as part of GBA+ for other sectors to support successful assessment and mitigation strategies.
Susan Brissette leads Wild Matriarch and co-founded Amelia Alliance, applying 25+ years in nuclear to build trust and strengthen inclusion and engagement across critical infrastructure sectors.
Coauthor 1: Cole Atlin