PROVISION OF A TECHNICAL WRITER TO ASSIST IN THE REWRITE AND PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL OBJECTIVES, REQUIREMENTS AND MODEL STANDARDS DOCUMENT

1 BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT 1.1 Delivery of revisions to NORMS has always been part of the process of achieving the overall regulatory intent to promote industry ownership and responsibility for security. With DECC we have agreed a timetable for review and development, and aim to deliver a revised document called NORMS 2 for their approval in summer 2016.

This has been agreed at, and progress is routinely discussed at the ONR Board Security Committee and the DECC CNS Programme Board. It is a key element of the 2015/16 Programme Plan (and will be in the subsequent year as well). 1.2 NORMS 2 seeks to drive improvements in dutyholders’ assurance regimes and encourage greater ownership, responsibility and accountability for delivering effective security.

The NORMS 2 development process will also exploit opportunities to bolster the regulatory framework for cyber security and pursue further harmonisation with safety standards and processes. This is consistent with ONR priorities and strategy, annual plan commitments and in line with Government policy. 1.3 The employment of a technical writer to deliver high-quality document final drafts suitable for final ONR checks and onward delivery to DECC (for Secretary of State approval) and to industry (as part of Regulatory Impact Assessment development) by March 2016 de-risks the chances delayed/non delivery due to ONR staff being diverted to reactive activities, whilst introducing skill-sets not available within ONR. 1.4 ONR intend NORMS 2 to be a world-class document that is accessible to dutyholders, Government, other stakeholders, and (to as large an extent as possible) the public.