The Criteria-Based Self-Assessment Tool (CBSAT) is a free web-based self-assessment tool developed by the NNSA Office of International Nuclear Security (INS) designed to assist partner countries in assessing their level of implementation maturity of the Convention for the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and its Amendment (A/CPPNM).

Nuclear regulatory authorities, operators and other license holders, government decision makers, policy makers, and other competent authorities with responsibilities for nuclear security in a State can use the website to assess, prioritize and improve their implementation of the A/CPPNM. Any user can complete a self-assessment using the CBSAT in a few hours.

The CBSAT criteria are directly derived from the A/CPPNM and reflect guidance from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Nuclear Security Series (NSS) publications, specifically NSS No. 20 Objective and Essential Elements of a State's Nuclear Security Regime, NSS No. 13 Nuclear Security Recommendations on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities (INFCIRC/225/Revision 5), and other recommendations and implementing guides, as applicable.

The CBSAT Tool uses a scale of maturity indicators clustered on three levels:

• Meets the criteria
• Partially meets the criteria
• Does not meet the criteria

The Tool offers interactive features that allow users to anonymously input answers, and upon completion, it generates a detailed, graphic report providing a high-level description of the status of the respondent's level of implementation of the A/CPPNM.

The CBSAT also identifies possible gaps in the implementation of the A/CPPNM and may provide a basis for States and their competent authorities to identify and prioritize actions that may strengthen the implementation of the A/CPPNM, including:

• Understand what is needed to implement the A/CPPNM
• Determine what already exists at the national level in the State, including identifying gaps in implementation and understanding where to focus efforts and resources
• Inform the development or review of national laws and regulations
• Inform national submissions to the IAEA on laws and regulations giving effect to the A/CPPNM, as required by A/CPPNM Article 14

Nuclear regulatory authorities, operators and other license holders, government ministries and other agencies, and policy makers can use the CBSAT to assess the implementation maturity of the A/CPPNM at the national level.

Designed to assess the implementation of the A/CPPNM at the national level by reviewing a State's legislative and regulatory framework and institutional infrastructure. This is relevant for nuclear regulatory authorities, operators and other license holders, government decision makers, policy makers, and other competent authorities with responsibilities for nuclear security in a State. The questions in the national level assessment are based on the text from the Convention and its 2005 Amendment, and on IAEA NSS No. 20 and NSS No. 13.