Background
After the Chernobyl accident monitoring networks and information systems of various kinds have been established in many European countries. In general, these systems are restricted to the area of one nation and it is not possible to exchange data between different countries quickly without implementing specific interfaces between the different systems.
It is evident that in case of a nuclear accident a quick and reliable exchange of radiological data and information between the involved countries is of great importance for an efficient emergency response. The reason for the construction of the "Prototype System" is to establish such a system. The "Prototype System" will be open for other European countries or institutions subject to appropriate conditions being met.
The main objectives of the "Prototype System" project are to investigate the feasibility of a network for on-line exchange of radiological data, meteorological data, diffusion model results, graphical data and other information between countries in Eastern Europe and between them and the EU, which is based on existing monitoring stations, networks, data bases, prediction models, and decision support systems; agree on common data formats for the exchange of data and information; define, set up, and operate a standardized interface for the exchange of data and information between the participants and with compatible systems in EU countries; develop software for integrating the existing national systems; set-up a technical system and an operational regime for fast and regular exchange of data and information between countries in Eastern Europe by providing the required hardware and software and perform tests to demonstrate the feasibility of on-line exchange of radiological data and information between the participating countries and between them and the EU.
Parallel to the TACIS funded project a Prototype System was realised in Hungary aspiring to the same objectives and resulting in a National Data Centre (NDC) and a Regional Data Centre (RDC) operating in Budapest. This development was funded by the European Commission under the PHARE program.
Project Aims
The overall objective was the establishment of an open system for a quick and reliable exchange of radiological data and information between affected European countries in case of a nuclear accident. The specific objective was the development and implementation of a Prototype System in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine for the on-line exchange of radiological data and information between the involved countries and between them and nodes in Hungary and Western Europe.
The project aimed at improving the exchange of data and information in the event of an emergency within Eastern Europe or within the EU, to enable an effective response in any future nuclear accident that might have widespread effects in Europe.
To achieve these purposes three separate contracts were submitted for examination to Competent Institutions in the Beneficiary countries (Russia, Ukraine and Belarus) for the development of the Prototype System for International Exchange of Radiological Data and Information in a Nuclear Emergency (PDX).
The present contract is for Lot 1 of the project.� Lot 2 (separate contract) was for delivery of similar equipment for Kazakhstan.
Project Results
The project was divided into three contracts for the three countries involved:

• Belarus: NSP-006-BLR-001/96
• Russia: NSP-005-RUS-001/96
• Ukraine: NSP-007-UKR-003/96

The respective Contracting Authorities were:

• Belarus: State Committee for Hydrometeorology of the Republic of Belarus.
• Russia: Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM of RUSSIA).
• Ukraine: State Committee for Nuclear Regulation of Ukraine as a legal assignee of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine.

The explanation of the project results hereafter is common to the three contracts issued to the three countries involved, because the whole work was carried out in parallel and in close cooperation between the contractor and the three beneficiaries.
The project duration was 18 months for development, procurement, installation, and test (according to the ToR), 15 months for development, procurement, installation, and test (as intended by the supplier) and 12 months warranty after provisional acceptance.
The following tasks were performed by the contractor TechniData in accordance with the Terms of Reference and in tight connection with the experts of the beneficiary countries:
1. Development of a detailed plan for the realisation of the project.
2. Providing hardware and software.
3. Defining and developing the interface between the NDCs in Moscow, Minsk, and Kiev and the related RDC in Obninsk as well as between the RDC in Obninsk and the RDC in Hungary and counterparts in the EU.
4. Development of software for a standardised data exchange between the national monitoring centres and the related NDCs in Moscow, Minsk, and Kiev, between the national decision support system and the related NDCs in Moscow, Minsk, and Kiev, between the NDCs in Moscow, Minsk, and Kiev and the RDC in Obninsk, as well as between the RDC in Obninsk and the RDC in Hungary and counterparts in the EU.

5. Selecting appropriate communication services, upgrading existing communication channels, and establishing new communication links, where necessary, for connecting the national monitoring centres and the decision support systems with the related NDCs in Moscow, Minsk, and Kiev (local networks), for connecting the NDCs with the related Communication Centres (CCs) in Moscow, Minsk, and Kiev and with the RDC in Obninsk (regional connections), for exchanging data between the RDC in Obninsk and the RDC in Hungary and counterparts in the EU (international network).
6. Development of the database structure of the RDC in Obninsk and of the NDCs in Moscow, Minsk, and Kiev.
7. Development of application software for data collection from and for information exchange with the national monitoring centres and the decision support systems in Moscow, Minsk, and Kiev, for the transmission between the NDCs in Moscow, Minsk, and Kiev and the RDC, for the transmission between the RDC in Obninsk and the RDC in Hungary and counterparts in the EU, and for the visualisation and evaluation of data in close co-operation with the technical experts of the beneficiary states Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

8. Install the RDC and NDC system components and prove operability.
9. Integrate all the components of the project.
10. Develop a programme and perform tests to demonstrate functionality of the system.
11. Provide an appropriate training of the staff for operation of the system.
12. Provide hardware and software maintenance during the contract period.
13. Cover the communication costs for the duration of the project.
14. Give recommendations for the further improvement of the system.
The Contract Supplier, TechniData AG, assigned the following contractual tasks to the subcontractors:
1. Supply of hardware and communication equipment for the CC.
2. Upgrade of the CC communication software for PDX requirements.
3. Installation, test, and operation of the hardware equipment, the system software, and the application software in the CC.
4. NDC users training.

5. Maintenance during the contract.
- First-level maintenance for hardware components.
- First-level maintenance for the PDX software running at the NDCs and the RDC - Maintenance of the upgraded CC communication software.

6. Supply of maps and geographical information.
7. Preparation, provision, installation, renting and support of a new dedicated line (including required modems) from the NDC Kiev to the CC Kiev.
8. Preparation, provision, installation, renting and support of a new dedicated line (including required modems) from the NDC Moscow to the CC Moscow.

9. Upgrade and support of existing dedicated lines
- from CC Moscow to CC Minsk.
- from CC Moscow to CC Kiev.
- from CC Minsk to CC Kiev.
- from CC Moscow to RDC Obninsk.

10. Preparation, provision, installation, renting and support of a new dial-up ISDN connection (including required modems) at the RDC Obninsk for communication with other RDCs.
11. File export from the national monitoring networks and decision support systems to PDX.
The following equipment and related software (SW) was delivered, installed, tested, and certified for:

• 4 PDX servers (3 at NDC and 1 at RDC), and
• CCs (Moscow and Minsk).

This ensured the establishment and testing of the communication channels between:

• RDC (Obninsk) and CC (Moscow),
• CC (Moscow) and NDC (Kiev),
• CC (Moscow) and NDC (Moscow).

The digital communication channel CC (Moscow) – CC (Minsk) was not established at the end of the project due to the aforementioned renting costs for the digital line. However, as an alternate temporary solution, the existing analogue channel was available for this information exchange.
The development of SW was completed. The SW consisted of a 3-layer architecture with the software kernel at the ‘heart’, which is in principle the same for the NDCs and the RDC, and which was developed and tested, on the basis of Contractor’s (TechniData) network centre solution EnviNET-NMC. The activities to provide the data exchange between the nodes were completed:

• The ISDN (Integrated Services Data Network) connection for RDC - RDC data exchange was established, including the purchase and installation of related hardware (HW) in RDC Obninsk (SPA Typhoon). The connection was tested.
• The upgraded communication software for exchanging data with CC Kiev was developed, tested and certified.
• The SW components were completed for the user’s interface for the Main NDC/RDC, which form the highest level of the SW architecture.
• The EURDEP file import system including meteorological data from the Russian and Belarussian National Monitoring Networks was developed and tested (local subcontractor SPA Typhoon). All available master data was implemented.
• The Report Generator for the graphical visualisation of the Russian Decision Support System (DSS) called RECASS was developed with the use of GIS (geographical information system) based on the software of ESRI MapObjects version 2.0 (SPA Typhoon). This tool was tested for integration into the overall system.

The electronic maps for Belarus and Lithuania (Ignalina region) were developed.
The data transition process was tested between:
• RDC (Obninsk) – RDC (Budapest);
• RDC (Obninsk) – NDC (Kiev);
• RDC (Obninsk) – NDC (Minsk).
Actually the development of the Prototype System was technically completed, except the commissioning of the equipment for NDC (EMERCOM). Furthermore, considering the actual (advanced) project status (both technical and administrative aspects) the achievement of the objectives was beyond doubt.
Project was appropriate to the project partner’s needs. The effective exchange of data and information in the event of an emergency within Eastern Europe or within the EU, contributed to an effective response in any future nuclear accident that might have widespread effects in Europe, including Russia. In this respect the project was consistent with the national strategy for the development of the Off-Site Emergency Preparedness (OSEP).
Furthermore, the project provided Russian concerned institutes with organisational and methodological experience for further improving the monitoring of radiological data, which is an important factor contributing to the safety improvements in the operational/managerial aspects of nuclear facilities (e.g. NPPs, labs, RW storage and depositories etc.).
Taking into account the above considerations, the project was important for the project partner/ beneficiary, and appropriate to their needs.