D2/D3: Modular Questionnaire Related to Nuclear Energy - Handbook: Consultancy: Development of a Modular Questionnaire on Attitudes and Behaviour Toward Nuclear Energy and Technologies

This consultancy supports the work of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency High-level Group on Stakeholder Engagement, Trust, Transparency and Social Sciences (HLG-SET)1. The group was established to strengthen understanding of the relationship between the nuclear sector and society and to advance policy-level thinking on how stakeholder engagement, transparency, and trust can be fostered in the governance and development of nuclear technologies. HLG-SET recognises that societal perceptions of nuclear technologies play an important role in shaping the broader relationship between the nuclear sector and civil society. In this context, systematic social science research, including surveys of public attitudes and perceptions, provides an important source of evidence for understanding how individuals evaluate nuclear technologies, how they perceive associated risks and benefits, and how they assess the institutions responsible for their governance. In recent years, HLG-SET has reviewed and compiled a wide range of existing surveys and datasets examining public attitudes toward nuclear energy and related technologies across NEA Member States. The results of this work are documented in several reports and background documents prepared within the group. This review has highlighted both the value of such surveys for monitoring societal perceptions and informing policy discussions, and the methodological challenges that arise when different survey designs, concepts, and measurement approaches are used across countries. In particular, the diversity of existing surveys limits the possibility of systematic cross-country comparison. Improving the comparability of survey data would enable HLG-SET and NEA Member States to better understand similarities and differences in societal perceptions, identify key factors shaping attitudes toward nuclear technologies, and support evidence-informed discussions on stakeholder engagement, communication strategies, and governance practices. The present consultancy responds to this need by proposing the development of a scientifically grounded and modular survey instrument designed to measure public attitudes toward nuclear energy and related technologies in a methodologically strong, consistent and comparable manner. By providing a structured approach for capturing key social science constructs—such as risk perception, trust in institutions, perceived benefits and risks, and views on governance processes—the questionnaire aims to support NEA Member States in gaining a clearer understanding of how the nuclear sector interfaces with society and how approaches to engagement and communication may evolve in response to societal expectations.