Putting administration and finance into context

The F4E Administration and Finance Committee (AFC) has an instrumental role to play in the areas of financial planning and budget, the financial aspects of the F4E work programme and the allocation of resources to lift Europe’s contribution to ITER off the ground. Already in its third meeting, it has positioned itself amongst one of the most proactive institutional actors in the F4E setting, basing its opinion upon facts. And what better way than visiting the ITER construction site?
A one and a half day meeting was organised at the F4E offices in Cadarache bringing together the AFC in order to discuss a series of financial and project related matters combined with a visit on the site. There was a strong drive to visit the construction site, where all the action takes place and where ultimately all financial decisions have consequences. It was considered essential to develop collectively a broad understanding about the scale and complexity of the ITER project.
When it was time to hit the construction site, the laptops, documents and shoes of the members of the committee, transformed into boots, hard hats and jackets in order to pay their first visit on the Tokamak pit and the PF coils building. A guided tour visit was planned by F4E and plenty of details about the current state of play and forthcoming activities were discussed. The size of the field, the scale of the Tokamak pit and the site adaptation works made a lasting impression to all members. This successful initiative has paved the way for other committees to meet in Cadarache in order to connect better with the project.