2.19 As the parent body organisation, Nuclear Management Partners has provided executives and secondees on a 'reachback' basis to Sellafield Limited to improve its capability and capacity, with the costs reimbursed by the Authority.8 We reported in 2012 that the Authority had reviewed Sellafield Limited's use of executives and reachback. The Committee concluded in its 2013 report that Nuclear Management Partners had not provided the leadership critical for success at Sellafield, and that the Authority should monitor, and challenge where appropriate, the use made of Nuclear Management Partners' executives and experts and the terms on which they are employed.
2.20 The Authority committed to continue to monitor and challenge the appointment of Nuclear Management Partners' executives and experts and these costs have fallen. The Authority estimates that the cost of seconded executives, including salary, tax, expenses and incentives, has reduced to £6.4 million in 2014-15 from a peak of £11 million in 2011-12. There were 14 full-time equivalents in executive positions between 2012-13 and 2014-15, reduced from 17 in 2011-12 and 19 in 2010-11. The Authority estimates that the cost of reachback - including salary, plus overhead plus reasonable expenses - will have reduced to less than £10.8 million in 2014-15, from a peak of £25.1 million in 2012-13. The number of full-time equivalents is forecast to reduce to 40 in 2014-15 from 92 in 2012-13.
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8 'Reachback' refers to Sellafield Limited's use of staff from Nuclear Management Partners' companies at Sellafield.