The Federal Aviation Administration

1
ATS Evaluation Programs

• The Federal Aviation Administration
• Presented By
• Gary Romero

2
ATS Evaluation Programs

• Why have an evaluation?
• What challenges existed?
• What were the benefits?
• How is an evaluation conducted?

3
An Identified Need

• Prior to 1988, evaluations were accomplished
  using QA staffs within regional offices.
  However, this practice presented several
  challenges to effective evaluations.

4
Challenges

• The FAA needed to STANDARDIZE operating practices
  from facility to facility and region to region.
• FAA upper management needed NONPARTISAN, UNBIASED
  feedback on the performance of all air traffic
  field facilities.
• The FAA needed a way to identify air traffic
  field facility COMPLIANCE with national policies.

5

• Air Traffic Evaluations was created and
  established in 1988

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Results and Benefits

• Since 1988, Air Traffic Evaluations has reported
  individual facility compliance with national
  standards.
• Since 1999, the evaluation findings have been
  archived in a database that will provide future
  managers with important historical data to use
  when addressing future issues.
• Air Traffic Evaluations has maintained its
  identity as a separate nonpartisan organization,
  in order to continue to provide unfiltered
  information from the field to the upper levels of
  FAA management.

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Results and Benefits

• The Sharing of Ideas Air Traffic Evaluations
  has helped the FAA share good ideas, first
  through word-of-mouth as evaluators traveled from
  facility to facility and talked about useful
  programs and effective practices.
• Currently Information is also shared
  electronically because each facility has access
  to the National Database where evaluation
  findings throughout the United States are
  maintained.

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How is an Evaluation Conducted?
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ATS Evaluation Program

• ATS Evaluation Process
• Responses
• Data Analysis

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ATS Evaluation Process

• Evaluation Cycle
• Standardized checklist
• Operational monitoring
• Procedures review
• Personnel interviews
• Customer feedback
• Formal report presentation

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Standardized Checklist

• Each facility measured against the same standard
• Checklist derived from ATC regulations
• Checklist are option specific
• Itemized categorized as operational or
  operational support
• Checklist is extensivemore than 200 items

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Evaluation Cycle

• Facility changes in management and traffic levels
  necessitate evaluations at regular intervals

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Operational Monitoring

• Evaluators plug-in with controllers
• Typical monitor times range from 30-150 hours,
  depending on facility size
• Adherence to procedures
• Safe and efficient operating practices
• Observe operational oversight
• Discuss observations at evaluation team meeting
  to determine trends

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Procedures Review

• Are procedures in compliance with ATC
  regulations?
• Do procedures promote safe and efficient movement
  of aircraft?
• Are procedures current?
• Are the procedures being used?
• Do controllers understand procedures?

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Personnel Interviews

• Can highlight problem areas in a facility
• Can be validated through research
• Can be an indicator of employees commitment to
  the ATC mission

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Customer Feedback

• Contact air carrier, military and general
  aviation users
• Contact nearby ATC facilities
• Solicit feedback on quality of service

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Formal Report Presentation

• Verbally present findings to management and
  controllers
• Encourage questions to ensure problems are fully
  understood
• Findings are documented in a written report

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Responses

• Required for all problems identified in report
• Ensure action is taken to correct problems
• Corrective Action
• Follow-up
• Management Control
• Problem correction mandated within a predefined
  time limit

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Data Analysis

• Data collected and retained for every evaluation
• Trend analysis conducted
• Preventative measures developed based on trends

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