Critical Actions Needed To Move From Planning To
Implementation
A report from the DOT's Inspector General indicates that the
FAA is far behind schedule in moving from planning to
implementation for NextGen, and that "critical actions' are needed
if the agency is going to meet its deployment targets. The study by
the IG's office was conducted at the request of the Chairmen and
Ranking Members of the House Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure and Subcommittee on Aviation.
The report indicates that the FAA has yet to establish firm
requirements to help guide cost and schedule estimates for
adjustments to existing projects or new acquisitions. In addition,
FAA has not modified its Acquisition Management System (AMS) so
that it can gauge the impact of a single NextGen investment on
multiple initiatives or manage efforts in an integrated way.
"FAA’s tendency to focus on individual programs has also
limited its ability to assess how it will concurrently implement
multiple, interdependent programs and mitigate any associated
risks," the IG wrote. And. while the FAA considers NextGen to be
one of the most complex systems ever developed by the U.S.
Government, the IG says the agency has not yet acquired the
necessary skill sets and expertise to successfully implement
NextGen. "Not taking timely action on these issues now could delay
FAA’s plans to transition to NextGen."
Budgeting is also an issue, according to the report. "(The) FAA
also faces challenges in developing an integrated budget to help
ensure it leverages the right resources, pursues realistic goals,
and secures adequate funding for projects. A multi-agency approach
that allows for coordinating diverse research and aligning other
agencies’ resources to develop NextGen is not only required
by law, but also important since the FAA conducts very little
long-term air traffic management research. However, with the
exception of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA), partner agencies have not adjusted their research and
development plans, existing budgets, or program requirements
specifically to accommodate NextGen efforts. Additionally, FAA is
missing opportunities to leverage other partner agencies’
research and development efforts that could significantly enhance
NextGen development and reduce costs. For example, FAA has yet to
inventory the Department of Defense’s (DOD) vast research
base for NextGen or fully leverage ongoing work for an accurate
satellite-based precision landing system and net centric
operations."
The IG says that while the FAA has made some progress in
engaging the private sector to develop NextGen and shape NextGen
policy issues, several challenges remain. For example, the agency
is working with a Government/industry task force to gain consensus
on NextGen operational improvements that can be achieved in the
midterm (2012 to 2018), but significant policy issues remain
unresolved. Other FAA efforts also face challenges, such as better
defining the role of the NextGen Institute. The FAA established the
Institute to ensure access to private sector expertise, but it has
not lived up to expectations due to a lack of focus and clear
priorities for its working groups. Further, while FAA has involved
industry in NextGen demonstration projects to validate concepts and
procedures, stakeholders are concerned that these projects are not
well coordinated or outcome-focused.
As part of this report, the IG made recommendations to FAA
calculated to reduce implementation risks, strengthen the
multi-agency approach, and improve coordination with the private
sector in NextGen policy matters.
The Inspector General's report makes the following
recommendations to the FAA to get NextGen back on track:
- Conduct an assessment of risks associated with implementing
multiple NextGen capabilities concurrently in the midterm and what
can reasonably be accomplished.
- Assess safety and implementation risks of mixed-equipage
operations and develop corresponding mitigation strategies and
policies.
- Develop a plan to effectively review and identify research and
technologies from DOD’s research and development portfolio
that can be used for NextGen efforts and establish a mechanism to
coordinate and transfer this information to the appropriate FAA
program or development offices for consideration.
- Expand the NextGen Research Transition Team concept that has
been developed for NASA and FAA into mechanisms that perform the
same function with other partner agencies.
- Reassess the current role and continued need for the NextGen
Institute. If it is determined as a needed resource, redefine the
roles and responsibilities of the Institute to avoid duplication
with other private sector organizations, such as RTCA.
The FAA responded to the recommendations saying a number of
actions are already underway to address the IG's concerns. The
agency said it is developing and refining NextGen segment
implementation plans in response to the recent RTCA Task Force
report on NextGen operational improvements for the near and
midterm. These plans will address interdependencies among programs,
critical path issues, and transition segment benchmarks.
The FAA also stated that it is developing an enhanced
cross-agency approach with a strong emphasis on systems engineering
for allocating NextGen capabilities to various systems.
The agency further says that the JPDO is applying the concept of
research transition teams to other partner agencies beyond NASA,
including the Department of Commerce for weather-related
initiatives. Further, the FAA stated that the JPDO will annually
assess where research transition teams or other mechanisms can be
used, and believes this recommendation should be closed. The IG
stated that the FAA needs to provide specific dates for when it
expects to establish mechanisms to successfully transition
technologies from partner agencies. This is particularly important
since the IG says the FAA has not yet done a full inventory of
DOD’s vast research and development base. As noted in the
report, technology transfer is critical to NextGen for reducing
costs, limiting risk, and preventing duplicative efforts.