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.

FMI: www.oig.dot.gov/library-item/5349