Airport Collaborative Decision Making (ACDM) to Manage Adverse Conditions (2021)

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

21 2.1 ACDM Operations Process What Is the ACDM Operations Process? The ACDM operations process is the way the stakeholders of the real-time operations interact to manage adverse conditions. This process is not only for tactical planning ahead of coming adverse situations but also for monitoring the airport status and indicators of foreseeable events during real-time operations. The ACDM operations process should be as simple and straightforward as possible. It should be described in an ACDM Operations Plan that defines the role of the participants in the process, identifies a leader or coordinator of the overall process in real time, and lists all the applicable plans and procedures. The local ACDM operations process for managing adverse conditions should be developed by the coalition of the stakeholders of airport operations following the six-step ACDM planning process described in Chapter 3. Note: The ACDM operations process for enhancing the management of adverse conditions that is proposed in this chapter should not be confused with the ACDM turnaround process for ATM purposes. Nor is it equivalent to the tactical, rolling operations plan often referred to as the Airport Operations Plan (AOP) in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) literature. Simplified ACDM Operations Process and the Collaborative Decision Sheet A seven-step standard process is proposed as the framework of any ACDM operations process (Figure 6). The proposed seven-step process is generic enough to be applied to any airport or group of airports. The seven steps are as follow: 1. Gather information and intelligence. Monitoring airport key performance indicators and reviewing forecasts help with early identification of foreseeable events. A proactive alert of the concerned stakeholders will allow time to prepare, so monitoring and reporting during regular operations are important parts of this process. Means to achieve this monitoring are discussed in Chapter 3. 2. Consider policies and procedures. Specific provisions in applicable policies, plans, and pro- cedures should be identified for informing decision-makers. The matrix of available plans and procedures of the ACDM Operations Plan described later in this chapter and the docu- ments featured in the local ACDM toolbox are useful resources for this task. C H A P T E R 2 Operating with ACDM

22 Airport Collaborative Decision Making (ACDM) to Manage Adverse Conditions 3. Assess risk and set operational objectives. A simplified risk assessment of the coming or ongoing adverse conditions should be made. Risks and opportunities should be discussed and prioritized. Operational objectives should be set: What should be done to contain the effect of these conditions? 4. Identify alternatives and contingencies. The coordinator of the ACDM operations process (e.g., the Airport Operations Manager) should convene the stakeholders of real-time opera- tions concerned about the coming or ongoing adverse conditions for a meeting and conference call. During this meeting and conference call, the previous items should be presented, alterna- tives and contingencies should be discussed, and an event-specific response plan should be prepared and agreed on. 5. Take action. Actions to be taken as part of the response should be listed and action leaders should be identified. Regular situation reports should be provided. The frequency and list of recipients of these reports will likely depend on the characteristics of each event. Some events at larger airports might warrant hourly emails to the broader community of stakeholders and the airport upper management. Guidance to the operating staff should be included in the ACDM Operations Plan. 6. Manage return to regular operations. The de-escalation should be orderly and the return to regular operations should be managed in order to optimize resources and prevent “side effects” of the response. 7. Conduct post-operations debriefing. In the hours or days after the event, a post-operations debriefing should be held to compile lessons learned, improve plans and procedures, and train the teams to enhance the response. Who should coordinate this process in real time? While the answer to this question might vary at some airports due to local specificities, the airport operator is in the best position for taking this role because of its unique and central role within the operations community. The airport operator Use Tools & Available Data Gather Information & Intelligence Consider Policies & Procedures Use Data Sources & Plans/Procedures Risk Assessment & Operational Objectives Escalate Issue Identify Alternatives & Contingencies Hold Meeting & Conference Call Take Action Manage Return to Regular Operations Orderly De-escalationProvide Regular Situation Reports 1 3 2 4 5 6 Post-Ops Debriefing & Lessons Learned Improve Plans & Training 7 Figure 6. Simplified ACDM operations process.

Operating with ACDM 23 is at the interface of most, if not all, the stakeholders. More precisely, the Airport Operations Manager or, at smaller airports, the Airport Operations Manager counterpart would be the best choice at most aviation facilities. This provision should be agreed upon among the ACDM stake- holders and mentioned in the ACDM Operations Plan. A template is provided in the toolbox for supporting decision making based on this seven- step process. The Collaborative Decision Sheet (CDS) is designed to be used as a template and workbook in real-time operations (Figure 7). It should be made available in large format (e.g., reproduced on an 11- × 17-in. printout or engraved on a large whiteboard). The CDS should be used as a common language among the stakeholders and should be archived for lessons learned purposes. The CDS template is available in the “Operate” section of the toolbox, either through the search tool or the easy access menu. ACDM Operations Plan The ACDM operations process should be described in an ACDM Operations Plan (ACDM-OP) available to and known by all the stakeholders. The ACDM-OP should address at least the following: • Purpose of the ACDM-OP, • Definitions and abbreviations, • Participants in the ACDM organization (list of stakeholders), • Description of the ACDM operations process, • Matrix of responsibility, and • List of events covered by existing collaborative plans and procedures. Figure 7. Collaborative Decision Sheet.

24 Airport Collaborative Decision Making (ACDM) to Manage Adverse Conditions Similar decision-making processes might already exist at the airport for IROPS or emergency operations. In this case, the ACDM operations process would extend the existing IROPS or emer- gency operations process to events of lower criticality, such as continuity events, and perhaps include domains or areas of the airports that are not yet covered by other plans or processes. The ACDM operations process should feature different modes depending on the criticality of the adverse conditions. In particular, the ACDM-OP should not conflict with the Airport Emer- gency Plan (AEP). While the development of the ACDM-OP can lead to revisions of the AEP for efficiency purposes, it is understood that the AEP should take precedence over the ACDM-OP for emergency operations matters. 2.2 ACDM Planning Process What Is the ACDM Planning Process? The ACDM planning process is an adverse condition contingency planning process to be used for developing and improving event-specific collaborative plans and procedures. It is built on the six-step process featured in ACRP Report 65: Guidebook for Airport Irregular Operations (IROPS) Contingency Planning (Nash et al. 2012) and ACRP Report 153: Guidebook for IROPS Stakeholder Communication & Coordination (Cogliandro et al. 2016) and inspired by the Incident Action Plan- ning Process also known as “Planning P.” The process presented below originates from the IROPS contingency planning process with adaptations to better serve the ACDM operations process. ACDM Planning Process The following six-step standard process is proposed to develop collaborative (ACDM) plans and procedures (Figure 8): 1. Obtain executive (Steering Group) buy-in. New plans or procedures are proposed to the Steering Group, which is the executive body of the ACDM implementation project (see Chap- ter 3). A project group, called the Technical Subgroup, is created for the purpose of preparing Create New TSG & Include Stakeholders Executive (Steering Group) Buy-In Document Existing Conditions Use Data Sources Establish Procedures to Respond Improve Stakeholder Cooperation Review, Revise, & Train Together Evaluate Plans & Training Collaborative Decision Making During Event Collect Lessons Learned/Plan Updates Improve Plans & Training Guidance During an Event 1 3 2 4 5 6 Figure 8. Six-Step ACDM planning process.

Operating with ACDM 25 the document, and it should involve all the stakeholders concerned about or impacted by the adverse event or conditions that trigger the initiative. 2. Document existing conditions. Stakeholders identify and gather relevant response plan infor- mation to ensure that proper communication, cooperation, and coordination occur. The results of this review should include both formal and informal coordination among these organiza- tions. Response plans from individual organizations should be evaluated for adequacy. 3. Establish response procedures. A procedure is developed for responding to the specific adverse event/conditions. The procedure should be simple and straightforward but at the same time provide enough guidance for the stakeholders to organize, communicate, and address the issue. The procedure should describe the type of event covered; describe the roles of each stakeholder and the resources involved; provide, as far as practicable, a step-by-step response process; include a communication plan; address known or potential operational issues; and recommend mitigation steps. 4. Review, revise, and train together. The procedure is reviewed and revised as needed. Training should be considered for operational readiness purposes. 5. Apply CDM during an event. The procedure is considered part of the seven-step ACDM operations process (see Chapter 1) and is applied collaboratively. 6. Collect lessons learned and plan updates. A formal lessons-learned meeting is held. The last step of the ACDM operations process can serve this purpose. The procedure should be improved based on these lessons learned. 2.3 Impact on Current Practices Purpose This section explores the impact of ACDM on current practices in airport operations. This analysis includes real-time coordination among the stakeholders, IROPS, emergency manage- ment, and Safety Management Systems for airports. Real-Time Coordination Among Stakeholders ACDM aims to enhance the management of airport operations among the stakeholders through a collaborative framework. It is expected that the ACDM operations process will dramatically strengthen the relationship and the coordination among the stakeholders of real-time airport operations. This process should remain the same from one airport to another as it is a broad, generic process applicable to any aviation facility or system. Airports might implement daily calls and reports with the operations community. The ACDM operations process, the systematic use of the CDS, and the regular coordination among the stakeholders promoted in the toolbox may add a limited workload to the airport opera- tions staff. However, the benefits of this process will greatly exceed the costs. Costs include the time spent in training, holding one or more daily phone briefings, populating the CDS for decision- making purposes, and performing post-operation debriefings for lessons learned purposes. Irregular Operations Contingency Planning While preparing plans and procedures requires time, the ACDM planning process itself is not expecting to adversely affect the current organizations and practices. This process should save time and enhance the efficiency of the contingency planning effort. The proposed ACDM planning process is derived from the IROPS contingency planning process addressed in ACRP Reports 65 (Nash et al. 2012) and 153 (Cogliandro et al. 2016).

26 Airport Collaborative Decision Making (ACDM) to Manage Adverse Conditions Airports already utilizing the IROPS planning process can easily integrate it into their ACDM initiative. The ACDM organization and process should encompass any IROPS initiative already in place. The IROPS Contingency Response Committee could become a Technical Subgroup of the ACDM organization. Its mandate and that of the IROPS Champion within the local ACDM could be broader and include collaborative contingency procedures. Generally speaking, the ACDM implementation should create opportunities and a framework for expanding the current IROPS contingency planning practices to events of lower criticality (e.g., continuity events) that are not necessarily covered by plans and procedures. Existing IROPS contingency planning practices will stay mostly untouched by the ACDM initiatives. Emergency Planning and Management The implementation of ACDM should not adversely affect the emergency management struc- ture already in place at airports. However, ACDM can contribute to the enhancement of emer- gency planning and facilitate the response in different ways. First, emergency planning can benefit from the proposed process for ACDM planning. Then, the collaborative environment created by the ACDM initiative can facilitate the discussions among the stakeholders of emer- gency management—when planning for events and when responding to them. Finally, airports might elect the enhancement of emergency management as one of their priorities for the ACDM community as a whole and make it a strategic goal of the ACDM initiative (see Chapter 3, Imple- menting ACDM). They can choose to feature specific emergency planning and management in their implementation roadmap. ACDM for emergency planning and management provides leverage that can help give visibility to this domain and connect it to non-traditional stakeholders, direct resources to it, and create a favorable collaborative environment that can be an effective multiplier when providing a response to an emergency situation. The ACDM initiative can also be used for facilitating the collaboration between airports and the local emergency management agencies for planning and readiness purposes. Existing best practices in this domain are available in ACRP Synthesis 50: Effective Cooperation Among Airports and Local and Regional Emergency Management Agencies for Disaster Preparedness and Response (Smith 2014) and ACRP Synthesis 73: Emergency Communications Planning for Airports (Smith et al. 2016). Safety Management Systems for Airports While they both rely on collaboration and transparency and are systematic and systemic approaches to their domain of airport operations, Safety Management Systems (SMS) and ACDM have different focuses. SMS are systems and processes focusing on aviation safety. ACDM focuses on throughput. They do not supersede each other or interact directly. However, ACDM and SMS are mutually beneficial in the way that they both contribute to a work environment, favoring collaboration and transparency across the stakeholders. Also, the data gathered as part of the ACDM process may be occasionally beneficial to safety studies and incident analysis performed under the airport SMS. Finally, several plans, procedures, systems, and other projects developed as part of the ACDM implementation roadmap might affect airport operations and the infrastructure. Some of the changes created by these might warrant Safety Risk Assessment and a Safety Risk Management Plans as part of the local airport SMS. More information on SMS for airports is available in the FAA Draft Advisory Circular 150/ 5200-37A (FAA 2016), FAA Order 5200.11: FAA Airports (ARP) Safety Management System (FAA 2010), as well as ACRP Report 1: Safety Management Systems for Airports (Ludwig et al. 2007).

Operating with ACDM 27 Airport-Specific CDM Projects Each airport will decide to bring under the local ACDM initiative different projects interfacing with different stakeholders, enhancing the management of adverse conditions or improving the throughput. While the ACDM process should be the same across the NAS, the ACDM imple- mentation described in the “Implement” section of the toolbox might be accompanied by physical projects in support facilities (e.g., Airport and Emergency Operations Centers), information systems (e.g., airport operations solutions), and infrastructure (e.g., airfield enhancements and navigational aids) that will be mostly airport specific. The impact of these projects on the workload of the operating staff and the potential need for additional resources should be considered when evaluating their feasibility and comparing their costs and benefits. Guidance on these matters is provided in Chapter 3. However, these impacts are not ACDM specific. While the ACDM initiative might help in coordinating these projects and, at some point, facilitate their emergence, they are not necessarily directly related to the ACDM operations process. Summary of Impacts Table 3 summarizes the expected impact of ACDM implementation on existing airport practices. Note on ACDM Implementation Resources While it is not expected that the ACDM operations and planning processes alone will have an impact on organizations, ACDM implementation might monopolize a significant part of the time of some of the project managers at the ACDM project management office. At larger airports, the ACDM initiative typically requires a full-time CDM Manager. Its deputies—the CDM Champions—are usually not full-time CDM contributors. The ACDM implementation, like that of any project/program, might require additional resources, depending on the ambitions of the local ACDM community and the individual projects that may be brought under the umbrella of the ACDM implementation roadmap. These resources should be considered multipliers that will increase the benefits of these individual projects and ensure they are implemented in a smooth and timely manner. Domain Overall Impact of ACDM Opportunities Real-Time Coordination Medium +++ IROPS Medium +++ Emergency Management Low +++ SMS for Airports Low + Airport-Specific Projects Variable Variable Table 3. Summary of the impact of ACDM implementation.