INTERNATIONAL AVIATION MANAGEMENT TRAINING INSTITUTE

IAMTI

?DIRECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE ? ANTICIPATE, COOPERATE AND RESPOND?

RICARDO J. HEIGHES-THIESSEN

DIRECTOR, CIVIL AVIATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS

ICAO Presentation - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Introduction:

"Directions for the Future - anticipate, cooperate and respond"

Many enlightened organizations have recognized for some time that enterprise information is their lifeblood. At the same time, most organizations acknowledge that the quality, volume and accessibility of information determines their ability to generate new sources of revenue, to gain competitive advantage and to improve customer service.

The situation is no different in the world of aviation systems implementation where it could equally be said that training is the lifeblood of new systems implementation, the success of which enables the highest possible levels of job performance. Better training and better systems are two sides of the same coin: training cannot be fully applied if the system cannot accommodate it and the system cannot adapt and change unless individuals have the knowledge and skills needed to improve performance. The fact of the matter is simple: people cannot be expected to demonstrate what they do not know or understand, apply skills they do not possess or win alone the hundreds of small battles they must fight daily to perform as expected. Good performance does not ?happen?: it is cultivated, nurtured, encouraged and constantly renewed. It is part of the organization?s values and ways of doing business! However, as in other enterprises, there are often significant limiting factors to overcome.

In the aviation industry, training is often limited by the availability of scarce expertise resources, financing such resources and time constraints related to system implementation. The ICAO Journal of July/August 1997 addressing the Year in Review, noted with respect to training, that "there is an increasing need to develop training for personnel who will operate and maintain the ICAO CNS/ATM systems". The article also notes that certain Trainair Program members have begun to meet this need through the development of CNS/ATM-related standardized training packages (STP's).

The primary purpose of this conference is to focus on ways to broaden and facilitate regional and national participation in implementing a seamless, worldwide system. This purpose or objective sets up the training challenge. The question we need to address is therefore where and how to obtain the training lifeblood to sustain the implementation of a seamless and worldwide system, while addressing other equally important and pressing operational, financial and other training needs. Perhaps if we consider the challenges facing such an objective as this we may find ways to create or establish a foundation for future improvement and provide at the same time, opportunities for managing the complete training effort more effectively.

Challenges facing the development and delivery of training:

Clearly there are a wide range of challenges to be addressed, the more important of which are:

Resources - the availability and cost of the necessary expertise.

Technology - the adequacy and availability of appropriate technology supports to facilitate the required training.

Congruency or the consistency in the quality of training development and delivery.

Each of these challenges poses significant questions requiring concise solutions. For example, in the resources area, several organizations compete almost daily for the same type of limited expertise. This situation not only leads to unfilled regional and national requirements, but also to delays in completing the necessary training with unknown consequences. Technology or advanced training devices may only be available in sufficient quantity and quality at a few locations, thus the cost of using such facilities could mitigate against new systems implementation or defer such training to the detriment of systems commissioning.

Consistency in training, especially where high technology systems are involved, is of such importance that it may likely be the main driver for change. If one of the solutions to these challenges is increased cooperation between the providers of training services, how may this cooperation be fostered and obtained? How may a new foundation for improved training be secured for the increasingly complex technological future facing aviation today?

Setting foundations for the future:

Among the organizations and institutions concerned with aviation training, ICAO and IAMTI share a set of common values and enjoy a very close working relationship. But our organizations are not the only ones that can be part of a training solution. Other organizations can also participate in finding solutions that facilitate the implementation of a seamless worldwide CNS/ATM system. For example, these could include national air navigation system providers, whether they be governmental or private organizations such as NAV CANADA, the Airways Corporation of New Zealand and other such organizations which have on staff highly qualified individuals who could provide the necessary expertise to develop and deliver comprehensive training programs. In addition, Systems manufacturers could also participate in solution building exercises.

Regardless of the specific names of organizations that may appear on a list of potential providers, it is essential to understand that no one organization today possesses all of the necessary skills and/or resources to adequately fill the complete spectrum of training challenges faced in an increasingly high technology aviation world. If this is the case with organizations worldwide, it can be no different for regional or local organizations. Experience has clearly demonstrated that very few organizations worldwide have the means at their disposal to become completely self-sufficient in the area of training. Furthermore, the traditional role of training units or training centers within organizations is being reviewed and questioned. While many organizations continue to have a need for an established in-house training capability, the traditional concept of bringing in people to a central location that caters to all their needs simply no longer works. It is too costly, not flexible enough to quickly react to changes in training needs and often unable to maintain an instructional staff that is highly qualified in all areas where training is required.

The solution to this problem lies in cooperation. From this perspective, cooperation is not only a matter of convenience but an essential part of a strategy to meet fundamental training needs. New foundations are therefore needed where each participating organization can play a responsible and integrated role in achieving the total training solution. At the risk of seeming to sound the alarm too loudly, I firmly believe that this, for many organizations, is a question of survival. The issue is therefore no longer about whether or not to cooperate, but how to cooperate.

Opportunities for change:

The first step in any voyage is to decide on direction. We therefore need to address how to find a direction based on cooperation that will bring together the institutions that can meet the needs for training and package the solutions with reliance on quality, timeliness and economy as the watchwords of the future. Consistency in the training product is also essential. This will mean using a different approach to examine the efficiency of the training program and in determining how well it is received by the trainees.

The technology to improve training that exists today is both common and highly reliable. Various modes of communication can be set up to make the exchange of training ideas during design and development quick and continuous, and then to support delivery over distances. It is entirely possible to conceive of a training network supported by computer mediated communications that would serve as the backdrop to the pooling and management of the experience and expertise needed to prepare and deliver training. But the investment needed to integrate technology into training can be considerable and must therefore be planned and managed so that it remains an investment rather than becoming an expense!

Conclusion:

The need is clear. We all want a part to play but we are perhaps reluctant to embark on new approaches without a safety net, whether this be a financial safety net or other types of guarantees. But if we delay in addressing this challenge others may step forward and capitalize on the opportunities, even though they may not understand our objectives and therefore be unable to provide optimum solutions. Worst still, no one may rise to the challenge, leaving us with a work force that is unable to perform and at a level needed to make full use of the CNS/ATM system.

There is a therefore a pressing need to examine right away how new approaches to the training challenge can be found and how they may be implemented to the ultimate benefit of aviation's customers and the aviation business in general. Strategically, we must first consider how to optimize areas of cooperation and then plan an integrated training program with linkages to new systems implementations. We must beware of launching too quickly on the search for the optimum technical solution to the training need before areas of cooperation are clearly established and the overall program is defined. With this in mind, it is proposed that the training resources available regionally be linked in a into a series of ?centers of excellence?, where each center is specialized in one or another subject matter area and is responsible for preparing and providing training in that area. Clearly along the way, such concerns as timing, costs, financing, course content and continuous quality improvement will also need to be addressed. However, by sharing the workload between centers of excellence, it would be easier for each center to focus its energies and resources on addressing part of the problem rather than have to deal with all of it.

The major challenge for this panel and for this convention is therefore to find solutions through cooperation. Everyone can be expected to benefit from deriving a clear focus to this problem and then working diligently to create the links needed to organize a complete training program.