IS-BAO, Leadership, Safety Culture Study
The IS-BAO Program is working with Chris Broyhill, PhD candidate at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, to determine the correlation between IS-BAO, Leadership, and Safety Culture. The data collection period for this study is coming to an end as of October 31. If your organization hasn't participated yet and would like to please contact Chris at broyhilc@erau.edu.
Sharing the Good News
The September/October 2015 edition of the NBAA's Insider Magazine provided insight into Nationwide's Aviation Business Center to include sound advice on customer service, safety risk management, and continual improvement efforts for individuals, teams and the organization as a whole. IBAC applauds Nationwide for their dedication to excellence. Their IS-BAO Stage 3 Registration renewal is validation of this commitment. We also appreciate the quote in this magazine article from Mark Hente, Nationwide's Chief Pilot, One of the best things that happened to our aviation department was IS-BAO and bringing a safety management system into our culture. This is the essence of IS-BAO - Building effective teams and cultures! During the journey, as stakeholders work together to analyze, discuss, and implement policies, processes, and procedures that improve how business is done, the organizational culture evolves to one that fosters open communication and trust. Establishing and maintaining a generative organizational culture, or safety culture, is one of the essential requirements to achieve a Stage 3 IS-BAO Registration. See the following link to learn more about IS-BAO Stage 3 Cultural Attributes. We hope you enjoy this edition of the newsletter. It includes information about quality, workshops, safety performance indicators and targets, compliance monitoring, audit information, and more. Finally, and as always, if you would like to learn more about Safety Culture, SMS and Quality, visit the IS-BAO Website or contact the IS-BAO Team. Sonnie Bates, Program Director Paul Lessard, Administration Lawrence Fletcher, Audit Manager Jason Starke, Operations Manager Bruce Mayes, Auditor Accreditation Manager Daniel Devraignes, Quality Manager
Managing Quality
Please join IBAC in welcoming Mr. Daniel Devraignes, Quality Manager for the IS-BAO Program. Daniel resides in Sao Paulo, Brazil and is currently leading our efforts to: 1) improve the design and functionality of our auditor and operator database, 2) map our key processes, and 3) manage the auditor renewal process. We are very fortunate to have Daniel on our team. I think you will agree when you have the chance to interact with him, and I hope you do, that he promotes a spirit and culture of professionalism and excellence that we continually strive for. If you have any quality questions, you can contact Daniel at ddevraignes@ibac.org. Welcome Daniel!!
Workshops
Click Here to See Schedule of Upcoming IS-BAO Workshops
Where to stay? As the Operations Manager at IBAC, one of my functions is to help schedule and procure venues for the IS-BAO and IS-BAH workshops. In regards to this, one question that I am asked regularly is What hotel do you recommend close to the workshops, and is there a special event rate? In the past, local accommodations have not necessarily been a concern in the planning of workshops, however, going forward that is going to change.
IBAC has taken steps to improve the comfort and convenience of the workshop sets by integrated hotel-located venues into the workshop planning for Q4 2015 and throughout 2016. This means that meeting space will be sourced from name brand hotels in which to host both the IS-BAO and IS-BAH workshops. The desired net effect is to improve the overall workshop experience.
Probably the largest benefit of hosting the workshops at hotels is the so-called room block. This is where the hotel, as part of the meeting package, will set aside a number of rooms at a special event rate for workshop attendees. Furthermore, the hotel will provide a direct link to a special room registration page, which ensures rooms are reserved from this special block. This link will be integrated into our online registration system to allow you to make the reservations at the special rate while registering for the workshops.
For those arriving from out of town, another potential benefit will be complimentary shuttle transportation to and from the venue to the airport if staying at the workshop venue. While we are unable to schedule all venues at hotels that do offer this service, our goal is to make use of as many hotels as possible that do.
Finally, through procuring contracted meeting space, you can be assured of a comfortable and professional atmosphere in which to learn and participate. One objective for utilizing hotel venues was to minimize distractions due to uncomfortable surroundings, noise, minimal support, etc. We feel that this move will have a positive impact on the overall experience.
As mentioned above, we have already started integrating hotel venues into the Q42015 schedule and the 2016 schedule. Here is a list of locations that will be utilizing hotels so far:
Melbourne, Australia (IS-BAO): 29 30 Oct. 2015
Hong Kong, China (IS-BAO and IS-BAH): 2 3 Nov. 2015
Dubai, UAE (IS-BAO and IS-BAH): 6 7 Nov. 2015
Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA (IS-BAO and IS-BAH): 13 14 Jan. 2016
Houston, TX USA (IS-BAO): 27 28 Jan. 2016
The above list is not exhaustive as more will be added in the coming months, so please make sure to check the schedule! The decision to start utilizing hotel venues is an exciting move for IBAC and it is our sincere hope that this ultimately allows for the best learning experience possible. While we will still be utilizing venues that have been graciously donated to us, going forward we will be integrating more hotel venues into the schedule. If you have any questions about this or any other workshop-related topic, please dont hesitate to contact me a jstarke@ibac.org.
Audit Notes
The following feedback comes from our Audit Manager, Lawrence Fletcher. If you have any questions related to this information, please contact him directly at lfletcher@ibac.org.
Although IBAC encourages the operator to provide their manual references to the auditors to improve efficiency, we do not expect the auditor to utilize protocols that were completed by the operator, i.e. protocols which also include Y/N/NA and operator comments in the right hand column. Therefore, the audit protocols submitted to IBAC shall contain the auditors comments only. Also, document control is a necessity and it is imperative that the audit documents utilized during the assessment and submitted to IBAC are the ones downloaded by the auditor from the IBAC website. We will be modifying the wording of the 2016 Audit Procedures Manual and IS-BAO to provide more clarity on this issue.
Most of the feedback to auditors pertains to providing "evidence" to support the appropriateness and effectiveness questions on the SMS protocols. Simply stating the operator has a wonderful software program to manage safety risks is not sufficient. Also, naming the software system and expecting IBAC to accept it by brand name is not adequate either. We understand that this takes time and extra effort on behalf of the audit team, but this is what differentiates the IS-BAO registration from a "check the box" program. We are committed to ensure this process is educational for the operator and auditor. That being said, we are determined to continue learning during this process with you, and will continue to evolve this program to promote IBAC's mission of global harmony in safety for business aviation.
2016 is going to be a very exciting year for the audit program. Many positive changes are being considered to improve efficiency, standardization, and effectiveness of audits. Here are some highlights you can expect:
Findings will be easier to document
Audit forms will be web-based and available on smart tablets. This is being tested with very encouraging feedback from auditors.
HAI is launching their combined IS-BAO /HAI Accreditation Program of Safety audit program
New policies will protect the integrity of the program and address issues and topics such as: audit scope, audit pricing, restricting back to back audits of an operator by the same auditor, restricting the use of solo auditors, and improved auditor training.
New policies will be issued in December 2015 and January 2016, but will not be expected to take effect until July 1, 2016 to allow everyone time to comprehend the requirements.
Safety Performance Indicators and Targets
The IS-BAO Standard 3.2.3.a (2) states, "The safety performance of the organization shall be verified in reference to the safety performance indicators and safety performance targets of the SMS." Some operators are not sure what they should be choosing for safety performance indicators (SPIs).
ICAO Doc 9859 provides the following definitions related to SPSs:
High-consequence indicators. Safety performance indicators pertaining to the monitoring and measurement of high-consequence occurrences, such as accidents or serious incidents. High-consequence indicators are sometimes referred to as reactive indicators. Lower-consequence indicators. Safety performance indicators pertaining to the monitoring and measurement of lower-consequence occurrences, events or activities such as incidents, non-conformance findings or deviations. Lower-consequence indicators are sometimes referred to as proactive/predictive indicators. ICAO also states that as an organizations reporting system matures, the environment will allow for lower-consequence reporting which will facilitate measuring lower-consequence SPI monitoring. Also, Doc 9859, Appendix 4 to Chapter 4, Table 4-A4-1. Safety performance indicators for air operators, offers some examples of SPIs such as:
Serious Incident Rates (High-Consequence)
Mandatory Occurrence Report Rates (High-Consequence)
Incident Rates (Lower-Consequence)
Internal Audit Findings Rate (Lower-Consequence)
Voluntary Hazard Reports (Lower-Consequence)
Note that these are simply examples and the ICAO guidance makes it clear that there are no specific mandatory SPIs for operators. We encourage you to review IS-BAO Implementation Guide and Measuring Safety Performance Guidelines for Service Providers to learn more about this process.
The following are events or occurrences you may want to consider monitoring to develop your SPIs: 1) unstable approach events, 2) duty time exceeding X hours (you determine X), 3) critical activities occurring during times of circadian low, 4) duty day extension events, 5) low speed events, 6) TCAS RA events, 7) GPWS alerts, 8) low fuel state events, 9) internal audit findings, 10) and procedural non-compliance .
Compliance Monitoring
IS-BAO Standard 3.3 states, "Each aircraft operator must establish and maintain a system for identifying applicable regulations, standards, approvals and exemptions and demonstrating compliance with them." The question we get from operators sometimes is, "How do we do this?"
Here is one way to go about this (not the only way)
1) Develop a checklist of applicable key NAA regulations, approvals, and exemptions 2) Conduct an internal audit to ensure adherence to regulations 3) Set up a process to ensure notification of changing regulations 4) Analyze each applicable change (SM and manager of affected functional area) 5) Each change is sent to aviation department manager along with risk analysis 6) Aviation department manager and stakeholders consider modifying policies, processes, procedures 7) Needed changes are made and recorded
IS-BAO Operator Statistics
Stage 1: 176
Stage 2: 312
Stage 3: 218
Total: 716
Staying in the Books
The following quiz is just for you to stay in the books. The following questions are related to the IS-BAO audit protocols and are designed for both internal and external auditors. 1. Regarding the Effectiveness (E1) for IS-BAO 3.2.1e ,protocol "Is there evidence that the SMS documentation is regularly reviewed and updated?", which of the following auditor comments would provide the evidence to support a "Yes" assessment?
a) "The SMS documentation is regularly reviewed and updated".
b) "Quarterly Safety meeting minutes, hazard reports, and other safety communique are available for review via an online safety communication system. Each person must review these messages and select a check box that confirms they have read and understood the material to remove the yellow flag next to their name in the system"
c) "Hazard reports are filed and acted upon"
2. Regarding Effectiveness (E2) for IS-BAO 3.2.2a (2) protocol, "Are employees confident they can report apparent safety deficiencies without retribution?", which of the following auditor comments would provide the evidence to support a "Yes" assessment?
a) "100% of the employees interviewed indicate that they feel very comfortable raising safety issues"
b) "Managers walk the talk"
c) "All personnel can report apparent safety deficiencies without the fear of retribution"
3. Regarding IS-BAO 5.2.1 protocol, "Have all aircraft crew members received appropriate CRM training and do they understand and apply these principles?", how would an auditor know that they "understand the principles?"
a) Interview the aircraft crew. Ask each one, "Do you understand CRM?". If they answer yes, then they apparently do.
b) Interview the aircraft crew. Ask each one to "Describe how CRM works in your organization."
c) Check their training records. If the CRM box is checked, they are good to go.
4. Regarding IS-BAO 6.12.2 protocol, "Does the operator have procedures to ensure that every crew member follows the checklist in the performance of their assigned duties?", how would an operator ensure this?
a) Send the crew to a Part 142 training center once per year. The school will ensure the crew follows the checklists.
b) Capture errors and deviations via online survey completed on a smart device, like this 10 Minute Debrief
c) Utilize Flight Data Analyze Program to look for indicators of errors and deviations to SOPs.
d) Both b and c.
5. Regarding IS-BAO 9.1.4(e) protocol, "Is there a description of the assessment programme for aircraft Service Bulletins and Airworthiness Directives and the associated documentation?, where would the operator find guidance on this element?"
a) IS-BAO implementation Guide, Section 9.1.4(e)
b) ICAO Doc 9859
c) It is in Chapter 5 of the Airplane Flight Manual