International Civil Aviation Organization

Establishing and Sustaining an RSOO: Enablers, Obstacles and lessons learnt

Meshesha BelaynehRegional Director, Eastern &

Southern African Office, ICAO27 October 2011

• ICAO’s Regional Comprehensive Plan for aviation safety in Africa (AFI Plan)

• Enabling States to establish an effective safety oversight system through Regional Organizations

• Experiences and lessons learnt 2009-2011• Way forward

Outline

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ICAO’s Regional Comprehensive Plan for aviation safety in Africa (AFI Plan) - Origin

ICAO and Contracting States have struggled to meet the challenges related to civil aviation safety oversight in the African Region

Acute economic and political issues influencing the capacities of States civil aviation administrations in the AFI Region pose a complex challenge that truly demanded a new approach

ICAO’s increased leadership in civil aviation safety in the AFI Region was required in order to ensure a sustained improvement in the level of flight safety in the AFI Region,

The creation of a comprehensive regional implementation plan, endorsed by all stakeholders would help to improve the situation

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ICAO’s Regional Comprehensive Plan for aviation safety in Africa (AFI Plan) - Objectives

• Strengthen civil aviation authorities in Africa with respect to their safety oversight capabilities.

• ensure impartial and unimpeachable investigation and reporting of serious accidents and incidents;

• enhance capacity of regional and sub-regional safety oversight systems;

• ensure expeditious implementation of aviation safety management systems for airports, air navigation service providers and airlines.

Focus Area 1

Enabling States to establish and maintain a sustainable safety oversight system (infra-structure and capacity building);

Focus Area 2

Assisting States to resolve identified deficiencies within a reasonable time; and

Focus Area 3

Enhancing aviation safety culture of African aviation service providers.

ICAO’s Regional Comprehensive Plan for aviation safety in Africa (AFI Plan) - Implementation

ICAO’s Regional Comprehensive Plan for aviation safety in Africa (AFI Plan) - Implementation

Focus area 1

• Global Aviation Safety Roadmap (GASR) Workshops;• State specific gap analysis;• Determination of priority projects;• Support the establishment of regional systems• Support in the implementation of framework

agreements;• Seminars, workshops and training courses on the

organization and management of safety oversight systems.

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Focus area 2• Seminars, workshops and training courses in safety

oversight-related subjects;• Standardization and harmonization of aviation training in

Africa;• Regional Office Safety Teams (ROST):

• composed of ICAO Regional Officers;• provide State-specific support to enhance ability to

resolve identified deficiencies and enhance safety oversight capabilities;

• coordinate, facilitate and conduct safety-related seminars, workshops and provide training as may be required.

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ICAO’s Regional Comprehensive Plan for aviation safety in Africa (AFI Plan) - Implementation

Focus area 3

• Coordination with industry and service providers participation in GASR workshops, and safety management system (SMS) training courses;

• High-level management personnel awareness and introductory seminars on State safety programme (SSP) and (SMS);

• Building human capabilities – training of SSP/SMS Instructors.

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ICAO’s Regional Comprehensive Plan for aviation safety in Africa (AFI Plan) - Implementation

Focus Area 1

Enabling States to establish and maintain a sustainable safety oversight system (infra-structure and capacity building);

ICAO’s Regional Comprehensive Plan for aviation safety in Africa (AFI Plan) - Implementation

Communicate intention/findings with concerned States and

regional groupings

Conduct specific gap analysis, using the Global Aviation Safety Plan methodology

Identify remedial action to enhance safety oversight

capabilities and implementation of safety

best practices

Inform all stakeholders and solicit support as required to implement the

project (ICAO Assembly Resolution A36/1)

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Enabling States to establish an effective safety oversight system through Regional Organizations

Specific State and Regional

Gap-Analysis

Determination of

Regional Priorities

Determination of

Support from ICAO

Council

Development of Support

ProjectsImplementat

ionand

Follow Up

Assess scope and level of air transport activities and oversight functions

Identify and agree on those activities that can be regionalized

Integration

Integrate the type of activities, legal and

financing arrangements

Framework for a regional safety oversight system

Ensure that the regionalization adds value to the national aviation system and

national organizations

Sustainability

Ensure that the regional safety oversight system

is designed to be sustainable and self-

sufficient

Enabling States to establish an effective safety oversight system through Regional Organizations – Implementation

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Enabling States to establish an effective safety oversight system through Regional Organizations – Where are we ?

• BAG• CEMAC• EAC• SADC• SEVEN PARTNER STATES• UEMOA

Gap Analysis• Identification of

Common Issues and Agreement on Regional Priorities

• States' commitment to cooperate to resolve safety deficiencies

Existing Regional Groupings• One

Point of Contact (Secretariat/Commission)

• Regional primary legal instruments

Experiences and lessons learnt 2009-2011

– Enablers

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Experiences and lessons learnt 2009-2011 – Obstacles

Conflicting Communications Protocols• ICAO works directly with the States as Contracting States while the Regional

Secretariat/Commission is designed to represent the States collectively

Legal instruments• Requirements for additional legal instruments to give effect to the establishment of

Regional Safety Oversight Organization

Different levels of approvals• Directors General, Ministers, Heads of States resulting in delay in the approval of the

required documents

Human Resources

• Delayed Recruitment of personnel

Funding• Agreement on the sources and modalities of funding• Release of funds

• Time constraints • Commitment and support

• Human Resources• Implementation Strategies

Minimum one year to finalize the necessary processes

Required at all levels of the States

Need for qualitative

and quantitative developmen

t

Need for different specific

strategies adapted to

the regional groupings

Experiences and lessons learnt 2009-2011 – Lessons Learnt

International Civil Aviation Organization

Establishing and Sustaining an RSOO: Enablers, Obstacles and lessons learnt

Thank You