Overview
A crucial phase for most Air Traffic Management (ATM) related R&D projects is validation of the newly developed ATM concepts. The European Commission acknowledged the importance of a good validation procedure and developed a reference document for all ATM related R&D projects. They did so in close cooperation with industry, R&D organisations, Air Traffic Service Providers and the Eurocontrol Agency and the European Operational Concept Validation Methodology (E-OCVM). The last step of this trajectory was provided by the CAATS project, which concluded that the E-OCVM is the best concept for validation methodology.
The objective of CAATS II was to continue the work begun within the CAATS project by managing, consolidating and disseminating the knowledge produced in European ATM-related projects.
The project focused on the following five areas: safety, human factors, business, environment and validation.
The project provided:
- Best practices for business and environmental areas;
- Case-based approach models for human factors, safety, business and environment. The 'case' approach includes detailed information on performance capabilities and behavioural characteristics;
- Integration of the cases in the E-OCVM (European Operational Concept Validation Methodology);
- Dissemination and support on the use of best practices for the projects.
The main tasks within the CAATS-II project were knowledge management and consolidation (in the areas of safety, human factors and business & environment with a view to integrate these cases in the validation strategy of ATM related R&D projects) and dissemination and interaction with other ATM related R&D projects.
Apart from the project management and coordination, there were two main work streams as follows:
1. Knowledge management and consolidation
This covers all activities of interaction with other FP6 ATM projects. The main task was to collect, collate and analyse the obtained knowledge in the areas of safety, human factors, business, environment and their integration in the E-OCVM. A specialised team is assigned to each of these areas. These activities involved:
- Collecting and collating the information generated by the ATM projects in the areas of safety, human factors, business and environment;
- Identifying and analysing the lack of a coordinated approach within the current ATM projects and the gaps;
- Updating the projects' best practices in the areas of safety and human factors identified in CAATS II;
- Identifying the projects' best practices in the areas of business and environment;
- Developing guidelines for typical safety, human factors, business and environment cases;
- Applying the cases developed in FP6 projects;
- Integrating the above practices and cases in the E-OCVM (European Operational Concept Validation Methodology).
2. Dissemination and interaction with the projects.
This provided the basic infrastructure needed to operate the CAATS II website and dissemination activities in order to create the appropriate co-ordination and collaboration environment with the projects and with the stakeholders.
Funding
Results
The key project results were:
- Best practices for business and environmental areas;
- Case-based approach models for human factors, safety, business and environment. The 'case' approach includes detailed information on performance capabilities and behavioural characteristics;
- Integration of the cases in the E-OCVM;
- Dissemination and support on the use of best practices for the projects.
All Project objectives were achieved and as a result of the work done different documents were developed and published:
- Good practices for safety assessment in R&D projects, business and environmental areas and human factors;
- Guidance materials for a typical safety case, business case, typical environment case as well as Support to Standardisation and Regulation Guidelines.
Policy implications
The work carried out under this contract is relevant to the SESAR programme for the modernisation of the European Air Traffic Management System. CAATS-II will further develop the European Operational Concept Validation Methodology (E-OCVM), to improve the process of validation of concepts against ATM user expectations. Development of the E-OCVM shall be carried out in close cooperation with the SESAR activities.