Hurry now! Only a few spots remain for JDA's one-of-a-kind regulatory affairs training course May 25-26 in Fort Worth, Texas at the American Airlines Conference and Training Center. JDA's former career FAA Managers and Principal inspectors will provide information on FAA Flight Standards processes and operating methods, investigating and responding to FAA inquiries, and recommendations on how to implement procedures for interfacing with the FAA. Training materials will include:

• FAA Flight Standards organization and function of different departments.
• FAA CMO organization, duties, and responsibilities. The functions of FAA CMO positions such as Principal Inspectors, Partial Program Managers, and Assistant Managers.
• Inspection programs and inspector criteria, i.e., surveillance, investigation, complaints, incidents, etc.
• Inspector methods and how to address them.
• Inspector authority and limits.
• Steps for establishing new relationship with the FAA CMO:
• Procedures for checking in and out at your facilities
• Inspector in briefing and out briefing
• Inspector access to facilities, equipment, records and personnel
• Inspector badges
• Actions and timeframe for implementing new operating procedures
• Data to collect
• Standardized reports
• Other line stations and facilities
• Introduction of new procedures to FAA CMO and anticipating FAA reaction.
• FAA investigation process and expected Company response.
• Research resources for FAA regulations, handbooks, policy letters, etc.
• What to look for in an internal investigation as a result of an FAA Letter of Investigation (LOI) and how to respond to an FAA LOI using actual ongoing cases.
• When and how to tell the FAA that you disagree with allegations and how to respond accordingly.
• Procedure (when and how) for elevating an issue to higher authority.

For detailed course and registration information, go to http://www.jdasolutions.aero/services/regulatory-training.php or contact Josh Plave at 301-941-1460 ext.170 or via email at jplave@jdasolutions.aero.

A Different Perspective on Project Management

Project management is traditionally focused on breaking down a complex work effort into a collection of discrete tasks that can be individually sized, costed, resourced, owned, sequenced, scheduled, tracked and reported on. While all of these are certainly important to help ensure the success of a major project such as an air carrier certification, there are less measurable, intangible aspects to project management that when embraced will transform a good project manager into an exemplary one.

One such key intangible is that of anticipation. As projects progress, individuals tend to focus solely on the project plan's defined tasks, timeframes and milestones, and typically look only a few days or a week into the future. This near-term, myopic view creates both an opportunity and the need for project managers to look further downstream, to challenge and vet assumptions, and to anticipate heretofore unknown issues that may beset the client and/or the consultant project team. It is incumbent upon a project manager to continually try to poke holes in the project plan and to identify and proactively address potential issues before they can cause delays.

In his book "The Soul of a New Machine," author Tracy Kidder recounts the story of the development of a new mini-computer by a team of Data General computer engineers. In one passage, Kidder writes about the leader of one of the engineering sub-teams being stunned when he realizes the unexpected need for a completely new interface cable that will be required to provide connectivity between his sub-team's work and that of another. Fearful of the significant impact this new requirement will have on an already slipping schedule, the sub-team leader is hugely relieved that the Project Manager had foreseen the need for exactly such a cable, and had in fact already developed it. In essence, while the sub-team leader was focused on this week's tasks, the Project Manager was thinking about what issues could be lurking in the next month and beyond, and proactively addressing them.

To me, this true story has always represented the epitome of project management excellence, and has repeatedly motivated me to anticipate the needs of both the consultant team and the client, even if those needs are not currently known in full. When practiced, such forward thinking and anticipation can yield huge results in identifying potential roadblocks to success and mitigating their effects, and can provide immeasurable value-add to clients beyond the traditional project management techniques. This type of anticipation and awareness is what we strive toward at JDA, with the net result being greater project success and more satisfied clients.