National Academies Press: OpenBook

Airport Terminal Facility Activation Techniques (2010)

Chapter: Chapter Six - Terminal Activation Policies, Processes, and Procedures

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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Six - Terminal Activation Policies, Processes, and Procedures." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Terminal Facility Activation Techniques. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14394.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Six - Terminal Activation Policies, Processes, and Procedures." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Terminal Facility Activation Techniques. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14394.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Six - Terminal Activation Policies, Processes, and Procedures." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Terminal Facility Activation Techniques. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14394.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Six - Terminal Activation Policies, Processes, and Procedures." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Terminal Facility Activation Techniques. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14394.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Six - Terminal Activation Policies, Processes, and Procedures." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Terminal Facility Activation Techniques. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14394.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Six - Terminal Activation Policies, Processes, and Procedures." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Terminal Facility Activation Techniques. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14394.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Six - Terminal Activation Policies, Processes, and Procedures." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Terminal Facility Activation Techniques. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14394.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Six - Terminal Activation Policies, Processes, and Procedures." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Terminal Facility Activation Techniques. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14394.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Six - Terminal Activation Policies, Processes, and Procedures." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Terminal Facility Activation Techniques. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14394.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Six - Terminal Activation Policies, Processes, and Procedures." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Terminal Facility Activation Techniques. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14394.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Six - Terminal Activation Policies, Processes, and Procedures." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Terminal Facility Activation Techniques. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14394.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Six - Terminal Activation Policies, Processes, and Procedures." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Terminal Facility Activation Techniques. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14394.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Six - Terminal Activation Policies, Processes, and Procedures." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Terminal Facility Activation Techniques. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14394.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter Six - Terminal Activation Policies, Processes, and Procedures." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2010. Airport Terminal Facility Activation Techniques. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14394.
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Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

This chapter describes some of the practices that were employed by survey participants to complete activation pro- grams from initial organizing and planning through AOD. The approach is based on information from the 14 individu- als interviewed and discussions with Synthesis Topic Panel members. Most of these individuals have led or participated in several airport terminal facility activations. The approach described in this chapter is based on a large project and can be scaled as appropriate for smaller activation efforts. The reason for this is that it is easier to scale down from a large project to a requirement for a small project than to scale up from a small project to a large project. Because airports are constantly changing and growing, new airport terminal facilities are regularly created. Figure 10 shows how an airport terminal facility activation program can be organized, planned, executed, and accepted (opened). Lessons learned during activation of an airport terminal facil- ity can inform activation of future facilities. (See chapter two for information regarding the relationship between the AEC process used to deliver new facilities and the activation pro- cess required to successfully open them.) AIRPORT TERMINAL ACTIVATION PROCESS MANAGEMENT An activation team is established to manage activation activi- ties and interfaces with all project stakeholders. The activation team sets out: 1. The roles and responsibilities for all members of the activation team and the roles and responsibilities of the respective stakeholders and stakeholder groups. 2. The organizational structure for the activation team, subject matter experts participating in the project, and the stakeholders and stakeholder groups. 3. An issue resolution process that clearly defines the methodology for raising issues and clearing issues. A clear escalation process is vital to communicating and resolving issues in a timely manner. 4. A contact database/list for all project participants pro- viding a single source and resource for all activation participants. 5. Focus groups and workstreams for the various acti- vation tasks and activities. This is a key function in which the activation team, subject matter experts, and stakeholders participate to generate the materi- 20 als necessary to power the terminal facility activa- tion process. 6. Statutory and regulatory criteria that need to be achieved to put an airport facility into operation. A key part of the success of any terminal activation process is early identification of these criteria, building the necessary relationships with the authorities and regulatory bod- ies involved and demonstrating to these bodies that their criteria have been met or exceeded. A terminal facility activation plan is prepared at the start of this process, laying out these activities and determining the necessary timelines to complete each of these tasks. The ter- minal facility activation plan enhances the detail of the acti- vation process to permit successful execution. The activation plan is closely coordinated with the design and construction schedule and reviewed and updated on a regular basis. STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT Stakeholders include all parties with an interest in the suc- cessful activation and operation of the new airport terminal facility. Stakeholder engagement (at the right level) is a key component to success. It is vital to make the stakeholders feel engaged and involved. To achieve this a systematic approach is used to identify who the stakeholders are, what their needs are, identify relationships to the project, and develop practi- cal solutions that address stakeholder needs. The activation team is structured so that: • Stakeholders are engaged throughout the process and effectively managed to minimize the risk of surprises. • Stakeholders are appropriately used to support and enhance the outcomes of the activation. This includes active participation in submission reviews, witness- ing of testing and commissioning, and participation in familiarization and training. • Stakeholders are engaged and communicated with at the right time, using the appropriate media so they all believe that they are involved in the activation and vested in its success. Methods and techniques used to engage stakeholders and iden- tify the different stakeholder desires include running focus groups, workshops, structured and semi-structured interview techniques, and consultation. CHAPTER SIX TERMINAL ACTIVATION POLICIES, PROCESSES, AND PROCEDURES

21 The activation team meets with each stakeholder indepen- dently to assess their impact and involvement in the project at the various stages of the activation program. The concept of terminal activation to the wider airport community is pro- moted to increase understanding and place emphasis on the importance of continued participation throughout the activa- tion of the airport terminal facility, as shown in Figure 11. In addition to representatives from the activation team, the larger activation community will extend to all airport and con- struction stakeholders. As the size of the project increases, the number of stakeholders increases, and information flows can become increasingly difficult to manage with meetings and forums becoming unnecessarily overcrowded and ineffectual. For smaller projects many stakeholders wear several hats, resulting in streamlined and simplified information flows. On large projects, to facilitate the communications between various departments and government agencies, a SPOC plus a back-up deputy SPOC concept from each major stakeholder group is assigned to support the activation team, as shown in Figure 12. To ensure a seamless transition into operations the SPOCs: • Bring accountability to each of the various groups; • Have the appropriate level of authority delegated to them to be responsible for making, or obtaining, any necessary decisions for their respective group to be fully involved with activation to bring continuity to the process; • Report on respective group progress toward readiness; and • Participate in resolution of issues as they arise. Each SPOC maintains a direct reporting structure within its home department or division; however, for the purposes of successfully activating the new facilities they functionally report to the terminal facility activation team. The SPOC con- cept is a method of maintaining a constant dialogue between each department and the terminal facility activation team. STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS Management, airport stakeholders, and construction stake- holders have various dedicated forums at which information is passed, project status tracked, and issues raised. Based on the governance structure described in chapter five, key meet- ings are established as shown in Table 4. ACTIVATION COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING Because of the complexities of large airport projects, and the number of different people directly and indirectly affected by the changes that the airport terminal project will bring, com- munications must be carefully managed, both internally and externally. An airport terminal facilities activation communications management plan is developed in conjunction with the air- port authority and other key stakeholders, and details how both internal and external communications are managed. The communications management plan ensures that com- munications with parties are two-way and that stakeholders and other organizations are both informed and consulted at agreed-on stages of the project. This facilitates consistent and timely release and receipt of information by all partici- pants in the project. Airport terminal facilities communications management covers: • Internal communications including: – Activation working group – AEC and construction manager communications Plan of Op’s Trials Manual Schedules Transition Plans Staffing & Training Contacts Roles & Responsibilities Comm Protocols Tools Issues Resolution Confirm Commissioned Trials Trials Monitoring Trials Review Remedial Actions O+ M Manuals Spare Parts Count Down … AOD Start Handover 1. Organization 4. Acceptance 3. Execution 2. Planning Activation Process FIGURE 10 Typical airport terminal facility activation process (Source: David Powell, Arup 2009). What? How? Who? Stakeholders Continued Engagement Early Engagement Success FIGURE 11 Engagement of stakeholders (Source: David Powell, Arup 2009).

– Stakeholder management – Information for the workforce. • External communications including: – Information for the public – Information for other bodies; for example, govern- ment departments. One approach that could be taken to address these different criteria is outlined in the following sections. INTERNAL COMMUNICATION Supporting the airport terminal facilities activation governance structure the communications plan describes how SPOCS are used to facilitate construction progress reporting, stakeholder progress reporting, and reporting mechanisms for project risks and issues. This enables the project governance structure to make informed decisions and provides direction to the over- all project. This includes developing report formats, agreeing on the frequency of reporting, and compiling the audience that reports are distributed to outside of the governance steering committee and relevant working groups. Key elements of stakeholder communications include reporting on construction and stakeholder progress: • Construction progress—Accurate information from the AEC and construction manager SPOCs on the progress of construction and project delivery is crucial to all aspects of planning the airport terminal facility activa- tion process and a successful airport opening. The acti- vation team works closely with the main contractor to develop progress reports, agreeing on metrics to measure 22 progress, and identifying key milestones in the construc- tion and project schedules that can be reported. The reporting approach is developed so that progress can be assessed in an objective and unambiguous way and can be independently verified. This communication process includes the ability for contractors to raise risks and issues so that they can be mitigated and resolved in a timely manner and tracking of contractor documenta- tion production and approvals. • Communication plan—The main objective of this ele- ment of the communications plan is to provide confi- dence to the activation team so that they know the true progress of construction and project delivery and can make informed decisions accordingly. • Airport operator/stakeholder/end-user progress—One of the biggest risks to successful AOD is making sure air- port operator, end users, and all stakeholders are ready for the opening of the new airport terminal facilities. The activation working groups develop and agree on metrics for measuring progress and reporting methodologies covering stakeholders’ key tasks and dependencies in achieving operational readiness. This includes looking at aspects of readiness; including recruitment, training, and the development of new processes and procedures to support operations in the new facilities. Theactivationteam collates reporting information from con- struction contractors and stakeholders and compiles this infor- mationintoa monthlyreport to thesteering committee covering: • Schedule progress; • Key milestones progress; • Document production status; AEC (Architect Engineer Construction Stakeholders Activation Working Group Airport Authority Activation Core Team & SMEs 1 SPOC 1 Deputy SPOC Police Airlines Airport Operations Operations & Maintenance Other Departments & Tenants Airport Community Key Stakeholders Design & Construction Team To provide continuity, 1 SPOC and 1 Deputy SPOC should represent each Stakeholder (note: on smaller projects SPOCs may represent several stakeholders) Customs Immigration Groundhandling FIGURE 12 Activation communication structure. SME = subject matter expert. (Source: David Powell, Arup 2009).

23 Committee Name Attendees Purpose Frequency Activation Steering Committee Executive staff (strategic) High level management forum to set policy, brief, discuss, and resolve issues among airport authority senior staff. The forum is where the AOD is scheduled. Monthly Activation Core Team Activation working group Design/construction team Detailed forum for all stakeholders to share necessary information on all aspects of terminal opening. At large briefing to review operational readiness, plans, procedures, trials, training, and transition management. Monthly, then bi- weekly, then weekly, then semi-weekly, and even daily based on number of issues and time until AOD Activation Working Group SPOCs from: Airport authority Airlines Ground handler Tenants Familiarization with new facilities, systems, operations, etc. Tracking and reporting on readiness of all departments. Monthly, then bi- weekly, then weekly, then semi-weekly, and even daily based on number of issues and time until AOD Safety and Security Steering Committee Airport authority Security provider (police) Operations First responders (fire, EMS) High level forum to discuss and resolve public safety issues Monthly, then bi- weekly, then weekly, then semi-weekly, and even daily based on number of issues and time until AOD Trials Focus Group All stakeholders Construction Detailed forum for discussing the criteria and development of trials Variable (as agreed) Focus Groups (various) All stakeholders Various meetings, planned or ad hoc, to brief and discuss specific topics associated with the opening and transition management plans Variable (as agreed) Information Technology Working Group Senior IT staff Consultant Information sharing forum on all IT-related issues Monthly, then bi- weekly, then weekly, then semi-weekly, and even daily (as agreed) TABLE 4 TYPICAL ACTIVATION MEETINGS

• Issues and risks; • Change requests to scope, schedule, and deliverables; and • Defects and issues resolutions. WORKFORCE COMMUNICATION Potentially significant changes to the working environment may lead to concerns and questions from existing staff. To address these concerns and respond to these questions infor- mation directed at existing staff is carefully managed so that there are no distractions from the focus of all staff at key points in the airport terminal facility activation. Techniques such as “town hall” meetings where all staff, no matter what grade, receive information from senior man- agement on the progress of the project and learn how upcom- ing changes may affect their working lives have been used. This provides an opportunity for management to address spe- cific questions of staff. EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS Communication of the changes that will occur to the airport as a result of the airport terminal facility activation need to be carefully managed so that the public is aware of changes affecting travelers or people meeting travelers to and from the airport. An external communications plan carefully developed with other key stakeholders such as airlines and government agen- cies is used to maximize the effectiveness of communications to the public. The plan covers support for people who miss changes to the process and procedures. It includes provisions to make sure that adequate information is available to help pas- sengers who get lost or find themselves at the wrong location. COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS Fortunately, there are many manual tools in use and automated tools that are being developed to support communications and collaboration—see chapter seven for an overview of some of these tools. ACTIVATION SCHEDULE The activation schedule details the timeline for the terminal facility activation process. It is developed early in the termi- nal facility activation process and is closely coordinated with the design and construction schedule. The activation schedule addresses three basic issues: 1. Alignment of the activation process with the ongoing design and construction activities facilitates proper engagement of the stakeholders in the review processes 24 and allows proper transition and handover of the facili- ties and the systems within the facilities to the stake- holders and end users. Alignment with the construction schedule also permits regular updates and reviews of construction progress to be undertaken to confirm that construction and commissioning activities are proceed- ing in alignment with milestones that are coordinated with the activation program. This facilitates identifi- cation of any necessary adjustments to the activation program owing to construction issues or difficulties in achieving the program. This alignment includes links between the activation and construction schedule identi- fying coordinated milestones for delivery of operations and maintenance (O&M) manuals, training, testing, and commissioning. This includes a focus on the status of the baggage handling system and any other complex or new systems and processes. 2. Development of and reporting on the operational readi- ness countdown, including a reverse pass analysis of the steps necessary for the run up to operations and allow- ing for a reality check on the airport terminal facility activation program and the construction program to con- firm that sufficient time is available to permit an orderly transition to AOD. 3. Definition of all airport terminal facility activation crit- ical path activities and, once defined, monitoring, track- ing, and reporting on progress. The schedule, once developed, is circulated to all stakehold- ers including the construction team as a clear roadmap for the activation of the airport terminal facility. PLAN(S) OF OPERATIONS The cornerstone of the airport terminal facility activation pro- gram is the development of a clear and complete set of plans of operations for the facilities that will be transitioned to operations on AOD. These include standard, irregular, and emergency operating procedures for the new airport terminal facilities. Plans of operations are developed for each key aspect of the airport that is affected by the new airport termi- nal facilities and could feature as appropriate: • Airside/apron/ramp • Terminal facilities • Landside facilities, roadways. A review of current airport operating plans is undertaken to assess: • Those that apply to the new facilities that can be imple- mented with no changes. • Those that apply to the new facilities that can be imple- mented with either major or minor changes to part of the procedures. • New procedures that need to be written to cover new processes and procedures for the new facilities.

25 Working groups are then established to review and develop the operating plans for the new facilities. Figure 13 describes the formation, work flow, and products of these working groups. Those interviewed indicated that the type and level of airport terminal facility activation undertaken determine the types of facilities requiring new or modified operating plans. It is critical that these plans be informed by the oper- ational and maintenance requirements of the new systems and equipment. It is essential that both the activation and the construction programs include milestones for delivery of training, O&M manuals for new systems and equipment, etc. Terminal facility operating plans address regular, irreg- ular, and emergency operations and include: • Roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders; • General descriptions of systems, equipment, and standard operating procedures; • Detailed diagrams of passenger flows and employee flows, as well as flows of goods and solid waste disposal; • General passenger processing, including check-in, gate, and boarding processes; • Customer service amenities; • Irregular operations equipment, facilities, and processes; • Terminal evacuation plan; • Communication and coordination strategies—callouts, briefings, and emergency centers; • Staffing and monitoring schedules; • Terminal irregular operations—weather, air traffic, life safety, building flow, air carriers, uncleared bag- gage, building mechanical, and information technol- ogy (IT); • Labor disruption plan; • Default, bankruptcy, or termination of service plan; • Overview of Emergency Management Program and Incident Management System; • Definition of airport operational levels—normal, irreg- ular operations, emergency, and disaster; • Description of emergencies—aircraft-related, non- aircraft-related, and medical; • Command and control flowcharts for each emergency type; • Emergency checklists; and • Emergency contact information for all stakeholders. The activation working group described in Figure 7 assigns responsibility for developing aspects of the various plans of operation to focus groups. As the plans are developed and Create Working Group Working Group to be comprised of the Single Points of Contacts (SPOCs) for the operational stakeholders of the airport authorit y. Identif y Plans of Operations What are the operational plans that are required to document and support full y integrated airport operations; e.g., terminal, BHS, IRROPS, emergencies, Identif y plan content? Identif y Plan Owners The departmental owner “owns” the majorit y of the processes, sy stems, and/or equipment detailed in the plan. The owner is responsible for keeping the document up to date and has final approval on content and publication. Plan Development Each plan is fully developed with input from and di scussions with Working Group members and owners of processes, sy stems, and equipment to: Document and confirm roles and responsibilities Document and confirm processes, sy stems, and equipment Identif y and document requirements for subordinate (contingenc y/ mitigation) plans to support operations during IRROPS or emergencies. Development Review Review of document to ensure accurac y of content. Edit document for grammar, st yl e, consistency , and format. Publish Plan Upon thorough review by relevant Working Group members and Plan Owner approval, document will be finalized and published. Develop Training Material Training material, job aids, and/or guidebooks to be developed from plan contents. Test Operational Plans Trials program to test viability of processes, systems, equipment, and training in a simulated operational environment. Revisions as Required Plans of operations are living documents; amendments are to be made when necessar y as a result of evolving operational requirements to the working environment and industr y standards. FIGURE 13 Working group work flows. BHS = baggage handling system; IRROPS = irregular operations (Source: Arup 2009).

finalized they are reviewed by affected stakeholders and, as appropriate, the entire activation working group. Once this review is complete the same focus groups engage in re-working any procedures where editing/amending is agreed and creating the new procedures necessary for the new facilities. It is important that the stakeholders actively engage in this process because they ultimately are responsible for implementing the procedures set down. This process is carried out for all operational procedures. Draft documents are generated for all appropriate departments to review and to ratify. The resulting complete set of operating plans and procedures is treated as a live document regularly updated to reflect changes and enhancements made during the life of the new airport terminal facility. DEFINING TRIALS Once the operating plans are defined and developed, trials can be defined and trial program development started. Trial dependencies are identified and fed into the activation sched- ule clearly identifying interface needs and dependencies that affect the running of operational trials. From the review, ini- tial trial data can be fed into the activation schedule and an initial review of the trial effort can be held with the stake- holders; once agreement is reached on what will be put on trial, the trial program can be detailed. TRIALS PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND EXECUTION The trials program development and execution is an oppor- tunity to confirm that existing procedures work well for the new facilities and an opportunity to test the operational pro- cedures that have been modified or newly created. The trials program details all of the trials that are to be developed, the focus groups involved in developing the tri- als, and the resources that are necessary to conduct the trials. A trial manual is produced that clearly defines the program that will be developed and followed. Within the trial program development the following details were identified by those interviewed: • Owners for each trial are identified. This is typically the party that will be responsible for the processes that are being tested. The trial owner is responsible for develop- ing, executing, and evaluating the results from the trial. • Depending on the size and complexity of the trial and trial program it may be appropriate to establish a trial review board to provide governance of the trial process, an overview of the trial process, and assess the results of the trial process. Alternatively, the activation steer- ing committee could fill this role. 26 • Trial dependencies include project-based dependencies for facilities, systems, and equipment, as well as opera- tional dependencies based on input from stakeholders and operational needs. • Trial scripts that detail the participants in the trial, trial objectives, dependencies specific to the trial, and trial scripts necessary to execute the trial. • Logistics plan(s) necessary to support the overall trial program and the needs for specific trials. • Trial participant recruitment, number and qualifica- tion levels of participants for each trial, and strategy for managing the participants in each trial developed. On some of the larger airport terminal facilities included in the survey, several thousand volunteers participated. At others, participation was limited to airport staff. • Trial coordination center from which the planning, exe- cution, and post-trial reviews will be managed. All trial plans, test scripts, participant recruitment, etc., need to be documented. Progress in developing the necessary trial data is tracked against the delivery program and regular progress reports generated to indicate the state of progress. Those interviewed indicated that typical trials can include: • Basic trials of operation of individual systems and pro- cesses (e.g., test fits of aircraft to gates, land side way finding, and check-in). • Advanced trials of integrated and interoperable sys- tems and airport operational processes—These trials can include comprehensive trials of departing passen- ger processing, arriving passenger processing, transfer passenger processing, inbound and outbound and trans- fer baggage. The intent is comprehensive simulated oper- ations with all stakeholders fully engaged and, where appropriate, participation of the public and perhaps the media. The success of these trials is critical as they will provide the first opportunity to see a day of oper- ation mode. • Fall back trials of contingency programs to address fail- ure of systems, equipment, or standard operational pro- cedures. These fall back trials test contingency programs when one or more systems fail. For example, what hap- pens if baggage sortation messages are lost, or if the flight information display system fails? • Emergency trials to test emergency operating proce- dures as well as command, control, and communications procedures. Emergency trials often include a series of orientation and familiarization exercises for first respon- ders and personnel involved in emergency operations and procedures in advance of AOD. The objective of the trials program is to simulate actual facil- ity operations so that before the opening all stakeholders have the opportunity to completely understand their responsibili- ties during normal operations, irregular operations, and in the event of emergencies.

27 Trials are executed in accordance with the trial manual and the agreed trial program and schedule. Trials commence with basic trials, which test a subset of the overall operations process and allow assessments to be made on a small scale to assess the effectiveness of the subset process and progress to advanced trials that will test complete processes; fall back trials, which assess fall back scenarios; and emergency trials, which assess emergency scenarios. Before each trial com- mencing assessments are made to: • Establish that all dependencies for the trial have been met, • Assess that suitable workarounds are in place if a depen- dency has not been met, • Confirm that all necessary resources (people, equipment, etc.) for the trial are available, and • Confirm that all logistics for the trial are in place. Before executing any trial and based on these assessments a go/no go decision is made for the trial. If a go decision is made the trial will be executed in accordance with the agreed-on trial management scripts. All necessary forms to collect feedback from the trial volunteers and observers are prepared to facilitate gathering information during and after execution of the trial. A post-trial review is conducted to review the information collected and assess the outcome of the trial. A trial report is compiled for review by the trial owner, trial review board, and/or activation working group. The report details the find- ings of the trial and any observations or opportunities for improvement resulting from the trial. The report identifies any proposed remedial work for consideration by the activa- tion working group and/or steering committee. The report also documents whether a particular trial is complete and successful or re-running in part or in whole is necessary. The results of a trial are reviewed and evaluated to deter- mine whether: • Any remedial works are necessary to deliver the opera- tions for the facility, • There need to be any changes in processes or new fall back procedures, and • Whether or not a trial or portion of a trial needs to be re-run. DEVELOP TRANSFER AND TRANSITION STRATEGY Detailed transfer and transition strategies for all stakeholders need to be developed. Such strategies detail: • Logistics for transfer and transition; • Facilities for transfer and transition; • If any early opportunities for transfer and transition exist; • Dependencies, IT, systems, facilities, etc.; • Timing sequence, details of timing before AOD and the night before AOD a complete move program is devel- oped to detail hour by hour before AOD the moves in the transition; and • Mechanisms for tracking and reporting on progress of activation so that any issues can be addressed early before they affect AOD schedule. Each stakeholder develops plans as detailed earlier; focus groups and workshops are run to assist in producing these plans. From these plans, a detailed comprehensive and consol- idated countdown to operations checklist is developed and tracked. This checklist includes a comprehensive list of all issues that must be addressed to achieve a successful opening. It identifies the individual responsible for each issue, the status of the issues, and the scheduled date for the resolution of each issue. A red–amber–green traffic light or other color coding system is often used to highlight the status of each issue (see Table 7 in chapter seven or Appendix E). The checklists are based on the number of days to AOD and facilitate a detailed review of the status of readiness moving toward AOD. For example, 90/60/30-day checklists have been used to track the closing of issues as opening day approaches. If issues are not being closed in accordance with the plan, this is identified and can be addressed. Issues that arise as a result of the checklist review can be raised and managed to avoid affect- ing the schedule and allow for a “no surprises” road to a suc- cessful AOD. TRANSFER AND TRANSITION COMMENCEMENT The size and complexity of the project determines the amount of time required for the transfer and transition process. For example, for a larger relatively complex project, it could begin 90 days or more ahead of planned AOD in accordance with the transition plans developed and the 90/60/30-day check- list. For smaller, simpler, or repetitive projects less time is allocated, and for larger more complex projects more time would be allocated. All stakeholders work through and report on their progress in completing the 90/60/30-day countdown checklists. Issues that arise during this process are monitored, reported, and esca- lated to fully complete the checklist. Issues that arise that could have operational impacts for AOD are assessed to determine viable workarounds in the event that the issue does not get resolved before AOD. Again, the purpose here is to ensure a timely opening with no sur- prises on day 1. If workarounds are agreed to, they are thought through, tested, trialed, and incorporated into the operations process. At the appropriate points during the countdown process, stakeholder groups carry out their transition to the new facil- ities; this process is managed and reported against the agreed on programs, checklists, and plans.

GO/NO GO FOR AIRPORT TRANSITION AND OPENING PROCESS Vital to the success of the transition process and the final countdown to opening is a key point, go/no go decision on the airport opening date. Health checks on the proposed opening date are made progressively throughout the activation pro- cess with key milestones highlighted in the overall airport terminal facility activation program and scheduled to assess whether an adjustment in project scope, implementation of fallback procedures, or additional resources is appropriate to successfully achieve the proposed opening date. Issues that may affect the opening day are: • Construction progress, on schedule or not: – General constructions progress, – System installation progress, – Commissioning progress, – Handover progress (as-built documents, operations manuals, service/maintenance agreements, warranties, etc.), and – Training progress. • Stakeholder readiness, prepared or not: – Recruitment progress. – Planning progress (plans of operations), – Training and familiarization progress, and – Acceptance of facilities and systems. • Critical issues raised during trials resolved. • Statutory certification achieved. As the program advances, it is important that checks be made at regular and milestone intervals to confirm the fea- sibility of achieving the desired opening date. When issues are identified they are ranked in accordance with criticality and status; the individual responsible for managing issues to resolution is identified and a completion date assigned. Critical issues are addressed before AOD by fully resolving the issue or implementing a workaround. Potentially, less critical issues can be resolved post-opening. The status and criticality of each issue is tracked and reported on using a red–amber–green or other indicator to highlight its current status. At times separate columns are used to track critical- ity and status. At a time or times to be determined during the activation, schedule development of the status of critical issues and AOD is reviewed. If issues are amber or red, risk mitigation strategies are developed. Such mitigation strategies could include: • Authorizing shift or overtime work to remedy deficien- cies and/or complete any construction work that has fallen behind schedule. • Modifying the program to only open what has been completed. • Developing workarounds for any systems or processes that fail to function as planned. 28 If none of the risk mitigation strategies are adequate, it may be necessary to postpone AOD. Owing to potential impacts on financing, debt service, airline schedules, capital expendi- tures by tenants, lease agreements, concession revenues, etc., a decision to postpone AOD is generally made after all other options have proved unsatisfactory. COUNTDOWN TO AIRPORT TERMINAL FACILITY OPENING DAY Within the final 30-day countdown window (and for some items before then) the following processes are executed: • Handover of facilities and systems to system owners, operators, and maintainers for their care and custody. • Establishment of the airport opening command center that will be the central reporting hub for the transition event before opening and during the first operating period of the new facilities. • Establishment of external communications to all areas and/or bodies that will participate in the opening of the new facilities. The final countdown to opening is the most critical period running up to AOD. It is the period with the most intense activities and involves the largest number of relocations and moves. Critical to the success of this run-up period is having a clear central command and control center that monitors and manages the moves and resolves any issues as they arise. All stakeholder groups are actively engaged in this process. The size and complexity of the airport terminal facility being acti- vated dictates the required structure and formality. Figure 14 is an example AOD command center layout for a large com- plex project. POST-AIRPORT TERMINAL FACILITY OPENING DAY ACTIVITIES Once the facilities are successfully opened the activation team conducts a series of reviews to facilitate successful ongoing operations of the facilities. These reviews include: • A final lessons learned report for the airport terminal facility activation; • Review of warranties, maintenance agreements, and con- firmation that spare parts are handed over; • Coordination of any remedial works; and • Handover of all activation documentation. RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING Stakeholder needs for recruitment and training are identi- fied early in the terminal facility activation process. Prop- erly trained and sufficiently staffed teams are fundamental not only to ensuring a successful AOD, but also for contin- uously providing an appropriate operational environment

29 once the facility is open. The overall training approach can be seen in Figure 15. IDENTIFYING RESOURCES The resources planned for the new facility need to be analyzed from early on in the project life cycle. A thorough review of each stakeholder’s resource plans for the new facility needs to be conducted to ensure that the correct numbers of staff are available to deliver against the proposed organization struc- ture and operational goals of the new facility. Following from this, an emphasis on using existing resources wherever possible to ensure skills that already exist in house are identified and developed to their full potential. A process to produce profiles that categorize job roles and identify the competencies for these roles is con- ducted to confirm that the best opportunities to utilize exist- ing staff are taken. TRAINING MATRIX A stakeholder training matrix is a tool that can be used to map stakeholder training needs to the multiple systems being installed. The training matrix provides all stakeholders with FIGURE 14 Command center layout (Source: Greater Toronto Airports Authority 2009). Individual Stakeholder Training DeliveryTracking Stakeholder Recruitment Specialist Training Delivery (Optional) Advanced Airport Operations Training Coordination Off-shore specialist on-job training Contractor Training Specialist on the job training Training for Airport Trials Train the Trainer Orientation and Familiarisation Training Overall Stakeholder Training Programme Core Training Delivery FIGURE 15 Training approach (Source: Arup 2009). a comprehensive list of the systems being installed and a snapshot of the types of training staff are nominated for on each system. The matrix identifies which stakeholders are operators, maintainers, and users of each system, and this information will influence the type of training each stake- holder will be assigned. Table 5 is an example matrix.

TRAINING PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT Based on the stakeholder training matrix, the activation team commences a dialogue with the relevant stakeholders to review contractor training programs to assess the types and levels of training being offered to gauge suitability. As part of this stakeholder coordination a training gap analysis, as shown in Figure 16, can be used to gauge the level of training being provided under the terms of the contract against the needs of all stakeholders. If stakeholders are engaged early in the airport terminal facility activation these requirements can inform the design process, thereby making it possible to min- imize the size of or possibly even eliminate any gap. How- ever, owing to technology and staffing changes, on large com- plex projects it is likely that the training program may change and a gap develop. Participation in the commissioning process provides an opportunity to facilitate familiarization and training of O&M staff. This is achieved by coordinating the commissioning schedule with the availability of appropriate O&M staff. TRAINING SCHEDULE Based on the findings of the previous analysis, the activation team produces training plans for each stakeholder that feed into an overall training schedule that encompasses all of the training to be delivered for the project. 30 This training schedule is coordinated with the contractors and the stakeholders so that it aligns with the overall activation program, taking into account the progress of construction and systems acceptance, stakeholder recruitment, and schedule of the trials. Training is sequenced so that all prerequisites are completed before the training begins. TRAINING TRACKING The activation team tracks training delivery, monitoring progress to help build confidence that sufficient training has been completed for AOD. The tracking element encom- passes all key stakeholders to ensure that internal training programs are also progressing in line with activation targets. The activation team coordinates the delivery of contractor training with the progress of recruitment to ensure that courses are only run once the right staff is in place to receive the train- ing. The activation team also monitors the quality of training delivered, attending sessions to verify the extent and effec- tiveness of training. CORE TRAINING DELIVERY—ORIENTATION AND FAMILIARIZATION PROGRAMS The activation team designs and delivers orientation and familiarization courses that are both generic and stakeholder focused. A foundation of this process is engaging mainte- TABLE 5 OWNER, MAINTAINER, USER MATRIX

31 nance, operations, security, and other airport staff to partici- pate in and witness commissioning. This serves to help famil- iarize them with new equipment, systems, and facilities. Orientation courses can be delivered on a train-the-trainer basis. Individuals are selected to receive intensive orientation and familiarization training from the activation team to a level that enables them to deliver internal training and famil- iarization courses to other members of their organization. These courses are then used to train the bulk of the air- port, airline, and stakeholder staff and can then be developed in-house and delivered to all new staff working at the airport in the future. Table 6 outlines various types of orientations and familiarization training to be considered. TRAINING MATERIALS Training materials for use during orientation and familiariza- tion sessions include the plans of operation developed for the new airport terminal facility, O&M manuals, and other project- related documentation. Some of the airports included in this survey developed staff guide books to aid in the familiarization process. The guide books proved to be a useful tool that was applied exten- sively by all key stakeholder staff for the delivery of orien- tation training. Figure 17 provides examples of some staff guide books created for projects that have participated in this ACRP study. TRAINING FOR TRIALS Depending on the construction program it may be neces- sary to conduct operational trials before formal contractor training is completed. Under such circumstances, the acti- vation team coordinates with a specific contractor to achieve the familiarization training necessary to cover all of the systems and processes required to successfully deliver the trial. TRAINING GAP What was originally procured? What is the contractor obliged to provide? Who is the training designed for? How many people will you train? How will the training be delivered? When do you intend on delivering the training? What training do you require? What is your staff structure and at what level do you require training? How many staff need training? How will the training be received and transferred to others When do you require the training? STAKEHOLDERSCONTRACTORS FIGURE 16 Training gap analysis (Source: Arup 2009).

32 Orientations Description Generic Orientation Orientation training that is provided to all staff as an introduction to the airport facility and covers all of the generic aspects that staff is likely to encounter during their day to day roles. Basic way—finding for employees, public/staff road access, bus and transit stops, parking, routes to and from stakeholder areas General airport orientation, terminal/concourse layout, check-in, transfer, departure and arrival routes Location of amenities—toilets, food halls, and cash point Awareness of public and service areas, landside/airside, high and low security areas. Emergency Orientation Orientation in emergency procedures and life safety systems to adequately prepare staff for working in a safe environment and providing an effective response to members of the public in the event of an emergency. Orientation of emergency exits, evacuation routes, assembly points, and access for medical staff Nearest fire alarm, extinguisher, first-aid kit, security point, and emergency phone Proper use of emergency equipment Awareness of correct procedures for various emergencies. Systems Familiarization Where formal contractor training is not provided, the activation team can help coordinate familiarization training on common airport systems to ensure staff is aware of the correct methods and procedures for using installed systems. Telephone system FIDS/BIDS (flight information/baggage information) displays SACS (Security Access Control Systems) Life safety systems. Operational Orientation Stakeholder-specific training focused on the areas, functions, and systems relevant to the stakeholder/department being trained. Develops generic orientation to enable staff to operate effectively in their specific roles Introduces staff to operational systems and their distribution throughout the new facility (essential for maintenance teams such as engineering services and IT staff). TABLE 6 ORIENTATIONS AND FAMILIARIZATION TRAINING

33 FIGURE 17 Staff guide books (Dubai, New York, and Toronto).

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TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Synthesis 20: Airport Terminal Facility Activation Techniques explores lessons learned during terminal activations at 13 domestic and international airport facilities. The report is designed to help identify effective airport terminal facility activation practices.

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