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| The role of Human Factors (HF) in air traffic management (ATM) system design, evaluation and implementation is critical, particularly as a balanced trade-off between humans and automation is necessary and inevitable for future air traffic growth. However, project managers are faced with the following challenges: |
- HF issues that are complex and difficult to identify
- HF interventions made too late
- Justifying resources and budget for HF
- Acceptance by end users
- Applying HF flexibly, not prescriptively.
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| These challenges led to five principles on which to structure the HF Case: |
- A practical process to capture HF issues and benefits
- A process to support validation and timely interventions
- Facilitation for project managers to make a case for HF within a project
- A structure to enable expert input as well as end user involvement
- An adaptable process to meet different project requirements.
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| The HF Case is a practical process to address and manage Human Factors (HF) benefits and issues throughout an ATM project life-cycle. In terms of validation this is a crucial step to ensure that a concept or a system will deliver its intended (human) performance. The HF Case process is designed to be iterative as it can be reapplied through each lifecycle phase as the project matures. The HF Case is a five stage process as follows: |
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- The HF Case supports pragmatic integration of Human Factors within the systems development life-cycle.
- It analyses and optimises the human interaction with a system and its environment and considers system being operated or functioning in a normal and abnormal manner.
- The HF case process uses the services of Human Factors practitioners who can use experience to interpret the situation and provide informed predictions when it is not possible to meaningfully measure human performance or relevant criteria.
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Key outputs from the HF Case are: |
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- Clear scope of HF in the project
- Definition of the change introduced and its impact
- List of HF benefits and issue
- List of HF requirements and validation needs which can feedback into all aspects of ATM system design, implementation and operations
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When is the HF Case initiated? |
| The HF Case can be initiated at any stage of a project’s life cycle. Ideally the HF Case should be initiated at the earliest possible stage in the project lifecycle. |
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Where is the HF Case applied? |
An HF Case can be applied to a number of projects i.e.
- Bespoke systems - new, tailor-made systems
- Commercially available systems - ‘Commercial Off The Shelf’ (COTS) systems and products
- Systems implemented elsewhere - main emphasis on local implementation issues
- Modified systems extended by new system level functionality.
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In short, an HF Case should consider anyone who is affected by system changes and how their performance contributes to the total system performance.
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Since 2004 a variety of HF Cases have been carried out for projects like:
- A cockpit tool to improve airborne traffic situational awareness
- An investigation into phraseology confusion
- The airborne collision avoidance resolution and advisory system downlink
- Concepts for mixed landing system operations
- Advanced surface movement guidance and control systems
- The implementation of new controller support tools.
- New automation concept for the future of ATM
- Reorganisation in ATC OPS room
- New ATCO Rostering
- New - Flight Data Processing System
- Trajectory Management Applications
- Unmanned Aircraft Systems) ATM Integration
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“The HF Case is the difference between success or failure for controller tools implementation. It covers key areas that are often neglected and that are important for optimum implementation.”
FASTI Programme Manager
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Deliverables & Communication material |
The Human Factors Case (HF Case) was launched in August 2004, supported by the first edition of the HF case.. Lessons learned using the HF Case in a number of EUROCONTROL projects led to the publication of a revised HF Case process as Edition 2 in 2007.
The experience gained from the application and from feedback given by HF Case users indicated some areas for further improvement. Additionally, the European Operational Concept Validation Methodology (E-OCVM)(1) has become a standard for European projects and has been adopted by SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) The HF case process has been revised in 2010 and a support material for HF case application has been produced to detail the latest HF process updates.
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Last validation: 10/06/2011
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