Regional Project
DRAFT OUTLINE OF AN EATEO PROPOSAL TO THE EC
ENSURE AVIATION SAFETY AND SECURITY THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING / VOCATIONAL EDUCATION TRAINING ( VET ) ACTIVITIES IN THE POST CONFLICT PERIOD AS REGARDS THE SOUTHERN NEIGHBORHOOD AREA (SYRIA, IRAQ, LIBYA AND YEMEN )
INTRODUCTION
Conflicts have an enormous cost in terms of human, financial and infrastructure resources. In post-conflict situations, States are often left without even the most basic infrastructure and services.
Aviation sector has to maintain high safety standards and in order to resume normal operations both at international and national level, following an intense conflict /civil war period , an adequate number of certified /trained aviation personnel must be ensured.
The EU according to the approved policies should strive to support countries in situations of post conflict fragility to establish functioning and accountable institutions that deliver basic services and support poverty reduction and the aim to ensure a smooth transition from humanitarian to long-term development measures.
SCOPE / THE ROLE OF EATEO
One of the main objectives of the “European Association of Aviation Training and Educational Organisations - EATEO ( www.eateo.eu )”, which was recently established with the support of ECAC, ICAO, JAA TO and others, is promoting the importance of training for the safety, security and other aspects of aviation, as well as the fostering of regional cooperation.
On the basis of these objectives, the General Assembly of the EATEO Members decided to develop a project regarding the evaluation of the current status of aviation in the conflict countries of the Middle East and their future training requirements in the post conflict era.
The project is aligned with EU policies for relief, crisis management, stabilization/reconstruction assistance and long-term development cooperation (Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development /LRRD) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This project proposal is designed to address the immediate training needs of the Civil Aviation Sector of the beneficiary States through VET, in order to ensure connectivity and safety of aviation operations in a fragile, post conflict environment towards a sustainable development:
Area : Southern Neighborhood
Beneficiary States (as per priority):
SYRIA
LIBYA
YEMEN
IRAQ
Civil Aviation Sectors concerned:
Civil Aviation Authorities/Regulators/Certifications
Air Navigation Service providers
Airports / Ground Operators
Maintenance Operators
Air Operators
Other relevant stakeholders
Professional qualifications / personnel concerned:
ATCO’s
ATSEP’s
CAAs / Regulators personnel / National Inspectors
Maintenance personnel
Airport personnel / ground handlers
Air operators/air crew
AVSEC / Security personnel
Other relevant staff
PROJECT STRUCTURE AND TIMESCALES
The project is envisaged to be implemented in two consecutive phases:
PHASE 1
EVALUATE AND PRIORITISE THE POST CONFLICT TRAINING NEEDS OF THE BENEFICIARY STATES, WITH THE VIEW TO ENSURE AVIATION SAFETY AND SECURITY.
Establish a network of focal persons per aviation sector (2.3 above refers) / per State concerned
Organize sectoral meetings
Perform a Training Needs Assessment (TNA) per State / sector
PHASE 2
DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT TRAINING PROGRAMMES ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE AVIATION SECTOR OF THE BENEFECIARY STATES IN THE IMMEDIATE POST CONFLICT ERA
Based on the TNA of Phase 1, develop according to international aviation standards a training programme per State and per sector. Prioritize needs according to international safety standards and availability of funds.
Organize and deliver training, including class room - e training and blended activities according to the training programme per sector.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Overall responsibility for the project will lie with the Executive Committee of EATEO and the implementation will be carried out by its members in accordance with their respective expertise and status.
It could be also envisaged that EATEO cooperates with EASA and other International Institutions in the overall management of the project. Project Management (PM) tasks and responsibilities can be delegated from the Executive Committee to a respective Steering Committee, to better articulate and coordinate project implementation and more particularly with emphasis on activities, outputs, budget and financials, quality assurance throughout the lifetime of the project.
It is expected that previous experiences and knowledge and knowhow of the partners are to be incorporated in the management tools of this project. The Partnership and the Executive Committee is expected to guide the project timeline with accurate and accountable output delivery dates, with appropriate adjustment mechanisms in place.
Nonetheless, a skilled, dedicated and effective project management office (PMO) team should be appointed by the Partnership (or the Lead Partner / EATEO). The PMO team will be responsible for the sound management of the whole project and thus will need to cope with the regulatory framework and operational requirements, indicatively:
• project management, eligibility of expenditure(s), public procurement(s)
• financial management, follow up of payment procedures, pre-financing agreements, recovery procedures
• quality assurance and validation of project deliverables / outputs
• reporting on project progress / implementation
• public and wider awareness of project objectives and impact
• on-going monitoring and evaluation (internal or otherwise external) of project activities / results, with the use of qualitative / quantitative indicators
The PMO team will actively be engaged in handling and highlighting project risks that may come up during the duration of the project. It is expected that an appropriate procedure will be presented, debated and agreed by the Partnership to identify and characterise threats, assess vulnerabilities, determine risks and ultimately to identify ways to reduce and overcome those risks.
The abovementioned will be addressed throughout a Quality Assurance and Management System of the project that is to be developed at the start of the project and approved by the Partnership. As such, it will include the different monitoring and management mechanisms: (Lead Partner, Project Manager, Steering Committee, Financial Managers, Dissemination Managers, Quality Assurance, External Evaluator) as well communication and documentation standards.
Note on EASA role:
It is noted that though EASA is not a Member of EATEO, it has expressed its willingness for cooperation. The scope of such cooperation will be discussed between the EATEO and EASA management at a meeting to take place soon.
It is also noted that EASA has been already funded through European Development Fund (EDF) to implement a Technical Cooperation project: IASOM (Improving Aviation Safety Oversight in Malawi).
DURATION AND COST OF THE PROJECT
A complete description of the project, which will include the duration of each Phase and the relevant cost, as well as the expert / organization to be involved, will be developed and submitted to the European Commission, once the latter indicate its initial willingness to finance the project.
KEY FACTORS
Sector: Human Development, Vocational Education Training (VET) for Civil Aviation in a fragile/post conflict area
Domain: DG MOVE /DG DEVCO/EU External Investment Plan / European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) etc.
Funding Instrument: EU Grant