Relevant expertise

The main expertise offered by IFE relevant within ATM covers Human Factors, Ergonomics, Industrial and Organisational Psychology. In particular:
• Validation of physical control room layouts
• Usability testing of human-machine interfaces
• Test and evaluation of operator support systems
• Validation of control room design principles and philosophies
• Providing objective data on factors influencing human performance in the Human Reliability Assessment (HRA) field
• Organisational issues
   - Organisational and individual Change and Transition processes
   - Best practices for managing Shiftwork issues
   - Criteria for Safe Staffing of controller working positions

The above mentioned expertise is complemented by the competence in Risk Assessments, Safety in Software Development and Reliability Analysis of systems:

• ESARR4 Safety Assessment Methodology
• Model Based Risk Assessment
• Standards for software development
• Dependable Requirements Engineering
• Lifecycle-Oriented Management of Dependability Factors
• Domain-Centered Integration of Methods, Techniques and Tools
• Quantitive and Quialitative Reliability Analysis
• Reliability in PDS/COTS (Pre-Developed Software/Commercial Off-The-Shelf)

Eurocontrol projects:

IFE has a seat in EUROCONTROL's Human Performance Focus Group (HPFG) together with e.g. AVINOR. HPFG is lead by EUROCONTROL, and the group has an advisory function, with meetings 1-2 times a year. In addition, IFE is part of the Change and Transition Task Force addressing the foreseen changes in European ATM.
In the last years IFE has been involved in three project addressing organisational aspects of ATM. These projects were a feasibility study aimed at identifying good shiftwork solutions for European ATM, the responsibility for conducting a study on safe staffing, as well as a feasibility study on change and transition management. IFE is currently involved in the continuation of the change and transition project.
IFE has also been responsible for the training of staff at Eurocontrol Experimental Centre (EEC) on the topic of quantitative research methodology, developed a web based tool for information handling during simulator experiments, and had responsibilities during the Human Factors experiments for the CORA project. CORA (COnflict Resolution Assistant) was a research program by Eurocontrol with a purpose of developing technical assistance for air traffic controllers in conflict situations. The aim was to meet future demands for handling increased traffic levels. IFE has contributed by evaluating CORA regarding the optimal allocation of tasks within the controller team and between sectors, as well as conflict detection (based upon MTCD) and conflict resolution proposals by an automatic agent. Eurocontrol projects include the following:

• Change and Transition in ATM – 2006/2007
• Safe Staffing in ATM – 2005/2006 
• Change and Transition – Feasibility Study – 2004/2005
• Managing Shiftwork in European ATM – Best Practices and Feasibility Study – 2004/2005
• Conflict Resolution Assistant (CORA) Conflict Allocation – 2003
• Conflict Resolution Assistant (CORA) HF2 – 2003
• Conflict Resolution Assistant (CORA) HF1 – 2002
• Conflict Resolution Assistant (CORA) HF1 Pre-project – 2001
• Information management HF-lab – 2001
• Tools (questionnaire system) – 2001
• Training experimental methods 2 – 2001
• Training experimental methods 1 – 2000

Contact details
ATM coordinator:   Jan Heimdal,  janhe@hrp.no +47 69212216
Division head:  Andreas Bye, ind-info@hrp.no, + 47 69212276

Other projects:

IFE has the advantage of being organized the way Eurocontrol recognizes to handle risks. The sector Safety Human – Technology – Organization in IFE has always had its focus on what Eurocontrol’s ESARR identified as the essence of risks in ATM systems, which is Equipment, Human and Procedures. When new technology is used to make an ATM system more efficient it is necessary to be able to prove that the new technology does not entail risk, so that safety is on the expense of efficiency.
The interest of IFE’s competence in development of safety critical software has been growing rapidly in the ATM industry, as most of the new technology in this industry is based upon software. IFE has good experience from cooperation with companies like Park Air Systems, Avinor and ACAMS, and notice an increasing demand from other European parties. Further, IFE is participating in consortiums that have research and development of ATM as focus area.

Contact details
ATM coordinator:  Christian Raspotnig, christir@hrp.no, +47 69212296
Section head:  Bjørn Axel Gran, Bjorn.Axel.Gran@hrp.no, + 47 69212395