| The increased accident rates are the most visible | | | | supported by international community. Examples |
| consequence of sub-Saharan Africa's struggling | | | | from other sectors seem to indicate that the |
| aviation safety system. Due to lack of political will | | | | costs involved in salary top-ups could be borne |
| at the highest levels of government for taking | | | | fairly easily by the international community. |
| proactive steps on behalf of aviation safety has | | | | Sharing Experience of Regulatory Independence. |
| contributed to the underlying cause of distressing | | | | A campaign for political understanding can also |
| accident rate in this part of the world. However in | | | | draw on experiences with regulatory |
| most cases it may not be that simple. | | | | independence in other countries wave of political |
| Often the key political officials are not the | | | | and financial independence for government |
| authorities responsible for safety in aviation. | | | | departments throughout Africa in the early 1990s |
| Empowerment of the civil aviation department by | | | | has brought mixed experiences. The civil aviation |
| the other government branches plays a critical | | | | through the collection of navigation and landing |
| role in enabling much-needed legislative changes. | | | | fees it has been empowered to use the finances |
| Institutional grievances, lack of communication, | | | | for its operations. Through political independence |
| difficulty in understanding the international | | | | the organization can operate outside the political |
| regulatory regime and the economic | | | | mainstream. It then no longer has to devote |
| consequences of not meeting its standards, and | | | | previous resources to routinely addressing purely |
| outdated regulatory frameworks must be | | | | political issues. |
| overcome before determination at the top of the | | | | For those countries that the aviation industry may |
| political establishment can be effective. Through | | | | be too small to generate sufficient revenues for a |
| the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) | | | | financially independent CAA, then in these cases, |
| auditsof states' government civil aviation | | | | regionalization of safety oversight may be a |
| departments or independent civil aviation | | | | solution. The African region can be helped by |
| authorities (CAAs) some consequences of the | | | | assistance in the form of tools to build an |
| current situation in Africa is discovered. Though | | | | economic case for an independent civil aviation |
| formerly audit reports were to be confidential but | | | | authority. Parliaments in Africa may want to know |
| became public March 1, 2008. Another | | | | what are the credible sources of income for an |
| consequence has been the blacklisting of some | | | | authority-only with sufficient income can an |
| African airlines by the European Union. | | | | authority survive on its own.The amount of |
| Various African states are working towards | | | | revenue that is generated by a particular level of |
| improving their safety oversight systems on the | | | | industry activity is quite often difficult to quantify, |
| basis of the findings of ICAO audits. However, | | | | however. |
| many Africa civil aviation departments, those | | | | Though a number of documents describe the |
| lacking the autonomy of CAAs, need the | | | | tasks of a civil aviation authority, but they provide |
| international aviation community to work with | | | | no logical explanation of the raison d'être for a |
| them in creating an enabling environment. That | | | | civil aviation authority and its critical function in |
| support will help African aviation professionals get | | | | aviation safety based on state responsibilities. The |
| the essential political backing from their | | | | international aviation safety community should |
| government and legislative bodies. Such a | | | | consider organizing a program that enables |
| campaign to provide the preconditions for political | | | | countries in the region to learn from countries |
| will must focus on a number of issues. | | | | that already have established a CAA. |
| Creating Political Momentum. | | | | Raising Public Awareness. |
| Quite a few African countries have an established | | | | Improving media reporting on the international |
| safety oversight system based on an outdated | | | | safety oversight responsibilities that have to be |
| legal framework. The laws and regulations | | | | met by aviation authorities will also have to be an |
| sometimes date back to the 1950s or 1960s.They | | | | ingredient of the ‘political understanding' |
| were developed for a completely different era of | | | | campaign. Also ensuring numerous articles on |
| the aviation industry. Such legal instruments may, | | | | safety are written in which responsibilities and |
| for example, be geared to looking at purely | | | | powers of ICAO are misinterpreted. The media |
| technical solutions to safety issues. At best, they | | | | often do not understand the international |
| may take account of human factors. But hardly | | | | expertise that is required to provide adequate |
| any are sufficiently current to tackle the issue of | | | | safety oversight. Such experts can easily seek |
| organizational weaknesses, as today's safety | | | | greener pastures in a growing industry in Africa or |
| management systems do. | | | | in other regions of the world, such as the Middle |
| When the civil aviation departments try to realize | | | | East. |
| fundamental changes toward the modern legal | | | | Some news stories may be based on little or no |
| codes needed for adequate safety oversight then | | | | research, encouraging unjustified public resistance |
| they may face political reluctance. Likewise they | | | | to establishing financially and politically independent |
| may fface similar political reluctance when trying | | | | authorities and higher salary structures based on |
| to restructure the system in the direction of | | | | international standards. |
| independent CAAs.The civil aviation department | | | | Some countries pay specific attention to the |
| may have to persuade its parent Ministry, the | | | | deficiencies in air navigation services, as well as |
| cabinet and parliament that regulatory | | | | the inconsistency between deficiencies and the |
| independence or regionalization is a critical step to | | | | charges for these services. The most notorious |
| move effective supervision and aviation safety | | | | subject is radar coverage. Since it is one of the |
| improvements. | | | | most visible pieces of infrasture, the media |
| Quite a number of East and Southern African | | | | eagerly pick up the issue, followed by calls for |
| states have members of parliament who | | | | better navigation facilities and VHF radio |
| represent a district constituency. In such electoral | | | | communication coverage in controlled |
| systems, not only in Africa but throughout the | | | | areas.However, there are other areas of aviation |
| world, some members of parliament are | | | | safety such as safety oversight that also |
| influenced by whether they can see political gain in | | | | deserve attention. |
| supporting a particular legislative or administrative | | | | Tanzania is among the countries that have taken |
| change to aviation safety oversight | | | | the important step of organizing aviation |
| legislation.Moreover, members of parliament | | | | familiarization workshops for the media .This will |
| belonging to the political opposition may | | | | help gain public appreciation of the international |
| sometimes be reluctant to support changes | | | | regulatory requirements through informed |
| favored by the ruling party. | | | | reporting. Better public appreciation may help |
| With the transfer of a minister or secretary of | | | | create parliamentary priority for adequate safety |
| transport will often mean new aviation policies and | | | | oversight. |
| new managers of the civil aviation department. | | | | Data and Analysis. |
| With this changes, in turn, may result in having to | | | | With the use of data will assist in improving |
| start over again in familiarizing the new officials | | | | political understanding and justification for allocation |
| with aviation safety issues and the need to push | | | | of scarce resources. Very little information is |
| for changes in laws and regulations or for | | | | available on the extend to which African aviation |
| regulatory independence from politics. | | | | departments and authorities harvest |
| Members of parliament, however, usually remain in | | | | comprehensive safety data other than accident |
| office for their full term. They are a more | | | | statistics. |
| constant force in government. It would certainly | | | | Safety data management and analysis have |
| help aviation departments to have explanatory | | | | helped identify safety trends around the globe. |
| documentation written for a non-aviation audience | | | | They can be highly efficient in predicting where |
| to sensitize new members of parliament and | | | | action is best taken to prevent incidents and |
| ministers about the roles and international | | | | accidents.However, data-driven safety |
| responsibilities of the aviation regulators. Such | | | | management has not yet influenced aircraft |
| documentation should also explain the relevance | | | | operations in Africa on a large scale. Working |
| of aviation safety to possible blacklisting and | | | | toward a common collection of safety data will |
| subsequent consequences for tourism and trade. | | | | allow the detection of meaningful safety trends |
| That may also help win the support of key | | | | and eventually prevent incidents and |
| political players. | | | | accidents.However, data-driven safety |
| Civil Service Realities. | | | | management has not yet influenced aircraft |
| Another ingredient for political will is recognition of | | | | operations in Africa on a large scale. Working |
| civil service realities. After all, resistance to | | | | toward a common collection of safety data will |
| restructuring of aviation departments may come | | | | allow the detection of meaningful safety trends |
| from many professional corners. While there are | | | | and eventually prevent incidents from developing |
| opportunities for aviation inspectors to earn | | | | into accidents. In most African countries, the |
| considerably more by moving to a commercial | | | | practice will require a change in legislation to give |
| aviation job as a typical middle management civil | | | | aviation safety professionals sufficient confidence |
| servant in many African states may earn no | | | | in the proper use of the data they provide. The |
| more than us$500 per month. Also the | | | | legislators have to be educated about nonpunitive |
| government can not justify why a particular class | | | | data collection to be able to strike a delicate |
| of civil servants or experts, namely those in | | | | balance between protection of aviation |
| aviation, should earn significantly more than others. | | | | professionals in the interest of safety and |
| More and more, the international aviation | | | | criminalization of accident investigations if there is |
| community considers the regionalization of safety | | | | a case to answer. |
| oversight to be the best way to solve deficiencies | | | | However, such data can also assist in building a |
| in safety supervision.However, regional | | | | rationale for devoting adequate resources to a |
| cooperation brings up issues of national | | | | CAA.Figures and graphs make it is easier to |
| independence and pride in Africa, just as it does | | | | explain safety needs to key political players who |
| elsewhere in the world, so the road to | | | | have little aviation background. They may make |
| regionalization is not easy. An added complication | | | | clear to people outside the industry the added |
| in the case of African countries with a district | | | | value of a competent CAA.In that manner, such |
| electoral system is that decisions about these | | | | data may help build a case for a restricted civil |
| solutions may be put to members of parliament | | | | aviation authority or a transition to a regional |
| who may have no direct political interest in | | | | safety oversight organization. |
| approving them. | | | | Role of ICAO. |
| While regional cooperation is a very constructive | | | | A related challenge for the international aviation |
| path, it should not lead to delaying the building of | | | | community is to produce publications that make all |
| national capabilities. This is particularly true since | | | | this more or less self-evident. Plain-language |
| lengthy development times are usually involved | | | | leaflets will have to describe why a regional |
| with such regional solutions. Capability build-up at a | | | | oversight organization or an independent civil |
| national level can very well be gradually integrated | | | | aviation authority can better take care of safety |
| into the regional entity in due time. | | | | oversight then a politicized government |
| The civil aviation department should consider | | | | department. |
| salary top-ups –a supplemental income for | | | | ICAO itself is being restructured into an |
| key safety oversight experts and this will serve | | | | organization that will focus on implementation of |
| as a temporary solution. Salary top-ups are | | | | its standards. The African region can benefit from |
| contentious issue but may provide a bridge to | | | | such standards-implementation assistance. |
| more structural solutions such as regional | | | | The ICAO Africa Comprehensive Implementation |
| oversight organizations. In fact, even the ICAO | | | | Plan (ACIP) offers good prospects for a |
| cooperative Development of Operational Safety | | | | coordinated approach. Important work is being |
| and continuing Airworthiness Program (COSCAP) | | | | done in cooperation with the industry Safety |
| projects rely indirectly on salary top-ups. | | | | Strategy Group on implementing the Global |
| Salary top-ups help keep professionals with | | | | Aviation Safety Roadmap. The implementation of |
| international qualifications available for critical civil | | | | ACIP will provide a thorough test of whether |
| service positions and other economic sectors are | | | | ICAO can effectively executive its new |
| the health sector. In some cases, top-ups are | | | | implementation role. |