NextGen Air Transportation System: FAA's Metrics Can Be Used to Report on Status of Individual Programs, but Not of Overall NextGen Implementation or Outcomes

In July 2010, we found that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had instituted a portfolio approach to implementing the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) designed to help the agency assess and convey the implementation status of interrelated capabilities and operational improvements, but that this approach lacked written policies and procedures to guide resolution of any disputes between FAA lines of business and that roles and responsibilities for oversight and accountability were unclear. Because implementation of NextGen capabilities requires action across various lines of business with separate budgets within FAA, the potential exists for disputes and issues to arise that may hamper timely implementation. A lack of clear dispute resolution procedures and clear roles related to oversight and accountability raise questions about how quickly and effectively any such disputes or issues that arise will be resolved, and who is responsible and accountable for implementation. We therefore recommended that FAA develop written policies and procedures for dispute resolution across different FAA lines of business and outline the appropriate roles of portfolio managers, program managers, and the NextGen Management Board, which is responsible for overseeing NextGen implementation overall, in managing these portfolios of improvements. In response, in 2011, FAA initiated quarterly portfolio management reviews which include members from all FAA lines of business affected by the NextGen capabilities being implemented. As a written policy and procedure, any disputes or issues across these lines of business are to be resolved at these quarterly meetings, and if not resolved, are elevated to the NextGen Management Board - which includes the leadership of all FAA lines of business and has the authority to force timely resolution of emerging NextGen issues. In addition, in April 2013, an agencywide framework called "Ideas-to-In-Service" (i2i) was initiated and key components were incorporated into the agency's acquisition management system. The i2i framework defines the collaboration, structure, and coordination required of all FAA lines of business and staff offices to insure the successful implementation of NextGen. The i2i framework also clearly defines the role of portfolio managers, who are responsible for tracking performance, schedules, milestones and resources for their portfolio of NextGen capabilities, and are responsible for conducting the quarterly portfolio management reviews, in relation to the NextGen Management Board and individual project managers. These changes will improve oversight and accountability for implementation of NextGen capabilities, resulting in greater assurance that improvements to the air transportation system will be made and the benefits NextGen promises will be realized.

In July 2010, we found that, although the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has broad goals for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), such as enhancing safety, reducing aviation's environmental impact, and increasing operations and efficiency, specific goals for NextGen as a whole have yet to be determined and FAA has not agreed on a set of overall performance metrics that it can use to measure progress. In addition, FAA's performance reports to the Congress and the public discuss only a few NextGen capabilities and programs that are expected to have an effect on existing agencywide metrics and do not include any performance information specific to ongoing NextGen capabilities that are being implemented. We therefore recommended that the FAA Administrator develop a timeline and action plan to work with NextGen stakeholders to develop an agreed-upon list of outcome-based performance metrics and goals for NextGen broadly and for specific NextGen portfolios, programs, and capabilities. Further, we recommended that NextGen performance metrics be aligned with FAA's agencywide goals and performance plans. In response, FAA set up an agency wide NextGen Performance Metrics Working Group, conducted interviews with all of the FAA representatives and developed a set of performance metrics that were used as a starting point with Industry collaboration. FAA has aligned these metrics under broad NextGen Goals that are now aligned directly with agencywide goals identified in FAA's most recent strategic plan. For example, one specific metric is to "improve throughput (at core airports) during adverse weather by 14 percent by 2018" which aligns with the NextGen goal to "increase efficient performance," which will lead to progress on FAA's strategic goal to "deliver access through innovation." In order to connect NextGen goals, actions, and results, FAA also developed the NextGen Dashboard which evolved into the NextGen Performance Snapshots (NPS). The NPS website was launched in March 2012. The purpose of the NPS is to ensure transparency and alignment of the FAA's goals by comparing key NextGen initiatives with performance outcomes at locations where NextGen technologies have been deployed. According to the FAA, the agency plans to continue to update the NPS with additional metrics as they mature. These actions will help ensure that stakeholders, interested parties, Congress, and the American people will have a clear picture of where implementation stands at any given time, and whether the technologies, capabilities, and operational improvements that are being implemented are resulting in positive outcomes and improved performance for operators and passengers.