job description for the nextgen mid-term atct controller - FAA Human ...

Executive Summary
The development of this description of the job of the Air Traffic Control Specialist (ATCS) as it
will exist in the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) mid-term time frame
(2018) in the Airport Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) environment represents a unique and
substantive challenge; much is still unknown regarding NextGen and the specific technologies,
automation, and procedures that will support it. However, it also represents an important and
timely opportunity to inform the pre-employment selection and training processes that are
required to ensure that the workforce will be ready and able to perform the job effectively in
2018. It also provides the opportunity to identify potential risks so that they may be evaluated by
NextGen system engineers, hardware and software developers, human factors researchers, and
other aviation professionals.
METHODOLOGY
The research methodology employed by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to develop
this future-oriented job description involved data collection, data synthesis, and data projection.
First, AIR collected data from many NextGen-specific documents and from in-person interviews
with NextGen subject matter experts (SMEs). Next, AIR synthesized these data with its
understanding of the current job and used the resulting knowledge to evaluate the impact of the
ATCT-specific NextGen technologies, automation, and procedures (i.e., Drivers) that are
proposed to exist in 2018. The result is this description of the ATCT controller job as it will be
performed in 2018 and beyond. Note that the research in this report describes the impact of
NextGen on the certified professional controller (CPC) managing live traffic at an ATCT
workstation. It does not include the impact of NextGen on an ATCS’s training or supervisory
responsibilities.
Because NextGen supports changes to an existing job (as opposed to creating a new job) and
because the resulting changes to the job are relatively subtle, this job description—presented
below and supported by more detailed information in the rest of the report—consists of an
explanation of how the 2018 ATCS job will be different from the 2011 ATCS job.
Consequently, this description requires an understanding of the current job, and more important,
of how the current job analytic data are organized. The work that ATCSs perform on the job is
captured in terms of Tasks, which are grouped into categories called Sub-Activities and
Activities. The characteristics required of workers to perform the job are captured in terms of
Knowledges, Skills, Abilities, and Other Personal Characteristics (KSAOs). The Tools and
Equipment used on the job are also identified. These lists are provided in Appendix A.
J OB DESCRIPTION OF THE NEXTGEN MID-TERM ATCS
This Job Description of the NextGen Mid-Term ATCS working in the ATCT environment is
based on the NextGen technologies, automation, and procedures (i.e., NextGen ATCT Drivers),
which will have an impact on the job responsibilities, KSAOs, and the work environment more
generally.
1