ABSTRACT

Introduction Ample material has been written about the definition and execution of Human Factors activities in system acquisition programs and the steps supporting system engineering. However, there is insufficient information about the macro view of how to address a broad Human Factors program across many diverse organizational environments and in applying Human Factors to the air traffic management (ATM) arena. This chapter uses the experience of developing a Human Factors program at the Federal Aviation Administration as a case study of the ‘macro’ view of applying Human Factors to research and engineering in system acquisitions. This FAA experience demonstrates that three essential vectors are required to achieve a successful Human Factors program: a) relying on Human Factors research and requirements that are relevant and robust, b) developing and managing the Human Factors infrastructure in a way that is flexible and timely, and c) identifying, assessing, and mitigating Human Factors risk in a way that is interactive and iterative. Relying on Human Factors Research and Requirements No properly developed Human Factors program can thrive without establishing a strong foundation of Human Factors research and well-defined requirements, especially during the early phases of acquisition programs involving mission analysis, functional analysis, and requirements determination activities. A humancentered approach to mission analysis provides Human Factors research with the basis for establishing concepts of operation, concepts of use, and an ATM architecture that recognizes and incorporates human performance limitations and capabilities. A fundamental challenge for civil aviation research is aligning the

forces associated with mission analysis to address the vision of architecture evolution with the energies of researchers pushing technology innovations.