1. Regional Director, Eastern & Southern African Office, ICAO
Establishing and Sustaining an RSOO: Enablers, Obstacles and lessons learnt
Meshesha Belayneh
Regional Director, Eastern & Southern African Office, ICAO
27 October 2011

2. Outline
ICAO’s Regional Comprehensive Plan for aviation safety in Africa (AFI Plan)
Enabling States to establish an effective safety oversight system through Regional Organizations
Experiences and lessons learnt
Way forward

3. ICAO’s Regional Comprehensive Plan for aviation safety in Africa (AFI Plan) - Origin
ICAO and Contracting States have struggled to meet the challenges related to civil aviation safety oversight in the African Region
Acute economic and political issues influencing the capacities of States civil aviation administrations in the AFI Region pose a complex challenge that truly demanded a new approach
ICAO’s increased leadership in civil aviation safety in the AFI Region was required in order to ensure a sustained improvement in the level of flight safety in the AFI Region,
The creation of a comprehensive regional implementation plan, endorsed by all stakeholders would help to improve the situation

4. ICAO’s Regional Comprehensive Plan for aviation safety in Africa (AFI Plan) - Objectives
Strengthen civil aviation authorities in Africa with respect to their safety oversight capabilities.
ensure impartial and unimpeachable investigation and reporting of serious accidents and incidents;
enhance capacity of regional and sub-regional safety oversight systems;
ensure expeditious implementation of aviation safety management systems for airports, air navigation service providers and airlines.

5. ICAO’s Regional Comprehensive Plan for aviation safety in Africa (AFI Plan) - Implementation
Focus Area 1
Focus Area 2
Focus Area 3
Enabling States to establish and maintain a sustainable safety oversight system (infra-structure and capacity building);
Assisting States to resolve identified deficiencies within a reasonable time; and
Enhancing aviation safety culture of African aviation service providers.

6. ICAO’s Regional Comprehensive Plan for aviation safety in Africa (AFI Plan) - Implementation
Focus area 1
Global Aviation Safety Roadmap (GASR) Workshops;
State specific gap analysis;
Determination of priority projects;
Support the establishment of regional systems
Support in the implementation of framework agreements;
Seminars, workshops and training courses on the organization and management of safety oversight systems. 6

7. ICAO’s Regional Comprehensive Plan for aviation safety in Africa (AFI Plan) - Implementation
Focus area 2
Seminars, workshops and training courses in safety oversight-related subjects;
Standardization and harmonization of aviation training in Africa;
Regional Office Safety Teams (ROST):
composed of ICAO Regional Officers;
provide State-specific support to enhance ability to resolve identified deficiencies and enhance safety oversight capabilities;
coordinate, facilitate and conduct safety-related seminars, workshops and provide training as may be required. 7

8. ICAO’s Regional Comprehensive Plan for aviation safety in Africa (AFI Plan) - Implementation
Focus area 3
Coordination with industry and service providers participation in GASR workshops, and safety management system (SMS) training courses;
High-level management personnel awareness and introductory seminars on State safety programme (SSP) and (SMS);
Building human capabilities – training of SSP/SMS Instructors. 8

9. ICAO’s Regional Comprehensive Plan for aviation safety in Africa (AFI Plan) - Implementation
Conduct specific gap analysis, using the Global Aviation Safety Plan methodology
Focus Area 1
Identify remedial action to enhance safety oversight capabilities and implementation of safety best practices
Communicate intention/findings with concerned States and regional groupings
Enabling States to establish and maintain a sustainable safety oversight system (infra-structure and capacity building);
Inform all stakeholders and solicit support as required to implement the project (ICAO Assembly Resolution A36/1)

10. Enabling States to establish an effective safety oversight system through Regional Organizations
Specific State and Regional Gap-Analysis
Determination of Regional Priorities
Determination of Support from ICAO Council
Development of Support Projects
Implementation
and
Follow Up

11. Framework for a regional safety oversight system
Enabling States to establish an effective safety oversight system through Regional Organizations – Implementation
Ensure that the regionalization adds value to the national aviation system and national organizations
Assess scope and level of air transport activities and oversight functions
Framework for a regional safety oversight
system
Identify and agree on those activities that can be regionalized
Sustainability
Ensure that the regional safety oversight system is designed to be sustainable and self- sufficient
Integration
Integrate the type of activities, legal and financing arrangements

12. BAG CEMAC EAC SADC SEVEN PARTNER STATES UEMOA
Enabling States to establish an effective safety oversight system through Regional Organizations – Where are we ?
BAG
CEMAC
EAC
SADC
SEVEN PARTNER STATES
UEMOA

13. Experiences and lessons learnt 2009-2011 – Enablers
Gap Analysis
Identification of Common Issues and Agreement on Regional Priorities
States' commitment to cooperate to resolve safety deficiencies
Existing Regional Groupings
One Point of Contact (Secretariat/Commission)
Regional primary legal instruments

14. Experiences and lessons learnt 2009-2011 – Obstacles
Conflicting Communications Protocols
ICAO works directly with the States as Contracting States while the Regional Secretariat/Commission is designed to represent the States collectively
Legal instruments
Requirements for additional legal instruments to give effect to the establishment of Regional Safety Oversight Organization
Different levels of approvals
Directors General, Ministers, Heads of States resulting in delay in the approval of the required documents
Human Resources
Delayed Recruitment of personnel
Funding
Agreement on the sources and modalities of funding
Release of funds

15. Experiences and lessons learnt 2009-2011 – Lessons Learnt
Human Resources
Implementation Strategies
Commitment and support
Time constraints
Minimum one year to finalize the necessary processes
Required at all levels of the States
Need for qualitative and quantitative development
Need for different specific strategies adapted to the regional groupings

16. Establishing and Sustaining an RSOO: Enablers, Obstacles and lessons learnt
Thank You