FY09 JPDO Portfolio Analysis OMB Submission

JPDO’s Interagency Portfolio and System Analysis Division (IPSA) is scheduled to submit its Pre-Decisional FY09 Portfolio Analysis package
to OMB in September.  The package contains extensive analysis on the benefits, costs, and risks of one initial alternative of NextGen from the Integrated Work Plan (IWP).  It also contains papers on the development of NextGen metrics and cost analysis of secondary alternatives developed to highlight the complete “trade space” of NextGen portfolio alternatives for 2025.

JPDO has just completed a series of briefings that provided the methodology and results of the analysis to partner agencies. Based on a memorandum dated July 20, the JPDO Board designated points of contact (POCs) within their agencies to serve as reviewers for the portfolio analysis package.  These POCs were then briefed by IPSA at JPDO offices (Office of Science and Technology Policy and Department of Transportation — August 11; NOAA — August 17; FAA Aviation Safety — August 20; FAA Office of Environment and Energy — August 25; NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate — August 27; Department of Homeland Security — August 31; Department of Defense Lead Service Office — September 1; FAA NextGen Chief Scientist and FAA Policy — September 3) and provided access to the package through the Joint Planning Environment.  Comments on the portfolio analysis documents are due September 4, 2009.

Once IPSA incorporates partner agency feedback and recommendations, the JPDO plans to submit the portfolio analysis package to OMB as part of the FY11 federal budget requirements.

Aligning NextGen Operational Improvements

In support of an overall effort to coordinate agency plans with the JPDO’s NextGen architecture, the JPDO and the FAA have completed an effort to align mid-term and far-term Operational Improvements (OIs).  Fifty-one Integrated Work Plan (IWP) OIs were addressed during this effort.  At the completion of the activity, we agreed on common definitions for the IWP and FAA’s National Airspace System (NAS) architecture for 49 of the 51 OIs. Work will continue to resolve the differences for the remaining two OIs. This alignment will be reflected in the next version of the IWP scheduled to be released October 1, 2009.

The next step in the process between the FAA and JPDO will be to address the IWP Enabler elements that have the FAA as the Suggested Office of Primary Responsibility.  A similar approach will be used for this activity. Fundamentally, that involves bringing together the relevant subject matter experts from the FAA and the JPDO’s Working Groups to address and resolve identified differences among the Enabler elements.

Edgar Waggoner, D.Sc.
JPDO Director, Interagency Architecture and Engineering Division

NASA Issues RFI for Validation and Verification of Flight Critical Systems

Last year, the JPDO ran an architecture-driven, multi-agency gap analysis to better understand how multi-agency investments lined up to NextGen needs as defined by the NextGen Enterprise Architecture (EA) and Integrated Work Plan (IWP). One of the areas that was uncovered as a part of the gap analysis and ranked as a high priority is Verification and Validation of Complex Systems. Given the current complexity of the aviation system and the projected increase in automation and integration as we transition to NextGen, the ability to demonstrate the performance and safety of the system under a broad array of conditions will become increasingly challenging. JPDO requested that NASA take leadership for this gap. As a result, NASA has begun exploration of the issue with an eye to future research in this area.

As a part of this effort, NASA has recently released a request for information (RFI) as follows:

NASA’s Aviation Safety Program is seeking information from the entire aviation community to identify key research needed to help create more effective methods for validation and verification of flight-critical systems.

To this end, earlier this month we released a Request For Information (RFI), available here. This RFI is NOT an initial step in a procurement process, but instead is truly a request for insight from the aviation community, including yourself, and will be used to identify key gaps that research by the NASA Aviation Safety Program can help address.

The response to this RFI is due on April 24 to NASA. We encourage members of the JPDO Community to respond to this important request.

Bob Pearce
JPDO Deputy Director

Configuration Management for Key JPDO Documents

Some of the key foundational documents that have been published by the JPDO over the past year are coming under a structured Configuration Management (CM) process. Once a proposed change or comment to one of the documents has been submitted, it enters the CM process.  The potential change is assigned to a reviewer who determines impact, extent, and issues that would result from the proposed change and proposes an initial resolution to the Change Control Board (CCB).  The CCB then adjudicates the proposed change and decides on a disposition for the proposal. If the disposition results in a change being accepted, the change is implemented and verified, and subsequently published in the next release/update of the document.  Some of the items that are anticipated to be under the new CM process include:

• Any Element in the JPE (ConOps, EA, and IWP)
• Joint Planning Framework (i.e., the metamodel)
• Approved CM Plan and CCB Charter

Other items will be included as appropriate.  For more detailed information on the CM process including the CM Plan and CCB Charter, go here (you’ll need access to KSN) under the Deliverables library.

Edgar G. Waggoner, D.Sc.
JPDO Director, Interagency Architecture and Engineering Division