[Peetwo]

Ticking boxes & joining dots -


Okay to begin to put this in perspective, sometimes pictures (or in this case graphs) paint a thousand words:



The blue from the 2008 graph was the full & frank ICAO audit team assessment, of where 'we', as an ICAO signatory nation, were at in comparison to the global average, on what was then considered eight critical elements of the FAA/USOAP audit process. You can see that not one single element surpassed or equalled the global average. 

In the 2nd graph purple represents where we are assessed at being now (2016) after our aviation safety bureaucrats (Murky & his minions) have carefully filled out and ticked the boxes in the ICAO USOAP CMA questionnaire/self-assessment process...    

K said - The ICAO Audit – ATSB - June 2004 found the organization in ‘good shape’...
Reference Executive Summary of the 2004 audit report paragraph 4.1 to 4.6:

4.1 The ICAO audit team commended the positive and professional approach of the ATSB in proactively seeking the audit. The team was highly satisfied with the legislative and organizational framework established by Australia and the ATSB enabling the conduct of aircraft accident and incident investigations. Nevertheless, the audit focussed on all areas related to accident and incident investigation and found possible areas of improvement...

...Sure, there were a few niggles – it was an audit after all; but essentially Kim Byls and his crew had done a good job and the Reason model was used effectively...

And with two notable exceptions - what a team , reference paragraph 1.5 2004 audit:  

ATSB officials contacted

Mr. Kym Bills Executive Director

Mr. Rob Graham Director Safety Investigations Branch

Mr. Alan Stray Deputy Director Aviation Safety Investigation

Mr. Patrick Hornby Legal Advisor

Mr. Lawrie Brown Team Leader, Quality and Audit

Mr. Christopher Filor Deputy Director Surface Safety Investigation

Mr. Ian Sangston Senior Transport Safety Investigator

Mr. Phil Robertson Senior Transport Safety Investigator

Mr. Julian Walsh Acting Team Leader, Technical Analysis and

Notification

Mr. Joe Hattley Team Leader, Aviation Investigations

Mr. Greg Walsh Notifications Officer

Mr. Steve Young OASIS Data Administrator

Mr. Andrew Roberton Senior Transport Safety Investigator

Mr. Rodney Newnham Senior Transport Safety Investigator

Mr. William Fry Senior Transport Safety Investigator

Note that the services of Herr Walker - guru of all things beyond Reason - was not called upon - wonder why?

The number of Safety Recommendations was on a par with the worlds best; the reports were of benefit to all and the safety lessons and messages were making improvements, as and where required.

Now this is where, IMO, the true divergence by the ATSB from (a) Annex 13 & recognised World's best practice/methodology in effective AAI; and (b) minimalising the overall iinfluence of 'organisational factors' in the causal (Reason model) chain of accidents/incidents truly becomes apparent.

Reference2004 audit:

..para 1.3.1..The audit was carried out with the objective of ascertaining the capability of the ATSB of Australia and to ensure that it is in conformity with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), as contained in Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention), guidance material and relevant safety-related practices in general use in the aviation industry as referred to in such material.

---

2.1 The audit was carried out following the standard auditing procedures provided for in ICAO Doc 9735 — Safety Oversight Audit Manual with the objective of reviewing the relevant activities conducted by the ATSB to determine whether the SARPs of Annex 13 and associated guidance material were being followed. The objective was also to offer advice, as applicable, to the ATSB in implementing these provisions.

2.2 The ICAO audit team reviewed the ATSB compliance with the SARPs set out in Annex 13 and other relevant procedures, and adherence to guidance material and relevant safety-related practices in general use in the aviation industry, as referred to in such material. The ICAO audit team also reviewed whether the ATSB had the organizational structure and the legal status necessary to carry out its obligations.

 
And on Safety Recommendations the report said:

4.6 Safety recommendations are issued by the ATSB in conformity with Annex 13 requirements....

As "K" said, everything was going along swimmingly until the terrible tragedy of Lockhart River...

After that there was a bizarre pendulum shift that IMO saw all the positives, acclaims and transparency of that ICAO audit be almost totally reversed in the negative. One of the indicators that clearly shows this reversal IMO is in the decimation of the 'safety recommendation'.

The following is a link for a short PAIN opinion paper, part of which dealt with the decline of the safety recommendation: Opinion :-ATSB since 2003.

TBC...P2


Ps For the Murky Mandarin ventriloquist dummy, miniscule DDDD (Dumb Dancing Dazzling Dazza), to while away the time in the Chairman's Lounge, preening himself & waiting for his next set of weasel word lines to prattle out on cue from M&M - Simply join the dots DDDD to find what is in the picture...