TAIMA 20^th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Member of the Tanzania Aeronautical Information Management Association-TAIMA in a group photo with the Guest of honor seated second from right.

                                                            AIS/AIM Career path

Always there is a question to whether the AIS/AIM profession would need a carrier path for its practitioners to go through. Yes, most staff have not understood this concept. Let me tell you today!

A career pathway enables AIS/AIM staff to explore the available training opportunities within the cadre thus build the pre‐requisites for training on the imminent working positions. Example; PANS‐OPS training, AIS/AIM Inspectors etc.

If you trained for a Basic AIS/AIM course, then you got deployed as AIS/AIM officer and it is obvious that you  started working at Aerodrome Reporting Office(ARO)/ Briefing Office for a couple of years. At ARO level  you must have went  for  Advanced AIS/AIM course and off-course some four or five others courses right?

Normally with the experience you have gained, you should get promoted to  NOTAM Office gain more experience and attend  a bunch of courses. You are almost a Senior staff in AIS/AIM!

Afterwards, you get promoted to  AIM PUBLICATION, then to AERONAUTICAL CHARTS/CARTOGRAPHY, then to PANSOPS and ultimately to AIS/AIM Inspectorates level. In each of the promotion you will gain experience and get to train four to five courses. All together you will have earned about 25 different courses.

Now, if we assume you got one course yearly (the entire career path) in that case you are more competent, experienced and a principal to  all duties of your profession.  Therefore, as an  AIS/AIM staff you have spent well your public servant period. Rather, you are a veteran then you could get appointment to lead entire cadre!

Shiftworks in Aviation

Shiftwork is very common in the Aviation Industry. Jobs that are often linked to shiftwork include; pilot, cabin crew, ATC, check-in, baggage handling and many more.

Types of shiftwork can include

• Continuous shiftwork
• Permanent shiftwork (e.g. always on 'morning' shift)
• Shiftwork that can be with or without night work

Factors affecting shiftwork

The World Health Organisation; International Agency for Research on Cancer 1indicates that factors that affect shift work can be broken down into five sections:

1.Family and Living Conditions

• Maritial status
• Number and age of children
• Work conducted by partner
• Housing conditions
• Family attitudes
• Family Income

2.Social Conditions

• Shiftwork tradition
• Community organisations
• Social improvement
• Social Support
• Commuting
• Public Services avaliable and used

3.Individual Characteristics

• Age
• Gender
• Circadian Structure
• Personality and Bahaviour
• Sleep Strategy
• State of health

4.Working Hours

• Shift schedule
• Timetables
• Overtime
• Amount of night work being conducted
• Flexible time arrangements

5.Working Conditions

• Compensation measures
• Monetary compensation
• Work organisation
• Job satisfaction
• Work load
• Counselling

What can be done?

Although it can be seen that employers cannot easily influence family and living conditions, social conditions or individual characteristics, they should therefore try their best to influence working conditions and working hours in such a way that the organisation and the employee can both benefit.

In aviation avoiding shiftwork is often impossible. Therefore it is important that employees recognise the effect that undergoing shift work may have and seek to minimise any negative impacts that could be ocuring.

If it is known in advance what shifts you will be required to do, then you can aim to plan and make changes to your usual activities to help minimise the effects of shiftwork. For example if you were co-parenting with someone else you may be able to arrange for them to care for the children the night before and after your late-night shifts are due to start/end.

It is important that the effects that shiftwork can have on the body and mind are understood so that mitigation of the effects can occur.

Air Medical Staff Example

Air medical staff are often required to be on-duty for up to 24 hours at a time. This has been identified to have potential physiological and psychological challenges2. Missing one night of sleep (due to being on-duty) can decrease cognitive performance by up to 25%, this rate increases to 60% if a subsequent loss of sleep occurs the following night2.

Night Shift

Those who undertake night-shift employment are also increasing their risk of:

• Gastrointestinal Disease
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Breast Cancer Risk
• Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes

Post-night shift sleep has been found to contain lower quality sleep. The sleep is also often of shorter duration of a normal night sleep.

AERONAUTICAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT -AIM

JOB DESCRIPTION

 Perhaps you don't know the general job description of the so called AIM officers in your country, they play a great role though it is not visible. Please go through it to learn more !!

1.  JOB IDENTIFICATION

1.1    Position Title:     Aeronautical Information Management Officer

                                      Formally known as Aeronautical Information Service                                                            Officer

1.2    Section:               Aeronautical Information Management

1.3    Department:       Air Navigation

1.4    Job Location (Complete as appropriate):      Civil Aviation Authorities-CAAs

                                       And Airports

1.5    Ministry:                Under Ministry of Ministry of Transport

2. PURPOSE, DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES (Describe the main duties and responsibilities, indicating what is done and how it is done. Duties should be presented in decreasing order of percentage of time spent on them, or in order of relative importance):

        

Purpose: The purpose of the AIM Officers is to maintain the operational timing from sunrise to sunset to ensure that the information passed by the agencies is authentic for the safety, regularity and efficiency to the international civil aviation standards. Some of the AIM units operates 24 hours a day.

Duties and Responsibilities

% of Time

Field ·            Accumulate raw data from the reliable sources and airline agencies for dissemination of information ·            Carry out all printing and distribution works ·            Write  NOTAM , SNOWTAM and  TRIGGER NOTAM, ·            Coding and Decoding in-coming and out-going NOTAM ·     Disseminate the NOTAM,SNOWTAM and TRIGGER NOTAM via Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network (AFTN) ·         Obtain information to meet the need for pre-flight information service and in-flight information service ·           Monitor the validity of incoming and out going NOTAM  ·           Maintain Check list of Incoming and out going NOTAM ·           Distribute  checklist of  supplements and AIP circular periodically ·   Exchange and maintain record/checklist of other AIP and it’s amendments ·            Disseminate Flight plan and Repetitive Flight plan. ·    Amend National and International AIP as and when require and maintain records. ·            Issuing of landing and over-flight clearances to some Units ·        Calculate and estimate the charges for Safety fees, Air navigation and short-term operation license fees, Landing fees, Parking fees and Administration fees.

3. KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS REQUIRMENTS: Minimum requirement for performance of work describe:

3.1   Education: Bachelors of Science

3.2 Training:

 The AIS/AIM Officers are required to undergo a full course of:

o   AIS/AIM Courses,

o   AFTN course

o   AIS Briefing Course 

o   Cartography Courses.

o   Computer Networking & IT courses

3.3     Length and type of practical experience required:

One year experience as AIM Officer-Trainee or equivalent experience.

3.4  Knowledge of language(s) and other specialized requirements:

 English with Radio/Telephony phraseology and practical knowledge oriented

4. COMPLEXITY OF WORK:  Describe the intricacy of tasks, steps process or

     methods involved in work, difficulty and originality involved in work.

          The work involves a careful review of the all incoming NOTAM are checked for accuracy since it is possible for figures group to be transposed or accidentally corrupted during transmission. As such, when NOTAM is received relating to say, a runway at foreign airfield, and a check should be made against AIP of the Provider State to ensure that the NOTAM consistent with published information before it is promulgated.    

5. SCOPE OF EFFECT OF WORK:  Describe the purpose, breath of work performance, and the effect the work has on the work of others or the functions of the organization

The primary purpose of the work is to provide the information necessary for the safety, regularity and efficiency of international air navigation. This is achieved by coordinating with the international and adjacent agencies in order to keep the information of other state up to date for the safety, regularity and efficiency of air navigation flight. Such information includes the availability of air navigation facilities, and services and the procedures associated with them.

6.      INSTRUCTION AND GUIDELINES AVILIABLE:

6.1       Instruction: Describe controls exercised over the work by the Superior; how work is assigned, reviewed and evaluated.

Duties and responsibilities of each level are categorized and divided in accordance with the ICAO Annex 15,14, and the reference document Doc.7192.

6.2              Guidelines: Indicate which written or unwritten guidelines are available, and the extent to which the employees may interpret, adapt or devise new guidelines.

Relevant articles in the International Civil Aviation Convention  Annex 15,14 and Manuals Document Doc.8697, 7192. and relevant documents must be used to achieve compliance with ICAO mandates  .

7.      WORK RELATIONSHIPS: Indicate the frequency, nature and purpose of contacts with others within and outside the assigned organization (other than contacts with superiors):

Chief of AIM Officers/ Principal AIM officers/ Sr. AIM officers, AIM Officers and AIM officer-Trainees within the organization (who covers the international NOTAM Office, Communication Unit, Database Unit, Briefing Unit and Cartographic Unit), the respective officers must maintain close co-ordination with the Technical Services, (such as ATM, CNS,MET, Fire services,), Airline agencies, Survey Department, Plant and Quarantine and airline operators. This will involve discussion on the operational and maintenance of National AIP.

On international level, close liaison must be maintained with International Civil Aviation Organizations (ICAO) headquarter on the recent changes in minimum standard and recommended practices (SARPs) and plan at national level for achieving the compliance

8.   SUPERVISION OVER OTHERS: Describe responsibility for supervision of other employees, including the nature of supervisory responsibilities and classification and number of subordinates.

Each lower level of AIM section is supervised by an upper level, that is to say   

The AIM Officers will supervise the conduct and performance to the AIM Officer-Trainees with regard to their skills and knowledge. Similarly the Senior AIM officers will supervise AIM officers on levels I and II as well as those on Trainee level, Principals supervises the seniors and in each Unit there is one supervisor.

9. JOB ENVIROMENT: Describe physical exercise required, such as walking standing, lifting objects, etc., and /or any risk or discomforts such as exposure to chemicals, climbing to heights, extreme weather conditions, or other severe discomforts.

The job involves mainly of office task, such as Screening and checking the accuracy and distributes the information to the users, a careful analysis of traffic emanating from each aerodrome/heliport is important. It does not involve any significant physical exertion. 

                                                             

                                                  PLANNING MEETING!!

An effective planning meeting is a product of preparation, leadership, group participation, open communication, time management and a clear understanding by everyone of what the meeting is supposed to accomplish. Its process and effectiveness are further measured by feedback during and after the meeting as well as by how the assignments made and decisions reached are implemented . 

The Planning meeting for AIM section was successfully held at the Aviation House building, Banana Junction Ukonga Dar es Salaam. 

                                                    Delegates of the Meeting pose with their smiling faces

More pictures will follow soon!!

Question of the day

What differentiate the current AIM from the former AIS? Are there any recognized changes to make us feel we are truly in AIM era? Adinan Mvungi (15th October 2014 on AGM hosting Committee meeting)

ANSWER:

Yes, The paper works has been reduced 20-30%, today the sharing of information is mostly online a simple example is the distribution of the NOTAM current which goes directly through the TCAA's website, our customers access it easily,  AIC's are also distributed to the stations through mails, that makes it easy to amend the AIP's and AIC''s as well (each office has its own email). However we are still behind in some basic issues like filing the flight plan for scheduled airlines, take an example Precision air flight plans, why can't we make it repetitive? Also the essue of electronic AIP, I am not sure if we have bought already the so called CD dublicator  - Kisesa

 Roles, skills and qualities of information management officers

In general, information management officers play important roles in ensuring effective information management and in identifying information needs and requirements throughout the organization’s business activities. The technology can only assist in processing the data into information that officers can later digest as knowledge and innovation. Only people who can determine which information is useful and which is not in the knowledge creation process are therefore information management officers.

Even if the qualification, qualities and skills differ from one organization to another, but there are common roles, skills and qualities such collection of information, information analysis and information dissemination.

S/N	Role of information management officers
1	To acquire, collect and deliver information (e.g. Reports, records).
2	To identify the quality and evaluate information effectively.
3	To identify organizations’ information needs and requirement.
4	To identify and analyze customers and competitors and facilitate effective communication
5	To develop and maintain library, database, online information resources and websites.
7	To conduct organizational environmental scanning for external and internal information.
8	To conduct and manage research projects and participate in decision making with superiors.
Skills and qualities for information management officers
1	Ability to collect, organize, store and utilize information and knowledge.
2	To have background, skills and professional in information and knowledge management.
3	Good communication and ability to work in a team and ascertain customer needs
4	Strong IT application skills
5	Strong awareness of the business/working environment, leadership skills and management experience
6	To be innovative and creative in creating new strategies to improve services and enhance the organization to attain its goals, and objectives.

Source: ‘‘Rivers of knowledge’’ by Karen Bishop, 2001