New PARAS Guide Helps Airports Improve Security
Looking for standardized root cause analysis (RCA) guidance to tackle the complexities of airport security?
Evans is proud to have partnered with the Program for Applied Research in Airport Security (PARAS), Analytic Services, Inc., and Dynamis, Inc. to release an innovative, step-by-step guide for airport security officials conducting RCAs.
Airports may use the Guidance for Root Cause Analysis in Aviation Security, in whole or in part, to investigate and improve upon aspects of airport security. It provides both a comprehensive overview of the RCA process and breaks down the methodology into sections that are easy enough for non-experts to navigate in identifying solutions. The guide does not simply provide the what, but also the how and the why of applying RCA to aviation security challenges.
Tara Stearman, Principal of Aviation at Evans Consulting, served as the subject matter expert on airports and FAA oversight, ensuring that the context of the report was applicable to the airport environment, regulatory compliance was sustained, and the guidance aligned with needs of key stakeholders. Stearman leveraged her extensive network in aviation to survey the industry about security challenges and facilitated an RCA workshop to test the viability of the RCA process and obtain feedback.
Prior to the release of the PARAS report, a standardized RCA process that comprehensively addressed the complexities of airport security did not exist. Airports lacked a consistent approach to meeting regulatory requirements and accessing business improvement opportunities. The standardization of the RCA methodology provides several key benefits, including:
- A systemic, research-based methodology for conducting RCA
- Supporting tools and information to facilitate the RCA process
- Consistency in the quality and efficacy of results
PARAS 0027: RCA Methodology
“This agile and comprehensive guide can be leveraged to address the many complexities and challenges inherent to aviation security,” says Stearman. “The deliberate structure and in-depth explanations of RCA best practices and strategies, coupled with the methodical processes documented in this guide, ensure that not only are you solving the right part of the equation, but your math will be spot-on every time.”
Evans is a long-standing support contractor for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and thought leader in the aviation industry. For more information on Evans’s services, please contact us any time.
PARAS is managed by the National Safe Skies Alliance (Safe Skies), a non-profit organization that works with airports, government, and industry to maintain a safe and effective aviation security system. Funding for Safe Skies’ programs is provided by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Additional PARAS publications can be found on the PARAS Reports Page: https://www.sskies.org/paras/reports/.
