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FAA Strategic Initiatives | i 

Contents 

Introduction 1

FAA’s MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES 1

THE STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE 2

FAA STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND PRIORITY INITIATIVES 3

Chapter 1: Risk-based decision making 5

1.1. CONTEXT 5

1.2. ASPIRATION 5

1.3. MEASURES OF SUCCESS 6

1.4. PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH 6

1.4.1. SUB-INITIATIVES AND ACTIVITIES 7

1.4.2. SEQUENCING AND PRIORITIZATION 8

1.5. CHALLENGES 9

1.6. INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER INITIATIVES 10

1.7. CONCLUSION 10

Chapter 2: National Airspace System (NAS) Initiative 11

2.1. CONTEXT 11

2.2. ASPIRATION 11

2.3. MEASURES OF SUCCESS 12

2.4. PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH 12

2.4.1. SUB-INITIATIVES AND ACTIVITIES 13

2.4.2. SEQUENCING AND PRIORITIZATION 17

2.5. CHALLENGES 18

2.6. INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER INITIATIVES 18

2.7. CONCLUSION 19
FAA Strategic Initiatives | ii 

Chapter 3: Global Leadership 21

3.1 CONTEXT 21

3.2. ASPIRATION 22

3.3. MEASURES OF SUCCESS 23

3.4. PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH 24

3.4.1. SUB-INITIATIVES AND ACTIVITIES 24

3.4.2. SEQUENCING AND PRIORITIZATION 25

3.5. CHALLENGES 25

3.6. INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER INITIATIVES 25

3.7. CONCLUSION 26

Chapter 4: Workforce of the Future 27

4.1. CONTEXT 27

4.2. ASPIRATION 28

4.3. MEASURES OF SUCCESS 28

4.4. PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH 29

4.4.1. SUB-INITIATIVES AND ACTIVITIES 30

4.4.2. SEQUENCING AND PRIORITIZATION 31

4.5. CHALLENGES 33

4.6. INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER INITIATIVES 33

4.7. CONCLUSION 34
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 1 

Introduction 

FAA’S MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES 

Mission 

Provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. 

Vision

Transform the aviation system to reflect the highest standards of safety and efficiency 

and be a model for the world. The FAA will bring about this transformation by fostering 

innovation in our workforce and in how we serve our stakeholders and the American 

people. 

This vision is brought to life in the four strategic priorities for the agency: 

1. Make aviation safer and smarter 

2. Deliver benefits through technology and infrastructure 

3. Enhance global leadership 

4. Empower and innovate with the FAA’s people

Values 

The FAA will support the mission and achieve the vision using a values-based approach. 

At the FAA: 

■ Safety is our passion. We work so all air and space travelers arrive safely at their 

destinations. 

■ Excellence is our promise. We seek results that embody professionalism, 

transparency and accountability. 

■ Integrity is our touchstone. We perform our duties honestly, with moral soundness, 

and with the highest level of ethics. 

■ People are our strength. Our success depends on the respect, diversity, 

collaboration, and commitment of our workforce. 

■ Innovation is our signature. We foster creativity and vision to provide solutions 

beyond today's boundaries. 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 2 

THE STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE 

Over the next four years, the FAA will lay the foundation for the aerospace system of the 

future. As an agency, the FAA has a tremendous opportunity to make a difference for 

stakeholders, while addressing the challenges that the changing industry presents. 

The aerospace industry is growing more complex, and is not the same industry we 

regulated in decades past. At the same time, there is more safety data than ever before. 

This provides the FAA with the opportunity to be more proactive about safety and use 

safety management principles to make smarter, risk-based decisions throughout the 

agency and with industry and global stakeholders. This will make our aviation system 

safer and smarter and raise the bar on safety. 

The nation’s air traffic system is based on infrastructure that was largely built 50 years 

ago and is out of balance with our stakeholders’ changing needs. NextGen is redefining 

the NAS and is delivering benefits to system users, such as reduced fuel costs, reduced 

delays, and reduced environmental impact. Great technological advancements require the 

FAA to safely integrate new types of user technologies, such as unmanned aircraft 

systems and commercial space vehicles, into the airspace. As we accommodate new 

services, the FAA must rationalize and rebalance existing services while modernizing our 

existing infrastructure in order to reduce costs and become more efficient in the long run. 

Aviation is a global industry and millions of Americans travel overseas every year. The 

FAA must continue America’s heritage as world leaders in aviation and set the standard 

for others to measure against. Aviation was invented in America, but other nations have 

seen their aviation systems grow dramatically and have become significantly more 

influential on the international stage. The FAA needs to be at the table to shape 

international standards to improve aviation safety and efficiency around the world. 

Meeting this strategic challenge requires that the FAA harness the collective strength of 

the agency’s employees. The FAA’s people are the ultimate drivers of success, which 

means the FAA must attract and develop the best and the brightest talent with the 

appropriate leadership and technical skills to undertake this transformation. The FAA’s 

workforce is changing and is in the midst of a retirement wave, which presents both 

challenges and opportunities. There is significant work to do to set the foundation to 

empower and innovate with the FAA’s people. 

This is a bold aspiration for the FAA, and will span beyond the next four years. However, 

we are committed to seeing measurable and steadfast progress toward this vision by 

2018. The rapidly changing industry, the technological opportunities, the uncertain fiscal 

environment, an evolving workforce, and the global backdrop comprise a compelling 

case for transformational change, and that is what the FAA expects to achieve. 
FAA STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND PRIORITY INITIATIVES

FAA Strategic Priorities Administrator Priority Initiatives Related Sub

Make aviation safer and smarter 

Risk-Based Decision Making: Build on safety management principles to proactively address emerging safety risk by using consistent, data-informed approaches to make smarter, system-level, risk-based decisions 

 Improve standardiz

modeling integratio

 Enhance decision m Redefine oversight 

Deliver benefits through technology and infrastructure 

National Airspace System (NAS): Lay the foundation for the NAS of the future by achieving prioritized NextGen benefits, integrating new user entrants, and delivering more efficient, streamlined services 

 Focus to achieve th Integrate new user 

aircraft and comme

 Right-size the NAS 

Enhance global leadership 

Global Leadership: Improve safety, air traffic efficiency, and environmental sustainability across the globe through an integrated, data-driven approach that shapes global standards, enhances collaboration and harmonization, and better targets FAA resources and efforts 

 Transform our inte Develop an integra

approach to interna

 Ensure global inter

NextGen 

 Place international 

Empower and innovate with the FAA’s people 

Workforce of the Future: Prepare FAA’s human capital for the future, by identifying, recruiting, and training a workforce with the leadership, technical, and functional skills to ensure the U.S. has the world’s safest and most productive aviation sector 

 Leadership Develo Skills Identification  Skills Developmen Attracting Talent 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 4 

 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 5 

Chapter 1: Risk-based decision making 

Through this initiative, the FAA will build on safety management principles to 

proactively address emerging safety risk by using consistent, data-informed approaches 

to make smarter, system-level, risk-based decisions. 

1.1. CONTEXT 

The aviation landscape has changed dramatically over the last decade, and several factors 

in particular are increasing the complexity of the industry and introducing different types 

of safety risk into the aerospace system. These factors include new aerospace designs and 

technologies (e.g., Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)), changes in the FAA’s 

surveillance and oversight model (e.g., designee management programs), and different 

business models for the design and manufacture of aircraft and products (e.g., supply 

chains). In addition, fiscal constraints compel the FAA to use its resources more 

effectively and ensure they are directed at areas with the highest safety risk. Because 

commercial aviation accidents are becoming rare occurrences, the FAA needs to identify 

and mitigate precursors to accidents (i.e., safety risk) to manage aviation safety. 

The FAA has built the foundation to address these challenges by developing and 

implementing a Safety Management System (SMS). The SMS is composed of four 

components—Safety Policy, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance, and Safety 

Promotion—that enable better informed decisions from a safety perspective. 

This risk-based decision making initiative flows from these SMS components, builds on 

existing processes, and directly addresses the challenges faced by the FAA. It will 

increase safety and efficiency by taking advantage of the growing availability of safety 

data and the development of powerful analytical capabilities to systematically integrate 

the management of safety risk into decision making. 

1.2. ASPIRATION 

In the face of growing complexity throughout the industry, this initiative aims to make 

the safest and most efficient aerospace system in the world even safer and more efficient. 

Through increased sharing of safety data among FAA organizations, industry, and 

international peers, a broader spectrum of data will become available. By analyzing that 

data, using SMS principles, we will identify emerging hazards and predict the associated 

safety risk. We will coordinate and share the resulting information with the decisionmakers, allowing those people who are in the best position to manage the safety risk to do 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 6 

so in order to make our aerospace system even safer. By acting in an integrated manner 

with industry and global partners to transform our safety system, we will be able to 

identify hazards and mitigate their associated risk before they become accidents. 

1.3. MEASURES OF SUCCESS 

We will measure the success of this initiative through a combination of traditional 

measures and additional metrics that need to be developed to track and measure safety 

risk. 

Outcome measures 

■ Decreased safety risk (measure to be developed) 

■ Decreased commercial fatality rate 

■ Prioritized resources based on safety risk 

Process measures 

■ Number of cross-organizational decisions made using safety data 

■ Number of FAA organizations with safety data-informed decision processes 

1.4. PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH 

This initiative will take an evolutionary approach to integrating safety data into decision 

making through three targeted sub-initiatives. Through the risk-based decision making 

initiative, we will achieve significant impact over the next five years and beyond. 

To improve data quality and analytics internally, with industry, and internationally, we 

will establish common data standards, align on modeling assumptions in systems that 

emulate and predict safety risk in the system, and increase data sharing. We will develop 

the functional requirements and competencies to ensure that our workforce has the 

necessary safety data and risk analysis capabilities. 

To drive risk-based decision making across the agency, we will develop several targeted 

pilot implementations on high impact cross-organizational issues and implement safety 

risk mitigations. We will then apply lessons learned to the rollout of these mitigations 

across the agency. In addition, we will support the implementation of risk-based decision 

making by designing and implementing targeted changes to our SMS governance model 

to accommodate the changing roles and responsibilities of decision makers. 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 7 

To enable a system-wide increase in safety and efficiency, we will redefine our safety 

oversight model. We will support SMS rollout within industry, including the 

development of new surveillance and oversight models. Additionally we will sponsor 

outreach to facilitate the sharing and use of best practices and lessons learned among, and 

outside, aviation industry segments. 

The FAA will build upon previous and current activities focused on development and 

implementation of SMS in industry. The FAA has current rulemaking projects to pursue 

SMS. In addition, the FAA has sponsored pilot projects to test implementation of SMS 

in many types of organizations, including airports, air carriers, maintenance 

organizations, and aircraft and parts design and manufacturers. The FAA also continues 

to support voluntary implementation of SMS and sharing best practices and lessons 

learned through the Safety Management Focus Group sponsored by the Flight Standards 

Service. 

1.4.1. SUB-INITIATIVES AND ACTIVITIES 

This initiative will be carried out through the following sub-initiatives and underlying 

activities: 

1. Improve standardization, data access, & modeling integration 

a. Establish common data taxonomies to be used consistently across the FAA, 

with industry, and internationally 

b. Align modeling assumptions in systems that simulate and predict NAS 

safety risks 

c. Obtain greater access to sources of data and improve the ability to share 

data both internally and external to the FAA 

d. Establish an agency-wide tool to track hazards and mitigation outcomes 

e. Develop functional requirements and competencies for safety data and risk 

analytics workforce and identify current personnel with relevant skills 

2. Enhance decision making process 

a. Develop and implement processes to identify safety hazards of planned 

changes in the aerospace system (e.g., acquisitions, procedural changes, 

new regulations) 

b. Develop and implement processes to identify and mitigate the safety risk of 

cross-organizational issues that are found to exist as a result of incidents in 

the system 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 8 

c. Design and implement changes to FAA SMS decision-making and 

governance structure including potential changes to the FAA SMS 

Executive Council roles and responsibilities 

3. Redefine Safety Oversight Model for Industry 

a. Support SMS rollout, including the development of new surveillance 

models to oversee industry and conduct outreach with industry to share 

safety management lessons learned and best practices 

1.4.2. SEQUENCING AND PRIORITIZATION 

As outlined above, the risk-based decision making initiative contains three sub-initiatives 

with nine underlying activities. While work will begin on all activities this year, the 

primary focus for FY 2014 is to: 

 Align on modeling assumptions in systems that simulate and predict NAS safety 

risks; 

 Develop functional requirements and competencies for the safety data and risk 

analytics workforce and identify current personnel with relevant skills; and 

 Develop and implement processes to identify and mitigate the safety risk of crossorganizational issues that are found to exist as a result of incidents in the system. 

The remaining activities have been similarly prioritized for the following years. This 

sequencing of activities will allow us to make progress on each of the activities, while 

ensuring that our focus remains on a select group of activities on which we can 

concentrate our resources. 

While the working teams and sub-initiative leads have begun laying the foundation for 

achievement of all activities, the following table depicts the sequencing of the activities 

of primary focus over the next five years. 
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1.6. INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER INITIATIVES 

This initiative will rely heavily on the activities of the workforce initiative and will 

support the activities of the NAS and Global Leadership initiatives. 

The potential changes in skill set, organizational structure, and culture will all benefit 

greatly from integrated work with the skill-related and leadership development activities 

of the Workforce of the Future initiative. Specifically, the skill activities in the workforce 

and risk-based decision making initiatives directly overlap and the leadership 

development activities of the workforce initiative will be an exceptional delivery 

mechanism for cultural change. 

The NAS initiative has many right-sizing, accelerating, and new activities that have 

safety implications that will benefit greatly from cross-organizational safety decision 

making and enhanced predictive data analysis. Therefore, personnel working on the riskbased decision making initiative will work closely with those on the NAS initiative to 

ensure alignment with the new decision making processes developed under risk-based 

decision making to ensure the seamless integration of new users and technologies to our 

aerospace system. 

Through cohesive work with the Global Leadership initiative, risk-based decision making 

will see progress in high-impact issues that enhance the safety of U.S. passengers 

traveling abroad and international flights arriving and departing the U.S. The FAA will 

also have developed regulatory harmonization and partnership efforts that reduce the 

barriers to using integrated global supply and maintenance chains. 

1.7. CONCLUSION 

To make aviation safer and smarter as the system grows and becomes more complex, the 

FAA must take bold steps to transform its approach to safety management. By enhancing 

the quality of our data, our analytical capabilities, and our safety management and 

oversight processes, we will drive smarter, risk-based decisions to efficiently allocate our 

resources and increase the safety of the aerospace system. 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 11 

Chapter 2: National Airspace System 

(NAS) Initiative 

This initiative lays the foundation for the NAS of the future by achieving prioritized 

NextGen benefits, integrating new user entrants, and delivering more efficient, 

streamlined services. 

2.1. CONTEXT 

The current NAS has served the FAA and its stakeholders well for the past 50 years. 

Today, however, there are new trends that require fundamental changes to the NAS. Over 

the past 10 years, the agency has seen: dramatic technological change, fuel price 

increases, congestion concentrated in fewer hubs, new user entrants (e.g., Unmanned 

Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Commercial Space), an increasing backlog of much needed 

infrastructure modernization projects, and funding uncertainty. With minimal aircraft 

operations growth, NAS cost efficiency per operation or mile flown has been adversely 

affected. Meanwhile, the network of FAA facilities, infrastructure, and technology is 

aging and sprawling. 

To build the NAS of the future, the agency must ensure timely delivery of prioritized 

NextGen capabilities, enable the safe and efficient integration of new users, and provide 

more efficient, streamlined services to NAS users. Building a more efficient NAS of the 

future will require difficult decisions regarding redefining service offerings, and 

rebalancing resources to align with future air traffic demands. 

2.2. ASPIRATION 

Over the next four years, the NAS will undergo a fundamental transformation to a 

smaller, more efficient system with increased safety and user benefits. The NAS strategy, 

articulated through the “guiding principles,” sets the framework for prioritizing 

investment decisions and delivering measurable user benefits. 

NAS Guiding Principles 

■ Provide safe, secure, and efficient services to NAS users in the most cost effective 

and innovative manner. 

■ Impose least amount of control while maintaining safety. 

■ Incorporate new user entrants (e.g., UAS and Commercial Space). 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 12 

■ Reduce impact on the environment. 

2.3. MEASURES OF SUCCESS 

The initiative will track progress across two types of metrics: outcome metrics that 

measure success and process metrics that ensure the initiative proceeds on schedule. 

Outcome metrics 

■ Reduced delays

■ Reduced FAA infrastructure and facility footprint

■ Increased efficiency and capacity where feasible and needed

■ Cost per operation and cost per available operation (may be measured by type of 

operation)

■ Number of UAS and Commercial Space flights accommodated

■ Improved NAS energy efficiency

■ Reduced CO2 emissions

Process metrics 

Percent of all current and future NAS services evaluated through the NAS initiative 

process. 

2.4. PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH 

To achieve the measures of success outlined above, sub-initiatives covering the three 

strategic areas—achieving NextGen benefits, supporting the incorporation of new user 

entrants, and right-sizing the NAS—will be implemented over the next four years. 

Prioritization and implementation sequencing of sub-initiatives will seek to deliver the 

greatest benefit in the shortest period of time. As scalable pilot programs have been tested 

and proven, they will be rolled out to the full NAS. For many of the sub-initiatives, the 

implementation timetable will extend beyond 2018, but the agency will build a solid 

foundation and begin to see benefits in the next four years. 

Achieving NextGen benefits focuses on prioritizing investments that provide the largest 

near-term benefits while paving the way for more long-term benefits to be fully realized. 

This will include reduced delay, congestion and fuel burn; reduced environmental impact; 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 13 

and improved cost efficiency. For example, sub-initiatives include redesigning airspace, 

rationalizing approaches, delivering foundational NextGen automation platforms and the 

automatic dependent surveillance broadcast services on time will allow NAS users to 

reap in benefits for decades to come. 

The anticipated demand growth from new user entrants—including UAS and 

Commercial Space—requires adapting services and regulatory approaches in order to 

integrate these new operations into the NAS in a timely fashion and with the same level 

of safety and efficiency as other operations. 

Right-sizing the NAS will match services, resources and facilities to air traffic demand. 

This includes reducing and eliminating redundant or outmoded services, facilities and 

equipment to decrease the FAA’s operational costs. To reduce maintenance costs, the 

agency will modernize aging facilities and develop a lean maintenance and parts strategy. 

Appropriately aligning the workforce with the new NAS footprint will also be critical to 

realize the full impact. Right-sizing the NAS also explores innovative business methods, 

technologies, or techniques for offering similar services in a more efficient and costeffective manner. Potential options to permit non-FAA provision of services, or to 

formally recognize and integrate commercial services like weather and flight plan 

products into the overall NAS architecture, will be evaluated. 

2.4.1. SUB-INITIATIVES AND ACTIVITIES 

Focus to Achieve the Benefits of NextGen—the goal of these sub-initiatives is to 

achieve the NextGen goals that have the largest benefit and the biggest need by focusing 

the deployment of NextGen enhancements at “optimal” sites. 

1) Metroplex/Performance Based Navigation (PBN) 

a) Formulate airspace optimization plans at busiest airports 

b) Focus on increasing usage of PBN procedures 

c) Eliminate unused instrument flight procedures 

The agency will ensure the procedures are being utilized by focusing on the resources 

needed for implementation – automation support, financial support, training, etc. This 

effort also involves coordinating with the surface office to ensure sites under 

consideration for surface program deployment are aligned with the Metroplex/PBN 

work. Decommissioning unused procedures will reduce Ops cost and ensure that the 

new procedures get utilized and therefore the benefit is realized. Prioritization of this 

activity will be done across the NAS utilizing national policy objectives and a 

collaborative decision-making approach to planning and implementation. 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 14 

2) Accelerate the benefits of surface activities 

a) Data sharing with airlines 

b) Technology deployment 

The agency will ensure the benefits are being realized by focusing on the resources 

needed for implementation including: data sharing requirements, automation support, 

financial support, etc. This effort will also ensure that the planned deployment of 

Metroplex/PBN is aligned with the existing surface work. 

3) Complete foundational programs by 2015 (ADS-B Out, ERAM, key TAMR sites) 

These foundational programs provide a much-needed upgrade of the basic hardware 

and software systems that allow us to control the airspace. These infrastructure 

upgrades are the platform for the future NextGen enhancements and constitute the 

backbone to transform the NAS. Therefore, this activity ensures the benefits and 

implementation of the foundational programs – by focusing on the resources needed 

including financial support, site support, people support, etc. 

4) Research using the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) to fund certain NextGen 

investments as an alternative to traditional infrastructure in highest priority airports 

This activity will explore the potential to utilize AIP funding for NextGen 

enhancements that can benefit airports. If the FAA decides to pursue this, it would 

require Congressional approval to obtain statutory authority for the flexibility. This 

approach could provide another means for NextGen deployment to sites that may not 

be priority focused but still have benefits. 

5) Accelerate remote towers 

FAA will investigate opportunities to accelerate the remote towers concept. This 

concept/technology, once fully developed and matured, is envisioned to be used for 

consolidation opportunities, and could save funding on the modernization effort.

6) Ensure funding and benefits-capture of prioritized NextGen capabilities 

This effort will link to the NextGen Advisory Committee (NAC) recommendations. 

These capabilities include key programs such as ADS-B In, DataComm, SWIM, NAS 

Voice Switch and other future NextGen capabilities. Key to this effort is to ensure 

resources to support the benefits as NextGen capabilities continue to be rolled out and 

deployed in a synchronized manner. We will focus the deployment to the sites that 

will have the “largest bang for our buck,” and when necessary, we would evaluate 

applicable rulemaking to enable users to reap full benefits of NextGen. 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 15 

Integrate New User Entrants—the goal of these sub-initiatives is to safely and 

efficiently integrate new types of operations, such as commercial space and unmanned 

aircraft, into the NAS and enable the benefits these operations will provide.

1) Establish process and procedures for more systematic integration of space traffic 

management (STM) 

The current process is generally based on case-by-case approvals – but as commercial 

space begins to expand we need to be able to regularly and consistently integrate the 

traffic safely into the current NAS. We need to be on the forefront of this transition to 

ensure the FAA is prepared and able to provide for the safe expansion, while 

equitably and efficiently balancing the needs of these users with other users according 

to well-understood policies and procedures. 

2) Develop new regulatory approach to integrate UAS into NAS 

The FAA has a Congressional mandate to safely integrate and handle the expansion of 

small UAS into the NAS. Currently there are a number of small UAS already in the 

airspace, though they are segregated from other activity by altitude or airspace 

restrictions. Because of this segregation, small UAS are largely unregulated. Calls to 

further integrate them into the NAS could drive a large expansion of current FAA 

services – at a time where funding is short for current services. We need to be able to 

handle this growth through new regulation or innovation as to how we regulate. We 

also need to ensure the FAA can sustain the services that it agrees to provide. 

3) Accelerate “detect and avoid” technology adoption for UAS 

For medium/large UAS, there is a greater need for “detect and avoid” technology as 

they are integrated into the NAS. RTCA has been used to look at the regulation that 

is needed for the “detect and avoid” technology. This is needed so the FAA can stay 

on the forefront of the UAS expansion. Currently DoD is the main user and we are 

working together on the detect and avoid technology. 

Right-size the NAS – the goal of these sub-initiatives is to reduce the FAA’s Operations 

cost by creating a more efficient, streamlined NAS. 

1) Leverage technology and innovative business models to efficiently manage provision 

of services 

FAA provides a suite of services today but much of it is based on obsolete infrastructure 

and technology. This sub-initiative will use technology, lessons learned and new 

practices and business models to reduce Operations costs without impacting safety. 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 16 

2) Develop lean maintenance and parts strategy 

Current maintenance strategy is based on outdated or “how we have always done it” 

practice. This sub-initiative will reassess the strategy based on: technology trends, 

utilization of other industry practices, and look across the organization to streamline parts 

and maintenance. 

3) Revalidate sites’ needs for systems that are deployed. 

This initiative will reassess equipment and need of the services at different facilities. It 

will leverage the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) plan to assess current and trend of 

operations at facilities to ensure the efficiency of each facility in regard to current 

equipment and services at the site 

4) Appropriately align workforce to match NAS footprint 

NAS trends result in shifting demand over time and therefore our workforce allocation 

needs to be flexible. The FAA must have the ability to efficiently address changing 

operational needs. 

5) Consolidate and modernize facilities 

FAA’s infrastructure is based in part on outmoded technology; in order to adapt to 

changing technology, we should look to modernize and consolidate facilities where 

appropriate. Some of this work is already underway through the Section 804 process 

mandated by Congress in the last FAA reauthorization statute. We will incorporate 

planning work to substantially reduce unsustainable infrastructure and fully integrate 

lifecycle management into our ongoing operations program. 

6) Maximize the use of new technologies by phasing out/reducing the use of old 

capabilities (e.g., navigation aids, sensors, secondary radars, routes) 

Technology has changed how we provide services, which has led to decommissioning or 

reducing the use of the obsolete technology or unnecessary practices. These reductions 

are a benefit in order to ensure the successful sustainment of the new technology (GPSbased aviation navigation services and ADS-B based surveillance) – which is more 

efficient and also covers substantially more airspace. 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 17 

2.4.2. SEQUENCING AND PRIORITIZATION 

Area Initial Focus1 Extended Focus2 Monitor3

Focus to 

Achieve the 

Benefits of 

NextGen 

1) Metroplex/PBN 

2) Accelerate the 

benefits of surface 

activities 

3) Complete 

foundational 

programs by 2015 

(ADS-B Out, 

ERAM, and key 

TAMR sites) 

4) Research using AIP to 

fund certain NextGen 

investments 

5) Accelerate remote 

towers 

6) Ensure funding and 

benefits-capture of 

prioritized NextGen 

capabilities 

Integrate 

New User 

Entrants 

1) Establish process 

and procedures for 

integration of space 

traffic management 

2) Develop new 

regulatory approach 

to integrate UAS 

into the NAS 

 3) Accelerate “detect 

and avoid” 

technology 

adoption for UAS 

Right-Size 

the NAS 

1) Leverage 

technology and 

innovative business 

models 

2) Develop lean 

maintenance and 

parts 

3) Revalidate sites’ 

needs for systems 

that are deployed 

4) Intelligently align 

workforce to match 

NAS footprint 

5) Consolidate and 

modernize facilities 

6) Maximize the use 

of new technologies 

by phasing 

out/reducing the use 

of old capabilities 

1 Initial focus sub-initiatives aim for clear, measurable progress within 12-18 months and will carry frequent progress updates and involvement of 

the agency’s senior leadership. 

2 Extended focus sub-initiatives are those will be longer term efforts, which will show significant progress by 2018, and will also have regular 

involvement and interaction with senior leadership. 

3 For “Monitor” sub-initiatives, team leaders will report status periodically, but will manage to the pre-existing schedules or those already under 

development. They are included in the NAS initiative to help prioritize these efforts into the core work programs across the involved 

organizations.
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 18 

2.5. CHALLENGES 

Working with tools from the risk-based decision making initiative and training efforts 

under the workforce initiative, we will endeavor to more fully incorporate safety 

oversight priorities into the life cycle development process for NextGen. 

The NAS initiative will also work to expand the number of operational units contributing 

to our new system designs. We will create new governance and coordination techniques 

that help our people contribute fully to evolving change efforts. This will require 

attention to the approach to collaboration by our Headquarters, Service Center and field 

personnel. By successfully addressing these challenges, we will shorten the time needed 

to move an idea to an in-service product that delivers operational benefit to the airspace 

user and the FAA. 

The changes resulting from the Right-Size the NAS sub-initiative in particular will 

require a shift in traditional thinking. The FAA has historically provided all services to 

all users in many different locations with little differentiation; the new approach will 

require prioritization and a recognition that the agency cannot continue to provide all of 

the services that we have historically. Alternative service delivery options will also be 

considered within this initiative. A successful outcome will incorporate effective 

mechanisms to decommission or discontinue redundant services that respect all 

stakeholders’ financial needs as new service capabilities come online. 

2.6. INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER INITIATIVES 

Risk-Based Decision Making 

Utilizing processes and methods refined in the risk-based decision making model, the 

NAS Initiative will facilitate a quantitative and qualitative assessment of current NAS 

services, using a well-understood, proven safety risk assessment process to evaluate 

service curtailment or change. 

By frontloading NAS design initiatives with a safety evaluation early in the development 

cycle, the NAS initiative will improve the quality of design and cost-benefit decisions. 

This will also shorten the timeline between identifying a problem and deciding to 

implement solutions that meet safety and business case criteria. 

Workforce of the Future 

The NAS initiative will leverage our upcoming hiring cycle, facilitating the creation of a 

new mix of operational, research and engineering team management concepts to create 

well-managed NAS evolution cycles that are more rapid and efficient. This will shorten 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 19 

our time to in-service delivery of solutions, keeping the FAA's air traffic services at the 

forefront of system design while continuously improving the level of safety for aviation 

users. 

Taking advantage of workforce training initiatives, the NAS initiative will strive to 

introduce advanced team management and collaboration processes across the FAA 

system. Our objective will be to empower our field operational leadership and their work 

teams to define the future of the FAA's technological and procedural development. With 

new communication and training tools, the risk-based decision making techniques 

pioneered in AVS will become a cornerstone of field development methodology. 

Global Leadership 

Using the international governance processes developed in the Global Leadership 

initiative, the NAS initiative will have "eyes" for the best practices being developed 

elsewhere in the world, working to employ effective solutions developed elsewhere for 

our own benefit. 

Fully incorporating ICAO's Aviation System Block Upgrade (ASBU) process into our 

own development initiatives, the United States will insert progressively developed field 

initiatives into global standards and recommended practices. This will leverage 

domestically designed and manufactured technology into the global marketplace 

complimented by "world class" operational procedures and collaboration methods that 

optimize operations around the world - pioneered by the FAA. 

2.7. CONCLUSION 

The objective of the NAS initiative is to transform our air traffic services, in order to cost 

effectively deliver appropriate services and benefits to stakeholders. Initially, we will 

focus on 15 sub-initiatives that directly address priorities identified by industry 

stakeholders. We will develop and work to detailed, well-understood deployment 

schedules on the initial focus items, delivering measurable improvements by the end of 

2015. As our extended focus initiatives develop, we will draw a clear delivery timeline 

for the transformation of our services by using our most important asset - the creativity 

and talent of our workforce. This transformation will be clearly visible to our external 

stakeholders in that they will be able to measure differences in their access to the system, 

their cost effectiveness and in their ability to engage collaboratively with the FAA to seek 

new solutions to their operational challenges. 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 20 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 21 

Chapter 3: Global Leadership 

This initiative will improve safety, air traffic efficiency, and environmental sustainability 

across the globe through an integrated, data-informed approach that shapes global 

standards, enhances collaboration and harmonization, and better targets FAA resources 

and efforts. 

3.1 CONTEXT 

The U.S. benefits from FAA global leadership with increases in safety, efficiency, 

environmental sustainability, exports, and leverage to achieve broader international 

objectives. U.S. citizens travelling abroad, and flights between the U.S. and other 

countries, benefit from increased safety due to FAA expertise and leadership in 

developing global regulations and standards. FAA programs promote seamless 

connectivity across borders for air navigation and product exchanges. Worldwide 

acceptance of U.S. policies and regulatory approaches removes barriers for the U.S. 

aerospace industry, a vital component of the U.S. economy. 

The Global Leadership initiative ensures the FAA maintains its external engagement and 

internal structure to continue improving global aviation. 

Historically the U.S. shaped the global aviation sector based on its size, technological 

advancement, expertise, and regulatory development. The FAA has been the leading 

model for safety, efficiency, and environmental sustainability. However, the global 

transportation network is changing and even the growth of the U.S. industry is shifting 

abroad; hence, the FAA needs to adapt its international approach to maintain and enhance 

its leadership position. Several trends illustrate the challenge: 

■ Growth of aviation globally. Over the past 12 years, international traffic has been 

the overwhelming driver of growth at U.S. airports. International enplanements have 

increased 50% while domestic has remained flat. International departures have 

increased approximately 45% while domestic has decreased more than 15%. As the 

U.S. is experiencing this growth in international traffic, so is the rest of the world. 

In fact, over the past decade, the U.S. share of global traffic has dropped from 39% 

to 29%. Taken together, international activity is increasingly shaping our sector. 

■ U.S. Industry outsources globally. Certification and oversight are becoming 

increasingly difficult because maintenance and supply chains for U.S. aeronautic 

products are growing more complex and globally dispersed. Outsourced 

manufacturing accounted for over 30% of the Boeing 787 from over 50 different 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 22 

manufacturers. The aerospace industry will continue to increase their outsourcing. 

On the maintenance side, the number of foreign repair stations has grown from 344 

to 726 between the years 2003 to 2013. 

■ Varying levels of aviation safety oversight. The developing world's operations are 

often outpacing its oversight capabilities. The developed and developing worlds can 

have significantly different levels of aviation safety. 

■ Divergent Standards and Practices. The lack of harmonized standards and 

practices in air traffic management and environmental protection can negatively 

impact competitiveness in the global marketplace as well as the efficiency and 

interoperability of the international airspace. 

■ Alternatives and complexity increases. Regulatory and operational alternatives 

and complexities are emerging. Other countries are adopting new models of air 

traffic and airport management, challenging how we can harmonize multiple 

approaches to set standards. 

■ Foreign regions consolidate their influence. ICAO Member States are 

regionalizing to use economies of scale, shared expertise, and common regulations. 

Regional alliances consolidate and strengthen votes at ICAO, which decreases direct 

U.S. influence at ICAO. 

■ Resource constraints. Fiscal and political factors have limited U.S. global 

engagement. FAA has fewer resources and an uncertain budget. 

These trends have altered the global aviation landscape. Further, rapid growth has 

occurred in parts of the world—Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East—

where the FAA has traditionally had a lower profile. The FAA’s international strategy 

needs to change to reflect this new reality. 

3.2. ASPIRATION 

The Global Leadership strategic initiative will deliver an internal governance structure 

that allows us to make better FAA-wide decisions about how we engage globally using 

an integrated data-informed approach. We will make decisions about our international 

activities and programs based on our ability to enhance U.S. influence and better target 

our resources to shape global standards and assist countries to improve aviation safety, 

efficiency, and environmental sustainability. 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 23 

3.3. MEASURES OF SUCCESS 

We will develop an FAA International Strategy that describes our global priorities and 

the integrated, data-informed approach we use to choose them. We will integrate the 

Strategy with how we make decisions, then decide which international activities and 

programs will be most effective to achieve our global priorities and align our resources 

accordingly. 

The initiative will track progress across two types of metrics: outcome metrics that 

measure success in achieving gains in safety, efficiency, and sustainability and process 

metrics that ensure the initiative proceeds on schedule and effectively uses FAA 

resources. 

Outcome Metrics 

 The FAA will enhance safety of U.S. passengers and flights arriving in and 

departing from the U.S. through a transparent, integrated, data-informed approach 

that produces clear priorities and targets for our resources. 

 The FAA will develop regulatory harmonization and partnerships with foreign 

countries and organizations that reduce barriers to use global supply and 

maintenance chains. 

 The FAA will ensure NextGen technologies achieve global acceptance and

interoperability with other international modernization efforts. This allows U.S. 

operators to avoid equipping to multiple standards and the market for U.S. 

products to be universal rather than fragmented. 

 The FAA will lead the development and global acceptance of data-informed, costbeneficial environmental standards and policies that provide environmental 

protection while enabling the U.S. aerospace industry and airlines to grow 

internationally without restrictive regulations. 

Process Metrics 

■ The FAA will develop an internal international governance structure that 

strengthens coordination among offices to set strategic goals, applies them to 

international activities and programs, and integrates them to achieve annual 

targets. 

■ The FAA will develop and implement an integrated, data-informed FAA

International Strategy that describes how we identify our international priorities, 

defines them, and guides how we set our annual targets. 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 24 

■ We will use the integrated, data-informed and team-driven approaches to 

coordinate and prioritize FAA resources used internationally, including: 

validating our international presence and identifying key international travel 

needs, selecting highly qualified participants, and preparing them to achieve 

strategic targets.

3.4. PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH 

3.4.1. SUB-INITIATIVES AND ACTIVITIES 

This initiative will be carried out through the following sub-initiatives and proposed 

underlying activities: 

1. Transform our internal structure to use an integrated team approach to ensure open 

dialog and decision making for consistent, validated international activities. 

a. Establish FAA International Advisory Board (IAB) and FAA International 

Steering Committee (ISC). Draft charters for both bodies. 

b. IAB & ISC choose data and criteria to prioritize strategic goals. 

c. Test agency-wide international database. 

d. Begin communication with stakeholders outside FAA about strategic 

approaches. 

e. Explore a formal mechanism to increase industry collaboration and 

participation. 

2. Develop an integrated, data-driven approach to prioritize and make decisions 

about international activities and key relationships. 

a. IAB & ISC choose data and criteria to prioritize strategic goals. 

b. LOBs and SOs begin to share information corporately. 

c. Draft FAA International Strategy. 

d. Develop an FAA ICAO 5-Year Plan to include resources, coordination, 

priorities for standards and other work. 

e. Develop an FAA International Organizations 10-Year Plan to include 

resources, priorities, conferences, board membership. 

3. Ensure global interoperability of NextGen technologies and procedures by shaping 

international standards for efficiency. 

a. Work with ICAO on standards for information management and exchange. 

b. Work with identified countries to implement NextGen compatible 

technologies. 

c. Begin work with identified States to implement risk-based management 

approach. 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 25 

d. Begin developing plans to help identified countries improve major ICAO 

USOAP findings. 

4. Place international resources strategically to improve safety, air traffic efficiency, 

and environmental sustainability across the globe 

a. Ensure appropriate FAA presence internationally. 

b. Develop an internal FAA approach to international funding. 

c. Execute governance structure to guide how FAA uses international 

resources based on the FAA International Strategy. 

3.4.2. SEQUENCING AND PRIORITIZATION

As outlined above, the Global Leadership Initiative contains four sub-initiatives and 

several underlying activities. While work on projects that support the last two subinitiatives will begin in FY2014, the primary focus for this fiscal year will be the 

activities focused on transforming our internal structure and developing an integrated, 

data-informed approach to prioritize and make decisions about international activities and 

key relationships. 

The remaining activities, and others that are created as an outcome of the development of 

the FAA international strategy, will become the focus of future years beginning in 

FY2015. 

3.5. CHALLENGES 

 We currently lack an agency-wide international strategy to prioritize and target our 

international resources effectively. 

 Overall U.S. (and FAA) budget resource constraints can induce pressures to 

withdraw from international activities. 

 FAA’s current international presence has been based on historical decisions rather 

than a systematic, data-informed review. 

 Measured against other countries, the United States currently is under-represented in 

ICAO in absolute terms. FAA international resources are not controlled and 

allocated based on an integrated strategy.

3.6. INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER INITIATIVES 

The Global Leadership Initiative will cut across all of the other initiatives in that what we 

do as an Agency internationally is often an extension of our domestic priorities. 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 26 

The process that the international governance structure puts in place to identify strategic 

priorities for the FAA will employ a risk-based decision making model. Many of the 

activities that will be undertaken internationally will closely align with those developed 

by the Risk-Based Decision Making initiative. 

Similarly, the harmonization, modernization, and environmental activities that are 

identified as international priorities will involve exporting the expertise, procedures, and 

technologies that are developed under the NAS Initiative. 

Lastly, the FAA will look to use international and overseas assignments to provide 

developmental opportunities for future leaders as envisioned in the Workforce of the 

Future initiative. 

3.7. CONCLUSION 

The outcomes from this initiative will help achieve all four strategic priorities. First, the 

FAA will promote risk-based decision making with global partners to ensure that the 

international aviation system is safer and smarter. Second, FAA will share benefits 

derived from U.S. technology and infrastructure advancements globally to promote 

interoperability. Third, to enhance global leadership amidst substantial international 

growth of traffic, manufacturing, and regionalization, the FAA must invest in shaping 

global standards and assisting other countries. FAA will share benefits derived from U.S. 

technology and infrastructure advancements globally to promote interoperability. Finally, 

FAA’s workforce will benefit from this international focus, through the creation of new 

leadership development opportunities during international assignments. 

FAA helped shape the safety and efficiency of the first century of aviation due in part to 

the size and dominance of the U.S. aviation sector. As the relative size of the U.S. 

industry shrinks and U.S. industry growth is increasingly international, FAA will only be 

successful in shaping the safety and efficiency of this century by a systematic, carefully 

marshaled, and targeted engagement internationally.

 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 27 

Chapter 4: Workforce of the Future 

This initiative will prepare FAA’s human capital for the future, by identifying, recruiting, 

and training a workforce with the leadership, technical, and functional skills necessary to 

ensure the U.S. has the world’s safest and most productive aviation sector. 

4.1. CONTEXT

The FAA is embarking on a major strategic transformation that can only be accomplished 

if it has a workforce that is prepared with the skills and mindsets to drive this change. 

Strong change leadership is required from all levels of the agency to communicate the 

vision, implement the priority initiatives, and ensure sustained impact from the 

transformation. 

The movements toward risk-based decision making and transforming the NAS through 

right-sizing, acceleration of NextGen benefits, and integrating new user entrants require 

new technical and functional skills, and a cultural shift in how the agency works. 

The FAA is also facing significant turnover in the workforce. At the same time, rapid 

technological innovation is creating a growing mismatch between the skills of employees 

and the agency’s needs. Approximately one-third of the current workforce will become 

eligible for retirement by 2018, resulting in a significant loss of leadership and 

institutional knowledge and experience, as well as an opportunity to reevaluate the 

composition and skills mix of our workforce. 

There are several challenges in preparing our workforce for the future: 

■ The need for leadership development was one of the most frequently cited issues 

identified in interviews with FAA’s executives. There is no agency-wide leadership 

development program. There is also a lack of development around career transitions 

and little accountability for employees to practice effective leadership skills. 

■ There is no consistent approach in the agency for identifying future workforce skill 

needs and allocation of resources. 

■ It is difficult to attract the most impressive talent to the agency without an effective 

recruiting strategy. Hiring decisions are often made reactively, to fill immediate 

shortfalls, rather than strategically, with the agency’s priorities in mind. 

■ Technical and functional skills development needs to be updated to incorporate 

significant technological advances. 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 28 

The imperative to address these challenges is great, since the FAA’s 47,000 employees 

are the ultimate drivers behind the success of the strategic transformation. The agency 

must be equipped with the human capital infrastructure to support their growth and 

development. 

4.2. ASPIRATION

The FAA needs a workforce with the strongest leadership, technical, and functional talent 

to respond to the dramatic changes in the aviation industry and deliver services through 

new operating models. 

In developing this workforce, the FAA will see a major cultural and mindset shift that 

will allow its employees to: 

■ Operate collaboratively across parts of the organization and with system users 

■ Embrace personal responsibility and the meaning of public service 

■ Drive results and deliver on services and assignments 

■ Be forward-looking rather than reactive when developing skills 

■ Act in uncertainty, leveraging the best information available to make decisions 

■ Lead with influence rather than authority as leadership roles become less clearly 

defined during times of change 

■ Give and receive open feedback to promote a culture of excellence 

4.3. MEASURES OF SUCCESS 

The ultimate success of this initiative will be measured by how well the mindsets detailed 

above become part of the operating culture of the agency and help drive the other 

initiatives that are part of the strategic transformation. 

The initiative will track progress across two types of metrics: outcome metrics that 

measure success and process metrics that ensure the initiative proceeds on schedule. 

Outcome metrics 

■ Effective development of proactive leaders 

■ Delivery on performance targets met through a skilled and engaged workforce 

■ Increased FedView survey scores on leadership and functional capabilities 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 29 

Process metrics 

■ Number of organizations that have assessed their workforce needs 

■ Number of employees hired with critical skills 

■ Reduced time to hire 

■ Number of leadership and technical programs completed by employees 

■ Satisfaction scores from participants at capability building programs 

4.4. PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH 

This initiative will take a holistic approach to human capital development, involving a 

series of sub-initiatives to help deliver the agency’s strategic transformation and guide 

day-to-day operations. 

It is imperative that an FAA-wide leadership development program is established, to 

develop strong leaders who understand, embrace, and demonstrate the skills necessary to 

lead change during this strategic transformation. This program will enable leaders at all 

levels to develop a set of core leadership competencies and specialized skills that are 

relevant to their functional areas. 

The FAA must determine the skills and size of the workforce necessary to lead the 

agency into the future, and assess any gaps between these needs and current workforce 

capabilities. It should also ensure that resources are most optimally allocated to support 

the agency’s strategic priorities or mission-critical functions. 

The workforce assessment will help the agency focus its recruiting efforts on identifying 

the right sources of talent to fill these skills gaps. This should be supported by an 

effective and efficient hiring process that selects the most appropriate candidates, and 

utilizes a consistent onboarding program that connects new employees to the FAA’s 

culture, mission, and values. 

Development of technical and functional skills tied to the agency’s strategies will provide 

our workforce with the capabilities necessary to most effectively and efficiently deliver 

services and benefits to our users. It will also ensure that the skills of our workforce 

evolve as the technologies, operating models, or strategic priorities of the agency evolve. 

 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 30 

4.4.1. SUB-INITIATIVES AND ACTIVITIES 

There are a suite of sub-initiatives that support the Workforce of the Future Initiative: 

Sub-Initiative Description and Activities 

Leadership 

Development 

Create an agency-wide program with core competencies and 

tailored content delivered through a variety of learning channels. 

Specific activities include: 

 Develop leadership model and skills framework 

 Create cascade roll-out model and delivery mode (e.g., field 

and forum) 

 Engage with FAA offices to develop customized programs 

Skills Identification Determine future skill needs, compare to existing workforce, 

identify gaps, and design optimal organizational structure. 

Specific activities include: 

 Understand skills needs through effective workforce planning 

 Determine the impact of the NAS and risk-based decisionmaking initiatives on future skill needs 

Skills Development Be proactive rather than reactive in developing technical / 

functional skills. Specific activities include: 

 Enhance capability building tied to future needs 

 Create more effective training programs (e.g., use of new 

technologies in air traffic training) 

Attracting Talent 

(Recruiting, Hiring, 

and Onboarding) 

Identify new sources of talent, operate an efficient and effective 

hiring process, and conduct consistent onboarding. Specific 

activities include: 

 Identify new sources of talent 

 Create strong employee value proposition 

 Develop effective hiring process to screen and select most 

appropriate candidates 

 Reduce the time it takes to hire a new employee 

 Develop consistent onboarding process, grounded in talent 

culture 

 Institute process for all new employees 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 31 

4.4.2. SEQUENCING AND PRIORITIZATION

Our approach to prioritizing the sub-initiatives included determining immediate agency 

needs, examining current activities and resource availability, and identifying 

dependencies to the other strategic initiatives. Input from FAA’s executives regarding the 

lack of a leadership development program in the agency elevated this sub-initiative to the 

top of the sequencing. An immediate focus on leadership development is necessary to 

ensure our leaders have the right skillsets to navigate the agency through the future 

transformation. 

There is a significant amount of work currently underway that supports the subinitiatives. There is opportunity to leverage this existing work. For example, a project had 

previously been initiated to improve the agency’s hiring process. This work should 

continue and expand to achieve the desired outcomes for the Attracting Talent subinitiative. Finally, as work is underway in the other initiatives, the working teams 

integrate with the other initiatives to support their activities. Team members from the 

Skills Identification team will assist the NAS and Risk Based Decision Making team as 

they determine their future skill needs. Details of the sub-initiative roll-out plan are 

shown in the chart below 

FAA Strategic Initiatives | 33

4.5. CHALLENGES

The success of this initiative requires cross-agency cooperation and implementation 

during a fiscally tight environment. Further, there are both obstacles and cultural issues 

that could impede the completion of the sub-initiatives including: 

 The need to cascade leadership development at an appropriate pace to support the 

desired cultural changes that are described throughout this plan; 

 Our ability to attract and develop new employees, to effectively transition our 

current corporate knowledge to support the desired future state; 

 Correctly portraying our desired future state so that we plan, recruit, and develop 

the right mix of people with the correct leadership and technical/functional skills 

to carry the FAA into the future; and 

 Correctly baselining the resources needed to provide leadership and 

technical/functional skills development, and then ensuring that adequate resources 

are available to provide that training. 

The FAA will need to overcome these barriers by maintaining a stable corporate 

approach, providing adequate resources to execute this initiative, and using effective 

communication to broaden the understanding and acceptance of our shared human 

capital goals. 

4.6. INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER INITIATIVES 

The Workforce of the Future initiative directly supports the successful outcome of 

objectives in the NAS, Risk-Based Decision Making, and Global Leadership initiatives. 

Initially, cross-agency teams will work together to develop strategies for each of the 

workforce sub-initiatives. This is critical since they will determine what the future 

workforce requires to be successful. They will address not only leadership, skills 

identification, skills development and attracting talent strategies, but also how each of 

these sub-initiatives should be integrated with the other strategic initiatives. 

Continuous engagement with the other initiatives will be needed to accelerate cultural, 

leadership and workforce transitions across the agency. 
FAA Strategic Initiatives | 34

4.7. CONCLUSION

To empower and innovate with the FAA’s people, and to support the dramatic changes in 

the aviation industry, we must equip our workforce with the critical leadership, technical, 

and functional skills of the future. We must proactively build a human capital 

infrastructure that can efficiently and effectively identify skills needs, recruit talent into 

the agency, and provide employees with the training to develop these skills. People are 

our strength during our strategic transformation. Our success depends on the respect, 

diversity, collaboration, and commitment of our workforce.