Development of a Guidebook for Managing Small Airports (2009)

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ACRP Web-Only Document 5: Development of a Guidebook for Managing Small Airports CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH APPROACH Overview Based on the Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies, the research team divided the project into ten tasks. Primary responsibility for completing each task was assigned to one or two members of the research. However, all members of the research team provided input and feedback on each task. Task 1 Literature Review The research team conducted a review of relevant literature about management principles and techniques for small airports. Using several publicly available databases, as well as online university library catalogs, a broad search for airport and aviation management books, textbooks, and other publications, was completed. The research team also reviewed federal and state government publications (e.g. FAA Advisory Circulars, state department of transportation handbooks, etc.) pertaining to airports and publications produced by industry associations (e.g., Association of American Airport Executives, Airports Council International – North America, etc.). This resulted in an extensive list of airport and aviation management publications from a variety of sources. Based on feedback from the Project Panel, the research team culled the list of publications so that it included only those sources considered to be the most relevant and useful to small airport managers. Annotations for each of these sources, including the individual FAA Advisory Circulars, were written. The final version of the annotated bibliography that is in the Guidebook is also included in Appendix A of this report. Task 2 Glossary of Airport Terms Since many managers of small airports lack formal training or education in aviation management and often have responsibility for managing the airport as part of a larger portfolio, the research team decided that a comprehensive glossary of airport terms, including a list of acronyms, would be extremely useful tool for the Guidebooks target audience. The following online resources were consulted in developing the glossary of terms and list of acronyms: • http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/airports/resources/acronyms/ • http://www.biglogbook.com/abbreviations/index.php?char=zero • http://www.gps.tc.faa.gov/glossary.html#sectD • http://www.dot.state.mn.us/aero/avoffice/aviationaz.html • http://g.oswego.edu/dl/acs/glossary/section3_1.html • http://www.ukaccs.info/abbreviations.htm 3

ACRP Web-Only Document 5: Development of a Guidebook for Managing Small Airports • www.gaservingamerica.com/library_pdfs/AVIATI_2.PDF • http://www.airport-technology.com/glossary/ • www.countyairports.org/docs/MasterPlan/E16/AppB.pdf • http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/air_traffic/publications/ATpubs/AIM/Appendices/a imapd4.html Based on feedback from the Project Panel (and the extensiveness of the glossary and acronym list), the research team developed a list of commonly used terms and acronyms that is included at the front of the Guidebook. A draft version of the Guidebook included “hotlinks” from the acronyms in the list of acronyms to the corresponding definitions in the glossary of terms. Although not available in the print version of the Guidebook, this feature would enhance the usability of the electronic version. Task 3 Data Collection Plan Survey Content Due to the time and expense required to successfully conduct a survey by mail, the research team elected to use an online survey. The electronic survey format also facilitates data analysis and manipulation. The online survey was designed so that respondents could save information and return to the survey to complete it at a later time. The survey was comprised of questions for small airport managers on the following subjects: • Governance • Safety • Security • Planning and Grant Procurement • Airspace and Approaches • Maintenance • Leasing and Use Agreements • Development and Construction Standards • Finance and Revenue Generation • Performance Measuring and Benchmarking • Public Relations • Environmental Considerations • Training and Management Resources • Regulatory Compliance • Compliance with Grant Conditions • Emergency Procedures The survey also included broad questions about management challenges, specific topic on which information would be useful, innovative management practices, and preferred methods of accessing information. 4

ACRP Web-Only Document 5: Development of a Guidebook for Managing Small Airports The survey was not anonymous. Respondents were asked to provide their name, airport, job title, contact information, and professional affiliations (e.g., AAAE, etc.), if any. The survey included questions in a variety of formats including Yes/No, check all that apply, ranking, and free text. The research team determined the best format for each question based on the subject and the desired information to be gathering by the survey. Survey Distribution The research team developed an e-mail announcement that described the project, the survey, and how the information gathered through the survey would be used. A link to the Minnesota Airport Technical Assistance Program (AirTAP) website through which the survey could be accessed was included in the e-mail announcement. With the assistance of the Project Panel, the research team developed an initial list of airports to which the survey was distributed. The survey results from this initial group of respondents were tabulated, summarized, and presented to the Project Panel during the conference call on June 15, 2007. Based on the initial survey results and feedback from the Project Panel, the research team revised the survey to reduce its length and focus more on specific topics and issues. The final version of the survey is included in Appendix B. The research team worked with National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) to coordinate with State Offices/Departments of Aeronautics to identify 5-10 airports, or more in some instances, in each state that would be good candidates to complete the survey and provide information useful to the development of the Guidebook. The research team also worked with state airport organizations to distribute the surveys their member airports. This approach to distributing the survey was expected to provide the highest yield or rate of return. In addition, respondents were offered a complimentary copy of the Guidebook as incentive to complete the survey. (Note: This incentive, which was recommended by the Project Panel, was the primary reason that the survey was not anonymous.) The initial project plan included conducting focus groups with small airport managers as part of the data collection plan. The research team thought that focus groups might be necessary to gather additional information or to enhance the understanding of particular topic area. In the end, formal focus groups were not used do to the time and logistical challenges of convening them. Although conducting a focus group via conference call was considered, it was deemed to have too little value to be worthwhile. Task 4 Interim Report The research team prepared an interim report that compiled the results of Tasks 1, 2, 3, and 5, as well as the preliminary results of Tasks 6 and 7. The interim report was presented to the Project Panel during the interim meeting on September 25, 2007, in Washington, DC. The Project Panel approved the interim report which allowed the research team to continue working towards completion of the project based on an updated work plan. 5

ACRP Web-Only Document 5: Development of a Guidebook for Managing Small Airports Task 5 Data Collection The initial deadline for completing the online survey was July 29, 2007. This deadline was extended several times to allow the research team and NASAO officials to encourage airport managers to complete the survey at various professional conferences. Almost 200 surveys were completed by the final deadline. The research team hoped to receive survey responses from five airports from each state. This would yield both statistically significant and geographically diverse results. Although the results of the survey were informative and influenced the research team as it developed the draft guidebook, the goal of geographic diversity in the survey responses was not completely achieved and certain areas of the country (e.g., Texas) were over-represented in the results. The main findings from the survey are discussed in Chapter 3 of this report. The summarized results of the survey are included in Appendix C. Task 6 Recommended Management Principles Based on the results of the literature review and data collection task, as well as its own knowledge and expertise, the research team developed a prioritized list of recommended management principles and techniques to be included in the Guidebook. The recommended principles formed the basis of the initial outline for the Guidebook by helping the research team to identify key topics and determine the order of topics in the Guidebook. The final version of the recommended management principles developed by the research is included in Chapter 4. Task 7 Guidebook Outline and Format Based on the results of the literature review, data collection task, recommended management principles, and its own expertise in airport issues and manual production, the research team developed a draft outline of the Guidebook. This was presented to and approved by the Project Panel during the Interim Meeting on September 25, 2007, in Washington, DC. As development of the Guidebook content proceeded, the research team adjusted the preliminary outline to improve the flow of the information in the Guidebook. The final outline of the Guidebook is included in Appendix D. Initially, the research team intended to propose a format for the Guidebook that would maximize its utility for the managers of small airports. However, due to constraints related to the printing process, many of the original formatting ideas for the Guidebook were abandoned. The research team believes that tabs of some form, most likely black and on the page face, should be doable even with the printing restrictions and would greatly enhance the “user friendliness” of the Guidebook. 6

ACRP Web-Only Document 5: Development of a Guidebook for Managing Small Airports Task 8 Prepare Draft Guidebook Preparation of the Draft Guidebook Utilizing the information gathered during the successful completion of Tasks 1 through 7, as well as feedback from the Project Panel, the research team developed a draft version of the Guidebook. To expedite the writing process, chapters and portions of chapters were assigned to different members of the research team. Before compiling all of the chapters into a draft document, the research team members reviewed each other’s work on an ongoing basis. This review process was facilitated by creating a web site through the University of Minnesota to which documents could be posted for review by the research team. Industry Review Plan The research team also prepared an industry review plan as part of Task 8. The goal of the industry review in task 9 was to solicit feedback on the Guidebook from a geographically and functionally diverse group of airport industry representatives. Industry Review Panel The research team established an industry review panel comprised of 38 airport and aviation professionals. The review panel included 29 airport managers and directors representing 25 states, 5 state aviation officials, and 4 representatives from two industry associations. A complete list of the industry review panel membership is included in Appendix G. In developing the roster of industry review panel members, the research team collaborated with those state aviation officials who assisted with creating the list of survey participants as part of the data collection plan in Task 3. The aviation officials reviewed the list to survey respondents from their states and recommended those that they believed would be competent and informed reviewers. In many cases, the state aviation officials noted that the potential reviewers possessed specific expertise and a desire to review the Guidebook. The review panel members represented a cross-section of airports by both geographic location and airport size. The five state aviation officials included on the industry review panel were specifically recommended by the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) based on their knowledge of and interest in small airport operations and management. In addition, NASAO committed to reviewing the guidebook. At the suggestion of Mike Salamone, the industry review panel also included three members of the American Association of Airport Executives General Aviation Committee. Industry Review Plan Each member of the industry review panel was asked to provide comments and feedback on the draft Guidebook. The review panel members were given the option of reviewing the Guidebook in its entirety or commenting on only those sections of the Guidebook in which they have expertise or a special interest. The research team developed a review form that allowed the industry review panel to provide both general comments on the Guidebook and specific comments on chapters within the 7

ACRP Web-Only Document 5: Development of a Guidebook for Managing Small Airports Guidebook. Providing a standard review form was intended to facilitate the reviewing process, identify important issues, and generate responses in a (somewhat) standardized format. The final version of the review form is included in Appendix F. In addition to the providing comments on the review form, the industry review panel was invited to provide specific comments on the content of the Guidebook. There were three options for submitting specific comments: 1. Handwrite comments on pages of the Guidebook and fax those pages with comments to the research team. 2. Handwrite comments on the pages of the Guidebook, scan those pages with comments into a pdf format file, and send the pdf file to the research team via e-mail. 3. Make changes to the draft Guidebook using the “track changes” function in the Microsoft Word and send the revised document to the research team via e-mail. Since the members of the industry review panel were meticulously selected and, in many cases, confirmed their willingness to participate in the review of the Guidebook, the research team expected a very high response rate. The research team will catalog the comments from the industry review plan as they are received. The goal will be to determine common themes among the comments and identify conflicting comments that may require some type of follow-up for resolution. Once all of the comments have been received, the research team will prepare a report recommending changes to the Guidebook based on the industry review. The ACRP Project Panel will review and approve the proposed changes. Task 9 Industry Review Upon receiving approval of the draft Guidebook and industry review plan from the Project Panel, the research team distributed the electronic version of the draft Guidebook and the comment form to the industry review panel members. Task 10 Prepare and Submit Draft Guidebook After making revisions based on the industry review panel feedback, as well as additional feedback from the Project Panel, the research team submitted the final draft version of the Guidebook for Managing Small Airports to the Senior Program Officer for the project in September 2008. 8