Set-up checklist

For the person setting up the programme: the trust and the sampling plan the whole cycle depends on. Most programmes take 4 to 8 weeks from approval to the first observation.

1. Agree to do it

• ☐ Management sponsor named, and the business case approved
• ☐ Workforce representatives (and unions, where there are any) involved from the start
• ☐ Agreement on non-jeopardy and data use signed by both sides
• ☐ Data protection assessment completed with your data protection officer
• ☐ Decision on whether results will be shared with NOMIC (optional, de-identified)

2. Roles

• Programme lead: runs the cycle, keeps the backups, writes up results
• Observers: 4 or 5 experienced ground personnel for a first cycle (3 to 6 works), trusted by their peers
• Checking group: 2 or 3 of the observers, meeting regularly to check coding
• Learning Team host: someone who can run a session with planners and ramp staff

3. Plan the sample

• ☐ Number of turnarounds: about 75 to 100 for a first cycle (work it out with the sampling calculator)
• ☐ Spread across shifts (early, day, late, night), days of the week, aircraft types and stands
• ☐ Ports included, and roughly how many at each
• ☐ Busy and quiet times both covered
• ☐ Dates for the cycle, and for the checking sessions

4. Get ready

• ☐ Airport and company rules on mobile devices airside checked; permission obtained
• ☐ Observers trained and their practice coding checked
• ☐ Dictation tested in real ramp noise
• ☐ Observers' initials set in the tool, local codes added if needed
• ☐ A secure shared place for backup files, open only to the programme team
• ☐ Crew briefing sent out before the cycle starts

5. During and after the cycle

• ☐ Backups saved at least weekly and combined by the programme lead
• ☐ All observations checked before results are read
• ☐ Results shared with the workforce first
• ☐ One or two Learning Team sessions held, actions agreed
• ☐ Date set for the next cycle