Procedures Handbook Development

PAI has helped the FAA draft three internal process manuals: the FAA Rulemaking Manual, the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee Operating Procedures manual, and the FAA Exemption Procedures Manual.

The FAA Rulemaking Manual includes the basic policies and processes for developing and issuing rulemaking documents, instructions on how to follow the process, and guidance on the tools used to complete the process. The manual also includes tools to enable FAA employees to respond to current business processes and suggests ways to improve such processes. This task included research and analysis of processes used, investigation and analysis of proposed processes, and compilation of the appropriate and most efficient process steps to draft and produce a manual that is informative and user-friendly.

The Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee Operating Procedures manual provides Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) members and FAA personnel with information to help them understand and participate effectively in the ARAC process. The manual describes how ARAC is organized and each group’s responsibilities within the process. In addition to updating the procedures from the previous version of the manual, PAI helped the FAA draft this version according to plain language standards.

PAI documented the FAA’s exemption process in the FAA Exemption Procedures Manual. To accomplish this task, PAI reviewed the revised procedures for processing exemptions, interviewed FAA personnel involved in the exemption process, and outlined the steps for processing a petition for exemption. In developing these steps, PAI evaluated the revised procedures and noted gaps in the new procedures based on our experience supporting the FAA’s Office of Rulemaking with processing petitions for exemption. PAI’s evaluation assisted the FAA in further refining the revised processing procedures.