	JPDO Has Made Progress in Planning NextGen, but Continues to Face a Number of Challenges

JPDO has continued to make progress in facilitating the collaboration that  is central to its mission and in furthering its key planning documents. However, JPDO faces a number of challenges involving its organizational  structure, institutionalization of its efforts, research and development  activities, and stakeholder participation. Figure 1 illustrates JPDO’s position  within FAA and the JPDO structures that bring together federal and  nonfederal stakeholders, including the Institute and the IPTs. Deprtment of Trporttion (chir)
Hrmoniztion  (FAA)
Infrastrctre   (FAA)
Situationl  Awreness  (DOD)  (DOC)
Mgement  (FAA)
In November 2006, we reported that JPDO’s organizational structure  incorporated some of the practices that we have found to be effective for  federal interagency collaborations—an important point given how critical  such collaboration is to the success of JPDO’s mission. We believe that these changes could help address concerns that we have  heard from some stakeholders about the productivity of some IPTs and  the pace of the planning effort at JPDO. The  leadership turnovers at both JPDO and the Institute raise concerns about  the stability of JPDO and about the impact of these turnovers on the  progress of the NextGen initiative. JPDO Has Made Progress Toward Releasing Key Planning Documents, although Further Work Remains

JPDO’s authorizing legislation requires the office to create a multi-agency  research and development plan for the transition to NextGen. These documents include a NextGen  Concept of Operations, a NextGen Enterprise Architecture, and an  Integrated Work Plan. Over the next few months, JPDO plans to address the public  comments it receives and issue a revised version of the Concept of  Operations. Based on our analysis,  JPDO is focusing on the right types of key documents for the foundation of  NextGen planning. Institutionalizing the Collaborative Process Poses a Continuing Challenge for JPDO

In our November 2006 report, we noted that JPDO is fundamentally a  planning and coordinating body that lacks authority over the key human  and technological resources of its partner agencies. Consequently,  institutionalizing the collaborative process with its partner agencies will  be critical to JPDO’s ability to facilitate the implementation of NextGen. For example, JPDO is working with FAA to refocus one of FAA’s  key planning documents on the implementation of NextGen—an effort  that also appears to be improving the collaboration and coordination  between JPDO and FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO), which has  primary responsibility for modernization of the air traffic control system. JPDO has made progress in this area, although further  work remains. As we noted in our November report, JPDO is working  with OMB to develop a process that would allow OMB to identify  NextGen-related projects across the partner agencies and consider  NextGen as a unified, cross-agency program. This means that the FAA and  the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense will eventually share a  common, real-time, secure picture of aviation operations across the  airspace system. JPDO believes the total federal cost for NextGen infrastructure through  2025 will range between $15 billion and $22 billion. While FAA and JPDO have begun to release estimates for FAA’s NextGen  investment portfolio, questions remain over which entities will fund and  conduct some of the necessary research, development, and demonstration  projects that will be key to achieving certain NextGen capabilities. Until then, JPDO investment modeling  capability will be constrained unless the office or another partner agency  can assume the modeling work. JPDO Faces A Continuing Challenge in Ensuring the Involvement of All Key Stakeholders

Some stakeholders, such as current air traffic controllers and technicians,  will play critical roles in NextGen, and their involvement in planning for  and deploying the new technology will be important to the success of  NextGen. Thus, it is unclear at this time whether any stakeholder  participation is being chilled by conflict of interest concerns.
Why GAO Did This Study

The skies over America are becoming more crowded every day. The consensus of opinion is that the current system cannot be expanded to meet projected growth. In 2003, recognizing the need for system transformation, Congress authorized the creation of the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO), housed within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to lead a collaborative effort of federal and nonfederal aviation stakeholders to conceptualize and plan the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen)--a fundamental redesign and modernization of the national airspace system. JPDO operates in conjunction with its partner agencies, which include FAA; the Departments of Transportation, Commerce, Defense, and Homeland Security; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. GAO's testimony focuses on the progress that JPDO has made in planning the NextGen initiative and some key issues and challenges that JPDO continues to face. This statement is based on GAO's November 2006 report to this subcommittee as well as ongoing work. In our November 2006 report, we recommended that JPDO take actions to institutionalize its collaboration and determine if it had the involvement of all key stakeholders. JPDO said it would consider our recommendations.

What GAO Found

JPDO has made progress in several areas in its planning of the NextGen initiative, but continues to face a number of challenges. JPDO's organizational structure incorporates some of the practices that we have found to be effective for federal interagency collaborations, and includes an institute that facilitates the participation of nonfederal stakeholders. JPDO has faced some organizational challenges, however. Leadership turnover at JPDO and the Institute have raised concerns about the stability of JPDO and the impact of the turnovers on its progress. Additionally, we and JPDO officials have heard concerns from stakeholders about the productivity of some integrated product teams and the pace of the planning effort. In response, JPDO officials are currently proposing several changes to JPDO's organizational structure aimed at improving the organization's effectiveness. JPDO has also made progress toward releasing several key planning documents, including a Concept of Operations, an Enterprise Architecture, and an Integrated Work Plan, although in some cases on a revised and extended timeline. JPDO is focusing on the right types of key documents for the foundation of NextGen planning, although the current draft Concept of Operations still lacks important details. In our November 2006 report, we noted that JPDO is fundamentally a planning and coordinating body that lacks authority over the key human and technological resources of its partner agencies. Consequently, institutionalizing the collaborative process with its partner agencies will be critical to JPDO's ability to facilitate the implementation of NextGen. JPDO has identified several tasks including aligning the enterprise architectures of its partner agencies, working with OMB to establish a cross-agency mechanism for NextGen funding decisions, and working with FAA to revamp a key planning document to focus on the NextGen effort. JPDO has made progress in developing cost estimates for NextGen, recently reporting that it estimates the total federal cost for NextGen infrastructure through 2025 will range between $15 billion and $22 billion. Questions remain, however, over which entities will fund and conduct some of the necessary research, development, and demonstration projects that in the past were often conducted by NASA, and which will be key to achieving certain NextGen capabilities. For example, JPDO's investment simulation capability, which relies heavily on a NASA modeling platform, may be constrained unless the JPDO or another partner agency can assume the modeling work. JPDO also faces a challenge in addressing questions concerning how human factors issues, such as the changing roles of air traffic controllers in a more automated NextGen environment, will be researched and addressed. Finally, JPDO has a continuing challenge in ensuring the involvement of all key stakeholders, including controllers and technicians. Similarly, issues have arisen over whether conflict of interest issues could chill the participation of industry stakeholders.