Aviation Research: Airport Cooperative Research Program Addresses Many Needs but Could Enhance Transparency and Clarify Scope of Research Role
GAO-10-729
Published: Jul 15, 2010. Publicly Released: Jul 15, 2010.
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Highlights
Airports are a vital part of the nation's air transportation system and face many similar challenges. In 2003, the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) was authorized to conduct applied research to help airport operators solve shared challenges that are not addressed by other federal research. As requested, this report addresses (1) the extent to which ACRP's processes reflect criteria for conducting a high-quality research program and (2) ACRP's results to date and their usefulness for the aviation community. GAO reviewed ACRP documentation and compared ACRP processes to criteria previously developed by GAO that can be applied to research programs. These criteria identify three phases of the applied research process and steps to help produce high-quality results. GAO also reviewed ACRP projects and publications and interviewed ACRP stakeholders and airport officials.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Transportation | To better align key program documentation with ACRP program practices as implemented and to increase the transparency and stability of the program over time, the Secretary of Transportation should take steps to revise the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Department of Transportation and the National Academy of Sciences, and other appropriate documentation, such that (1) all organizations, including ex-officio members, that are involved in ACRP Oversight Committee (AOC) proceedings are included in program documentation, and (2) project selection procedures documented in the MOA are supplemented to include, as an option, a consensus-based approach in addition to voting procedures, and a more explicitly defined role for ex-officio members in project selection. | In 2010, we reported that the Air Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) had implemented many practices and procedures that help to assure the production of high-quality applied research, but gaps existed in some areas of its research processes. The program's documented operating procedures did not reflect (1) the involvement of the Airport Consultants Council (ACC) on the ACRP Oversight Committee (AOC) (2) the enhanced role of ex-officio members in project selection decisions, and (3) the AOC's current consensus-driven approach to selecting projects. This incomplete documentation of certain program practices potentially diminished the transparency of some aspects of the AOC's operations.... Therefore, we recommended that the Department of Transportation, and other relevant entities, revise key program documentation to align with actual board membership and that ACRP use its project selection rules. In 2010, ACC was formally appointed to ACRP's governing board and program documentation--such as annual reports--was updated accordingly. Additionally, the governing board holds a formal vote--after the board discusses proposed projects--to make project selections. In 2013, we confirmed that ACC's appointment is reflected in updated documentation and continued adherence to formal project selection practices provide greater program transparency and stability, as intended by our recommendation, and substantively address the gaps we identified in our report. As a result, ACRP operations are more transparent to program stakeholders.
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| Department of Transportation | To clarify the role of ACRP in conducting security research, the Secretary of Transportation should take steps to encourage the AOC--in collaboration with other key federal agencies and stakeholders--to clearly articulate ACRP's role, if any, in conducting security research and, subsequently, to ensure that ACRP's program documentation clearly and accurately reflects this role, such that airport operators and others can readily understand what to expect of the program in this area. | In 2010, we reported that the Air Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) had produced a variety of high-quality and useful results for the airport industry, according to the officials we interviewed. However, the program's role in conducting security research was unclear. ACRP materials, such as its annual solicitation of project ideas, included security as a potential topic within the scope of the program. However, the ACRP Oversight Committee (AOC) had not generally funded security projects, in part because of differing views about whether ACRP should do this research. Airport security was certainly a concern shared by airport operators and AOC members. Given the significant amount of...
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Air transportationAirport securityAirportsAviationDocumentationProgram evaluationQuality controlResearch and development solicitationsResearch program managementResearch programsTransportation researchAircraft industryStrategic planningProgram implementationTransparency