May 11th 1998, the new Information Handbook was distributed to the MA’s.

Part of that new IHB is the Questionnaire. This was decided upon to find a solution for the poor reply SC4 Sub-Committee IHB received during the 1996 Inquiry. The questionnaire itself is subdivided into 3 parts, namely the Guidelines to the Questionnaire, the Questions part and the Answers part.

The Guidelines to the Questionnaire were so elaborated as to ensure that no MA could misunderstand the way to proceed. In bold printing it says: Keep the complete questionnaire in your Information Handbook. All further inquiries will be based upon it and will not be mailed again, unless the content of the questions are changed.

This is amongst other points in contradiction with what is written in the IFATCA Manual page 4523, para 2.4 Method of Updating.

This working paper is meant to adapt the IFATCA Manual to the new proceedings, developed during the last couple of years and to clarify different questions put in Committee C during those years.

The IFATCA Manual on page 4523 states the following :

Para 2.4.1, 2.4.4, 2.4.5. still speak about SC4, Sub-Committee IHB. Also does 2.3.5. on page 4522. Due to the fact that the Belgian Guild of Air Traffic Controllers, who created the Information Handbook in 1973 as Sub-Committee IHB, left SC4 as Member Association in 1996 and that the Belgian controller, responsible for the IHB at that time, wished to continue the IHB, SC4 in consultation with the E.B. created the function of Editor Information Handbook.

The Editor IHB remained in SC4 under direct supervision of the EVPP as the only specialist SC4 ever had, similar to the specialists SC1 has.

As this situation continued to exist for four years now, SC4 considers it time to amend the IFACA Manual to reflect this change. Therefore the wording “Sub-Committee IHB” should be changed into “Editor Information Handbook” in above-mentioned para’s.

Para 2.3.5. on page 4522 also mentions that MA’s requesting comparative information on any particular item should make a request to SC4, sub-Comm. IHB. As from 1993 until today Sub- Comm. IHB in the past and Editor IHB at present did not receive any such a request. Therefore that paragraph should be amended.

In para 2.4.1. The first sentence dates from the time that the EVPR’s were not part of the Executive Board (1988). The distribution of the IHB-questionnaires isn’t done by the EVPR’s anymore since the Office was installed. The EVPR’s are now only responsible for the collection of the IHB- questionnaires.

In para 2.4.2. the wording “the updating of the IHB” does not exactly tell what should be done under that agenda item. In fact what SC4 and Editor IHB want is that the EVPR’s put an agenda item “Collection of Information Handbook Questionnaires” on the agenda of each Regional Meeting. By doing so the MA’s become aware that there is something to be collected on the Regional Meetings and that they must do something before attending those meetings. By changing 2.4.2. in such a way, para 2.4.3. becomes redundant.

Para 2.4.4’s essence is the start of the whole procedure and should be moved upwards as the first paragraph of the topic. As The EVPR’s are not responsible for the distribution , the target dates make no sense anymore. However the inquiry has to start and end at some moment. Therefore SC4 proposes to let the procedure start at the Annual Conference as part of the Committee C proceedings and end at the Regional Meetings. In case MA’s should not attend these meetings. The respective dates should be put as start and end dates. The IFATCA Circular should be used to announce the inquiry.

Amended as mentioned above in 2.2, 2.4.5. can remain as it is, although an amendment at least every 2 years should be set as a minimum as the Inquiries take place every two years.

During the 1998 and 2000 Inquiries, the Editor IHB received different email requesting a copy of the IHB-Questionnaire. Many MA’s forgot to read the Guidelines to the Questionnaire properly and filled in the original questionnaire instead of making a copy first and fill in that copy. As the Editor IHB has a PDF formatted version of that questionnaire available, the time has come to make that copy available on the IFATCA web for downloading. Those MA’s who still have no access to the Web can always make a written request to the Office to receive a hard copy of the Questionnaire. An additional sentence in the Manual should reflect these possibilities.

IFATCA Manual page 4522 para 2.3.5 and page 4523, chapter 2.4 became obsolete and need amending.

On page 4522 para 2.3.5. should read : “The Information Handbook shall be presented in a “country-by-country” format.”, the rest should be deleted.

Page 4523, Chapter 2.4. Method of updating, should be rewritten to reflect the changes that occurred during the recent years.

That the IFATCA Manual be amended as follows:

On page 4522 para 2.3.5. should read:

“ The Information Handbook shall be presented in a “country-by-country” format.”

On page 4523, Chapter 2.4. Method of updating, should read:

The Editor Information Handbook (IHB) shall update the Information Handbook by means of a questionnaire, which is part of the Information Handbook. Additionally a copy shall be made available on the IFATCA Website and hard copies can be requested through the Office.

Every even year a new Inquiry shall to place. This Inquiry will be announced by means of the first IFATCA Circular produced that year. The Inquiry shall start at the first day of Committee C proceedings at the Annual Conference and end at the last day of the Regional Meeting held that year.

The Executive Vice-Presidents Region shall be responsible for the collection of the IHB- questionnaires within their Region. They will inform the Editor Information Handbook on any problem with regard to the collection of the IHB questionnaires.

The “Collection of IHB Questionnaires” should be a standard agenda item at each Regional Meeting.

Editor Information Handbook shall compile amendments to the Information Handbook at least every 2 years or more frequently when additional information becomes available and justifies the expense.

The IFATCA Manual.

IFATCA Information Handbook.