MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTABILITY .1 ICAO SAFETY MANAGEMENT SARPs

Chapter 6. ICAO Safety Management SARPs 6-13 6.6.15 The safety performance of an SMS should be defined, to the extent possible, through quantitative safety performance indicators and safety performance targets. It is recognized, however, that in many States the safety data collection and analysis capabilities of services providers may not be fully developed. Therefore, while such capabilities are developed, the safety performance of an SMS can be defined through a combination of quantitative and qualitative safety performance indicators and safety performance targets. The objective should nevertheless remain the definition of safety performance of an SMS through quantitative measures only. 6.6.16 The definition of the safety performance of an SMS is a requirement that goes above and beyond regulatory compliance with national and international requirements. Establishing safety performance for an SMS does not replace legal, regulatory or other established requirements, nor does it relieve service providers from their obligations under relevant national regulations, and those arising from the Convention on International Civil Aviation ICAO Doc 7300 and its related provisions contained in the Annexes to the Convention. 6.7 MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTABILITY 6.7.1 The third and last group in the ICAO safety management SARPs in Annexes 1, 6, 8, 11, 13 and 14 is management accountability vis-à-vis the management of safety during the provision of services. The ICAO SARPs dictate that an accepted safety management system shall clearly define the lines of safety accountability throughout the approved training organizations that are exposed to safety risks during delivery of services, aircraft operators, approved maintenance organizations, organizations responsible for type design andor manufacture of aircraft, air traffic service providers and certified aerodromes, including direct accountability for safety on the part of senior management. 6.7.2 The contribution of management to the management of safety is discussed in Chapters 3 and 8, and no further discussion is considered necessary. Mention must be made, however, of a language issue: the use of the term accountability in the ICAO safety management requirements. In the English language, the notion of accountability is different from the notion of responsibility. Responsibility refers to the situation where a person must execute specific actions, while accountability extends this to the obligation or willingness to assume responsibility for the execution of such actions. To express it in safety management terms, safety responsibilities describe the safety purpose of the duties an individual is required to deliver. Safety accountabilities are statements of what the individual is required to deliver, either directly, or through supervision and management of others, including those to whom the individual has delegated responsibility. There is clearly a significant difference between both terms. However, this is a difference that exists only in the English language. Therefore, the term responsibility, with regard to management, in the ICAO safety management requirements, as included in other than the English language version of Annexes 1, 6, 8, 11, 13 and 14, must be understood in the sense of the English term accountability. 6.7.3 Successful safety management requires the active participation of all levels of management and supervision. This should be reflected in the structure of the organization and in published safety accountabilities. The organization should define, document and communicate — with the aid of organizational diagrams or charts — responsibilities, accountabilities and authorities. Senior management accountability and functional responsibilities are further discussed in Chapter 8. 6.8 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AN SSP AND AN SMS 6.8.1