How does the Agency accept the management staff of a design organisation?
Answer
A design organisation has to nominate its management staff:
- the Chief Executive
- the Head of the Design Organisation
- the Chief of the Office of Airworthiness
- the Chief of the independent monitoring function
The person or persons nominated should represent the management structure of the organisation and be responsible through the Head of design organisation to the Chief Executive for the execution of all functions as specified in Part-21, Subpart J. Depending on the size of the organisation, the functions may be combined or subdivided under individual managers.
The design organisation shall furnish a statement of the qualifications and experience of the management staff to the Agency: this means that the nominated managers should be identified and, except the case of Chief Executive, their credentials furnished to the Agency on EASA Form 4-DOA in order that they may be seen to be appropriate in terms of relevant knowledge and satisfactory experience related to the nature of the design activities as performed by the organisation.
The Agency does not approve individuals; therefore the acceptance of the nominated managers has to be understood:
- either through the Approval of the Design Organisation following the initial investigation. The nominated management staff of an approved design organisation, their hierarchical links and allocated responsibilities shall be then identified in the DOA’s Handbook,
- or through the Approval of Significant Change to the DOA related to a change of the management staff, to be done as described in the DOA procedures. Once the Application for the Significant Change to the DOA shall be submitted by the DOA and accepted by the Agency, the DOA Team Leader will investigate the case and summarise his/her assessment and recommendation for acceptance in his investigation final report. On that basis, EASA shall issue the formal Letter of Approval of the Significant Change to be sent to the DOA.
See also the following relevant regulatory material:
- GM No. 1 to 21.A.239(a) Design assurance system, para (3.1.2)
- 21.A.243 Data, para (d)
- AMC No. 1 to 21.A.243(a) Data requirements, para (2.)
- AMC No. 2 to 21.A.243(a) Data requirements - Model content of handbook for organisations designing minor changes to type design or minor repairs to products, para (1.10)
- GM No. 1 to 21.A.243(d) Statement of qualifications and experience
- GM No. 2 to 21.A.243(d) Data requirements - Statement of the qualification and experience- Organisations designing minor changes to type design or minor repairs to products, para (1.)
- GM No. 1 to 21.A.245 Requirements for approval, para (4.1)
- GM 21.A.247 Significant changes in the design assurance system, para (2.)
GM 21.A.265(b) Use of the Handbook, para (1.)