BACKGROUND

Operational Readiness, Activation, and Transition, or ORAT, is a process for seamlessly managing the transfer of a new or substantially upgraded facility from the design and implementation stage to active live operation. ORAT can incorporate the integration of process, people, facilities, and systems and provide a framework that encompasses stakeholder engagement, quality control and assurance, trial activities, commissioning, training, and regulatory and certification requirements. Airports across the country are investing billions of dollars in facility development; while airports have been using some aspects of ORAT for years, formalizing the process will help them incorporate ORAT into new and ongoing project development processes.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this research are to (1) develop a WebResource and associated tools, which are scalable and adaptable, to support U.S. airports as they develop, implement, maintain, or grow an ORAT program; (2) develop a roadmap to enhance the understanding, purpose, and effectiveness of ORAT programs for airport projects; and (3) develop an executive summary of the findings to promote the effectiveness and inclusion of ORAT programs. All project types should be addressed including all terminal development (headhouse, holdroom, gates, etc.); landside development; airside development; and support facilities, utilities, and special systems.  The roadmap shall provide the industry with guidelines to more fully embrace the ORAT process. It should provide airports that have not developed an ORAT program with a process to start a program.

The final deliverables will cover, at a minimum, the following broad, common components of an ORAT program:

• Relationship of ORAT to planning design and program management;
• Risk identification and mitigation plan;
• Identifying internal and external stakeholders and developing engagement and communication strategies; 
• Identifying roles and responsibilities of stakeholders (either internal or external) who will use, operate, and/or maintain a facility/asset after it is delivered;
• Strategies and tools for transitioning the facility/asset from construction to normal operations (e.g., transfer of Building Information Modeling (BIM) data, asset management, etc.);
• Identifying strategies for training, testing, commissioning, and staffing a new facility/asset;
• Trials and simulation;
• Suggested roles and responsibilities of an ORAT division/team; and
• Meeting any relevant federal, state, and local regulations.

The tools will include, at a minimum:

• Facility/asset owner's checklists for addressing stakeholder requirements based on the project type;
• A template for activities for phased re-location planning;
• A matrix of airport projects and the ORAT processes that should be addressed;
• Resources for contracting ORAT services including;
  • Request for proposal (RFP) templates/language for procuring ORAT consultants;
  • Contracting mechanisms and guidance for construction contracts to ensure they are prepared to incorporate ORAT;
• Guidance for creating an in-house ORAT team including scoping mechanisms;
• Performance metrics and evaluation;
• A recommended skillset for an ORAT professional including training resources; and
• Resources for developing a trial and simulation plan.

All relevant stakeholders should be addressed throughout the final deliverables including;

• Airlines;
• Other tenants (rental car providers, concessionaires, janitorial service providers, wheelchair service providers, etc.);
• Third-party vendors (baggage handling contractors, ground handling providers, etc.);
• Accessibility representatives;
• All relevant airport departments/divisions;
• Passenger representatives;
• Federal partners (Transportation Security Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, etc.);
• State and local partners (utility, codes and permitting, public safety, etc.);
• Facility operators;
• Ground transportation providers; and
• The general public.

RESEARCH PLAN

 The research plan shall include at a minimum the appropriate interim deliverables for ACRP review and approval:

• Within 90 days of the Notice to Proceed, a rough draft of the matrix of airport projects and the ORAT processes that should be addressed and a list of the tools and resources (including all checklists) that will be provided;
• A data collection plan that includes outreach to commercial-service airports of all sizes, consulting firms with various levels of experience in ORAT, airline corporate real estate and facilities representatives, general contractors that have completed airport construction projects, and other stakeholders that have participated in an ORAT process; and
• An interim report including a wireframe of the WebResource, an overview of the guidelines, a rough draft of the executive summary, research results to date, an updated work plan, and identification of follow-on research ideas to be developed into problem statements.

The research plan should include checkpoints with the ACRP panel including, at a minimum:

• A kick-off web meeting to be held within 1 month of the Notice to Proceed;
• One face-to-face interim deliverable review meeting;
• One-hour web meeting to be held in the week following the delivery of each Quarterly Progress Report; and
• Web meetings tied to the panel review and ACRP approval of other interim deliverables deemed appropriate.

The final deliverables will include:

• The WebResource;
• The roadmap;
• The executive summary;
• A Contractor’s Final Report documenting all research steps, results, and analysis;
• A technical memo titled, “Implementation of Research Findings and Products”;
• A Summary of Key Findings; and
• A Further Recommended Research Memo.

STATUS: Proposals have been received in response to the RFP. The project panel will meet to select a contractor to perform the work.