Medallion Five Star Shield Program

Overview and Implementation

 

The Medallion Foundation, Inc. is an Alaskan 501(c)(3) non-profit organization funded at this time solely by grants from the Federal Government that are funneled through and monitored by the FAA.

The long term goals of the Foundation are:

•  Reduce aviation accidents in Alaska

•  Reduce commercial aviation insurance rates in Alaska

•  Influence the aviation Safety Culture in Alaska

In order to facilitate these goals, the Five Star Shield program was developed and is currently being implemented by a number of Alaskan operators. This program is provided to the applicant at little or no cost.

While the program cannot be all things to all people, the object is to bring the program to as many different types of Alaskan operators as possible, from small basic Part 135 operators to scheduled 135 and 121 operators. Currently even larger Part 91 operators are participating in the program. The focus is on developing and implementing the process with specific emphasis on incorporating system safety attributes. We believe this can be accomplished in both large and small organizations.

In order to assist the applicant the Foundation uses a number of tools such as:

•  Training programs ( System Safety, Safety Officer Course, Maintenance Resource Management, Root Cause Analysis, Flight Risk Management, CFIT Avoidance, etc. )

•  Process flow charts for each star that provide guidance to the operator.

•  Evaluation criteria that are guidelines for the evaluator as well as the operator – some like to call these audit points.

•  Program managers who are tasked to assist the applicant with each of the Stars

•  Software and hardware to assist the applicant in meeting their goals (TapRooT, IAP Software, ATD's), and;

•  A progressive evaluation program both internal and external that ensures the quality of the programs.

The following image depicts the natural program progression.

All the stars must be completed before the applicant can be considered for the Shield. However, after the Shield is awarded, the applicant is still subjected to an evaluation every year. In addition, 20% of the Shield carriers undergo an outside or third party audit every year that is paid for by the Medallion Foundation. This outside audit is a quality control check for the program. That report goes to the Foundation Board of Directors.

However, before the Shield the applicant must meet the requirements of each of the Five Stars. This includes not only the initial evaluation for each star, but a 90 day follow-up “conformity” visit by the program manager. Then at the six month point the applicant has a visit by an evaluator as well as the specific program manager. After that, the next evaluation is not for another 12 months and each 12 months thereafter for each Star until the applicant achieves the Shield.

How do I get started?

The next image is a flow chart that shows the steps the applicant takes from the initial contact through the completion of the first star.

- Please Note -

The Medallion Foundation Board of Directors requires that an applicant complete the first Star within one year of the date of application, and at least one Star per year thereafter. Failure to meet any of these deadlines may result in the applicant being removed from the program.

What is the Process?

The first item that must be accomplished is reading the requirements associated with the program, then signing and submitting the application. In that application, one individual will be named as the contact person for the applicant. The application can be found on the web site under Application Process (click here) in the Information section (first click on Medallion Shield Program for Alaskan Operators ).

A password protected web site is also provided so that the applicant can keep up with their current status as well as training accomplished and the dates of visits/contacts by Medallion personnel. Please note that it is the responsibility of the applicant to keep current the name and contact information for the individual designated as the Medallion contact person. The applicant can contact Medallion in relation to any item on the web site through an e-mail link on the web site.

The following images are examples of what you might find on the web site for a specific Star. Please note, these are examples only, the most current and accurate information is found on the specific Star web site.

DO NOT USE THESE IMAGES FOR YOUR PROGRAM

THEY ARE EXAMPLES ONLY

 

You will note that the preceding image also lists prerequisites required for a specific program. However, there are two important links found on these sites, the Star Process Flow Chart link found at the top of the page . . .

. . . and the specific Star Audit Points link found at the bottom of that page.

The flow chart is intended to provide the applicant with a “process” view of the program. However, what is depicted may not be the entire program, just the major areas of concern. During meetings with the applicant, the Program Managers will provide any additional flow charts required for specific areas.

The audit points are a tool for the evaluator as well as the applicant. This is the checklist that will be used in the evaluation. Having said that, if an applicant does all that is required in the flow chart(s); they should meet the requirements of the audit points.

Both of these links are in the Adobe PDF format. A link to download the Adobe reader is available on the web site.

It is important that you develop a program that works for your company, not a copy of what someone else has done. It is also important to note that all programs must be written and can be implemented considering the scope of your operations. Spend some time on this and consider what you want to do, how best to do it, how to document what you want, and how best to evaluate the success of your efforts.

The following question must always be considered: Does this program work for my company and will it meet the requirements of the Star?

The applicant should work closely with the Medallion Foundation program manager, they are there to assist, but they will not do the work for you . That may sound rather petty, but if you design and implement a program for your company you have ownership of that program. You know your company better than anyone outside the company so you can make sure the program works for you, not someone else.

Each Star has a different area of emphasis, but all of them incorporate the use of a written process and the incorporation of System Safety attributes. In the future, FAA evaluations will be focusing more on processes and how they are implemented, not just on regulatory compliance. Those who have attended the System Safety course can attest that processes are at the core of the System Safety attributes.

Another area of emphasis is Safety Culture which is a part of the Shield evaluation. The reason for this is because the various elements of Safety Culture need to be a part of all the company and ALL the stars, not just in a specific program such as the Safety Program.

The Shield evaluation embraces but is not limited to the following:

• Determines if the company has developed a Safety Culture that holds safety as its core value.
• Determines if the company has focused on establishing and maintaining a sustained elevated level of safety performance.
• Determines if all elements of the Five Star Program are being implemented and are woven into the fabric of the organization.
• Ascertains if there is top level management commitment to safety and that the commitment has a positive impact on the Safety Culture.
• Determines if management ensures that safety goals are achieved, safety policies are adhered to and safety procedures are followed.
• Determines if management ensures there is continuous improvement in the safety program.
• Determines if the applicant has incorporated the six (6) system safety attributes into their day-to-day operations.

When the applicant is ready to work on the Shield, the Medallion Foundation will provide assistance in the same manner that assistance was provided for the Stars, except the assistance will be provided by one of the Evaluators.

Just as with the stars, there are prerequisites for this award as well. Those, along with all the star evaluation guidelines can be found on the Medallion Foundation web site.

At this time it must be emphasized once again that participation in the Medallion Foundation Five Star Shield Program is strictly voluntary and the applicant can leave the program at any time subject to the provisions of the Application Agreement.

Also be aware that there are requirements that you as the potential applicant must recognize. The first is that there are prerequisites for each star that must be met. Second, there is a timeline for completion of each element of the program and a potential consequence if the timeline is not met.

Thank you for taking the time to review this document.