6.5 Introduction (General Information)

The General-Information opener every brief begins with establishes the human context (Self and Trainees), the safety floor (Health and Safety), and the run-of-show (Overview), in that order, before the technical content of the brief begins. Each of the four elements is short, but each of them earns its place: skipping or rushing any one of them undermines the brief that follows.

#Self

Remembering to exhibit the correct attitude (the stance from 6.4 Briefing Structure), the instructor will begin the briefing with a self-introduction. It should be a short appraisal of background and experience. This:

• establishes a human element to the training environment;
• sets the instructor's credibility to conduct the training;
• allows an opportunity for the trainees to relax.

The 30 seconds the Self step takes is operationally cheap; the content (a sentence on the instructor's name, fleet history, and current role) is what the trainee will mentally tag the rest of the brief against. The element is short by design.

#Trainees

The trainees should be given the opportunity to introduce themselves with a brief background and level of experience. Further investigation by the instructor with the appropriate questioning technique can then add to the understanding of the trainees' needs and entry level. This element of the introduction should only last a few minutes and needs to be time managed appropriately. Additionally, the size of the group and the type of training event will dictate if and by how much this will be of value.

The Trainees step has a diagnostic purpose: by the end of it, the instructor should be able to calibrate the brief and the session to the trainees' actual entry level rather than the entry level the syllabus assumes. A new joiner with 200 hours and a recurrent captain with 18,000 hours sit on opposite ends of the calibration scale and the brief lands differently for each. The "appropriate questioning technique" (treated in the 3.5 Questioning) is what extracts the calibration data without turning the introduction into an interview.

#Health and Safety

The Health and Safety step is the operational expression of the 6.1 Introduction requirement and the 6.3 Preparation discipline. The Safety Briefing rule says a safety brief is mandatory; the Duty-of-Care discipline produces the data; the Health and Safety step is where that data is delivered. The full / abridged distinction is a calibration to audience: new trainees get the full version because they have no prior model of the facility; returning trainees get the abridged version that highlights any changes since their last visit (this is what the "any new and unexpected threats" clause is doing operationally).

#Overview

After having opened the lesson with the "general admin" points, it is time to begin the delivery of information. It is appropriate that at this stage the instructor takes to his feet (if not already done so) and presents the information, which should already be on a white board, flip chart or PowerPoint presentation. The overview is a synopsis of the forthcoming training topics. At this stage it should not be covered in any detail other than reminding or advising the trainees of what is to come.

The Overview is an opportunity to lay out the structure of the training (or checking) that will be undertaken almost like an index. This overview should have no surprises for the trainees as they are required to have prepared themselves for training. It should have a lesson title, include an aim, and can include an overview of the location and environmental factors followed by a list of which topics will be covered.

#From session objectives to delivered Aim

The title is as stated in the lesson plan, e.g. FFS15 - ETOPS. However the aim or objective of the lesson will need the instructor to condense the knowledge objectives, session objectives or proficiency criteria that are already listed in the lesson plan and / or the approved training programme for that lesson. Using the above example:

The session objective states:

The Objectives state:

• To train A320 line flying SOP, with emphasis on Crew Resource Management.
• To train approach planning and crew coordination while flying an approach at an alternate airfield.
• To train the use of FORDEC as a model of Normative Decision making, when solving operational problems that have no rule based or book solution.
• To train the effective utilization of all crew resources during an event set to include leadership and managerial skills, situational awareness, co-operation and decision making.

The session proficiency criteria states:

• Ability to demonstrate and to operate effectively the aircraft in an ETOPS environment according to ETOPS rules and specific SOPs.

There would be insufficient whiteboard space or time to write and then brief all of the above objectives. Therefore the instructor will need to condense all of the above into an easily understood aim. One example could be:

The use of verbs to "revise", "train" and "qualify" are self-explanatory and clearly lay out the sequence of the lesson. It follows the systematic approach to training set out in 1.1 Introduction. Once again, detailing the requirement to be in accordance with the approved programme's policies and procedures sets the standard required. This will be further covered in the 11.1 Purpose of Evaluation.

#Setting the scene

Setting the scene for the trainees is equally important and allows them to understand the start point of the training; this is particularly important if the training is a simulator session. Failure to do this can cause confusion and waste a great deal of time in the initial setup. If the trainee is new to the environment they will not know what to do or where to start; if it is further training for an experienced crew, they will probably start from the very beginning.

An example of the type of scene setting could be:

Trainees are provided with a set of trainee lesson plans, so the initial setting up statement is nothing more than a confirmation of what the trainees should expect. It also has the advantage of assisting the instructor in any debrief if a trainee claims that a poor performance was a result of not understanding what was required of them.

#Topic list

A brief overview of the training topics should then follow. As previously mentioned, this should be a list of the training subjects that the lesson will focus on. This list can be found in the instructor lesson plan. For example:

• Engine failure on take off
• Single Engine ILS approach
• Single Engine Go-around
• Non Precision Single Engine Approach (VOR; Fully Managed or Selected)
• RTO and Evacuation
• Dual HYD Failure (G+B)

The example list above is the kind of content the Overview delivers: short, sequenced, recognisable items the trainees can hang the upcoming session on.

#Whiteboard layout

The pre instructional briefing material specifies a whiteboard layout for the brief. The board is divided into a top header (Scene at upper left, Title and Aim/Objective in the centre, Instructor's Name and Contact details at upper right; Training Topics or subjects list below the Scene). The central working space below the header is left for the body of the briefing.

The header is fixed for the duration of the brief; the central working space is what gets sketched, erased, and re-sketched as the brief moves through the 6.2 Briefing Aids. The header is the orientation; the central space is where the how is worked out with the trainees. The questions referenced in the layout's last line are the 6.1 Introduction questioning discipline (reasoning and practical application, not recall) translated into board-driven exchanges.

#How the General-Information opener maps onto the 6.6 The A-W-A-R-E Model

The General-Information opener delivers the content that opens the brief; the A-W-A-R-E Model then provides the content scaffold (Aim, Why, Administration, Revision, Elements) that structures the brief end-to-end. The Self / Trainees / Health and Safety steps are the human and safety preliminaries that precede the A-W-A-R-E content; the Overview begins to deliver the Aim (the "Aim or Objective" in the whiteboard centre) and previews the Elements (the topic list). The Why, Administration and Revision categories then follow in A-W-A-R-E order. The two sections cover overlapping but non-identical material: the General-Information opener is the opener; the A-W-A-R-E Model is the full content checklist of which the opener is the first part.

#Cross-references

• 6.4 Briefing Structure. The three-element relationship the brief operates within.
• 6.6 The A-W-A-R-E Model. The content scaffold (Aim / Why / Administration / Revision / Elements) the brief is structured against.
• 6.1 Introduction. The Safety Briefing requirement that the Health and Safety step delivers, and the questioning discipline the whiteboard knowledge-validation step uses.
• 6.3 Preparation. The Environmental Safety Assessment that produces the data the Health and Safety step delivers.
• 1.1 Introduction. The Training Philosophy reference in the condensed-aim example.
• 3.1 Introduction. The negative-training discipline referenced in Setting the Scene.
• 3.5 Questioning. The questioning technique used in the Trainees step.
• 11.1 Purpose of Evaluation. Picks up the standards-and-policies framing of the condensed-aim example.