AMC-ELA No 1 to 21.A.265(b) Obligations of the holder – Use of the design organisation handbook as a basic working document    

CAA ORS9 Decision No. 1

It is the responsibility of the HDO to ensure that the design organisation handbook (DOH) is used as a basic working document within the design organisation. In this sense, the HDO should include a statement to the DOH that the information provided within the DOH is binding.

The organisation should ensure that personnel have access to, and are familiar with, that part of the content of the DOH that covers their activities. This may be done, for example, by distributing the information that updates of the documentation are available, and by making the documentation available at a location where the information is accessible to all affected persons.

Staff at the design organisation who are involved in the demonstration of compliance of products under the DOA approval should be able to demonstrate their awareness of the definitions provided within the DOH. This can be achieved by any suitable means, and it does not necessarily require training sessions to be provided. Regular internal monitoring should be conducted to verify that the relevant staff members are aware of the relevant definitions.

Monitoring of compliance with this documentation should be done by systematic means. These means do not need to be limited to, or to even include auditing, but they can be accomplished by structured experience exchanges, regular quality meetings, brainstorming or lessons-learned sessions, project reviews at appropriate phases of the product development, or other similar means accepted by CAA.