AMC-ELA No 3 to 21.A.239(a) Design assurance system – Discharge of responsibilities    

CAA ORS9 Decision No. 1

As part of the design assurance system (DAS), at least the following responsibilities have to be allocated:

1. Head of the design organisation (HDO):

— control of budget and staffing to ensure the completion of the development and certification tasks of the design organisation approval (DOA) within reasonable time frames and workload. The HDO is ultimately responsible for providing the necessary resources for the proper functioning of the design organisation;

— issuing the declaration of compliance (see points 21.A.15(b), 21.A.15(c), 21.A.20(c) and 21.A.20(d)) with the applicable type-certification basis, the applicable operational suitability data certification basis and the environmental protection requirements after verifying the satisfactory completion of the type investigation;

— ensuring that adequate and timely information is provided to the CAA in matters that affect the DOA.

2. Compliance verification engineer (CVE):

— conducting the verification that compliance has been demonstrated with the applicable type certification basis, the applicable operational suitability data certification basis and the environmental protection requirements and its technical content within its subject matter of nomination. Verification of a compliance demonstration implicitly includes the approval of all the referenced and supporting documents. The applicant may elect to separately document the approval of the individual supporting documents, e.g. by having a cover sheet with the supporting documents in the attachment.

3. Head of airworthiness (HoA):

— ensuring that a design organisation handbook (DOH) is prepared and updated as required;

— ensuring that there is adequate and timely interaction with the authorities and internally on all relevant matters with respect to type certification, changes to type certificates, the approval of repairs and the approval of the design organisation. This includes the coordination that the required documentation (type design documents, compliance documentation and service documents including manuals/ICA and the MMEL, if applicable) is adequately established;

— ensuring that the continued airworthiness activities are properly performed;

— accepting the certification programme and the approval of the classification of changes/repairs, minor changes/repairs, major repairs, and flight conditions and the issue of PtFs under the relevant privileges;

— providing verification to the HDO that all the activities required for the type investigation have been properly completed.

4. Independent system monitoring (ISM):

— monitoring that the implemented DAS is adequate, and that it is complied with, by using structured experience exchanges, regular quality meetings, brainstorming or lessons- learned sessions, project reviews at appropriate phases of the development, planned and unplanned audits, or other similar means;

— conducting independent ISM activities and directly reporting any observations to the HDO.