Guidance

AICC - Terms of Reference and Membership

Published 15 April 2019

1. Purpose

The purpose of the Accident Investigation Chiefs’ Council (AICC) is to maximise coordination and synergy between the three Accident Investigation Branches (AIBs), Air, Marine and Rail.

2. Roles and activities

AICC’s roles and activities include:

• improving the AIBs’ effectiveness, efficiency and resilience through working together, while safeguarding their functional independence in the conduct and objectivity of investigations
• promoting and sharing good practice, including the use of peer reviews to identify and make changes in areas identified as being beneficial
• establishing a high-level overview of quality, timeliness of outputs and value for money
• establishing common positions on issues of mutual interest, particularly those that could damage the independence of an AIB, and coordinating actions taken in response
• when appropriate, coordinating the development of joint Memoranda of Understanding and other collaborative working arrangements with external agencies
• providing a forum for the Chief Inspectors to seek peer review of complaints and issues raised by stakeholders that they have been unable to resolve themselves (issues related to an investigation will only be considered when the final report has been published)
• actively promoting the AIBs as centres of excellence
• achieving these aims at a reasonable cost and without creating excessive bureaucracy, or affecting the Chief Inspectors’ statutory powers and obligations as defined in law.

Since each of the AIBs is required by their respective regulations to remain independent in the way it conducts its investigations, the AICC is precluded from:

• involvement in a decision on whether to investigate an incident or accident, or in setting the scope of an investigation
• engagement in an ongoing investigation
• involvement in the review and approval of reports for publication
• involvement in the assessment of responses to recommendations
• seeking any change to a published report or the reopening of an investigation.

The AICC is not required to exercise any oversight in areas that are the sole responsibility of the Board of Accident Investigation Branches.

3. Constitution of the AICC

The AICC consists of a part-time independent chair and the Chief Inspector of each AIB. In time it may also include a non-executive director who can provide advice to the chair. The AICC’s activities are supported by a Head of Joint Policy who is responsible for progressing initiatives, as directed by the AICC. The Head of Joint Policy acts as secretary to AICC meetings, recording actions and decisions.

The AICC will convene every three months.

The AICC is considered to be quorate provided:

• each AIB is represented by its Chief Inspector or Deputy Chief Inspector
• the Chair is present (the role can be performed by one of the Chief Inspectors if the Non-Executive Chair is unavailable)

The Chair will propose an agenda at least two weeks before each meeting. Comments will then be incorporated and a final agenda issued by the Chair one week before the meeting.

Agreement will be by consensus. The Chair will have an equal voice in any debate and will have no veto on decisions made by the AICC.

Actions agreed at each meeting will be recorded by the secretary and recorded in an action tracking table. This table will be maintained by the secretary and will allow the AICC to record and track the status of agreed actions.

The AICC may direct the establishment of working groups to address specific projects or issues. The AICC will set the scope, objectives and delivery timescales for the working groups; and then provide a forum for the Chief Inspectors to agree on the assignment of resources to each. The AICC will also monitor progress of the work streams and review the deliverables.