FAA Systems Engineering Manual

Version 1.0 of the FAA SEM also includes recommendations from a September 2008 report entitled “Identifying the Workforce to Respond to a National Imperative – The Next Generation Air Transportation System”. The Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) is a comprehensive overhaul of the National Airspace System (NAS) to make air travel more efficient and dependable, while ensuring each flight is as safe and secure as possible. In order to complete the transformation to NextGen and continue supporting the nation’s air transportation system, it is essential that FAA follow systems engineering best practices. Additionally, the National Academy of Public Administration called for the improvement of systems engineering competencies within the FAA while supporting the transition to NextGen.
The development team for FAA SEM Version 1.0 owes a debt of gratitude to the many authors, editors and reviewers who contributed to this document and the versions that preceded it. We endeavored to address the vast majority of the recommendations and balanced conflicting approaches to topics.