Proceedings of FSWKS_06 conference abstracts

Foresight Perspectives of Professional Competence in Complex Working Systems

Title
"Foresight Perspectives of Professional Competence in Complex Working Systems: The Portuguese Air Traffic Control Case"


Author

José João Martins Sampaio
(IET, FCTUNL, Monte de Caparica, Portugal)




Information society aggressive and turbulent environment, promotes the development of complex work systems with a flexible and adaptive nature which, in turn,  requires the development of personal and professional valences extending beyond the restricted frame of an autonomous, discrete and specialized workplace, as a set of skills that must be submitted to the resolution of concrete problems. A concept of professional competence appears thus, which does not emerge from the approval of a formal academic curricula, but as the application of the necessary knowledge to the resolution of complex problems.
It is in this context that we propose, in complex work systems, the development of a systemic and integrative model of professional (general and cross) competencies, either at the human subsystem level or at the technical one. 
The operation of such a model requires the introduction of a new concept of Technological Factors which, in a complementary perspective of the traditional concept of Human Factors will be grounded on the knowledge and understanding of technology  "nature", in a perspective of valuation of the Human element and in a dynamics of balance between the human and technological dimensions. Empirical validation of the model is supported by the research on the Air Traffic Control Services, developed at NAV Portugal - EPE, between 2003 and 2005, through the observation of the operational reality as well as the application of interviews, questionnaire inquiry, case studies and the simulation of operational reality.
The results show there is a way to be followed from operational qualification to professional competence, in areas such as technologic system design and implementation, professional skill development and training or cognitive dimensioning. Foresight analysis exercises play than an important role, trough the involvement of operational people in the identification of critical uncertainties and strategies to be developed, according to the foreseeable environment and operational context evolution.
The research showed also that professional training may be foreseen as a catalytic integrative element of the Human and Technologic subsystems in a complex work environment.


Key-words:

Air traffic control, automation, complex work systems, operational decision, professional competencies, technological factor.