Development of the training method
for improving team performance of dispatchers
Masamichi KATO, Shinichi AONUMA, Hiromi SHIZUYAMA, Ken KUSUKAMI
Safety Research Laboratory, Research and Development Center of JR East Group
East Japan Railway Company
The general role of the traffic control centers in the railway system is
to manage the railway traffic as a whole through controlling train
operation on the lines in their areas of responsibility. To accomplish the
role, the centers are strongly expected to handle unexpected troubles
or accidents correctly, safely and quickly as crisis management centers
in the railway. The dispatchers in the center are, therefore, required to
show and maintain high performance in emergency situations. An
effective approach to raise their ability is to improve team performance
between dispatchers, in addition to improve individual ability. This
type of training is already common in the industries in which higher
safety levels is required, for example, flight crews in airlines and
operators in nuclear power plants. East Japan Railway Company has
developed and introduced a training method for improving team
performance of train dispatchers (JR version of CRM). In this paper,
the aim, concept and contents of this method are outlined.
1. Introduction of Tokyo Control Operation Center
JR East operates more than 12,000 trains per day, and carries 16 million
passengers. On the busiest lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area, trains run every
two minutes to transport a large number of passengers. The important roles of
railway dispatchers are to assure safe and punctual transportation by collecting
necessary information for railway operation, making quick and appropriate
judgment, giving accurate instructions and information, and supporting actions
by operators, such as drivers, conductors, and station staff.
The Tokyo Control Operation Center where JR version of CRM was developed
controls trains in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Here, railway transport
dispatchers manage daily traffic operations and, once any trouble occurs, they
play a main role in reorganizing the schedule by changing the operational plan.
Railway transport dispatcher teams are composed of leaders (chief dispatchers),
planners, system controllers, system sub-controllers, and communicators.
2. Purpose of the Research
An effective approach to raise the performance of the operation center is to
improve team performance of dispatchers, in addition to improving their
individual ability. Risk management ability is also required, since every kind of
information about irregular or emergency situations is received by the operation
center. The Safety Research Laboratory and Tokyo Control Operation Center
developed a training method for improving team performance of dispatchers,
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based on CRM (Crew Resource Management), which is conducted in airline
companies as a team performance training method. We call it the JR version of
CRM. The flow of this research and development is described below.
1. Analysis of problems in the work of the operation center
2. Comparison between work of airline pilots and that of railway dispatchers
3. Formulation of the concept of JR version of CRM
4. Development of teaching materials and tests of the training method
The JR version of CRM was developed in 2003 and introduced in 2004 through
basic education.
3. Analysis of problems in the work of the operation center
First, we researched the present problems of the operation center. As a result, we
found these four problems.
(1) The goal image of the chief dispatcher is not clear
There are operating manuals. But, what he should do in some situations depends
on each chief dispatcher’s judgment. What he should be is not consistent among
operation centers.
(2) Criterion of success or failure is not clear
The criterion for judging whether a dispatcher’s judgment is right or wrong is not
clear, so that everyone tends to think it is natural for dispatchers to do this well
every time.
(3) People gather and disturb the communication between members.
Once any trouble occurs, many dispatchers for lines that are operating normally
gather to get information about the trouble. This group of dispatchers disturbs
the communication between the members in charge of the line where the trouble
has occurred
(4) Method of education of newcomers is not formulated
The work of dispatchers requires a lot of knowledge even from newcomers, but the
method of education largely depends on each dispatcher.
4. Research of team performance training methods
Next, we did research into team performance training methods, and found CRM
(Crew Resource Management) as an effective method that is conducted in airline
companies and has acquired an established reputation.
CRM is based on the concept that every resource available should be used
effectively to attain a safe and efficient flight. The word “Resource” includes
human resources such as knowledge, experience, and skill of flight crews and
dispatchers, and hardware resources such as information provided from outside
through hardware systems. In the context of CRM as a training method,
“Resource” refers mainly to effective use of human resources by the flight crew.
The reason why airline companies pay attention to this concept can be
summarized below. Even if airlines had introduced various kinds of safety devices
and systems, and assigned severe training and qualification tests to flight crews,
the number of accidents could not be reduced after 1970.
Based on the analysis of flight accidents, NASA (Aeronautics and Space
Administration) identified problems of team performance (details are described in
the left side of Figure 1). The same kind of problem is also found in the results of
the research by the railway operation center (shown on the right side of the
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Figure). It can be said that the problems of flight crews and railway dispatchers
have much in common.
On the other hand, we find differences of job characteristics between flight crew
and railway dispatchers.
(1) A flight crew is basically composed of two members, a captain and a copilot,
while teams in the operation center have about seven to fourteen dispatchers and
the communication to station staff, drivers, and conductors is complicated.
(2) In the airline, CRM is applied to technically fully-qualified pilots. On the other
hand, a railway team often has a less experienced dispatcher who is acquiring
knowledge and skill.
(3) In CRM for pilots, problems in the flight are the principal subjects to discuss,
while railway CRM has to cover the problems in usual situations, such as
comprehension and trust between members, since dispatcher teams are generally
formed by the combination of the dispatchers in charge of individual railway
lines.
Problems among railway dispatchers
Problems in the flight crew
Allocation of roles and
responsibilities is not clear.
Individual members cannot be
fully controlled during trouble.
Priority of work is not defined.
Information does not spread to all
the members.
Important meters are not
monitored cross-checked.
Repetition of policy changes is
caused by insufficient information.
Trifling things absorb all attention.
Some data are not used
Prioritization is wrong because of
poor distribution of attention.
Policies are not shared.
Emergency operations are delayed
by improper risk management.
Leadership is not taken.
Figure 1 Comparison between flight crew and railway dispatchers in the
problems of team performance
5. The concepts of JR version of CRM
Next, we explain the four concepts of the JR version of CRM, identified by
examination of the common and different features of cockpit crews and railway
dispatchers.
5.1 Management cycle formed by the three phases of usual, emergency, and end of
work
Dispatcher’s work is composed of the sequence of usual and emergency operations.
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The goal image of the chief dispatcher and the criterion of success or failure are
not clear. In addition, dispatcher performance in emergencies is based on the
performance in usual situations. We therefore think the following three points are
important in forming the concepts of JR version of CRM.
(1) We divide the dispatcher’s job into the three phases of usual, emergency, and
end of work, and make the goal image of the dispatcher team in these phases
clear.
(2) We let dispatchers find that a good team condition in usual situations is
closely linked with high performance in emergency.
(3) We also let dispatchers understand the importance of the following process.
After troubleshooting, the dispatcher team looks back at the actions they took and
at the team coordination with respect to the standard, they identify lessons as a
team, and this gives feedback to their usual work
Through the above process, we can form the management cycle of usual,
emergency, and end of work, and by going through this cycle, lessons are found
and accumulated in the team, which makes the team performance continuously
higher. We call it the CRM cycle (Figure 2).
Reflect the lessons obtained by the analysis of
the problems, and troubleshoot with the
improved team performance
Show the
improved team
performance
Look back quickly
and calmly
CRM
(debriefing)
A cycle turns
around
Usual
situation
End of work
Share problems,
factors, and lessons
Figure 2 CRM cycle
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Identify and share the problems in the
emergency situation, and seek the causes
underlying the problems.
Improve team performance and train each
member, preparing for emergencies
Emergency
situation
5.2 Specification of goal image of chief dispatchers, other dispatchers, and
dispatcher teams
We specify the goal image of chief dispatchers, other dispatchers, and dispatcher
teams to form the CRM cycle. Several images are for example described in Table 1
(emergency situation) and Table 2 (usual situation).
Table 1 Examples of the goal image (emergency situation)
# A chief dispatcher can always comprehend the situation as a whole.
# A chief dispatcher can make the members completely understand his or her
policy.
# A chief dispatcher can appropriately give caution to the members in risky
situations
# A chief dispatcher can listen to the opinions of members objectively and
neutrally.
# A chief dispatcher and a deputy chief dispatcher can cover for each other in very
busy situations.
# Every member can share the information of the policy, present situation, etc.
# A dispatcher other than the chief dispatcher can give necessary information to
the members at the proper time.
Table 2 Examples of the goal image (usual situation)
# Members understand and accept the chief dispatcher’s policy and method.
# Members often make proposals for work improvement.
# Lessons and know-how are accumulated by looking back at cases.
# Members understand the significance and importance of the dispatcher’s work.
# Members accept other members, including the differences between others and
themselves.
# A chief dispatcher can teach and support inexperienced dispatchers.
# A chief dispatcher can always communicate with chief dispatchers for other
lines and with the general chief dispatcher.
5.3 Everyday training method
Our training method is composed of two steps, basic education and everyday
“debriefing”. Through the basic education, dispatchers are expected to
understand the significance of improvement of team performance and the goal
image of the dispatcher team, and learn the method of “debriefing”. Based on this,
“debriefing” is held in every team every day. In the debriefing, team members look
back and talk freely about the process and the method of the troubleshooting they
handled on that day, by which they find and share the lessons. Debriefing was
originally adopted in airlines, in which the crew reviews the flight and finds
lessons through dialogue.
The procedure of the debriefing is as follows.
1. Talk about which issues members should discuss
2. Decide on the issue
3. Identify the essence of the issue through dialogue
4. Decide the actions they should take after that
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5.4 Establishment and progress of the basic conditions as a team
We think that the two basic conditions described below are required to conduct
CRM under the above three concepts.
(1) Team members can talk about the problems of the team freely
Trust between team members can be formed by free dialogue and discussion.
Based on it, problems at the troubleshooting that chief or other dispatchers
cannot find individually can be opened through dialogue, and the solutions can be
discussed in the team.
(2) A chief dispatcher can not only manage the team, but also teach and support
the members
It is important for chief dispatchers to give technical teaching and support to
their members, rather than to only give necessary instructions in the work, since
young or inexperienced dispatchers are always in the team.
6. Development of JR version of CRM
We tested the “basic education” to develop the curriculum and the textbooks in
accordance with the CRM concepts. As a result, we worked out three courses as
basic education. These are for chief dispatchers, other dispatchers, and dispatcher
teams. Details are as follows.
(1) Educational course for chief dispatchers
Chief dispatchers are expected to learn the basic knowledge and necessary skills
for CRM, and management to raise the performance of the dispatcher team
(2) Educational course for other dispatchers
In this course, dispatchers are expected to recognize their own role in the team
clearly and moreover to develop the ability to assist the members quickly and
properly beyond their own roles in an emergency.
(3) Educational course for dispatcher teams (Debriefing training)
Chief and other dispatchers take this training together, in which the dispatcher
team learns the objectives, significance and the method of debriefing, through
experiencing it by themselves.
In the test process of the basic education, we train “debriefing trainers”. Their
role is to help the dispatcher team conduct debriefing appropriately according to
the CRM concepts.
On the other hand, all the problems discussed in the debriefing cannot be solved
within the team. In order to solve them in the operation center as a whole and to
share the solution, we organized the “larger CRM cycle” described in Figure 3.
The CRM secretariat collects the problems which cannot be solved by the team
alone, and works out solutions involving the upper level in the operation center.
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Upper level in the operation center
・Leadership in CRM promotion
・Comprehension of the problem
・Implementation of the solution
Provide
Implement
CRM secretariat
・Collect the problems found out in the debriefing
・Analyze the problems
・Feed the solution back to each team
・Send problems or proposals to the upper level
Collect
Provide
Collect Provide
D.F sheet
Provide
chief dispatchers for various
areas
Collect
team debriefing
team debriefing
team debriefing
Figure 3 Organizing the “larger CRM cycle”
7. Present CRM
Tokyo Control Operation Center has introduced the JR version of CRM, taking
three steps, since April 2004. In the first step that we call “Basic Education Step”,
dispatchers learn the objective, concept, and method of CRM. In the second step
called “Introduction Step”, debriefing is introduced in the real work for
dispatchers to experience and understand the real CRM. In “Action Step” (the
third step), the dispatcher team is expected to conduct debriefing without the
assistance of debriefing trainers or the CRM secretariat. The teams of Tokyo
Control Operation Center are now in this step.
In more detail, each dispatcher team holds a debriefing about the troubleshooting
they managed every day for around 30 minutes, using a “Debriefing Sheet”
written by one of the members and “Management Sheet” by the chief dispatcher.
Just after starting these debriefings, chief dispatchers were unsure about how to
carry the debriefing forward. Other dispatchers also tended to hesitate to express
their opinion. But, with the everyday repetition, dispatcher teams have gradually
come to proceed with debriefing smoothly and to understand that appropriate
debriefing achieves progress in team performance. Young or middle-experience
dispatchers can talk frankly step by step, and find the significance and effect of
talking freely in the team. We are now planning to spread the JR version of CRM
to the other kinds of dispatchers who manage railway facilities such as tracks,
structures, signals, and telecommunications.
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