21.A.265 Obligations of the holder

ADMINISTRATION OF THE HANDBOOK

1.The handbook of the applicant must be in the language which will permit the best use of it by all personnel charged with the tasks performed for the purpose of the design organisation. The applicant may be requested to provide an English translation of the handbook and other supporting documents as necessary for the investigation.

2.The handbook must be produced in a concise form with sufficient information to meet 21.A.243 relevant to the scope of approval sought by the applicant. The handbook must include the following: a. Organisation name, address, telephone, telex and facsimile numbers. b. Document title, and company document reference No (if any). c. Amendment or revision standard identification for the document. d. Amendment or revision record sheet. e. List of effective pages with revision/date/amendment identification for each page. f. Contents list or index. g. A distribution list for the Handbook. h. An introduction, or foreword, explaining the purpose of the document for the guidance of the organisation’s own personnel. Brief general information concerning the history and development of the organisation and, if appropriate, relationships with other organisations which may form part of a group or consortium, must be included to provide background information for the Agency. i. The certificate of approval must be reproduced in the document. j. Identification of the department responsible for administration of the Handbook. Note: In the case of an initial or revised approval it is recognised that certificate will be issued after EASA agreement to the handbook content in draft form. Arrangements for formal publication in a timely manner must be agreed before the certificate of approval is issued.

3.An updating system must be clearly laid down for carrying out required amendments and modifications to the handbook.

4.The handbook may be completely or partially integrated into the company organisation manual. In this case, identification of the information required by 21.A.243 must be provided by giving appropriate cross-references, and these documents must be made available, on request, to the Agency.

HANDBOOK FORMAT AND PUBLICATION MEANS The term ‘handbook’ is meant to describe a means to document the design organisation’s processes and procedures. This may be in an electronic or paper format, as a stand-alone document or integrated in a management system. It may consist of: an online integrated management system with flowcharts and descriptions embedded in it; an online system referring to single documents; a classic handbook with references to online procedures; or any other combination of the above. In any case, as required by point (c) of point 21.A.243, independently of the system chosen by the design organisation, the relevant content and the means to update the system should be clearly identified.

USE OF THE HANDBOOK

1.The handbook should be signed by the senior company manager and the head of the design organisation and declared as a binding instruction for all personnel charged with the development and type investigation of products. This binding statement should be provided independently of the means chosen by the design organisation to document its processes and procedures.

2.All procedures referenced in the handbook are considered as parts of the handbook and therefore as basic working documents.

1.INTENT This GM provides guidance for complying with the obligation of 21.A.265(h), and addresses the various aspects that the DOA holder should cover in order to have a comprehensive procedure for the designation of data and information.

2.SCOPE The term ‘data and information’ as used in point 21.A.265(h) also includes instructions. Data and information referred to in point 21.A.265(h) are issued by a DOA holder and cover the following: embodiment instructions for design changes or repairs (usually in the form of a service bulletin, a modification bulletin, repair instructions or engineering order, etc.); manuals required by Part 21 or the applicable CSs (such as the aircraft flight manual (AFM), rotorcraft flight manual, instructions for continuing airworthiness (ICAs), etc.); operation suitability data (OSD); continued-airworthiness instructions (usually in the form of service bulletins) which may be covered by airworthiness directives (ADs); additional data to be defined by the DOA holder (e.g. alternative maintenance instructions that are not, per se, ICAs). Note: This data and information may be issued in a digital or paper format. The obligation does not apply to, and the statement provided with the data and information should not be used on, the following documents: certification documents (e.g. the certification programme, compliance checklist, etc.); compliance documents; design data transferred to production organisations; and production deviations (also referred to as ‘unintended deviations’ or ‘concessions’).

3.RATIONALE The purpose of this obligation is to give certainty to the end users about the approval status of the data and information issued by the DOA holder.

4.PROCEDURE For the information and instructions issued under point 21.A.265(h), the DOA holder should establish a procedure that addresses the following aspects: their preparation; verification of their technical consistency with the corresponding approved change(s), repair(s) or approved data, including their effectivity, description, effects on airworthiness and environmental compatibility, especially when limitations are changed; verification of their feasibility in practical applications, when relevant and feasible; the authorised signatories. The procedure should include the information or the instructions prepared by suppliers, and declared applicable to its products by the DOA holder.

5.STATEMENT The statement provided with the data and information should also cover those items prepared by subcontractors or vendors that the DOA holder has declared as applicable to their products. The technical content of the statement is related to the type certificate data and information. The approval included in the statement means that: the type certificate data has been appropriately approved; and the information contains practical and well-defined installation or inspection methods, and, when those methods are implemented, the product is in conformity with the approved type certificate data. Note: Data and information related to the measures required by point 21.A.3B(b) (airworthiness directives (ADs)) are submitted to EASA to ensure their compatibility with the content of an AD (see point 21.A.265(e)), and contain a statement that they are, or will be, subject to an AD issued by EASA.