EASA: Conflict of Interest Training

COI training introduction

As an EU agency, EASA has a very specific code of conduct. The reputation of the agency could be severely damaged if people sent to inspect a company were seen to have connections to that company, for example. Among people who have worked in the industry for 40+ years, the chances of such are quite likely.

Characters

The regulations are written as all other EU regulations are: Pages and pages of legal english, that is difficult for native speakers to understand. I was asked to produce a course that would specifically tell agency staff what they needed to know, with an added bonus if I could make it interesting enough that people would actually read it!

I adopted a storytelling approach and presented it like a cartoon.

The restaurant scene.

I invented characters:

  • Paul: The new recruit
  • Tim: An ex-boss of Paul’s, who he has been sent to inspect
  • The Boss: Paul’s manager – she’s helping him find his feet
  • The Lover: Partners and spouses are potential sources of Conflicts of Interest – if an EASA employee forms a romantic relationship with someone in the aviation industry, special rules apply. Besides, a story with a love interest will keep learners reading to the end to find out what happens…  

When faced with a difficult decision, Paul calls his manager for advice.

The action stops for review quiz activities.
 ..Here’s a clip of the course in action..

…and, of course, there is a happy ending (if you get the questions right!)