MOC Workflow

Management of Change (MOC) is a structured process for identifying, assessing, and controlling risks introduced by changes to operations, organization, equipment, or procedures. MOC is required by 14 CFR 5.51, which mandates that Safety Risk Management be applied whenever changes are made to existing systems. PlaneConnection’s MOC workflow ensures that no change is implemented without an appropriate level of safety review.

MOC Statuses

Status	API Value	Description
Draft	`draft`	Change request submitted. Basic details captured.
Screening	`screening`	Change is being evaluated against the 8-question screening checklist.
Risk Assessment	`risk_assessment`	Change has been screened and requires a formal risk assessment.
Approval	`approval`	Risk assessment complete. Change awaiting management approval.
Implementation	`implementation`	Change approved and being implemented.
Post-Review	`post_review`	Change has been implemented. Effectiveness and safety impact under review.
Closed	`closed`	MOC process complete. Record is immutable.

Status Lifecycle

Status Transition Rules

From	To	Permitted Roles	Conditions
Draft	Screening	Safety manager, admin	All required fields populated
Screening	Risk Assessment	Safety manager, admin	At least one screening question answered “Yes”
Screening	Closed	Safety manager, admin	All screening questions answered “No”; rationale documented
Risk Assessment	Approval	Safety manager, admin	Risk assessment completed with residual risk documented
Approval	Implementation	Accountable executive, safety manager, admin	Approval signature recorded
Approval	Risk Assessment	Safety manager, admin	Additional analysis reason documented
Implementation	Post-Review	Safety manager, admin	Implementation date recorded
Post-Review	Closed	Safety manager, admin	Review findings documented
Post-Review	Risk Assessment	Safety manager, admin	New hazards identified

Change Categories

Category	API Value	Description	Examples
Operational	`operational`	Changes to how operations are conducted.	New routes, revised flight procedures, changes to dispatch practices, weather minima adjustments.
Organizational	`organizational`	Changes to structure, personnel, or responsibilities.	Key personnel changes, department restructuring, outsourcing maintenance, new vendor relationships.
Technical	`technical`	Changes to aircraft, equipment, or systems.	Avionics upgrades, new aircraft type, software updates, ground support equipment changes.
Regulatory	`regulatory`	Changes driven by new or amended regulations.	New airworthiness directives, revised OpSpecs, regulatory amendments, TSA security requirements.
Process	`process`	Changes to documented procedures or workflows.	SOP revisions, checklist modifications, training curriculum updates, quality assurance process changes.

8-Question Screening Checklist

The screening checklist determines whether a proposed change requires a formal risk assessment. If any question is answered “Yes,” the MOC advances to Risk Assessment. If all are answered “No,” the MOC may be closed with documented rationale.

1. Does this change affect aircraft operations or flight safety?

Covers direct and indirect effects on flight operations, airspace, or aircraft performance.

2. Does this change introduce new hazards or alter existing hazards?

Covers conditions that could foreseeably cause or contribute to an aircraft accident.

3. Does this change affect existing risk controls or safety barriers?

Covers weakening, removal, or bypassing of current safety defenses.

4. Does this change affect personnel qualifications, training, or competencies?

Covers new skills, certifications, or training required to operate safely under the change.

5. Does this change affect equipment, tools, or systems used in safety-critical functions?

Covers aircraft systems, maintenance tooling, dispatch systems, or safety-critical software.

6. Does this change affect documented procedures, SOPs, or checklists?

Covers operating procedures that must be revised to reflect the change.

7. Does this change affect interfaces with external organizations or systems?

Covers ATC coordination, vendor relationships, interline agreements, or data system integrations.

8. Could this change have unintended consequences on other operations or departments?

Covers second-order effects — a change in one area may create risks elsewhere.

Emergency vs. Standard Timelines

Some changes cannot wait for the full MOC process. PlaneConnection supports two timeline modes.

Attribute	Standard MOC	Emergency MOC
Trigger	Planned change with lead time.	Urgent change required by immediate safety concern, regulatory directive, or operational necessity.
Screening	Full 8-question checklist.	Abbreviated screening — minimum of questions 1, 2, and 3.
Risk Assessment	Full assessment with initial and residual risk.	Expedited assessment focused on immediate hazards and interim controls.
Approval	Accountable executive or designee.	Safety manager can approve with post-facto executive review within 72 hours.
Implementation	After full approval.	Immediate implementation with interim controls.
Post-Review	Within 30 days of implementation.	Full retrospective review within 14 days. Includes completing any deferred screening questions and risk assessment steps.
Target Completion	30 — 90 days depending on complexity.	Implementation within 24 — 72 hours; full MOC closure within 30 days.

Emergency MOC safeguards: An emergency MOC that is not completed (full review and closure) within 30 days is automatically escalated to the accountable executive.

MOC Fields

Field	Type	Required	Description
`code`	String	Auto	Auto-generated tracking code (e.g., `MOC-2026-0008`).
`title`	String	Yes	Brief description of the proposed change.
`description`	Text	Yes	Detailed description of the change, its purpose, and expected impact.
`category`	Enum	Yes	`operational`, `organizational`, `technical`, `regulatory`, or `process`.
`timeline`	Enum	Yes	`standard` or `emergency`.
`status`	Enum	Auto	Current workflow status.
`initiator`	User reference	Auto	The person who submitted the change request.
`screening_responses`	Array	At Screening	Answers to the 8 screening questions with rationale.
`risk_assessment`	Reference	At Risk Assessment	Link to the associated risk assessment record.
`approval_date`	Date	At Approval	Date of management approval.
`approved_by`	User reference	At Approval	The person who approved the change.
`implementation_date`	Date	At Implementation	Date the change was deployed.
`review_findings`	Text	At PIR	Post-review findings and effectiveness evaluation.
`review_date`	Date	At PIR	Date of post-review.
`linked_reports`	Array	No	Safety reports related to the change.
`linked_cpas`	Array	No	CPAs generated from the MOC risk assessment.
`created_at`	Timestamp	Auto	Record creation timestamp (UTC).
`updated_at`	Timestamp	Auto	Last modification timestamp (UTC).

Post-Review

The post-review (PIR) evaluates whether the change was implemented as planned and whether any unanticipated safety effects have emerged. The review covers:

Review Area	Description
Implementation fidelity	Was the change implemented as described in the MOC? Were there deviations?
Hazard validation	Did the identified hazards materialize? Were there unanticipated hazards?
Control effectiveness	Are the risk controls functioning as intended? Is the residual risk at or below the accepted level?
Operational impact	How has the change affected day-to-day operations? Any unexpected consequences?
Stakeholder feedback	Input from affected personnel on the change’s practical effects.

If the PIR identifies new hazards or ineffective controls, the MOC is returned to Risk Assessment for additional analysis.

Regulatory Alignment

Part 5 Section	Requirement	MOC Component
5.51	SRM applicability — changes to existing systems	MOC process triggers SRM for all qualifying changes
5.53	System analysis and hazard identification	Screening checklist and risk assessment
5.55	Safety risk assessment and control	Integrated risk assessment with initial and residual risk
5.71	Safety performance monitoring	Post-review
5.97	SMS records	MOC records retained per policy

Manage Change

Initiate and manage an MOC.

Risk Assessment Matrix

Risk matrix used during MOC risk assessment.

CPA Lifecycle

Lifecycle for actions generated from MOC risk assessments.

FAA Part 5 Overview

Regulatory context for Management of Change requirements.

SMS Reference

SmartScore

Operations Reference

FBO Reference

Maintenance Reference

Operational Reports

Portal Reference

Platform Reference

API Reference

MOC Statuses

Status Lifecycle

Status Transition Rules

Change Categories

8-Question Screening Checklist

Emergency vs. Standard Timelines

MOC Fields

Post-Review

Regulatory Alignment

Manage Change

Risk Assessment Matrix

CPA Lifecycle

FAA Part 5 Overview

​MOC Statuses

​Status Lifecycle

​Status Transition Rules

​Change Categories

​8-Question Screening Checklist

​Emergency vs. Standard Timelines

​MOC Fields

​Post-Review

​Regulatory Alignment

​Related

Manage Change

Risk Assessment Matrix

CPA Lifecycle

FAA Part 5 Overview

MOC Statuses

Status Lifecycle

Status Transition Rules

Change Categories

8-Question Screening Checklist

Emergency vs. Standard Timelines

MOC Fields

Post-Review

Regulatory Alignment

Related