Narrative:

ZDV is attempting to accomplish a transition from 5 to 6 areas. In order to do this; a vast amount of training is being done in the facility. Sectors; which have previously been commonly combined; are now routinely being split in order to accomplish training. In addition to this; the amount of training being done prevents currently certified cpc's from working position on any sort of a regular basis or during busy traffic periods. In june; I was working ZDV sectors 15 and 17 radar position combined. These sectors were commonly combined in the past; however; due to recent training necessities; this is not the current standard. WX was impacting the sectors with thunderstorms and deviations. Sector 15 in the northeast arrival sector into den approach and sector 7 is the east departure gate from den approach. During the time period; I worked an arrival stream and departure push at the same time. The sector providing the arrival was training and provided a less than optimal sequence. This sometimes occurs in a training situation. On top of this east departure at den approach provided a very tight departure stream due to WX issues at den. During the departure push approach was not in full compliance with the ZDV/den approach LOA. I was not given 5 mi with constant or increasing in all situations. Speeds were issued to aircraft and not coordination by approach with center. Approach used altitude instead of lateral in many situations creating extra workload and data block congestion. Headings assigned by approach; to join departure rtes; created more traffic situations. Finally; low overflt traffic crossing both arrival and departure gates further complicated the situation. I have not had any sort of opportunity to work these sectors combined with a traffic load on them in recent months. This is directly due to the training on sectors for the transition to 6 areas. During the time period involved; I was behind the power curve the entire time. After the departure push had subsided; I was required to go into holding for den arriving traffic. This was due to WX at den airport. My interphone controller was required by the supervisor to record pertinent holding information; ie; time aircraft entered hold; turns and legs; etc. This was in accordance with the ZDV fop's. This resulted in my interphone controller's attention being diverted from events on the radar scope to the clipboard with the information. This is certainly not the best way to do business. The interphone controller's job in this situation is to monitor the clrncs of the radar controller and ensure that all aircraft receive the proper holding instructions; particularly altitude clrncs. I did issue a descent clearance; which resulted in placing 2 aircraft in conflict. Fortunately; I recognized it and resolved it before there was a loss in separation. The job of a radar associate controller is to work as a member of the team with the radar controller. The recording of holding information; which provides data on delays; precluded my 'D' side from fulfilling their radar team duties. I firmly believe that the current training situation at ZDV is being poorly handled and is resulting in a degradation of safety. Management refuses to adequately staff areas in order to accomplish training. Instead; they expect controllers to train; be trained and; stay current on position they have already; all in one and every shift! This is at best; unrealistic. Finally; the requirement by management that controllers stay current on up to 12 sectors/24 position is a serious safety issue. The main reason for the transition to 6 areas of specialization is to reduce the number of sectors/position a cpc is required to be certified and proficient on. The thought being; a controller will be better able to provide the highest level of safety and service when expected to maintain expertise on a smaller number of sectors/position. The current process is in direct opposition to this premise. It can't be done as we are now; at least not while maintaining the highest safety standards.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZDV CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING FACILITY'S SECTOR TRANSITION AND TRAINING PLAN.

Narrative: ZDV IS ATTEMPTING TO ACCOMPLISH A TRANSITION FROM 5 TO 6 AREAS. IN ORDER TO DO THIS; A VAST AMOUNT OF TRAINING IS BEING DONE IN THE FACILITY. SECTORS; WHICH HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN COMMONLY COMBINED; ARE NOW ROUTINELY BEING SPLIT IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH TRAINING. IN ADDITION TO THIS; THE AMOUNT OF TRAINING BEING DONE PREVENTS CURRENTLY CERTIFIED CPC'S FROM WORKING POS ON ANY SORT OF A REGULAR BASIS OR DURING BUSY TFC PERIODS. IN JUNE; I WAS WORKING ZDV SECTORS 15 AND 17 RADAR POS COMBINED. THESE SECTORS WERE COMMONLY COMBINED IN THE PAST; HOWEVER; DUE TO RECENT TRAINING NECESSITIES; THIS IS NOT THE CURRENT STANDARD. WX WAS IMPACTING THE SECTORS WITH TSTMS AND DEVS. SECTOR 15 IN THE NE ARR SECTOR INTO DEN APCH AND SECTOR 7 IS THE E DEP GATE FROM DEN APCH. DURING THE TIME PERIOD; I WORKED AN ARR STREAM AND DEP PUSH AT THE SAME TIME. THE SECTOR PROVIDING THE ARR WAS TRAINING AND PROVIDED A LESS THAN OPTIMAL SEQUENCE. THIS SOMETIMES OCCURS IN A TRAINING SITUATION. ON TOP OF THIS E DEP AT DEN APCH PROVIDED A VERY TIGHT DEP STREAM DUE TO WX ISSUES AT DEN. DURING THE DEP PUSH APCH WAS NOT IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THE ZDV/DEN APCH LOA. I WAS NOT GIVEN 5 MI WITH CONSTANT OR INCREASING IN ALL SITUATIONS. SPDS WERE ISSUED TO ACFT AND NOT COORD BY APCH WITH CTR. APCH USED ALT INSTEAD OF LATERAL IN MANY SITUATIONS CREATING EXTRA WORKLOAD AND DATA BLOCK CONGESTION. HDGS ASSIGNED BY APCH; TO JOIN DEP RTES; CREATED MORE TFC SITUATIONS. FINALLY; LOW OVERFLT TFC XING BOTH ARR AND DEP GATES FURTHER COMPLICATED THE SITUATION. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY SORT OF OPPORTUNITY TO WORK THESE SECTORS COMBINED WITH A TFC LOAD ON THEM IN RECENT MONTHS. THIS IS DIRECTLY DUE TO THE TRAINING ON SECTORS FOR THE TRANSITION TO 6 AREAS. DURING THE TIME PERIOD INVOLVED; I WAS BEHIND THE PWR CURVE THE ENTIRE TIME. AFTER THE DEP PUSH HAD SUBSIDED; I WAS REQUIRED TO GO INTO HOLDING FOR DEN ARRIVING TFC. THIS WAS DUE TO WX AT DEN ARPT. MY INTERPHONE CTLR WAS REQUIRED BY THE SUPVR TO RECORD PERTINENT HOLDING INFO; IE; TIME ACFT ENTERED HOLD; TURNS AND LEGS; ETC. THIS WAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ZDV FOP'S. THIS RESULTED IN MY INTERPHONE CTLR'S ATTN BEING DIVERTED FROM EVENTS ON THE RADAR SCOPE TO THE CLIPBOARD WITH THE INFO. THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT THE BEST WAY TO DO BUSINESS. THE INTERPHONE CTLR'S JOB IN THIS SITUATION IS TO MONITOR THE CLRNCS OF THE RADAR CTLR AND ENSURE THAT ALL ACFT RECEIVE THE PROPER HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS; PARTICULARLY ALT CLRNCS. I DID ISSUE A DSCNT CLRNC; WHICH RESULTED IN PLACING 2 ACFT IN CONFLICT. FORTUNATELY; I RECOGNIZED IT AND RESOLVED IT BEFORE THERE WAS A LOSS IN SEPARATION. THE JOB OF A RADAR ASSOCIATE CTLR IS TO WORK AS A MEMBER OF THE TEAM WITH THE RADAR CTLR. THE RECORDING OF HOLDING INFO; WHICH PROVIDES DATA ON DELAYS; PRECLUDED MY 'D' SIDE FROM FULFILLING THEIR RADAR TEAM DUTIES. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE CURRENT TRAINING SITUATION AT ZDV IS BEING POORLY HANDLED AND IS RESULTING IN A DEGRADATION OF SAFETY. MGMNT REFUSES TO ADEQUATELY STAFF AREAS IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH TRAINING. INSTEAD; THEY EXPECT CTLRS TO TRAIN; BE TRAINED AND; STAY CURRENT ON POS THEY HAVE ALREADY; ALL IN ONE AND EVERY SHIFT! THIS IS AT BEST; UNREALISTIC. FINALLY; THE REQUIREMENT BY MGMNT THAT CTLRS STAY CURRENT ON UP TO 12 SECTORS/24 POS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE MAIN REASON FOR THE TRANSITION TO 6 AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION IS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF SECTORS/POS A CPC IS REQUIRED TO BE CERTIFIED AND PROFICIENT ON. THE THOUGHT BEING; A CTLR WILL BE BETTER ABLE TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SAFETY AND SVC WHEN EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN EXPERTISE ON A SMALLER NUMBER OF SECTORS/POS. THE CURRENT PROCESS IS IN DIRECT OPPOSITION TO THIS PREMISE. IT CAN'T BE DONE AS WE ARE NOW; AT LEAST NOT WHILE MAINTAINING THE HIGHEST SAFETY STANDARDS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.