REGULATION REFORM
Expositions
Learn about expositions including who needs to
submit one, what they should contain, how they’re
structured, how they’re assessed and what support
is available to help you develop one.
Who should read this information?
›› Existing operators transitioning to Civil Aviation Safety
Regulations (CASR) for which the development of an
exposition is a regulatory requirement.
›› New entrants to the aviation industry who are required to
submit an exposition to CASA as part of the application
and approval process.
›› Exposition document writers.
What is an exposition?
An exposition is a document, or set of documents,
which describe how your organisation will conduct
its operations safely.
It sets out—both for CASA and the personnel involved
in your operation—how you intend to comply with all
applicable legislative requirements and manage the
safety of your operation.
REGULATION REFORM
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Do I need to have an exposition?
The regulations that are relevant to your operations will
prescribe whether or not you need to have, and use,
an exposition.
What should my exposition include?
Where you are required to have an exposition, the relevant
regulations will outline what you must include. Generally,
you will need to include information about your organisation,
personnel, facilities, policies, systems and procedures for
conducting your activities.
Example:
CASR Part 142.340 requires a Part 142 flight training
organisation to describe procedures by which the
operator conducts and manages its training activities,
including the supervision of instructors and trainees.
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Your exposition must accurately reflect how you will conduct
your activities. It needs to be written and structured in a logical
way. This will ensure the relevant parts can be readily identified
and provided to your personnel who are responsible for
complying with them.

The procedures in your exposition should also provide

enough detail so that your personnel can conduct their
activities consistently in line with your intentions.

Each procedure should address, where required:

›› what must be done
›› who should do it
›› when it must be done
›› where it must be done Option 1: Exposition structured as a set of documents

›› how it must be done

For most existing operators, this method is likely to be the
›› record-keeping
easiest because your existing manuals can form part of the
›› how the procedure is monitored and improved. exposition, often with only minor modifications required.

Once the relevant authorisation has been issued by CASA,

you are obliged to conduct your activities in accordance
with your exposition.
How is an exposition structured?
An exposition can be structured as a set of documents,
or as a single document.
If structured as a set of documents, your exposition might
include a ‘principal document’ which contains all the information
which is common for all your activities, manuals which relate
to specific aspects of your activities and the various systems
and procedures you will use when conducting your activities.
Your exposition would comprise both the principal document
and the other manuals. If done this way, the principal document
will need to reference the other manuals (or sections of your
manuals) and state that they form part of the exposition.
CASA provides sample principal exposition documents
for each new regulation. These sample documents contain
a recommended table of contents and structure that you
can use regardless of whether your exposition is a set of
documents or a single document. identify what parts need to be provided to your personnel and
Example:
For a CASR Part 142 flying training organisation, existing
manuals could include your operations manual, safety
management system manual, quality management
system manual, dangerous goods manual, fatigue risk
management system manual, training and checking
manual and other manuals or related documents such
as training plans, syllabuses and checklists. In this
case, these manuals (as amended and updated)
could form part of your exposition.
Alternatively, you may choose to present your exposition as a
single document with all the required information contained in
one spot. If you submit your exposition in this format it is still
a good idea to include an introductory section that contains
an overview of how the exposition is structured, and where
compliance with certain legislative requirements can be
found in the exposition.
This will help keep your exposition up to date, make it simpler to
make CASA’s assessment of your exposition quicker and easier.

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Option 2: Exposition structured as a single document
What is a ‘principal document’?
A principal document can provide an overview of your
organisation and contain common information. As noted
above, it must also provide reference as part of your
exposition to your other manuals (subject to them being
reviewed and amended where necessary), that demonstrate
your compliance with the applicable legislative requirements.
The type of information you might place in your principal
document could include:
›› details of your approved activities
›› your locations
›› your corporate and organisational structure
›› key personnel details
›› change management processes.
How should I develop my exposition?
Many of your procedures will already be compliant with the
new regulations. Other procedures may need to be modified,
or you may need to develop new ones. Therefore, the first
step in developing your exposition should be to conduct
a gap analysis of your existing processes against the new
requirements to see what (if any) additional documentation
is required, or what needs to be amended.
Example:
Part 142 operators will need to amend their training
courses to reflect competency based training principles,
to meet the knowledge and competency standards
specified in the Part 61 Manual of Standards and to
comply with the applicable provisions of CASR Part 61.
How much detail should I include in my
exposition?
The level of detail to be included in an exposition is
determined by an operator. However, you do not have to
duplicate content that already exists within your manual
suite. Instead, reference in a principal exposition document
can be made to manuals (once they have been amended, if
necessary), which contain existing procedures that meet the
requirements of the legislation.
Please note that once reference is made to these
manuals in this way, they then form part of your exposition.
Any changes to these documents are classified as either
‘significant’ or ‘non-significant’ and need to be managed
in accordance with the change management process
outlined in your exposition.
Significant changes generally include things like changes
to the location and operation of your activities or services,
your corporate or organisational structure, key personnel
and reporting lines. A full list of those which are relevant
to your operations can be found in the related regulations
under the definition of significant change.
CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY © 2015
Will one exposition cover the requirements A manual authoring and assessment tool is also
for all my operations? available on the CASA website to help you prepare
some of your manuals and expositions and submit them
Operators are not obliged to create multiple expositions to
for assessment. The tool provides templates and guidance
comply with each operational CASR Part that requires one. It is
to make it easier for you to build and submit your regulatory
up to the operator to decide whether they have one exposition or
manuals. While it is designed with small to medium-sized
more than one exposition. In some cases, it might be sensible to
businesses in mind, anyone can use the tool if it suits the
have multiple expositions for practical working purposes.
needs of your organisation.
If you choose to have a single exposition covering all the
CASA’s technical assessor handbooks may also be
CASR Parts that are relevant to your operations, you simply
helpful to use when you are developing an exposition.
need to expand your principal document to ensure it links
While they are not specifically designed to help you develop
to, or references, all the relevant sections in your existing
an exposition, they provide a guide to the sorts of matters
manuals. However, you will still be required to submit
CASA inspectors will be considering when they assess
the exposition to CASA each time you are required to
your compliance against the regulations.
for transition purposes.

When do I need to submit my exposition?

Are all expositions the same?
If the regulations relevant to your operation prescribe the
No. There is no single exposition format that will meet the
development of an exposition, you will need to submit this
needs of all organisations. The structure and content of your
to CASA. If you are an existing operator that will require a
exposition must reflect your particular organisation, including
certificate from CASA in the transition period, you will do
its structure, policies and procedures.
this as part of the application for your new certificate.
One of the key features of an exposition is that it gives you
If you are a new entrant into the aviation industry – or if
the freedom to meet the safety outcomes in a way that fits
you are planning to undertake new activities and now
well and is appropriate for your organisation.
require an exposition – you will do this as part of the
initial application process.
What support is available to help me develop
my exposition? For more information about when and how you
should submit your exposition, talk to your local
CASA is continuing to publish a range of guidance material
CASA Regional Office.
online to help operators develop their expositions and
understand the requirements that must be met. This includes:
Want to know more?
›› CASR Part 142 sample principal exposition
Visit www.casa.gov.au/exposition
document and guidance
›› CASR Part 142 technical assessor guidance
›› Example and guidelines for a CASR Part 42 continuing
airworthiness management organisation exposition
›› Example and guidelines for a CASR Part 145
approved maintenance organisation exposition
›› Example of a maintenance training organisation
exposition (CASR Part 147)
›› Sample exposition for approved design
organisations (CASR Subpart 21.J). This information sheet was updated April 2015.

REGULATION REFORM CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY © 2015