id: 7e.2-appeals-process title: 7E.2 Appeals Process meta: Overview of the role of the Appeals Team within the IFC. order: 2 auth: appeals #

7E.2 Appeals Process #

All Violations involving current IFATC must{.red} be handled by the IFATC Manager/Moderators (see 1A.8.2 above)

7E.2.1 #

The following Violations should not{.red} be reversed:

7E.2.2 #

Appeals should{.red} be handled on a first come, first served basis so that a resolution can be found as expeditiously as possible for the User. By convention, once an Appeals Team member is dealing with an Appeal, it is their responsibility to ensure that a resolution is found and the Appeal is closed. If however, another team member becomes available and notices an opportunity to expedite the process, then this is permitted but they should{.red} ensure that they communicate with the original team member assigned first to avoid confusing the situation.

7E.2.3 #

The following process outlines how appeals must{.red} be handled. If Appeals Team members feel that an exception is required, they may consult with Staff/IFC Moderators beforehand if they wish to do so:

Step 1

: A User will initiate a Level 2/3 Violation Appeal by making a public topic or by submitting a direct message addressed to the @appeals group, on the IFC (see 7E.2.5 below)

Step 2

: Assign yourself by scrolling to the bottom of the PM, tapping “Assign” (if using a mobile device, tap “Topic Controls” and then select “Assign” from the dropdown list)

Step 3

: Enter your IFC Username and tap “Assign” (if you do this in error, you can “Unassign” yourself using the same method)

Step 4

: If not provided already, request that the User provides all pertinent information which can be done using a number of canned responses (see 7E.2.7 below)

When a request is made for more information, the User must{.red} be given 72 hours in which to reply. IFC Moderators may set a timer of 72 hours on the appeal if workload permits, if no reply is received the appeal will automatically close. Appeal Team members will still need to be proactive and request an IFC Moderator close the appeal if this is not done automatically

Step 5

: The minimum required information to successfully review a Violation is Callsign and/or User Identifier, Date/Time Received, Controller Name, Replay/Screenshots (when applicable), and Scenario Details - Violations more than 7 days old are not eligible for appeal however, at the discretion of the Appeals Team, they can still be reviewed{.red}

Tip

: As well as using the “Map and Messages” and “States” tabs when reviewing a replay, you can also find the User information by tapping on the aircraft from the map and selecting “Show Details for [callsign]”

Step 6

: The Appeal is then reviewed using all available tools, perspectives, and media provided in the Appeal request. A determination to uphold or reverse the Violation is made and the User is notified of the Appeal resolution (justified Violations may be reversed sparingly when it has no impact on others or the User has a profile in good standing)

+++ Decision - Violation Upheld

+++

+++ Decision - Violation Reversed

If it was a courtesy reversal, the Appeals Team member must{.red} communicate that this is a “one-time” offering

+++

If the Violation is upheld and the User is a member of IFATC. The IFATC Manager or Admins must{.red} be informed so that further disciplinary action can be carried out (see 1A.8.2 above)

7E.2.4 #

Following the completion of an Appeal, the Appeals Team member must{.red} “Archive” the Appeal by following the steps below:

Step 1

: Open the message on the IFC (same Steps 1 - 5 as 7E.2.7 below)

Step 2

: “Unassign” yourself by scrolling to the bottom of the PM and tapping “Unassign” (if using a mobile device, tap “Topic Controls” and then select “Unassign” from the dropdown list)

Step 3

: Select “Archive” at the bottom of the PM

Step 4

: The message will be sent to the Appeals Archive where it can be accessed in the future if needed

Appeals do not need to be “closed” (“archiving” should{.red} be sufficient) unless the User continues to message after a final decision on the Appeal has been made, it has been more than 72 hours with no response (see 7E.2.3 above) or the User is abusive in nature (see 7E.3.2 below)

7E.2.5 #

If when the @appeals team is added, the Controller that issued the Violation is already present and has given the reasons for the violation coherently (and you can see that these are justified), no input is required unless:

If the Controller was not in the topic/PM at the time of the Appeal, they should not{.red} be added unless it is deemed absolutely necessary. Anyone that is not involved with the Appeal must{.red} be removed by requesting an IFC Moderator to do so. If input from the Controller is required, the Appeals Team member should{.red} reach out privately and request this.

If you find that you are the Controller that issued the Violation, you should{.red} let another Appeals Team member deal with the appeal to promote transparency

7E.2.6 #

The following procedure outlines how to reverse a Violation:

Step 1

: Access the Appeals Administrator Dashboard (link is provided in the #appeals Discord channel)

Step 2

: Select “Users” from the navigation bar and then enter the User information to search for their profile

Step 3

: To access the Users Profile, select the arrow under “Profile” that is in-line with their User information

Step 4

: Select “Violations” from the navigation bar and then scroll to find the Violation you would like to reverse

Step 5

: Tick the corresponding box and then scroll to the top of the page and select “Delete” to remove it. Any reversed Violation will prompt the Appeals Team member to input a reason (e.g. “Violation Reversed: User performed go-around as instructed and was not given ample time to react”).

User notes must{.red} be recorded to monitor for possible User trends, Appeal Team actions, and identify repeat offenders. If for any reason a User Note was not added, this must{.red} be brought to the attention of an IFC Moderator so that this can be corrected

7E.2.7 #

Below is a list of the different canned replies available that can be sent on the IFC. Appeals Team members should{.red} try to use these as often as possible to give Users a standardized experience, however at times it may be necessary to message outside of these or to customize them:

Canned Reply Recommended Usage
Appeals - 1st - Replay Request If no replay file has been sent
Appeals - 2nd - Correct Template Reply If the original message includes all the information required to process the appeal (see 7E.2.3 above)
Appeals - Sending Options Only A customized message can be sent which includes the “Sending Options Only” if you do not want to send the full “Replay Request” message, and/or have already been in dialogue with the User
Appeals - Violation Removal If the violation has been removed

Step 1

: Login to the IFC

Step 2

: Click your profile image in the top right hand corner

Step 3

: Click the messages tab twice (represented by an “envelope” icon)

Step 4

: Select “appeals” from the navigation bar on the left of the screen (if you are using a mobile device you may have to select “inbox” to find the “appeals” messages)

Step 5

: Select the appeals message you wish to deal with

Step 6

: Use the “reply” icon and then select the “settings cog” icon

Step 7

: Select “Canned Replies” and then scroll on the right hand side of the message screen to find the reply you wish to use (if you are using a mobile device, a drop down box is used instead)

Step 8

: Tap the corresponding “clipboard” icon (if using a mobile device, just select the canned reply that you want to use and then tap “insert reply”), this will move the message to the left where it can be edited (if required) and then sent (by clicking “reply”)