Building and managing a successful UAS program takes more than just a few experienced pilots and a fleet of drones. While technical training is important, management decisions can make or break a program. The number of UAS programs across sectors is rising, but what makes a program thrive?

New this year at Commercial UAV Expo, DRONERESPONDERS is hosting a two-day Program Management Course to address the leadership, governance, risk management, budgeting, policy, and sustainability challenges that program managers face every day. This comprehensive course is taught over two full days of the Commercial UAV Expo conference program.

Commercial UAV News spoke with Jason Day, deputy director of DRONERESPONDERS and the person leading the workshop, to learn more about what program managers can expect to take away from it.

"Most UAS training focuses on technical flight skills, mission execution, and regulatory compliance," says Day. "While those are critical, many agencies discover that successful programs are built or broken by management decisions rather than pilot proficiency."

That distinction is the core premise of this course: Pilots operate missions, but program managers build and maintain the framework that lets those missions succeed year after year, regardless of who's flying.

Day One – Building the Operational Foundation

Day one of the course is built around a hard truth: A program that runs on the energy of a few dedicated people isn't a program, it's a phase.

"A professionalized program operates with intentional processes, documented standards, measurable outcomes, and clear accountability," explains Day. "It doesn't rely on a few motivated individuals to keep things running."

Attendees will leave day one with:

Training Frameworks – Inconsistent training is one of the most common weaknesses in a UAS program, and building a solid training framework is a key step in fixing it. Operational readiness for real-world, unpredictable scenarios is just as important as compliance and technical training. First responder teams face something different every day, so training that goes beyond the minimum requirements is what keeps a team ready for what's ahead.

According to Day, a comprehensive training framework includes “initial qualification, ongoing proficiency, scenario-based exercises, mission-specific competencies, leadership development, and regular evaluation."

Best Practices for Standard Operating Procedures – Attendees will learn how to be introspective about their mission objectives rather than focusing so much on paperwork. Instead, the session will cover how to use governance, operational authorities, flight operations, training requirements, and safety processes.

"The best SOPs are practical, scalable, and tailored to an agency's actual needs rather than copied from another organization," says Day.

Safety Management Systems – There is a critical step of understanding how to treat these systems as a leadership function, not just a checkbox. Safety should be the top priority for every team member, regardless of whether they are flying or managing a project in another capacity.

"Program managers influence organizational culture, resource allocation, and operational priorities, making them the key drivers of successful safety programs. When managers embrace SMS principles, safety becomes integrated into decision-making rather than treated as an after-the-fact requirement," explains Day.

Maintenance Programs – It's easy to default to manufacturers for maintenance-related activities and only address problems after they arise, but a well-run program does the opposite. It's proactive about equipment maintenance, runs regular inspections, plans for the lifecycle of its equipment, and performs risk assessments.

"The fix is establishing clear maintenance procedures, maintaining accurate records, tracking fleet performance, and treating equipment reliability as a mission-critical capability rather than a logistics function," explains Day.

Day Two – Strategic Growth

Day two focuses on strategic growth, including interagency collaboration, software and data tools, and how to prepare a program for the airspace of the future. This portion of the workshop is designed to give managers the tools to support the longevity of their programs, rather than let them fizzle out after the initial start-up phase.

Attendees will leave day two with:

Interagency Collaboration – Going beyond paperwork, managers will learn how to use shared procedures, joint training, and coordinated response planning built before an incident happens.

"When agencies train together, share lessons learned, and establish common expectations, they can rapidly integrate their UAS resources during emergencies and large-scale events," Day said, underscoring the value of preparation before an incident occurs.

Data-Driven Decision Making – Data is a manager's best friend when it comes to justifying funding to leadership. The ability to provide real-world evidence that a program is making a difference in an agency's work goes a long way.

"Leadership wants evidence that resources are being used effectively. Programs that measure performance can clearly connect UAS operations to organizational objectives and mission outcomes," states Day.

Leadership Strategies – Plenty of teams struggle to move forward once the energy of a program's initial start-up phase fades. To foster long-term growth, managers need planning skills, leadership strategies, succession planning, and a commitment to continuous improvement. No team is immune to turnover, budget constraints, or shifting organizational priorities, staying proactive on all three is what keeps a program moving forward.

Emerging Technology and Advanced Air Mobility – AAM is reshaping the airspace, and programs need to be ready to adapt to new classes of aircraft, new airspace management systems, and evolving regulatory frameworks. This workshop will teach managers how to prepare for these kinds of major industry shifts while keeping their teams informed and trained along the way.

The gap between a UAS program that survives and one that thrives rarely comes down to flight hours or technical certifications, it comes down to management. As the DRONERESPONDERS course lays out, the agencies that build lasting programs are the ones that invest in training frameworks, safety culture, maintenance discipline, and the strategic thinking needed to grow beyond a single champion or a single budget cycle. Whether a program is just getting off the ground or looking to professionalize after years of ad-hoc operations, the fundamentals covered across these two days apply.

For program managers ready to move their operation from "a few dedicated people keeping the lights on" to a structured, sustainable program, DRONERESPONDERS' new Program Management Course offers a rare chance to learn directly from those who've built these frameworks before. 

Learn more about the Program Management Course here and complete your registration.