Uniform standards of competence

One of the most significant features of the 1995 amendments to the STCW Convention is that for the first time they will establish precise standards of competence relating to the actual ability of seafarers to perform their tasks safely and effectively.

This represents a major advance upon the existing convention, which only stipulates knowledge requirements, leaving standards of competence largely to be determined by governments.

Candidates for certification as navigational watchkeepers will require a minimum of 12 months’ seagoing service, including 6 months’ supervised bridge watchkeeping, provided that they follow a programme of structured in-service training approved by the government to ensure that trainees actually practise and demonstrate their competence to perform the particular tasks and duties that will be required of them when they are qualified.

If, however, a structured on board training programme is not followed than 3 years’ seagoing service will be required.

The approach to develop precise standards of competence relevant to all of the safety and pollution prevention tasks that must be performed on board a ship comprises competences and functions.

All of the individual tasks and skills required to operate a ship have been identified and grouped together as competences which represent small practical units of ability that can be readily assessed.

For example, the competence of being able to plan and conduct a voyage and determine position comprises tasks and skills using: celestial navigation, terrestrial and coastal navigation, electronic position fixing systems, echo sounders, compasses steering control systems, meteorological information.

Competence for all the tasks, duties and responsibilities that need to be performed on board have been grouped together to form self-contained shipboard “functions”. For example, the function of “Navigation at the operational level” comprises the competences necessary to: plan and conduct a passage and determine a position, maintain a safe navigational watch, use radar and ARPA, respond to emergencies, respond to distress signals, use English language, transmit and receive information by signaling, manoeuvre the ship.

Functions identify more distinct groups of skills, abilities and responsibilities than those established by conventional departmental divisions, which form the basis of standards in the present Convention. In total, the revised Convention defines standards of competence for 7 functions:

- Navigation;

- Cargo handling and stowage;

- Controlling the operation of the ship and care for persons on board;

- Marine engineering;

- Electrical, electronic and control engineering;

- Maintenance and repair;

- Radiocommunications.

The standards of competence that will need to be achieved for each of these functions are defined at up to 3 levels of responsibility, which are explained in the new Convention as follows:

1. The management level corresponds with senior officers. This level of responsibility is associated with:

a) serving as master, chief mate, chief engineer officer or second engineer officer on board a seagoing ship.

b) ensuring that all the functions within the designated area properly performed;

2. The operational level corresponds with junior officers and means the level of responsibility associated with:

a) serving as officer in charge of a navigational or engineering watch or as designated duty engineer for periodically unmanned machinery space or as radio operator on board a seagoing ship, and

b) maintaining direct control over the performance of all functions within the designated area of responsibility in accordance with proper procedures and under the direction of an individual serving in the management level for that area of responsibility.

3. The support level corresponds with ratings and means the level of responsibility associated with performing assigned tasks, duties or responsibilities on board a seagoing ship under the direction of an individual serving in the operational and management level.

II. Be ready to discuss the major issues of this text