QE/Mentor Roundtable

1. QE/Mentor Roundtable

2. Our Session Today • Introductions • Ground Rules for Discussion • Background • Myths and Other Discussion Starters • Facilitated Discussion

3. Operations & Training Introductions • District representatives (DIRAUX, Ops, Training) • Identify QEs as a group • Identify Mentors as a group • Identify other leadership and staff as a group

4. Usual Discussion Rules • Respect other participants • Listen to what others say • Only one person speaking at a time • Speak slowly and clearly so all can hear and understand • Speak only to the current topic • Everybody needs to able to speak; facilitators may provide limits if needed

5. Specific Issues for Our Session • Luncheon will be in this hall, the hotel will need to do some preparations during the end of our session

6. Background • The Boat Crew Qualification Program is intended to facilitate qualifying members in surface operations, not to act as a “rite of passage” or an unnecessary burden • The process must be professional and complete • Not all Auxiliary members are suited for surface operations roles, even if motivated.

7. Initial Qualification • Instruction, practice, demonstration: Mentor/candidate • Structured dockside examination: QE/candidate • Structured underway checkride: single QE for crew, 2 QE “ board” for coxswains • Recommendation to DIRAUX for certification

8. Underway Crew Checkride: QE is: • Evaluating individual skill demonstration for the tasks: will query candidate on particular issues (“why”) • Evaluating the individual operating in the team: communication, initiative where appropriate, Team Coordination input • Looking at individual operating safely, under Coast Guard policy, and if likely to continue to perform well in future

9. Underway Coxswain Checkride: QEs are: • Evaluating the candidate as a leader in stressful situations. A coxswain holds the ultimate safety of the crew and vessel in their hands. • Evaluating seamanship, specific task/procedure skills • Evaluating future independent performance under Coast Guard policy, safely, and as a USCG representative

10. QEs are Extensions of OTO • The DIRAUX Operations and Training Officer cannot perform evaluations of candidates, but the OTO is the individual that certifies members. • QEs are the objective and subjective evaluators for the OTO. • QEs must be the best and most experienced coxswains possible to be most effective.

11. Mentors • Boat Crew Mentors need to be successful and competent crew or coxswains • Ideal mentors are always striving to improve their own operational knowledge, are flexible, safe, and use current training materials (not material or procedures from long ago) • Not all mentors fit the ideal (statement, not judgment)

12. Myths and Starting Points • Myth: some tasks are optional.Answer: there are no optional tasks in D1NR. • Myth: there are no changes to the BC Qualification Guides (crew, coxswain, PWC)Answer: CHIEF DIRAUX office has been lax in online material. Material received from AUXCEN will have printed changes to make in the guides.