U'S' Submarine Attack Crew Needs Assessment

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U.S. Submarine Attack CrewNeeds Assessment

• Dr. Steve
• Training Development
• INP6325

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Background

• U.S. Navy contracted our group to do a needs
  assessment for attack center crews aboard
  ballistic missile (Trident) submarines
• All data collected at Trident Training Facilities
  (TTF), Bangor, WA, and Kings Bay, GA.
• No data is reported here (sensitive or
  classified), only procedures
• As with all needs assessments, had to work within
  the constraints of the organization rather than
  following the exact procedures outlined in the
  book.

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1. Establish Organizational Support

• Organizational support
• Made friends with CO of submarine school house
• Talked about what his job is, who works for him,
  role of the schoolhouse, and typical work week
• CO put us in contact w/group of LTs (trainers)
• Made sure to get their perspective on what they
  do, services they provide, etc.
• Formed a team consisting of 2 LTs, CO,
  subcontractor, myself
• Made sure we were all on the same team

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2. Organizational Analysis

• Interviews
• Talks with LTs to find out what they train, what
  trainees should be able to do, how trainees are
  judged as well as how trainers are judged
• Documents
• Read thru NWPs describing training that is
  conducted at facility
• Observations
• Toured schoolhouse facilities to see all
  different training
• Dive training (angles dangles)
• Fire fighting
• Flood (get wet) trainer
• Sonar
• Attack Center simulator

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2. Organizational Analysis

• Determined that we could make greatest impact in
  the attack center (boats brain)
• Other areas mostly taught technical skills which
  trainees already learned just fine.
• Attack center most complex part of boat
• Attack center relied on greatest variety of
  skills
• Communication, coordination, and teamwork were
  critical
• CO and LTs believed that trainees lacked big
  picture
• If could develop teamwork training for most
  complex part of boat, could likely modify for
  other parts

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2. Organizational Analysis

• Identify external / internal constraints
• Time working on 6 week schedule of training
  events, so completed training program had to fit
  in that timeline
• Military specs must meet specific standards
• Rotating CO had to complete project before CO
  left for re-assignment
• Curriculum must not interfere with other
  curriculum
• Attitudes old way is the best way
• Hierarchy Senior officers are trained by LTs
  and are not likely to take criticism well
• Goal help develop big picture in crew members
  and allow LTs to train entire crew

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3. Requirements Analysis

• Train the Trainers
• Determined that training would be given to all
  trainers
• Would prove concept on trainers (LTs) in attack
  center
• Developed structured questions for LTs
• Went over current curriculum plan to see how new
  training could be incorporated
• Conducted observations (myself subcontractor)
• Observed attack center simulations examining
  roles and interactions of CO, XO, nav plot, ESM,
  periscope assistant, helm, weapons officer,
  time-freq plotter, etc. (25-30 crewmen in all)
• After first observation made changes to protocol
  due to difficulty of observing such a large crew

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4. Needs Assessment Components

• Task Analysis identified tasks through
• Documentation NWPs and curriculum
• Interviews with LTs (no access to crew members)
• Observations attack center missions and
  debriefs
• Link Analysis observations of frequency, not
  content, of communications among crew members
• Determined what KSAs were necessary
• Task Statements and KSAs rated by LTs a Sr.
  Chief who does team training

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4. Needs Assessment Components

• Goals
• Noted through observations that individual crew
  members often had correct solution but did not
  pass it on to other crew members
• Why not? didnt ask, wasnt sure, etc.
• Determined target training
• Communication transfer skills

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5. Person Analysis

• Determined that junior officers could benefit
  most.
• Unlikely to change CO XO behaviors, but had to
  start somewhere that would make an impact
• COs and XOs agreed
• The way to accomplish this was to train the
  trainers (LTs) that train junior officers as well
  as Captains (usually CO) and Commanders (usually
  XO)

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6. Results

• Developed training program targeted at training
  the trainer (schoolhouse LTs) to teach
  communication skills such as how to
• Provide clear, specific information
• Brief, but unambiguous
• Anticipate information from crew members
• Where should necessary information come from
• Differentiate commands from statements
• Use proper litany