The development of resource management and leadership behavioural markers for the Merchant Navy

Resource Management principles, first established in the aviation industry, have been adapted and adopted for the Merchant Navy and other safety critical areas where the importance of the blend of effective technical and non-technical skills is recognised. The proposed revisions to the STCW Code include requirements for deck and engineering officers to show competence in the non-technical skills of Resource Management. These proposed Resource Management competencies do not align fully with other industries? established criteria. The many unique aspects of the international maritime industry make the wholesale adoption of established criteria from another industry inappropriate. This research sets out to identify whether the broad competence criteria described in the STCW revisions would be consistently interpreted by a range of industry stakeholders, in the context of the behaviours that they would expect to see, hear or experience in demonstrating compliance with, and evidencing competence in, the criteria. The paper will report on areas where respondents clearly identified effective and ineffective behavioural markers. Where such evidence was not forthcoming or requires amplification, the authors will propose effective and ineffective markers. It is anticipated that continuing research will validate the effectiveness and utility of the behavioural markers.