Hi,
Does anybody know where I could find the minutes from the CI convention, or any details of what was said and discussed ?
I don’t recall any feedback etc from anywhere.
thanks
Don’t think there was any issued
I am reliably informed by someone who attended that all delegates recieved minutes of the conference. I am trying to source a copy to post here, it may take a week or so.
There was a previous thread; I had contacted the sponsor who had said that the minutes would be circulated…
I will ask again.
One of my staff attended and has heard precisely zero
They were sent to all delegates on the emails they provided on 22nd October (I’ve seen the email chain). I will copy and paste the text when I get to a terminal as my phone won’t do it.
20151009-CI Strat Conv
21 Oct 15
ACO CIVILIAN INSTRUCTORS’ STRATEGY CONVENTION - OUTPUT
Introduction
1.The ACO is developing an evolving Strategy and associated action plans to modernise and develop the Organisation out to 2020. One of the key themes of this work is inclusivity: involving all members of the ACO in the decision-making process ensures that the best ideas are exposed and that associated change is widely supported throughout the Organisation. To support this, a Convention of ACO Civilian Instructors was held at RAF Cranwell on 8 Aug 15.
Objectives
2.The Objectives of the Civilian Instructors’ Strategy Convention were:
a.To hold a Convention of Civilian Instructors from both the ATC, CCF (RAF) and CGIs at HQ ACO RAF Cranwell.
b.To obtain the Civilian Instructors’ views on a range of key issues currently under consideration, including: recruitment, retention and reward of the Civilian Instructors; and how to generally improve the Cadet Experience. It was most important that as well as raising issues, CIs came with ideas to deliver solutions.
c.To hold open forum sessions with the Civilian Instructors to allow them to raise their issues of concern and their ideas for solutions.
d.To widely publicise the outcomes of ACO Civilian Instructors’ Strategy Convention both in print and on-line.
Execution
3.The Convention was held at RAF Cranwell in the Station Learning Centre on 8 Aug 15. The Convention delegates were proactive, experienced Civilian Instructors. They were drawn from both the ATC, CCF and CGIs; a total of around 40 Civilian Instructors attended. To promote and encourage free and open discussion and to get the maximum value from the limited time available, the Civilian Instructors were split into 4 groups of 10. Each group discussed each of the issues in turn. Each issue was mentored by a Topic Mentor from the HQ ACO staff.
Topics
4.The following topics were discussed:
Serial
Topic
1
What actions or changes can the ACO take to better support and motivate Civilian Instructors to join and then remain in the ACO?
2
What actions or changes can the ACO take to encourage more Civilian instructors to move into CFAV uniformed service? What is stopping you doing that now?
3
What actions or changes can the ACO take to deliver a more rewarding and fun experience to cadets?
4
Open forum – any issues you wish to raise but focussed on realistic changes we can make to improve the ACO.
Output
5.The Convention stimulated enthusiastic and wide-ranging discussion. The delegates were encouraged to identify issues but to also propose solutions. The topic areas above proved to be too generic and many issues overlapped or were raised in each session.
6.The major topics raised are detailed below. Where proposed solutions are included they are the ideas put forward by the CIs.
a.ID Cards. The lack of a CI ID card was raised as a significant issue by most CIs. The lack of an ID card either prevents CIs getting on to units or wastes CI and guardroom staff time whilst a lengthy checking process was undertaken. Additionally, without an ID card a CI has no way of confirming to a member of the public that they are a responsible person authorised to supervise cadets. As a result, the lack of an ID card was viewed as a potential child safeguarding issue. It was acknowledged that this issue also impacted on ACO padres.
Proposed Solution. ATC Adult SNCOs are issued with a Cadet Forces ID card (Mod Form 90). ATC Adult SNCOs have the same status as CIs. Issue CIs with a similar Cadet Forces ID card but overwritten with ‘Civilian Instructor’. RHQs should provide their Region’s military units with regularly updated lists of all CIs in the Region to aid CI access. Comdt ACO to write to all Stn Cdrs reminding them of the different types of CFAV supporting the air cadets and seeking to ease their access to RAF facilities to deliver the cadet experience.
b.CI Uniform. There was strong opposition to any kind of mandated CI uniform, but the option to wear the CI pale blue polo shirts was supported. Remarkably, about 20% of CIs did not know the pale blue, issue polo shirts existed and did not have one. Distribution through WHQs was in some cases poor and the pale blue colour was deemed too light as it showed the dirt and was difficult to clean. The shirts only come in men’s sizes and the option for female tailored shirts should be available. A fleece would be preferable to a sweatshirt as a cold weather option.
Proposed Solution. HQ ACO considers sourcing a dark coloured CI Polo shirt and fleece in both male and female patterns. If possible, supply should be direct to all CIs via a mail-order process. Initial issue and periodic replacements (every 3 years) should be free.
c.Training Material. Much of the teaching material on Ultilearn was viewed as poor and some of the BTEC syllabus was perceived as being out of date. The skills and knowledge of the CFAVs should be used to review and improve the material.
Proposed Solution. HQ ACO and Corps Training Officer to lead a review of all training material on Ultilearn, utilising the skills and knowledge of the wider CFAV community.
d.CI Recruitment. Currently CIs come primarily from ex-cadets, ex-RAF Service personnel and parents of cadets. We need to better target ex-Service personnel since many are not aware of the opportunities for CI service. We should also make more effort to look outside these areas, seeking to recruit from local industry and business. We should also target specific skill sets: paramedics for first aid training, aerospace engineers and air traffic controllers for Aerospace training etc. The recruitment process was viewed as excessively long and complex with examples of potential CIs who had begun the process, become exasperated by the length of time and given up and not joined.
Proposed Solution. Target recruitment effort more widely to groups outside the normal ACO community. Update the admin process to significantly reduce the time and bureaucracy involved in becoming a CI.
e.CI Induction and Training. Both induction and training were viewed as poor with great variance across wings and no standardisation. There was a strong view that an ACO-wide standardised process should be introduced with new CIs allocated a mentor, given common quality training and allocated a specific role within the Sqn early in their service. After initial induction, CIs should have a clearly defined role and a progressive training plan so that they have a clear idea of what they are expected to do now and how they could develop and expand their contribution to the Sqn in the future. Far more should be done to exploit the skills and qualifications CIs bring to the ACO. Too often we are not flexible enough to exploit the civilian qualifications the CI bring, instead making the CI undertake lower level ACO training.
Proposed Solution. A working group of senior CFAVs, including CIs, form to develop an ACO-wide standardised induction process, with new CIs allocated a mentor, given common quality training and allocated a specific role within the Sqn early in their service.
f.CI Reward and Recognition. There was a strong view that, whilst CIs are vital to the future of the ACO, there was little recognition of their contribution. State and RAF honours and awards were perceived, wrongly, as for uniformed staff only. Our internet presence, magazine and publicity material is over focussed on uniformed staff and needs to feature more CIs who, after all, make up the majority of the ACO CFAV.
Proposed Solution. Target state and RAF honours and awards nominations to include CIs. Publicise widely when a CI gets an award. Focus more M&C effort at CIs.
g.Ethos and Attitudes. The attitude of the wider ACO towards CIs was generally held to be negative and unhelpful. The phrase “only a CI” or “just a CI” was thought to be indicative of a wider lack of appreciation from uniformed staff and Civil Servants of the value of CIs. The word “civilian” was felt to imply “separate from the military” and so separate from, and not part of the CFAV team. Some felt that a change of name would prompt a change in attitude. The pressure to convert CIs to uniformed staff was viewed very negatively, implying that CI service was not of value of itself.
Proposed Solution. Stop trying to push all CIs into uniformed service. Consider a change to CI name. Establish a ‘Senior CI’ in each wing and region to act as spokesperson for CI community.
h.CI Transition to Uniformed Service. Whilst the assumption that all CIs would want to move into uniformed service was seen as very negative, many CIs do see their CI service as a progression to uniformed service. Some felt that the support for transition from CI to uniformed service was poor from Sqn, Wg and Region staff. The pre-uniform training was unit dependant and often non-existent.
Proposed Solution. Standardised pre-uniform training developed and placed on BADER for all to access. CIs who express an interest in uniformed service should be allocated a mentor to support them, an Adult SNCO if they are considering SNCO service, or a VR(T) officer if they are considering commissioned service. The mentor should be carefully selected and not necessarily on the CI’s Sqn.
i.Funding Activity and Remuneration. The CIs accepted that the financial constraints on the ACO are such that the award of CI Volunteer Allowance was unrealistic. However, CIs should not be out of pocket for their voluntary service. They often are. The lack of public funding for sport and music, 2 high profile cadet activities, was viewed very negatively.
Proposed Solution. Explore the potential for increased public funding for all the core cadet activities and, where not possible, consider non-public support via the GPF.
j.Roles on Sqn. Each CI should have a clearly defined role on the Sqn. CIs with civilian qualifications should have those qualifications recognised and utilised. CIs should be allowed to do the same courses as uniformed staff and run the same cadet activities.
k.Female CIs. There is a lot of pressure on some female CIs. Where the female CI is the only female member of staff on the Sqn, there is pressure on that CI to attend every parade night because, if they don’t, then the girls can not attend. The same issue arises at camps.
Next Steps
7.The proposed solutions detailed above are those raised by the CIs themselves. Some of the issues are already being addressed by ACO 2020 Strategy working groups, the others will be considered and then taken forward under the direction of the ACMB.
Interesting. Will wait & see what the sponsor says - & why this hasn’t been sent out to all.
Many thanks for the above.
I hadn’t seen anything at all anywhere up to now.
I wonder how many thoughts and proposals will get shoved into the long grass as ‘too difficult’ ? !!!
They seem to have brought up all my grouses; IDs being top of the list.
You would have thought that something might have happened by now.
they’re going to send an email.
i was starting to get hopeful as i read the blurb - it seemed to be making the very obvious case that as CI’s and SNCO’s(ATC) have both the same status within the MOD and the same security status, and highlighted the hassle CI’s face on a very regular basis, it was about to anounce that the ACO would be pressing the case at MOD for CI’s to get a form of MOD90, but it did a bodyswerve of such radical ideas and decided to send an email - one of perhaps 8,656,892 that guardrooms will recieve this year - to let them know that some people who have no MOD ID, and who look the same as lots of other people with no MOD ID and no legitimate business on station, may have legitimate business on station.
cheers.
It doesn’t answer some of the problems, like convincing members of the public that you are not Fagin.
i don’t think it answers any of the problems we face, but its being done because it costs nothing, will take 60 seconds, and because HQAC will be able to say ‘we’ve done our bit, if you get buggered about for 45 minutes at RAF Where-the-hell-is-this? its their fault, not ours…’
I’m guessing the people who print IDs have told the ACO to sod off at being asked to do another 5,000
Er, no. If they are formally tasked to action this, with the associated budget in order, them it would happen. It’s merely data entry input then print output.
If HQAC have gone down the road and for CI ID hit a brick wall at MOD because of the cost, then why not say so?
They are quite happy to talk about the fact that budget has impacted on the gliding issue, and everyone accepts that funding restrictions have played a part in the whole issue - so why not just say ‘we recognise its big issue, and we put forward a strong case at MOD for MOD90 for CI’s to be funded, but we got knocked back…’?
The reply in the document above suggests to me that they couldn’t be bothered to pick up the bat for CI’s on this issue, let alone put in a strong innings, and just thought up some laughable fudge reply that required no effort, no spend, no horse trading or political muscle flexing, and conveniently keeps the ‘just CI’s…’ in a position where being a CI can be a pain, while going into uniform could make life easier - and given one of the other issues HQAC put forward, that’s not exactly tin-foil hat thinking…
Who have these things been given to as actions and where is the ‘do by date’?
The only ‘people’ mentioned are the faceless muppets of the 2020 Strategy working groups. I imagine there is one to keep people in jobs until 2020!!
It for all the world looks as described … HQAC thinking they’ve done their bit for CIs and can now retreat back into the ivory towers and adopt the pose of the 3 monkeys. I fully expect budgetary constraints to be used as an easy excuse to bat away any queries about any of these points, where there is a cost. What it needs is CIs to be a PITA about these things, any number of all address emails from sqn accts might annoy people in IT, but would get the message across that nothing is happening.
Back in the day when I was in the Royal Observer Corps we had MOD civilian identity cards suitably embossed with who we were. We were classed as uniformed civil servants. The cards were printed in red ink rather than blue for RAF people. Getting on and off an RAF station was straightforward and one just had to book any vehicle in. The car pass always had a map on the back showing where all the relevant departments were located. Minimal hassle.
I can’t see what the problem is ref ATC CI’s having ID’s. Nobody has explained why they shouldn’t. Budgets may come into it, but money seems to be found when it suits for peoples pet projects, like RAC’s that are located three hours away and are not properly used!!
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Yes, it will be budget. I deal with our squadron’s MT (fortunately local RAF MT are very much on-side). This means that I need to go to the MT section at a number of irregular occasions each year. A permanent pass could easily be arranged, the only stumbling block is that I have to promise I will use it at least 12 times every year or it is cheaper to issue temporary passes. Sometimes I go more often, sometimes less. I could lie, I suppose.
The really annoying thing is that MT is next to the guardroom and the sentry could easily keep me in sight when I went there, but I still have to queue up for a temporary pass each time.
So, yes, it is money. Probably not real money that you could buy a beer with, but the sort that goes from one part of an organisation to another with out ever surfacing. Meantime, the staff and machinery stand idle in the pass issuing office.
Sadly it’s not the good old days where you could turn up and say that you’re a jolly trustworthy chap and just be allowed to go on station and get on with what you need to do.