The trouble is, if all admin was done on parade evenings, very little would happen on a sqn.
I ran a range this evening - pre-range faff of SMS event activation, RSD completion / submission, approval, planning range details for cadets attending / associated CLF level. Post shoot, update SMS activity for shooting logs & qualifications, & order required badges. Guess how much of that was doen off-sqn? All of it.
Oh, from a wg shoot this weekend, apparently any submitted TG21s have to be uploaded as files to the SMS event - where / why would this be needed. Just in case someone has a “medical issue” in 5 yrs time???
You have 2 fold with “officers in offices” and to some extent SNCO’s & CI’s dependent on your luxury of staffing numbers. We have the main roles covered (OC,Adj,Training officer) however then we have a WO and 2 CI’s. To stay on top of paperwork as an officer within either the OC and Adj role and to some extent the training officer, if you are plan to just be turning up to be in the office you need to be putting in extra time outside of your 19-21:30 twice a week or similar hours. Which comes a problem, I am usually putting in extra hours before parade nights start and answering e-mails asap to keep up-to-date
Having cadets upload their completed TG21s via Cadet Portal would be a positive step forwards in terms of digitisation and sustainability: but staff having to scan and upload paper documents is the opposite of progress!
We just need to get to the point that parents can do a digital consent form. Make life a lot simpler! And make it a one off that only needs updating annually.
Agreed the full process should be online from initial sign up and TGs, if we are going fancy tech may as well go all in. When a cadet is selected for an event they are changed to status of Selected, awaiting parents confirmation which triggers a workflow with an e-mail and SMS to a link. The parent completes the workflow which then changes the Status to Selected, Approved - If the parent doesn’t agree with the activity they can withdraw their cadet and it will change the status to Withdrawn. Save half the battle of check with parents too!
Okay, I maybe take back what I said. I’m sat here reading the DAIB report into an ACF mountain bike crash, and frankly Westminster sound pretty bad. The DAIB even described the RAFAC system as “best practise”
