Do the ACF/SCC have the same requirements for courses even at a basic level, if so run them jointly to save money and even help CFAVs with being able to attend, as courses would have enough participants and not be liable to cancellation due to poor numbers.
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These could be separated into refresher courses that just deliver the essentials for current staff and not take up whole days listening to things designed for newbies.
I donât really care too much about the structure of the RAF and where we (donât) fit in, as at the last look it seemed to be a job creation scheme for senior officers.
But done properly not by SM. CAC and Co should have better things to do all day than faff around on SM.
Accept as what we are, volunteers in youth organisation, and not pseudo employees.
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Think through any major decisions rather than rush them through or prevaricate and delay!
Think of all those FTRSs that have to be justified and supported, they just wonât go away you know!
How about getting rid of regions so all squadrons work directly from HQAC so should work from the same rules and get more CAVS of all ranks in there as a posing for a period. Also make sure individual wings stop making up their own rules so we end up working on a relatively level play field. Limit the number of wing staff officers at wing and make all wing jobs except wing commander a posting of 5 years or less then they have to go back to a squadron so they donât lose touch with how a squadron works. This would save money and improve wing staff. Wouldnât that be a wonderful world.
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Certainly reconfigure Regional support. Rather than salami slice wings look at the total staffing per Region e.g. 6 wings and 1 RHQ at an average of 2.5 staff per location (+ the RC) total 15 staff (+RC). Look at 2 centre support per region with of 7 staff each with one overseen by the RC and the other by the ARC. Ensure each support centre has the full range of specialist staff, offset leave to ensure there is always someone to talk to and trial a duty officer at each centre each eve Mon-Fri with one on call over the w/e. The savings on reducing 7 sites per region to 2 would be reinvested in the admin processes.
Consider a central supply system for the RAFAC with delivery of equipment or uniforms either direct to the sqn or by strategic support from a supermarket chain when boxes could be collected whenever the store was open?
The RAF is having a radical look at how it delivers its capability - perhaps we should do the same
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L&SE RHQ has done something similar, but the RC was blessed by circumstances. 4 of the 7 C2 posts for the region are now based at RHQ (3 x WEXO + ARC) and have responsibility for the 3 wings, 1 focuses on personnel, another Training Support & Finance and the 3rd Infrastructure.
It started with the 3 WHQs taking a strand each, and as the C2 posts became vacant they were relocated to RHQ is my understanding.
Certainly an interesting model and something we might see more of in the next few yearsâŚ
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The unfortunate thing is we are propping up a broken system and providing jobs for the boys. Lose regions and associated staff would mean turkeyâs voting for Christmas. Theyâd sooner close/reduce the number of squadrons than lose Regions.
The central, computer controlled supply system works for huge businesses and would work for the Air Cadets were we not tied into the outdated and outmoded parent station system. Could you imagine Tesco, ASDA, Sainsuryâs or even Amazon etc working like the Air Cadets?
I suggested in another thread that any one of us could look online and buy or reserve something and get it delivered in a few days or just go and pick it up, if like me the notion of waiting for something I can get within 20 minutes is not an option.
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I think that the days of jobs for the boys has/is coming to a rapid end. The RAF has had to be pragmatic and work within v.tight budgets and the RAFAC will be no exception. The cash will become more limited and the organisation will be in danger of perishing if it doesnât get its own house in order.
We now need to be planning for support from no more than 10 RAF MOBs (if not fewer). We cannot ask volunteers to take time off work to travel many miles because no one has thought of doing it a different way.
The organisation must exist to enable its volunteers to deliver for the next generation with
the vast majority of volunteersâ time spent in delivery not administration. If it doesnât, it has failed
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I would like to see what has been started finished.
And ideally nothing new introduced until we get significant progress on what is already on-going.
topics such as
PTS - syllabus, training material and badges
Gliding recovery - lets see real progress nationally
Ultilearn - still not âcompleteâ with various bugs in the exam process
Shooting - the introduction of the L114.
these are elements which have been introduced before 2018 yet are not complete, or made any significant progress on.
before we run into the next project, be that the Cadet Portal (sorry James), digital claiming F1771/F80s or other, lets see what was introduced get deliveredâŚ
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Hmmm finishing things and project management not a strong point up at the Ivory Towers.
As I have mentioned in the past, people I know have been seconded to HQAC and seen the things they have been working on take longer than they really should, stuck in drawers and âlostâ and as a result lose focus.
We need to bear in mind that the people put in charge of things at HQAC are not used to starting and seeing it fruition, as they will do a couple of years and get promoted or posted elsewhere, thus avoiding any blame / responsibility when it goes wrong/doesnât happen.
This is why the gliding never came back as OC 2FTS was expecting to be moved and was confused when he wasnât, so didnât know what to do, except go around in circles How many attempts have there been at admin burden reduction?
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While the facts should never get in the way of a good story⌠OC 2FTS was on a 4 year fixed FTRS contact and was never going anywhere else.
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Which negs the question as to why he never completed the task once it was apparent.
What a waste of 4 yearâs taxpayers money in his salary alone.
The rest will be on FRS contracts of x years, so youâd thought there would be more movement on things as they ainât going anywhere new. Unless itâs as the song ⌠take the money and run.
While I donât intend going down the rabbit hole of what OC 2FTS should or could have I think you ask a wider question which is well worth considering (and may be something for the RAFAC to consider in 2019).
How is the performance of individuals on FTRS renewable contracts (normally renewed every 4 years) measured? Given that the full time staff are providing training systems and infrastructure to enable the volunteers to deliver for cadets, perhaps some of the volunteers should sit on the review panels to help deliver 360 degree appraisal before the contrats are renewed?
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2019 looks to be a positive year, with no ATC 75 or RAF 100 rubbish to distract HQAC there is a possibility of both consolidation of ongoing projects, along with the delivery of new projects.
The only gapped syllabus that Iâm aware of is Radio and Cyber. Cyber does now have a full Bronze/Silver/Gold pathway, although with Silver fully external to RAFAC and requiring self study by cadets.
What training material is needed for PTS, or are you looking for updated material for classifications?
Badges, lets not get excited, this is a financial issue per and simple.
Iâd like to see all of the remaining VGSâs to become autonomous in 2019 and delivering cadet flying, if only to their local wings. This has to be the key focus of both CAC and whoever comes in as the new OC 2FTS.
We ran exams recently, and all went well, expect for the Sqn Internet failing mid process, which isnât a failing of the system weâre using, but rather we were overloading our squadron connection.
Unmitigated disaster. Tranche 1 saw 60 rifles delivered to RAF Odiham in Jan 2018. There are currently 5 serviceable. With the change in requirements for shooting, I think Iâm going to give up on the L144 for 2019 and hope we have a solution in 2020, and just crack on with the L98 in the main.
I agree, but only where the same staff are involved in current ongoing projects. Cadet Portal, being volunteer led, should be the first successful delivery of change in my time as a CFAV (~5 Years) it will also enhance the PTS by signposting the cadets in some elements.
Digital Claiming of Home to Duty / 1771 / VA is something that has been asked for, for a long time, and if the Bader Team can deliver it in 2019 then fantastic, the Jan Migration to SPOL & Azure AD are I think the final major changes needed to make this a reality.
Personally, I want to grow my Squadron to 30 Cadets, with at least 20 parading on a regular basis 
But lets be fair, Ultilearn is not a nice system to use. You have to click Start, then Launch then Go then choose the lesson or resource you want, then download it and hope you can open it.
Really?
It should have been a complete system from the outset, e-learning delivered in the browser with interactive checks of knowledge throughout then the exam. Providing powerpoints for those that need them is nice, but then they need to be maintained and updated with time.
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I think moodle is a great platform that could take the theory side of cadets to a fully elearning environment.
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yep, and moodle was originally considered. donât know why ultilearn was chosen over moodle.