And if they had sent out a formal IBN or email saying “we’re working on it, be back with more news next year” they’d be getting flak for wasting everyone’s time with pointless non-updates.
I was always first in line to criticise the RAFAC’s information dissemination policy, but this is actually an appropriate use of information channels.
Nah, they’ve had a year (at least) with no output or update. Expected Sep 2026 = probably start up in 2027. Has the RAFAC family been asked to provide inputs to the new syllabus? Lots of cadets who would have had high hopes to do QAIC will be disappointed. Thank goodness RAFAC isn’t a commercial business.
It would not be difficult to add a snippet in a Weekly Brief - especially as the Air-PTS seems to be a new process; Q1 of 2026 is knocking on the door. When we we see the course material? Will it need CFAVs to be trained in the delivery?
If it’s internal then I want it to be tangible and/or actionable.
If every SME was to provide update comms on what they were they working on in any given week or month then it would be an endless stream of nothing burgers.
As I understand it, we’re not supposed to have all these separate social media accounts.
While there’s definitely a balance to be struck between clogging up the weekly brief / inboxes and making sure everyone can see your updates, Teams is probably a good way to do it if we take the time to establish a bunch of easy-to-find channels.
For example, this past year I used the unit badges Teams channel to deliver regular monthly updates to all those who were following / undertaking the process.
Even if the update was “no update”, it allowed me to communicate what was or wasn’t happening, and why. I’m getting rid of it now because I don’t think it’s required, but perhaps having a way for people to essentially subscribe to updates from certain areas (and then the main weekly update for essential comms) could be a good way of doing it.
Then it’s easy for everyone to find what they might want, with past updates stored so people can go back to them.
There were 2 items of information listed - & the overall content is worth a RAFAC-wide update - the weekly brief would be a perfect vehicle.
There has been no information on QAIC for a considerable period, which is very different from regular updates concerning other activities - & QAIC was (is?) considered a high-value activity.
Exactly. This “drip, drip” via soshial mejia isn’t the way to communicate reliably & consistently.
We should not be expected to have to try to root our all of the course specific pages on Faceballs to try to find out what they’re up to whether it be ‘Apply now’ or ‘we’ve done a thing’. We have a developed and clear system to push updates to us all.
Unfortunately, all the Teams channels seem to be hidden by default. I only got access to VoP via a link from somewhere on here, I think.
All we have is “something” at “some time”. That’s not really an update worthy of internal comms.
Knowing this inconsequential tidbit from a social media post, as I now do, changes nothing for my Sqn’s operation.
I could not know it and be no poorer for it.
I disagree. If it is worthy of a post on an obscure Faceballs page to update, then it is worthy of including in the internal updates. And that is my view; I wouldn’t suggest that units would be poorer of for it, just that it is very narrow band comms.
I’d question this. We have a mess of a distribution system with multiple ways of communicating. Which is why we’re having this debate.
We have nothing close to a clear system…
We do have official methods though, just some people are choosing not to use them, such as in this example. This could easily have been a short entry in the weekly brief.
Question is, would we all be talking about it or would most of us have missed it?
I only saw it as it was shared in here. If it was emailed or in the brief, I’d have seen it, as I read those.
But I agree with those saying you can have a certain level of information overload. If it’s not actually important and it’s just a casual Christmas update or similar, then posting on Facebook, where those that actually care will see it, isn’t a terribly idea.
Like the weekly updates, when used properly?
I’m a big advocate for the weekly updates. The weekly brief has been great, and I’ve complimented @wizzle and the team many times. But it’s not the only system.
We have that, we have Teams, email, sharepoint announcements, IBNs, social media, carrier pigeon.
So yeah, I don’t think we have “a clear system”.
All the time things are being sent out in loads of different ways, with no real rhyme or reason, you can’t guarantee who will read one thing or another.
I think more of us miss it if it’s only on Facebook. I wouldn’t know about it if I wasn’t on this forum.
Yeah, but what have they actually missed? Another random “jam tomorrow, we’re still alive, please don’t forget about us” message without consequence.
The medium used also is one that relies on activity and engagement to let the algorithm know it’s still something it should show to people. Just because someone is a member of a group or follower of a page doesn’t mean they will be shown its updates otherwise. They need to post things to it to keep it alive for when they have more interesting things to talk about down the line.
This is the issue.
If people have something worth saying it should go on a HQ weekly update. Unfortunately most of them don’t bother sending it in for the media team to use.
The weekly brief has improved as well, with the email now including headings of what is covered in the brief as a “sneak preview”
this FB post has had us all questioning what the hell Air-PTS is, I’ll Lilly prove via the COC in the new year.
With the new SharePoint launching next week this also sees the weekly brief adjust to a fortnightly digest direct to our inboxes.
I hear a lot about how we are volunteers, but we have volunteered and with that should have certain expectations such as maintaining basic admin of checking our emails once a week - a parade night CI will likely only have the weekly brief and and Mail Drop from Region/Wing to skim over. I’ve had course applicants not pick up JIs and pre course work because they don’t review their emails and places are then lost.
Can I just go back & emphasise this bit?
There currently isn’t an update because everything is shut down.
QAIC have been very good in maintaining interest with updates & plans posts on social media , even if there’s no substantive update. This has meant QAIC hasn’t slowly slipped away in the night & means that it’s factored in in a soft way to cadet & staff thinking.
With the average cadet service length being three years, I doubt there are many cadets who know of cadet who has done JL or QAIC yet alone a cadet still left who has done it.
The other thing to consider in the comms - who is the intended audience? What is its purpose?
I would read into this that’s actually aimed at cadets & parents with general volunteers being the second. Effectively it’s a soft launch & it’s a positive Christmas post.
MSTeams isnt really a good comms method - we’ve tried setting it up locally for OC & sector staff to use. Nobody monitors it, nobody responds.
so can we take the comms in the spirit that it was made that fingers-crossed that QAIC will be returning rather than the rehash of the social media/comms debate.
I note with interest that no one has then done the extrapolation that if QAIC is coming back - is JL returning or are we all assuming Junior Leaders is dead-dead?