Challenge: Given the compressed timeline of any operational deployment, staff officer individual augemntees (IAs) to a ‘Joint’ Headquarters are rarely classifies as Suitably Qualified and Experienced Personnel (SQEP) upon their arrival.  Time is then ‘wasted’ in training and developing the staff which increases the risk to operational failure.  Mitigation for this SQEP IA competency deficiency could be to ensure thay on arrival they appropriately trained for the role, with a common level of understanding of the ‘Joint’ environment, function and output.

Solution: To address this challenge Waves were contracted by SERCO, acting on behalf of the Defence Academy and the Defence Education Pathway Implementation Team (DEP IT) to conduct a Joint Foundation Course (JFC) Scoping Exercise (SE).  The aim of the SE was to confirm the extent of the Joint staff officer IA capability gap that could be addressed by training.  The SE was delivered in a 6 week period.  The methodology required robust evidence to be gathered and analysed across a wide and dispersed target audience grouping.   A bespoke Waves team gathered this information from:

·         Lessons drawn from Post Exercise Reports, Orbats / Manning Lists, courses delivering a ‘Joint’ competence.

·         Stakeholder engagement with: Joint HQs, previous AIs, Defence Augmentee Cell (DAC) and single Service manning branches, Training Delivery Authorities delivering ‘Joint’ staff training.  

Results: Building on a robust and endorsed set of Terms of Reference and triangulated research data drawn from engagement with IAs, key witnesses and the GFI assessment; the main finding from the SE confirmed an IA ‘Joint’ environment competency deficiency exists and recommended that training would be a key element of a solution to overcome this deficiency, justifying the trigger of a Phase 2 Training Needs Analysis (TNA).  Quick wins were identified that could be implemented by the HQs and deliver an effect for the subsequent Joint Exercise in the FY.