Key behaviours of members of the bridge team

Skills of the bridge team

Interactions between the Master and Pilot

The purpose of a Remote Navigational Assessment should be to continuously improve navigational standards to ensure safe and effective voyages and to assure companies that high standards of navigation and watchkeeping are being maintained. The purpose of closely observing the interaction and effectiveness of the bridge team during pilotage and standby is to evaluate:

Objectives

To fully meet the objectives of a navigational assessment, both the technical and non-technical skills of bridge team members need to be evaluated. Technical (hard) skills are knowledge of regulatory and company requirements and are competency based. They are assessed against the level of compliance with regulations and company procedures and the application and use of equipment in aspects of navigation, including company policies and procedures. Non-technical (soft) skills are related to human factors and can be evaluated by observing the bridge team at work, measuring their ability to work and communicate as a team and their reaction to evolving navigational situations and challenges.

The effective interaction of people with procedures, equipment and each other (human factors) is essential for safe navigation. Navigational assessments have traditionally focused on legislative and compliance issues (i.e. equipment and record keeping) and the qualifications and technical competency of a bridge team. The modern navigational assessment needs to evaluate how well both individual members and the team cope with challenging and complex situations.