36 NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2008
News and information for serving personnel
West Battery
Managers
seek ideal
balance
– centre of
REQUIREMENTS management
and career management deal with
the same basic ‘raw material’ – the
men and women of the Navy – but
look at it from opposite views.
the universe
Requirements management
deals with groups of people,
whether a branch, a specialisation
MANY places have lain
questions on assignments,
or even skills-based cohorts. career paths and jobs,
That involves planning for
claim to the soubriquet
training course bookings
what the Navy needs today and
“centre of the universe”,
and employment ashore.
tomorrow, and it covers three including Times Square It is the same service
main areas.
in New York and Wallace,
offered by career managers
Branch management is getting to officers and senior rates,
the right numbers with the right
Idaho.
but they are conveniently
skills in the right place at the right
But for the Royal Navy, the
located close to front-line
time, including recruitment and
centre of the universe lies just
units.
promotion requirements.
east of (but not within) Leach There are a few exceptions
These people need to be trained, Building on Whale Island.
for junior ratings; see
and the training establishments West Battery is the exact
2007DIN1-114 for details of
design and deliver courses location, for since late last year it
points of contact for some
according to guidance from the has been the home of the Naval
specialist sub-branches
requirements managers – often Personnel Teams (NPTs), who
and those with unusual
training that meets both military help senior ratings and officers
deployment patterns.
and civilian criteria. along the paths of their careers.
● Cdre David Dickens, DNPers
As Cdre Dickens said:
The final element, casework, It is also the hub in the new ‘hub
and Medical, the Royal Marines,
“The NPTs bring together
is the area where requirements and spoke’ system of managing
the RFA and the Reserves.
expertise in individual
managers have direct contact the careers of junior rates – the
So the moment you walked
employment, future
with individuals, be it long-term Waterfront Manning Offices
through the gates of BRNC
manning policy and career
employability following injury, (WMOs) are the working end of
Dartmouth or HMS Raleigh, you
management.
transfers to other branches or the spokes.
were under the wing of an NPT.
“They are a true ‘one-stop
decisions. HMS Centurion and now was
processing applications to rejoin And all the expertise, the
Together the NPTs cover all
shop’ for all personnel matters
And those decisions are quite marked.
the Senior Service. knowledge and the information career-orientated manpower
across the Fleet.
made much more quickly, with “Then we used to draft people,”
At the other end of the spectrum at West Battery is there just for issues, training policy and
“Basically, if it involves Naval
managers having a better feel he said.
are the career managers – the you, ensuring that everyone gets representation of individual
personnel, contact your NPT.”
for what is happening from the “We would say ‘we have got
human face of the NPTs. the best in terms of using and interests across the Fleet.
The former DNCM (Directorate
personal level through to the a draft in a ship’, and we would
They ensure that billets are developing their talents. And the fact that West Battery
of Naval Career Management)
future of a branch. find a person to fill it.
filled by the right people, look to The new Directorate of Naval is now home to both branch
and Fleet Pers system – in which
Human Resources staff now “The emphasis was not on
make best use of an individual’s Personnel (DNPers), led by Cdre and requirements managers
career managers and branch
sit alongside their colleagues in the management of a person’s
abilities, and to build in personal David Dickens, is now up and and ratings and officer career
managers were separated – was
a coherent DNPers team, and career.
factors and preferences to the running, and comprises six NPTs managers means that a co-
working well, so why the change?
are therefore readily available to “We now try to look at an
overall picture. – Engineering, Warfare, Logistics ordinated approach to personnel
The search for continuous
provide some words of advice individual from when he or she
is now almost as simple
improvement identified an
– it is now as simple as nipping a joins the Navy to when he or she
as a stroll along a
opportunity to collocate RN
couple of doors along. leaves.”
corridor.
manpower co-ordination under
In addition, requirements Manpower within each branch
Each NPT is
one roof – West Battery.
managers – formerly branch or arm of the Service is now
responsible for all aspects
It may seem an obvious plan,
managers – are also embedded managed by a dedicated NPT
of meeting the demands
but it is a new departure for the
in the new system as part of the team leader.
of managing Naval
Navy to have branch, career and
NPTs. With its ability to provide a
personnel in order to
requirements managers in one
CWEM(O) ‘Jacko’ Jackson, service encompassing present
support operations, and
place.
who has worked in rating career and future branch manning
they cover all areas from
The majority of ‘shop-window’
management for several years, said: requirements, co-ordination of
individual assignments
functions will not change.
“Since the NPT(Engineering) and allocation to training plus
and so on to long-term
Careers will still be developed
came into existence, the inter-desk career management thereafter,
strategic planning.
on an individual basis, for officers
liaison has really improved. the new system offers a genuine
The WMOs are part
and senior rates through their
“Whereas looking after our career-long service for everyone
of the NPT structure
career managers at West Battery,
senior rates in the surface Fleet – and hopefully buries the
and work directly for
while junior rates will receive
used to often involve time- frustrating ‘dockyard runaround’
Cdre Dickens. They
career counselling via WMOs,
consuming formal meetings and of old.
are responsible for
underpinned by ratings career
emails, it can now be as simple as The new structure, then, is
all matters such as
managers at West Battery.
walking down a corridor. not an attempt to correct former
assignments, training
It is in the ‘back room’ that the
“The experts in each area are shortcomings, nor is it change for
course bookings and
move has already yielded benefits
close to hand, and we now get change’s sake – it is simply seizing
employment for junior
– it is far more straightforward
accurate answers in far less time. a golden opportunity to brigade
ratings.
to find the right person to deal
“Also, the tea-boat is far and improve all the wider naval
WMO have a career
with your questions, and it
cheaper…” manpower support services.
adviser available for all
helps managers make the right
Jacko said that another Capt Mark Slawson is
branches, who will be
difference between the leader of the Engineering
able to answer
W
h
o
to ask
a
n
d
his days at NPT, which was chosen as the
and assist w● In West Battery, the solution to a problem may be just a door or two away
h
with
a
pathfinder team.
t
Pictures: LA(PHOT) Simmo Simpson

t
o
“We are really glad we led the

a
way,” said Capt Slawson.
Y
o
u
r

N
P
T

–

Career Manager
s
k
“We have demonstrated that
there are huge benefits in having
(Officers/Senior Ratings)
the career management, the
requirements management
What are my promotion prospects?
(the needs of the people
(Officers only)
Branch and and of the business
OJAR guidance and advice
itself) and the training
Which officer will be joining unit?
Requirement Manager
requirements sitting
When will subject officer join?
in the same place.
JPA Career Management concerns
How do I create or end a post?
“We are already
seeing the benefits,
What’s my next assignment?
Complaints/

Representations

and I am hopeful
Update on post change requests N that very soon our
T
employees – the
P
(Junior Ratings*) What’s happening P
Naval personnel
WMO Career Manager
with my Branch? How do I apply for Branch transfer?
T we deal with
N

What’s my career path? – will see those

Employment
What are my career options?
specification
What TEMs/PJT will I need to do?
benefits too.”
Where will I be employed when ashore? changes
All contact
My personal circumstances have
details are due to
changed
be published in a
Which ratings will be joining my unit
DIN this month.
and when?
NPT details are
JR TEM/PJT booking via Course
also available via the
Booking Cell
Global Address List
under FLEET-DNPERS
How do I become an officer?
Can I serve abroad?
* 2007DIN1-114 details
points of contact for some
specialist sub-branches
and those with unusual
deployment patterns
News and information for serving personnel
034-036_NN_feb.indd 3 22/1/08 11:31:06
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