Team Members Pages | Lost & Found | MREW | NWMRA | UK-SAR
This scheme has developed to suit the needs for team members of Ogwen Valley MRO. It may not be totally suitable for any other team but hopefully it will assist by focusing ideas, raising issues and lead to healthy debate over the problems relating to party leader and team member training in general. If you have any comments about the scheme then please feel free to contact any of the team members by e-mail and we will try to answer it or forward it to someone who may be able to help.
ISSUES FOR THE TRAINEE PARTY LEADERS
THE PRACTICE EXERCISE ORGANISATION
PRE-SCHEME QUESTIONNAIRE (PDF)
LEAD ROLE TASK DEBRIEF FORM (PDF)
PARTY LEADER TRAINING SCHEME - TRAINEE EVALUATION FORM (PDF)
Scheme Duration and Status on Passing the Scheme (Top)
The scheme duration is normally more than 12 months to allow a suitable amount of operational exposure.New applicants will be assessed in 12-15 months after the start of the course. You will be a Party Leader of the Team and expected to take significant operational responsibility. You will also be in the pool of individuals who may apply for Team Leadership if you so desire.
Pre-Scheme Questionnaire(Top)
A copy of the Pre-Scheme Questionnaire is included in this document. This should be complete and return to the training co-ordinator before the start of the scheme to allow the organisers to tune the scheme to reflect the needs of the group.
Attendance At Training Evenings(Top)
It is important that every effort is made to attend the Party Leader Training sessions. Not only might you gain from the events, but also you might be able to constructively contribute to the sessions. A record of attendances will be kept which will be used in part of the final evaluation process.
Attendance At Search/Rescue Operations (Top)
This is the primary focus of the Training Scheme. If you cannot offer a high level of operational availability, then it is unlikely that you will benefit from the scheme. The availability must extend to working with the Team Leaders during their rotas as well as being front-line personnel. The Party Leader role is dominantly a front-line role. You must be able to get to the scene quickly and be in a position to take real control if required. It goes without saying that you need to be able to easily keep up with any hill party, so good fitness levels are expected. It would be inexcusable for the hill party to have to delay their arrival at the scene to allow the Party Leader to keep up with them.
Specific Event Debriefs (Top)
Constructive, critical debriefs are an essential part of improving task performance. After every practice or rescue where the Trainee Party Leaders have been active, they are expected to discuss the activity with one of the Team Leaders and also to complete the Activity Review Sheet. One completed copy of the Review Sheet is to be rendered to the training co-ordinator within 7 days of the activity.
After The Evaluation (Top)
The Team Leader group will report their findings and supporting data to the Committee in March of each year. The Committee has the power to accept or reject the recommendations of the Team Leaders.
Training Scheme Debriefs (Top)
During the scheme, it is the clear responsibility of the Trainee Party Leaders to discuss their performance with the Team Leaders. This will help in reducing the number of potential disagreements during the post-evaluation debrief. Each of the Trainee Party Leaders are strongly encouraged to openly and honestly discuss their performance and complete their own copy of the evaluation form. A formal debrief will be held after the Team Leaders evaluations have been ratified or otherwise by the Committee in March. This debrief will focus on explaining how the evaluation scores were obtained.
Working With The Team Leaders - Pre-Operational (Top)
It is very valuable for Trainee Party Leaders to be involved in the decision making during the early stages of an operation and then be able to function in the front-line during a rescue activity. There is little benefit for the Trainee Party Leader if he arrives an hour after the hill-parties have been dispatched. To enable earlier involvement, a duty rota is to be generated by the Trainee Party Leaders and this will require each of the Trainees to shadow the Link Team Leader once every six weeks. Ideally the Trainee will shadow the Team Leader during the entire weekend, however, if they are not able to achieve this, they must make alternative arrangements to ensure that the Link Team Leader will have another Trainee Party Leader to assist them. It is the clear responsibility of the Trainee Party Leaders to keep the Link Team Leader notified of their availability and contact information.It is the clear responsibility of the Trainee Party Leaders to be highly available during their rota days. Rescue operations will not be delayed to await the arrival of a Trainee Party Leader.
Working With The Team Leaders - Operational (Top)
The Trainee Party Leader will be expected to play a significant, pro-active role at certain stages of a search or rescue operation. If circumstances permit, the TPL should endeavour to take a leading role. It is not acceptable for TPLs to lurk in the background unless specifically requested to do so by the Team Leader.
Lectures & Discussions During The Training Scheme (Top)
The scheme will include a number of evening lectures. What you get out of these events is dependent on what you put in. The precise format is under discussion but will probably include amongst others:-
Visits To Other Teams (Top)
Great benefits can be obtained by visiting other teams and seeing how they operate. You cannot evaluate your own performance unless you have a view of how others are working. Members of the Party Leader Scheme will work in pairs to visit designated teams. This visit should be for a full weekend and should co-incide with a practice being organised by that team. The training co-ordinator will provide names in those teams for you to contact and it is then your responsibility to organise your own visit before the end of January each year. Each visiting pair of Party Leader Trainees will be expected to provide the group with a verbal presentation lasting around 15 minutes with a further 5 minutes assigned for questions and answers. You will be expected to report on items such as:-
ISSUES FOR THE TRAINEE PARTY LEADERS (Top)
The Team Leaders would expect the Party Leaders to play a key operational role with the Party Leader often near or at the front line but occasionally remaining at Base if required. As with all aspects of leadership, the key word is RESPONSIBILITY. When asked to lead a hill party you are normally be expected to:-
a) Obtain and understand the task briefing,
b) Sometimes brief the assigned party (if any) and ensure comprehension,
c) Ensure that the party has the required equipment and resources to accomplish
the task,
d) Inform the Team Leader if there are any significant variations to the
original plan,
e) Fulfil the original task briefing unless there is sound justification
for major change. Any significant change should be notified to and agreed
with Base.
f) Maintain the morale and motivation of the hill party,
g) Keep Base informed of progress at appropriate intervals,
h) Maintain a mental picture of the progress of the operation,
i) Be responsible for the welfare of the party and ensure that the party
remains together
j) Recognise that they have real responsibility for their actions and the
safety of all those in the party.
At an incident site where there is no Team Leader (Top)
a) Rapidly agree with any other Party Leaders present who
will take site control and what other roles need to be filled. The site
controller has responsibility for the safe progress of the operation until
a Team Leader arrives, operating as a proxy-Team Leader,
b) Inform Base who has control at the scene,
c) Agree an action plan, if necessary in consultation with Base or the approaching
Team Leader,
d) Those party leaders who were not allocated the role of site controller
have an absolute responsibility to actively support the person in charge.
e) Ensure that the rest of the rescue party is clear what you want to happen,
how and when,
f) Ensure site security,
g) Implement the plan and ensure that Team Members fulfil the objectives.
a) Fully and promptly brief the arriving Team Leader and
allow the Team Leader to take operational control, if so requested,
b) Depending on the circumstances, you may be allowed to continue site command,
c) If the Team Leader takes control, do not dispute any decisions on the
hill; save it for the debrief.
Assist and support Team training activities (Top)
a) Organise and run at least 2 significant practices every
year,
b) Contribute to the development of training and practices.
General Issues: (Top)
a) Lead by example,
b) Positively support all of the other Party Leaders and Team Leaders,
c) Critically review your own performance,
d) Get to know and understand the capabilities and limitations of the Team
Members,
e) Complete and sign off the vast majority of the Further section of the
Training Log,
f) Work through the Party Leader Log Sheet.
The Formal Evaluation Process (Top)
It has been agreed that the Team Leaders will evaluate each of the Trainee Party Leaders and use the resulting findings in making their recommendations to the Committee. It is important that the evaluation system is known at the start of the scheme so that all participants are aware of the decision criteria and are consequently able to self-assess their performance during the training period. To ensure continuing objective evaluations, each Team Leader will independently complete the Evaluation Table prior to the evaluation meeting. At this meeting, there will be a review of the completed tables and a set of recommendations will be made. The tables will be saved for future discussion if required. A score of 0 to 3 will be applied for each of the categories below. The following outline marking scheme will be used:- 3 = High Standard, No Major Problems
2 = Satisfactory, some issues to be addressed.
1 = Mediocre, a lot of issues to be addressed.
0 = Poor, not at all representative of that standard expected of a Party
Leader.
Formal Evaluation Criteria (Top)
The following criteria are to be used as a guide to assess each of the Trainee Party Leaders. It must be stressed that the evaluation is intended to judge each of the Trainee Party Leaders against the standards we would expect of a highly competent Party Leader and not a Team Leader, of whom more stringent criteria apply.If there are any questions or problems with the evaluation process, then discuss the issue with the training co-ordinator as soon as possible.Timescale Of The Evaluation Period (Top)
The period of the assessment is from the commencement of the scheme to the date of the Team Leader evaluation meeting. Prior performance should not be reflected in this evaluation.Commitment To The Scheme. (Top)
3 = Highly committed with good attendance record (> 75%)
of the lectures and completed the required additional activities including
the practice and a visit to another Team. Demonstrated high operational
availability.
2 = Committed, but with an attendance of less than 75% of the lectures or
have not completed either the practice or the visit to another Team. Demonstrated
good operational availability.
1 = Some problems. Attended less than 50% of the lectures and has not completed
either the practice or the visit to another Team. Demonstrated moderate
operational availability.
0 = Real problems. Attended less than 30% of the lectures and has not completed
either the practice or the visit to another Team. Demonstrated minimal operational
availability.
Rescue Technical Ability (Top)
3 = Strong, all-round technical performer able to employ
a range of techniques to solve challenging problems.
2 = Capable and can implement technical solutions, but maybe with not a
high level of confidence.
1 = Somewhat weak with a limited repertoire of technical skills, but able
to safely implement basic systems.
0 = Unsatisfactory and needs further training to operate in a safe manner
setting up technical systems.
Respect For, And Of The Team (Top)
3 = Highly respected individual who is known and respected
by a very large percentage of the Team for their frequent operational contributions.
2 = Respected and known as a good performer by a significant number of the
Team.
1 = Respect appear to be questionable.
0 = Not widely respected for their operational contributions. A number of
Team Members have expressed concern about the performance of the individual.
Rescue Leadership Ability (Top)
3 = Has consistently demonstrated highly effective leadership
during both rescues and practices.
2 = Has demonstrated safe, effective leadership during both rescues and
practices, but with some room for improvement.
1 = Has not shown much evidence of effective leadership during either rescues
or practices.
0 = Has not demonstrated any evidence of effective leadership during either
rescues or practices.
General Organisational Ability (Top)
3 = Demonstrates a consistent, highly effective level of
organisational skills and flexibility with no significant problems.
2 = Demonstrates a good level of organisational skills and flexibility,
but a number of problems have been encountered that probably could have
been foreseen.
1 = Some evidence of being disorganised with a significant number of problems
encountered that were predictable.
0 = Very disorganised and have not shown effective organisational planning
and flexibility.
The Practice Exercise Organisation (Top)
Organising a practice is an important method of establishing strong technical skills and re-inforcing team-working. Each Trainee Party Leader is required to organise at least 1 significant exercise solo. The outline content, format and objectives should be agreed with the Training Co-Ordinator and then the Trainee Party Leader takes full responsibility for the successful organisation and conclusion of the event ensuring that the following issues are achieved:-There are no restrictions on the assets or areas that can be used for the exercise. The exercise leader is to take full responsibility for the successful running of the exercise and operate as the prime leader of the activity. The objective is for you to gain some experience running events; excessive delegation is not appropriate. These events also provide you with an opportunity to work in a lead role with numerous Team Members and also to refresh some of your technical skills. It is essential that all participants are kept as busy as possible and have to opportunity to stretch their skill levels. Note that you are expected to provide both instruction and feedback on these exercises. The event/activity review sheet is to be completed within 1 week of the exercise date and a copy sent to the training co-ordinator.
General Objectives for Exercises (Top)
Various objectives for several exercises have been identified and these should assist in planning purposes.