Behavioural Markers for Assessment of Competence in Crisis Management

A lack of competence in crisis management has been shown to be a causal factor in a number of recent maritime accidents. In safety critical industries other than commercial shipping, such as civil aviation, nuclear and offshore, research is being undertaken to identify behavioural markers that can be used to assess competence in crisis management. Although there is now general acceptance of the core concepts for the non-technical or resource management skills required for competence in crisis management, there is also an acceptance that the behaviours associated with these skills are context specific. This book reviews current practice in using behavioural markers for assessing competence in crisis management. The differences between the assessment frameworks in which behavioural markers are currently being used for this assessment are discussed. This book presents a set of behavioural markers that can be used to assess competence in crisis management within the context of a merchant vessel’s engine room control room. The book concludes that these behavioural markers can be used as a valid objective assessment framework for the assessment of competence in crisis management.

Dr David Gatfield started his career as a Marine Engineering Officer in the Merchant Navy before moving into academia. He is currently the Head of the School of Maritime Training at Warsash Maritime Academy, Southampton Solent University. His research interests are in the field of behavioural markers for assessing competence in crisis management.