By Graham Davis

Improved career management and more time with families for the RAN’s 13,200 uniformed members are the lynchpins of a new Sea Change initiative announced by the Chief of Navy, VADM Chris Ritchie last week.

Junior sailors and junior officers will be targeted initially but eventually Sea Change will flow to all personnel. Warrant Officers will also be encouraged to take a commission and make their way through the ranks.

Sea Change was formally announced and its broad concept explained during a two-day CN Symposium conducted at HMAS Waterhen on September 29 and 30.

Planned is the decentralisation of some career management functions.

Waterfront Career Centres will be set up in Fleet Base West, Darwin, Cairns and Fleet Base East.

Also announced were several crewing initiatives.

There will be a trial next year where approximately 30 per cent more junior sailors will be posted to Anzac class frigates.

These alternative crewing arrangements will be known as “flexi crewing” and are aimed at giving junior sailors stability and certainty.

VADM Chris Ritchie gives his keynote address at the Navy Symposium.

Photo: ABPH Helen Frank

Navy signals better times

Three hundred sailors, officers and civilians attended the symposium which was billed as a “have your say” event.

Chief of Navy VADM Chris Ritchie told the symposium, that Sea Change is aimed at improving certainty and stability in employment for our junior sailors but it will also have significant consequences for each and everyone.

“This is not a trivial exercise.

It will involve some significant changes to the way we do business and the way we think about things,” VADM Ritchie said.

CDRE Geoff Geraghty, Australian Navy Systems Commander, will coordinate the implementation actions for Sea Change.

He will be assisted by the Sea Change Implementation Team led by CAPT Chris Frost.

“I task all of you to take these changes to heart and work together to help us improve how we employ and manage our people,” VADM Ritchie said.

Some other matters under consideration to improve a sailor’s lot include:

• Development of agreed five-year career plans,
• Improving the throughput of Warrant Officers by providing them with new challenges and extolling them to take commission,
• Reduction of workloads and certainty of respite from sea and arduous duty, and,
• Improving internal communication up and down the chain WO Navy David Turner urged Navy members to get onboard Sea Change.

Reasons behind Sea Change
Navy News and the Sea Change Implementation team look at how Sea Change effects you

Over the last 18 months or so Navy has been conducting a number reviews, studies and related activities seeking to come to grips with a range of personnel related issues.

Three these activities were:

• The Personnel Initiative Team (PIT) which sought to identify what was important to individuals in the Navy, and how we might be able to make the Navy a better place to work,
• The Workforce Establishment Review which looked at Navy Workforce issues with a view to, fundamentally, reduce wastage rates and,

The Warrant Officer Employment Review which sought to identify better ways of employing our Warrant Officers.

As our senior leadership team considered all the outcomes of these activities it became clear that it would not be practical to initiate the necessary changes in isolation as they were both far reaching and often inter-related.

So was born the Sea Change program – a comprehensive implementation initiative, which will introduce a wide variety of personnel-related activities.


What is Sea Change?

Sea Change represents a transformation in the way in which you are managed in the Navy, combined with a process that will ensure that the transformation will happen.

Sea Change is a program aimed at improving your employment conditions.

It includes improving workplace practices, but more importantly improving the balance between your work and home life.

It is about changing the way Navy administers you and provides the opportunity to better manage your lives and careers.

Why do we need Sea Change?

Quite simply put - we need Sea Change because you have said so!

The Navy’s senior leadership have heard what you are saying about life in the Navy (through the PIT, “Your Say” and “Exit” surveys).

Some of our structures can no longer support either your needs or the organisational goals.

There is an increased workload demand with a reducing, or at best stable, supply of people.

Many current and past initiatives have not progressed to conclusion and we continually hear that people are our best asset, so it is now time to show that we mean it.

What’s in it for me?

You have told us that the Navy needs to genuinely change its people focus to recognise individuals and also recognise that people issues are as important as that of capability or technical solutions.

CN will introduce a number of initiatives specifically tailored to the following seven broad headings:

• Geographic Stability and Family Issues - Improving stability, certainty and duration of postings, to improve family life and lifestyle of the individual,
• Career Management and Postings - Improving a person’s ability to create some certainty in their life with individual career plans. Improving access to career managers, and streamlining administrative processes relating to career management,
• Workload and Respite - Eliminating unnecessary tasks and processes to ensure leave and respite,
• Image, Ethos and Pride - Improving our sense of individual and collective worth. Giving recognition and rewards,
• Leadership - Understanding the meaning of leadership and reinforcing good leadership throughout the rank and command chain,
• Communications - Using modern technology and techniques, and,
• Smart Navy - Improving access to and streamlining recognition of education and skills.

A Sea Change Implementation Team (SCIT) has been established under the Commander Australian Navy Systems Command (CDRE Geoff Geraghty) to make sure all this happens.

They will ensure that those responsible for the implementation of initiatives achieve the required results and that we all stay on the straight and narrow.

The SCIT will commence a number of presentations around the country starting in early October and will provide more detail on Sea Change and answer questions.

Message from CN

At my recent Symposium announced a new, ambitious and challenging program titled “Sea Change”.

The Sea Change program represents a major change to the way we employ and manage all the people in our Navy family.

Sea Change will improve the way we manage the individual.

will provide improved access to Career Managers and provide greater opportunities for respite.

It will recognise that you all wish to have a greater say in your career development and acknowledge the importance of family and the community in our lives.

It is about better balancing your career aspirations with the needs of the Navy.

It will not be easy, but we must transform the way we deal with our people if we are to continue to meet the expectations of both the wider Australian community and ourselves.

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