Publication:Sea Talk Summer 2003/Personnel review
By VADM Chris Ritchie, AO RAN, Chief of Navy
As the Chief of Navy, I expect our people to have access to innovative and contemporary human resource management policies, practices and strategies that meet both the needs of the individual and the strategic direction of Navy. Accordingly, I want to explore initiatives that engage our people as individuals so that their personal needs are fulfilled whilst still maintaining a sustainable corporate career management structure.
In particular, the junior sailor and junior officer workforce requires particular attention due to the central role they play in overall Navy capability. We all need to examine innovative methods for determining, satisfying, managing and more importantly, retaining our people.
As a consequence, I have formed a Personnel Initiative Team (PIT) which DCN announced and introduced at my leadership conference on 15 October 2003.
The initial team will comprise CAPT Phil Parkins and Warrant Officers Angella Hillis, Nick Herridge, Andrew Carter, Alan Ward and Bob Barb.
The PIT has been tasked to investigate and develop a range of innovative personnel options to improve the overall lot of Navy personnel, in particular junior officers and sailors. The PIT will present its report to me for consideration in early 2004.
The PIT has, as a starting point, reconfirmed that our people have four major areas of concern. They are:
- postings,
- career management,
- family, and
- perception that alternative employment is more attractive than the RAN.
These concerns will form the basis of PIT initiatives. For example, initially, the PIT will look at ways to improve stability in postings, improve the responsiveness in our posting system, ways to reward and recognise our people, a managed discharge process, and a number of other issues.
I stress, however, that this is only a beginning. I invite anyone who has ideas, comments or suggestions to contact the PIT.
The PIT will be visiting ships and establishments over the next few weeks. In the meantime the PIT can be contacted by email at
Telephone contact numbers are:
- OIC (CAPT Parkins) 02 62663091
Team members:
- 02 62664907,
- 02 62662737,
- 02 62662849,
- 02 62662282
