Cognitive:

Course
EDTEC 540

Artifact: Coast Guard Performance Analysis for Anchoring on 110' Patrol Boats

Secondary Artifact: 110' Patrol Boat Anchoring Job Aid

Project Description
I took EDTEC 540 during the summer of 2008. In fact, it was my first class in the EDTEC program. The class project I decided to do was to do a performance analysis on the anchoring evolutions for 110’ U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats. I had just moved to San Diego from Guam, where I had been the Commanding Officer of a 110’ patrol boat, and had once bent my anchor during a storm that came through while my boat was at anchor. I found out that numerous Commanding Officers had bent their anchors under similar circumstances, and felt that doing a performance analysis on this issue would be worthwhile to my peers. The focus of the project was to conduct the performance analysis and then create a job aid.

EDTEC Standard
This project exemplified the cognitive process. I had to gather data, analyze it, and package the results into a report and job aid. In order to complete this project, I interviewed former and current Commanding Officers onboard 110’ patrol boats, and found out a few interesting things. One thing that stuck out like a sore thumb was that all the officers I interviewed had bent their stainless steel anchor, which was not as strong and reliable as a steel one (I myself had also bent a stainless steel one). Also, by checking with the anchoring manufacturer, I received the specifications on the anchor, and quickly realized that the stainless steel anchor should only be used for anchoring when there are no adverse weather or current conditions to deal with. Going through the performance analysis and cause analysis, I found that there were a couple of barriers that the Commanding Officers were dealing with. There was a skills/knowledge barrier, a motivational value barrier, as well as an environmental barrier from the organization. Using this information, I developed a decision matrix job aid for Commanding Officers to use to judge whether to stay at anchor or get underway depending on changing sea conditions.

Problems or Opportunities
Being my first EDTEC analysis, I was naturally a little unsure on how to proceed. However, with the assistance of my instructor, Dr. Jim Marshall, as well as guidance from the class readings, I was able to complete the assignment and produce a quality job aid and report.
This project also allowed me the opportunity to create something that could actually be implemented out in the field by fellow Coast Guard ship drivers, and hopefully will result in a reduction in the number of anchors damaged beyond repair.

My Capabilities
By being somewhat removed from the fleet, I had a chance to reflect on my own experience of bending my anchor while I was a Commanding Officer, and had the opportunity to work on a project and use my own problem solving skills to find a solution to the situation. Being somewhat of a SME on ship driving (grad school was my first “land assignment” in the Coast Guard), I had the knowledge and skills necessary to move forward with the analysis, as well as the inside information on the topic that does not always present itself to the analysist.

Lessons Learned
I learned a lot in this class. First and foremost, I learned the necessary steps to take when conducting a performance, cause, audience, task, or goal analysis. This class gave me the perspective of how to go about transforming those “fuzzy” goals into real, tangible objectives, and create the right solution for the job.