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Coast Guard Service

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 23 June 2021

Wednesday, 23 June 2021

Questions (73)

Darren O'Rourke

Question:

73. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to concerns expressed by some members of the Irish Coast Guard on the eradication of morale, trust and pride for front-line members and a lack of confidence in management; if he is taking action to address these concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33747/21]

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Written answers

The Irish Coast Guard is in a process of significant change, triggered by recent safety reports and premised on principles of safety and continuous improvement as set out in the new National Search and Rescue Plan. The IRCG partnered with the Great Place To Work (GPTW) Institute to jointly develop an engagement strategy called the ‘Trust Index & Culture Assessment (TCA) campaign’. This programme is applicable equally to all personnel and is specifically designed to solicit their personal perspectives in support of the organisational reform programme.

This programme measures the extent to which an organisation is considered “great” by those who are engaged in its operations, by gathering qualitative and quantitative data on personnel perceptions of their organisational experiences, and enabling the organisation’s leadership to understand how to best improve the operating environment. Another key aspect is the ‘Culture Assessment’ tool which provides external analysis of the policies, practices, programs and day-to-day management behaviours that underpin an organisation’s culture.

These tools allow the IRCG to assess the level of trust within the organisation and to demonstrate its longer-term commitment to listening to its members, actioning upon the feedback received and to developing a ‘just’ culture.

Accordingly, in the most recent assessment of the Irish Coast Guard, 72% of those surveyed expressed Medium to High Trust in the Organisation. Whereas in terms of “Pride”, “Camaraderie” and “Respect”, measurements were externally recorded as 86%, 80% and 70% respectively.  These tools also benchmark the Irish Coast Guard against all other organisations certified by the GPTW institute for 2020-21. This demonstrated the following key metrics:

 

IRCG

Certified   Organisations

Communications   are open and accessible

68%

63%

Competence in coordinating human and material resources

70%

69%

Integrity in carrying out vision with consistency

64%

64%

Supporting professional development & showing   appreciation

71%

68%

Collaborating   with employees in   relevant decisions

59%

57%

Caring for employees as individuals with   personal lives

74%

72%

Equity – balanced treatment for all in terms of   rewards

74%

67%

Impartiality   – absence of   favouritism in hiring and promotions

64%

58%

Justice – lack of discrimination and process for   appeals

87%

85%

In personal   job, individual   contributions

87%

65%

In work   produced by one’s team or workgroup

88%

73%

In the   organisation’s products and standing in the community

87%

67%

Ability to be   oneself

78%

76%

Socially   friendly and welcoming atmosphere

83%

73%

Sense of   "family" or "team"

80%

68%

Finally, It should also be noted that following analysis of the data associated with the 2020-21 TCA campaign, the Irish Coast Guard division was successfully accredited as a ‘Great Place to Work’ by the GPTW institute.

Achieving the independent “GPTW” accreditation represents a positive endorsement of the IRCG management, staff and volunteers during a time of significant change and reform. That said, the IRCG acknowledges that there remains significant areas within the organisation that require appropriate action by the relevant managers/area owners to ensure delivery of the programme for reform and to deliver upon its strategic objectives, which include:

Communications – commencing with the publication of a revised mission statement, development of an appropriate and centralized communications strategy that allows for the efficient delivery of information to all our personnel and when relevant, external stakeholders.

Leadership development – incorporating leadership development and management skills into the training curriculums applicable to all IRCG personnel.

Performance – aligning personal performance with the Coast Guard’s 2021 Business Plan core objective, goals and priorities as detailed in the Divisional Business Plan.

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