The National Maritime Center issued a bulletin Sept. 7, 2017, announcing that it is soliciting résumés from interested parties for membership on a work group charged with reviewing the Merchant Mariner examination.

Section 315 of the 2015 Coast Guard Authorization Act (CGAA) requires the Coast Guard to commission a working group to review existing and new examination questions for accuracy, and review the accuracy and availability of examination references, length of examinations, and the use of standard technologies in administering, scoring, and analyzing examinations.

To address the tasks to be performed and in keeping with the membership structure of the group as specified in the CGAA, the working group is to include:

• Representatives from Coast Guard-approved training providers
• A Deck representative from the State Maritime Academies
• An Engineering representative from the State Maritime Academies
• Credentialed Deck officers or ratings
• Credentialed Engineering officers or ratings
• A Human Performance Technology representative
• A member of the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee
• Members of other Federal Advisory Committees as needed to review industry segment specific subject matter.

To determine membership in the working group, the Coast Guard is seeking résumés from interested parties in order to identify the most qualified persons to complete the required review. Résumés should include (but are not limited to) applicable information as follows:

• U.S. Deck or Engineering MMC endorsements held
• Seagoing experience, including:

o Capacity served
o Vessel type
o Tonnage
o Routes
o Cargo experience
o Modes of propulsion
o Horsepower

• Areas of maritime-specific subject matter expertise including training and experience. As the review process continues, the Coast Guard will need working group members with extensive experience in specific industry segments such as towing on various routes, gas propulsion modes, etc. Greater detail provided by applicants on résumés will allow a more appropriate distribution of questions within specific topic areas.
• Association with State Maritime Academies or approved training organizations including subject matter instructed and experience in training/assessment development
• Human performance technology expertise.
• Current membership in a maritime-related advisory committee(s) such as:

o Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Council (MERPAC)
o Towing Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC)
o Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee (MEDMAC)
o National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee (NOSAC)

Cover letters expressing interest in participating in the work group should identify which membership category the party seeks consideration for. Résumés with supporting experience should be attached to the cover letter. Requests should reach the Coast Guard on or before November 10, 2017, via one of the following methods:

By e-mail: Cathleen.B.Mauro@uscg.mil
By fax: (202) 372-8382
By mail: Cathleen Mauro
Commandant (CG-MMC-1) US Coast Guard Stop 7509
2703 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE Washington, DC 20593-7509

Current members of the working group do not need to re-apply for continued membership. However, if they no longer wish to participate, please notify the Coast Guard by e-mail at the address listed above.

The process for the examination review is being conducted through a combination of in-person meetings and correspondence. In-person meetings will be held at the U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Read the original NMC bulletin for more information.

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.