Project JIB
Helping to achieve R4 - Getting the right people in the right place at the right time and in the right numbers.
As something that has been developed only fairly recently, the word on Project JIB has made it around our Air Force pretty quickly. For those of you who haven’t caught all of the details, or read the AFO(T), Project JIB (as in liking the ‘cut of one’s jib’) is about introducing a more streamlined commissioning process. It allows commanders to nominate personnel perceived as having particular aptitude for commissioning in a faster fashion than by way of undergoing full assessment on the one-week Officer Aircrew Selection Board (OASB).
The new process allows for recognition of experience and prior learning of our people in the RNZAF, so that we might better recognise merit and best utilise skills. Those eligible must be in the ranks of CPL to W/O and an F1370 form must still be completed. In certain circumstances, there may also be a need to attend parts of the OASB (eg to facilitate psychometric testing or interviewing). It does not replace existing procedures; rather it increases flexibility by adding another dimension to them.
In terms of the RNZAF Strategic Plan, Project JIB works on two fronts - it makes the best use of our people (SG2 - Resource Optimisation) and reduces workload by reducing administrative effort where appropriate (SG3 – Enabling Processes). In conjunction with a significantly revamped Module Two of the Initial Officer Training Course (IOTC) - the 12 weeks of the IOTC that CFRs complete - it will enhance the selection of personnel for commissioning.
While the 08/1 IOTC will concentrate mostly on targeted specialisations – including AWO, ENGR, CISO, SUP and ASYO – the 08/2 and 09/1 IOTCs will be looking for all applicable trades or specialisations subject to vacancies. At the end of a 12-month trial for Project JIB the pool of required junior officers will have been significantly increased. In so doing, the risk level of certain officer specialisations will be reduced.
The Project JIB process will not only provide benefits for the RNZAF as an organisation, but will also credit our personnel for what they are worth; individuals who have accumulated significant knowledge and skills through both formal and informal training and years of experience. Ultimately, by better recognising such merit, we can also make it easier for eligible individuals to take advantage of commissioning opportunities.