The Navy has given their Operational Risk Management (ORM) courses a facelift and I believe you will be pleased with the new look. Before getting frustrated with yet another mandatory general military training-type requirement, let me add first and foremost, that these are not new requirements but an improved delivery method of training.

Before writing this article, I took the ORM courses myself, as I wanted to communicate my thoughts shipmate to shipmate. As a retired Sailor, I know all too well the challenges of mandatory training courses and have completed quite a few of the ORM courses, as they were required over my years of service. I can tell you frankly; these training sessions have a different look and feel than the previous versions. 

What I immediately noticed was the updated style of training incorporates scenarios or vignettes, which individuals in the naval enterprise may find themselves in on any particular day. In these scenarios, I had the opportunity to assume different roles and I quickly learned this was not a click-through training course. Yes, you heard me right - you must actually pay attention and make good decisions in this training to pass.

Another noticeable difference in delivery is the text style communication, which should appeal to those who are used to texting day-to-day as a primary means of communication. With Generation Z (born in the mid-90s and raised in the 2000s) having grown up in the digital age, these courses should appeal more than their predecessors. With “snack media” habits, personnel will enjoy the self-paced nature and the clear, short and succinct narration.

I encourage you to check the five available ORM training courses on the Navy E-Learning Portal, even though these are not a new requirement. These updated courses will simply replace the existing ones. Based on OPNAVINST 3500.39, Operational Risk Management, if you are current on your training, there is no need to do these until they become due, but they provide an outstanding refresher in a more appealing format.

The following are the updated courses with description:

• NSC-ORM-MYR-2.0 Individual - Managing Your Risk - Section 100: This is the first in a series of four risk management modules designed to create the foundation of personal risk management and its use in task or mission success. As the foundation course, Managing Your Risk introduces risk and resource management and practical tools, emphasizing understanding and application of time-critical risk management (TCRM). This module targets the individual and his or her responsibility in making informed risk decisions as an essential element for success on and off duty. This course applies to all Department of Navy personnel.                                                         
• NSC-ORM-MYTR-2.0 Supervisor - Managing Your Team's Risk - Section 101: This is the second in a series of four risk management modules designed to educate individuals on the concepts and principles of risk management in a supervisory or team leader role.                                                                                                                                    
• NSC-ORM-LRMI-2.0 Assistant - Leading Risk Management Integration - Section 100: This is the third in a series of four risk management modules designed to create the command's risk management subject matter expert (SME). This course targets individuals responsible for integrating risk management within the command. It provides an overview of risk management policy and vision, emphasizing mitigation methods and strategies, and discusses tools and resources available to help promote and integrate risk management concepts.

  
  NSC-ORM-DYCRM-2.0 Manager - Directing Your Command's Risk Management -Section 100: This is the final risk management module in the series of four. This module is designed for the senior unit or command leader, decision-maker or policy-maker. The module’s focus provides an executive-level blueprint for integrating risk management processes throughout the command.

• NSC-ORM-TCRM-2.0 2.0-Operational Risk Management - Time-Critical Risk Management - Section 100: This lesson provides the student with a brief review of ORM and Time-Critical Risk Management (TCRM). The student will learn the process of dealing with risks associated with on- and off-duty evolutions, which includes risk assessment, risk decision making and implementation of effective risk controls. 

The vision for the naval enterprise is to develop an environment in which every individual (officer, enlisted and civilian) is trained and motivated to personally manage risk in everything they do on and off duty, both in peacetime and during conflict, thus enabling successful completion of all operations or activities with the minimum amount of risk. It is our day-to-day duty to work together as a team to improve the quality of our work. You must strive for positive change and personal improvement, and courses like these certainly can help. Improved training helps to make our fleet a more educated and ready force. 

For additional resources on safety awareness, visit the Naval Safety Center’s website, https://navalsafetycenter.navy.mil.