Leadership and managerial skills at management level (STCW A-II/2)
1The lesson in plain words
As chief mate or master you no longer lead one watch: you organise the whole department, plan its work, decide under pressure and set its procedures.
The competence
STCW table A-II/2, for masters and chief mates, includes use leadership and managerial skills. It builds on the operational-level skills in Law: human factors and adds scale. You must know shipboard personnel management and training, and the conventions, recommendations and national law that apply. You apply task and workload management, effective resource management and decision-making techniques. You also develop, implement and oversee standard operating procedures.
Organising the crew
At management level you organise people across watches, departments and days. Match each task to a competent person, plan around rest hours, port calls and drills, and keep a reserve for the unexpected. The chief mate typically runs deck work, cargo and stability, safety equipment and the deck crew. The master holds overall command and coordinates with the chief engineer and the company.
Workload and resources
Plan the voyage workload before it arrives: arrival, cargo operations, inspections and departure often fall on the same day. Spread them where you can; ask the company or charterer for time when you cannot. Resource allocation includes people, equipment, time and money. Use the team's experience when assigning tasks, and say clearly who leads each job.
Deciding across departments
When cargo work, maintenance and departure compete, ask each department head for constraints and options. Compare the safety risks, crew rest, equipment availability and timing. Choose a workable plan, name who controls each task and set a review point. Tell the company early if safe options require more time or resources. Reassess when conditions change.
Procedures
The company's safety management system (SMS) contains procedures for key shipboard operations. Management-level officers help write ship-specific instructions, make sure the crew follow them and report where they do not work. If nobody follows a procedure, the operation may be unsafe. Change it through the SMS, not by informal shortcuts.
2Key points
- 1
STCW A-II/2: use leadership and managerial skills for masters and chief mates.
- 2
Organise people across watches and departments around rest, ports and drills.
- 3
Plan the voyage workload early; ask for time when tasks collide.
- 4
Coordinate departments, compare risks and resources, assign responsibilities and review the plan.
- 5
Develop and oversee procedures; fix bad ones through the SMS.
3Frequent mistakes
Wrong: A good chief mate does the critical jobs personally.
Right: At management level you plan, delegate and supervise. Doing every job yourself overloads you and stops others learning.
Wrong: If a procedure does not work, the crew may use their own shortcut.
Right: Report it and change it through the SMS. Informal shortcuts become routine violations.
4Practice case & exam keys
You are chief mate. Tomorrow the ship arrives at 0600, starts cargo at 0800, has a port state inspection at 1000 and an abandon-ship drill required before departure at 2200. Two ratings have just signed on. How do you plan the day?
Show the answer
List tasks, competence and rest limits. Familiarise the new ratings before assigning duties, then pair them with experienced crew. Delegate cargo, inspection preparation and the drill to named officers. Check that the plan is workable without fatigue. If it is not, ask the master to reschedule work or delay departure. Brief everyone and review the plan as the day develops.
Exam keys
- A-II/2: personnel management and training; conventions and national law; task and workload management; resource management; decision making; standard operating procedures.
- Plan workload and rest across the department and the port call.
- Management decisions: coordinate departments, compare risks and resources, assign responsibilities and review.
- Procedures are developed and changed through the SMS.
Finish this unit
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