Future of the OPME program/Everything you ever wanted to know about OPME

[Jarnhamar]

I'll have 5/6 done when the programme is scrapped and it would be nice to kinow how bad I'll be getting screwed.

I have it on good authority that you'll get whatever money this course costed you back.

 

[Canadian.Trucker]

I have it on good authority that you'll get whatever money this course costed you back.

I doubt there's need for the sarcasm.  Think about it this way, we'd all be a little ticked if we were on a 12 week course at week 10 and suddenly told "hey, we're changing this course, so you guys are going to have to redo everything you've done."

Granted that's a worst case scenario, but who knows at this point.  It's a wait and see game.

 

[Journeyman]

I doubt there's need for the sarcasm.

  rly:    You do know this is army.ca, right?

 

[wesley12]

I know the feeling; I have one left to do and have attempted to get loaded onto it for the past 3 years --- every session - immediately after registration opens.

Haven't got the f'n thing yet, but 2 Cpls I work with did (one registered AFTER I did - go figure that "first come first served" isn't always true). Far from impressed.

Which course is it that you're having such a hell of a time getting?

 

[dapaterson]

Think about it this way, we'd all be a little ticked if we were on a 12 week course at week 10 and suddenly told "hey, we're changing this course, so you guys are going to have to redo everything you've done."

In '92 I recall an infantry 2Lt, keen and eager to repeat phase 2 following a severe injury in the last week of the course the year before.

About a week into the course, he was hauled out of a lecture, told that his (reserve) unit had been re-rolled, and told to get his "[Expletive] artillery [expletive] out of the Infantry School and over to the [expletive] artillery school where it belonged."  (Language has been cleaned up - the Sgt of The RCR who delivered the speech was a master of profane language, and I would do the lyrical nature of his extemporaneous outburst a disservice were I to attempt to recreate it from memory).


However:  As we've already done one transition - from OPDP to OPME - where everyone got credit for what they had already completed, and only had to fill in the blanks, I'm reasonably confident in stating that the "old" courses that map against the "new" courses will be grandfathered; if you've got 5/6 OPME done you'll likely have, at worst, two more courses to complete under the new system.

My understanding is that the new system will be briefed at the CF Professional Development Council later this month; I suspect more details should be trickling out by late November...

 

[Canadian.Trucker]

  rly:    You do know this is army.ca, right?

You mean this isn't the village people look-a-like festival?  Dang it!

 

[DAA]

There is actually a PowerPoint presentation available at the CDA site on the DWAN regarding the new CFJOD program.  I will post the DWAN link first thing in the morning......

In the mean time, have a read  ---->  http://www.rmc.ca/aca/dcs-dep/index-eng.asp

 

[dimsum]

There is actually a PowerPoint presentation available at the CDA site on the DWAN regarding the new CFJOD program.  I will post the DWAN link first thing in the morning......

In the mean time, have a read  ---->  http://www.rmc.ca/aca/dcs-dep/index-eng.asp

Any chance of sending the PPT directly for us people sans DWAN?

 

[DAA]

As promised, here is the DWAN link to the PowerPoint presentation regarding the new program.

http://cda.mil.ca/step/services/officer/documents/CDABriefonCFJODforWebsite13Aug12-English_NEW.ppt#720,4,CFJOD

 

[wesley12]

For those of you who are NCM's and won't be finished the program this winter but are somewhere in the process, I wrote them asking what would happen saying:

"I am wondering how the NCM's recognition/completion of the OPME program will proceed forwards.  I see on the homepage of the OPME site the statement, "The CANFORGEN message will also address the transitional measures that will be put in place for officers who are in the process of completing the OPME Programme," however I'm not an officer, so how will the plan move forward with me?  Will I still be able to complete it?  Will it still show on my MPRR's?  At this point even if I landed both of the courses I applied for I still would be one course shy of the full certificate.  Can I still somehow complete it and have it count on my MPRR's even if it is on my own dime?"

Their response was:

"Hello,
                I’m sorry, I don’t know.  All of that information has not yet been determined.
Regards,
Adrian Hau

OPME Programme Representative | Représentant de la programmation PEMPO
Royal Military College of Canada | College Royal Militaire du Canada"

Hopefully they'll take us into consideration, please post if you hear any official plans to that nature.

 

[DAA]

I don't believe the information would nor could be removed from MPRR's.  To do so, would wipe out the data source and impact not only on NCMs but more specifically the Officers.  Officers who completed some of the OPME Crses will no doubt be afforded conversion of some of these credits towards the CFJOD program as part of the transition process, to what extent, who knows.  Based on that alone, I am sure that something similar would have to be done for NCMs once the NCM PD program is rolled out.

 

[Pat in Halifax]

Just to clarify something-There is no "NCM PME" Program persee though the term is being loosely thrown around in the absence of anything better for now. There is a trial in place now through Algonquin College which combined with granted credits from BMQ and experience as an NCM will give the candidate first year credit for 9 of 13 credits toward a General Arts and Science Diploma. I believe the term quoted from the CDA presentation is "...ladder into the second year of GASc..." The next look will be the QSP reviews of ILP and ALP (ALP is 'planned' to go to a pure DL by the way) to see if any other credits can be granted for the second year of GASc. CDA is now doing briefs on this (NCM specific) and I am sure it is soon coming to a Base near you. I am not sure how the Army is expediting the sharing of this info but the AF and RCN have stood up specific offices (MARLANT and MARPAC for example now have NCM PD Coordinators recently stood up) to get this info out. For MARLANT (and in my eyes that includes Shearwater and LFAA personnel) something should come out in the next 2-3 weeks with all the info from the CDA brief as well as some MARLANT specific initiatives (Toastmasters, SLT tutoring, potential for OST Business Communications crs etc).
Just give me time-I am getting old, my head is full of 30 years of engineering shit and what's the adage - "Learning these new ropes is like trying to drink from a fire hose"!!!
Again, stand by-some info is coming VERY soon (if it hasn't reached some of you already) -promise

Pat

 

[dapaterson]

CANFORGEN 218/12 CMP 101/12 011212Z NOV 12
CANADIAN FORCES JUNIOR OFFICER DEVELOPMENT (CFJOD) PROGRAMME
UNCLASSIFIED


REFERENCES: A. CANFORGEN 092 01 ADMHRMIL 052 221200Z AUG 01

B. A-P9-050-000/PT-01 (1), MANUAL OF INDIVIDUAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION, VOLUME 1, SUPPLEMENT - CANADIAN FORCES INDIVIDUAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION SYSTEM GLOSSARY

C. CF MIL PERS INSTRUCTION 08/06 DATED 10 MAY 2006


AS OUTLINED AT REF A, THE OFFICER PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION (OPME) PROGRAMME IS A COMBINED DEVELOPMENT PERIOD (DP)1 AND DP2 PROGRAMME THAT WAS INTRODUCED IN JANUARY 2002 TO MEET THE DP2 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REQR FOR ALL CF REGULAR AND RESERVE FORCE OFFICERS

AS A RESULT OF A CRITICAL OPME REVIEW, THIS PROGRAMME WILL CEASE TO BE DELIVERED EFFECTIVE 30 APRIL 2013, AND IT WILL BE REPLACED BY THE CANADIAN FORCES JUNIOR OFFICER DEVELOPMENT (CFJOD) PROGRAMME. THE FOLLOWING CHANGES HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED SO AS TO REDUCE THE COURSE DURATION AND COST, AND ALIGN THE CURRICULUM TO CONTEMPORARY MILITARY REQUIREMENTS AS INDICATED IN THE NEW VERSION OF THE OFFICER GENERAL SPECIFICATION (OGS) PROGRAMME, ON WHICH THE CFJOD IS BASED

KEY ELEMENTS OF THE CFJOD INCLUDE:

FOCUS ON THE RECENTLY REVISED OGS-BASED REQUIREMENTS FOR OFFICER DP2, WITH RECOMMENDED COMPLETION OF THE CFJOD AFTER ACHIEVEMENT OF THE OPERATIONALLY FUNCTIONAL POINT (OFP). THE OFP IS DEFINED AT REF B AS THE POINT AT WHICH A CF MEMBER HAS ACHIEVED THE QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS/OCCUPATION TRAINING FOR FIRST EMPLOYMENT IN AN OCCUPATION

DELIVERY VIA DISTANCE LEARNING THROUGH DNDLEARN

THE NEW CFJOD WILL INCLUDE SEVEN COURSES THAT ARE NEITHER UNIVERSITY LEVEL, NOR ELIGIBLE FOR UNIVERSITY CREDIT. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THESE COURSES BE COMPLETED IN THE FOLLOWING SEQUENCE:

CFJOD 1 - STAFF DUTIES

CFJOD 2 - ENABLE THE FIGHTING FORCE

CFJOD 3 - LAW AND MILITARY JUSTICE

CFJOD 4 - LEADERSHIP AND ETHICS

CFJOD 5 - OPERATIONS

CFJOD 6 - CANADIAN MILITARY HISTORY

CFJOD 7 - SUPPORT THE INSTITUTION

IN ORDER TO FACILITATE A MANAGED TRANSITION FROM THE FORMER OPME PROGRAMME TO THE NEW CFJOD PROGRAMME, ALL OPME COURSES WILL BE DELIVERED FOR TWO MORE SESSIONS, THE FALL 2012 SESSION FROM SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER 2012 AND THE WINTER 2013 SESSION FROM JANUARY TO APRIL 2013. OPME COURSES FOR THESE LAST TWO SESSIONS WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE TO NON-COMMISSIONED MEMBERS (NCM), BUT PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN TO OFFICERS, IAW REF C

NEW CFJOD COURSES WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE TO OFFICERS AND WILL BE INTRODUCED AS FOLLOWS:

1 JUNE 2013 - TWO COURSES

1 SEPTEMBER 2013 - TWO COURSES

1 APRIL 2014 - REMAINING THREE COURSES

CFJOD EQUIVALENCY. OFFICERS WHO DO NOT COMPLETE THE OPME OR CFJOD PROGRAMMES IN THEIR ENTIRETY CAN COMPLETE THE CFJOD EQUIVALENCY PROGRAMME WITHOUT HAVING TO CONTEND WITH A TIME LIMIT, SO LONG AS THEY COMPLETE ANY COMBINATION OF SIX COURSES FROM THE CFJOD, THE OPME OR THE OFFICER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (OPDP). OFFICERS WHO DO SO WILL RECEIVE CREDIT AND A CERTIFICATE FOR THE CFJOD PROGRAMME, SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS:

MUST COMPLETE EITHER OPDP ON DEFENCE ORGANIZATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OR DCE 001 (DEFENCE MANAGEMENT) OR CFJOD 7 - SUPPORT THE INSTITUTION

MUST COMPLETE EITHER OPDP ON MILITARY LAW OR DCE 002 (MILITARY LAW) OR CFJOD 3 - LAW AND MILITARY JUSTICE

MUST COMPLETE EITHER HIE 208 (CANADIAN MILITARY HISTORY) OR CFJOD 6 - CANADIAN MILITARY HISTORY

MUST COMPLETE EITHER PSE 402 (LEADERSHIP AND ETHICS) OR CFJOD 4 - LEADERSHIP AND ETHICS, AND

MUST COMPLETE ANY TWO OTHER CFJOD, OPME OR OPDP COURSES

OPTION FOR NCMS. NCMS WHO HAVE COMPLETED A MINIMUM OF ONE UNIVERSITY-LEVEL OPME (HIE 208, HIE 275, POE 206 OR PSE 402) WITH THE INTENTION OF COMPLETING THE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM WILL HAVE THE OPTION OF TAKING EQUIVALENT COURSES AT THE ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE OF CANADA (RMCC). COURSES WILL BE OFFERED ON AN AS-AVAILABLE BASIS, WITH PRIORITY GOING TO STUDENTS IN A DEGREE PROGRAM. NCMS WILL BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT AN INDIVIDUAL LEARNING PLAN (ILP), APPLY FOR ADMITTANCE TO RMCC, PAY FOR THE COURSE, AND REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT AFTER SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THEIR COURSE. ONCE ALL COURSE REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, THE OPME CERTIFICATE WILL BE AWARDED. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON RMCC COURSES THAT MEET THE OPME REQUIREMENTS ARE AVAILABLE AT THIS LINK HTTP://WWW.RMC.CA/ACA/DCS-DEP/FTL/RMCCMOPM-CCMRSPEM-ENG.ASP

COMMAND AND CONTROL OF THE CFJOD PROGRAMME WILL BE EXERCISED BY THE CANADIAN FORCES LEADERSHIP AND RECRUIT SCHOOL (CFLRS) SAINT-JEAN ON BEHALF OF THE CANADIAN DEFENCE ACADEMY (CDA). CFLRS RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE THE COORDINATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY OF ALL CFJOD COURSES

THE PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT AND RECOGNITION (PLAR) PROCESS WILL CONTINUE AS AN ALTERNATE PATHWAY TO ACHIEVING THE COMPETENCIES ASSOCIATED WITH CFJOD. CDA HEADQUARTERS WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH ALL ENVIRONMENTS TO ENSURE THAT THE PLAR PROCESS PROVIDES AN EQUIVALENCY FOR TRAINING, EDUCATION OR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING GAINED THROUGH OTHER MILITARY TRAINING OR CIVILIAN COURSES. MORE INFORMATION ON THE PLAR IS AVAILABLE AT HTTP://CDA.MIL.CA/J3OPS/MILEQUIV/PLAR-ENG.ASP

UPDATES ON CFJOD WILL BE PROVIDED AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF COURSES PROGRESSES. ADDITIONAL DETAILS INCLUDING A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS PAGE ARE AVAILABLE ON THE DWAN AT HTTP://CDA.MIL.CA/STEP/SERVICES/ OFFICER/OFFICER-ENG.ASP

QUESTIONS TO BE DIRECTED TO (PLUS SIGN)CDA.CFJOD-POSFC(AT SIGN)CDA-ACD(AT SIGN)KINGSTON ON THE DWAN OR TO CDA-CFJOD-POSFC(AT SIGN)FORCES.GC.CA ON THE INTERNET

SIGNED BY RADM A. SMITH, CMP

 

[brihard]

Thanks for posting. Somehow I missed seeing that one yesterday at the office.

I know it's a separate initiative, but this seems the logical place to ask: Any new word on the roll out of NCMPME? I've seen nothing since the reasonably comprehensive planning stage .pdf that was posted here a year or so back.

 

[Infanteer]

The last I got (from the CWO running it) was that it was still, essentially, in the conceptual stage.

 

[ModlrMike]

The last I got (from the CWO running it) was that it was still, essentially, in the conceptual stage.

It's been in the conceptual stage for 20 years, FFS! When I was an MS in 1995 they were touting NCMPD and NCM 2020. It's now 2012 and we appear to be no further along.

 

[dapaterson]

Remember, PERs award points for leading change, not achieving it.

 

[Pat in Halifax]

When I am back at my desk Monday, I will start posting info that I have just started briefing to MARLANT personnel regarding NCM PME/PD and may actually start another thread (is that okay Mod(s)?) specifying NCM rather than O PME. To clarify one thing now, NCM PME is in place and has been for quite some time. NCM PME is covered off in the 5 DPs starting with BMQ through PLQ, ILP, ALP, SLP and NCMELP. OPMEs is an officer program at THEIR DP2. They were introduced to the NCM ranks because of a societal change within the CF for NCMs desiring to achieve education into the post secondary level. A Diploma in Arts and Science Program (Community College level) is being rolled out through Algonquin College and a franco college in Montreal (name escapes me on this Saturday afternoon). This program has also been 'blessed' by several other institutions across the country including MUN and Durham to name two.
ModlrMike and others, though I understand the frustration, comments like that are a slap in the face to those who have been slugging it out through the bureaucracies and red tape associated with this kind of thing. I recommend you talk to your CoC. I have to assume the Army and Airforce have NCM PME/PD Reps. In the Navy, we have a grand poopa in Ottawa who is part of the NCM PD WG (only 5 members with CDA chairing) and three regional Chiefs; MARPAC, MARLANT and NAVRES. I happen to be the MARLANT one. I do know that I confer with my Airforce and Army counterparts on occasion as each of us has our own area of knowledge. There is a brief from CWO XXXXXX at CDA that I HIGHLY recommend you look for. I know it is NOT on the CDA DIN site but, again, I will look around Monday and see what I can find.
As I said in an earlier post, hang in there. I actually dropped EVERYTHING else on my plate last week to get this presentation done and out to my various counterparts as I found I was starting to spend over half my day answering questions from people on information which was intended to be covered in EC briefs. Keep in mind that some of this stuff is new to us supposed SMEs but I know for any questions I get, if I can't answer, I try to find out who can. I actually spent all of Friday morning with a PSO talking about civilian equivalency and financial assistance questions I get the most.
As I said, Monday, I will create a new thread specifically for NCM PME and get things out to you. Bare in mind though, this is the internet. Should you see something I post, confirm through your own EC or Regional Rep. Though I wont post names here, if you are unaware who your EC (Army, Navy, Airfarce) NCM PME/PD coordinator is, PM me.
For anyone with access to the DIN this weekend, I recommend this as a good starting point-especially the ROD for the WG meetings:
http://cda.mil.ca/step/services/ncm/index-eng.asp

Pat

 

[brihard]

Thanks Pat

For clarity, I wasn't trying to blow off PLQ / ILQ / ALQ as not counting as NCM PD/PME. I was referring to the new system that in the past year we've been told shall be rolling out soonish. My (possibly flawed) recollection suggested that the various DP levels would be augmented by some courses not dissimilar from how the new version of the officer PME will function. Not accreddited university credit courses, but still academic and distinct from 'career courses' of we think of them at this time.

I'll await what you've got patiently and with interest.

 

[Pat in Halifax]

What you say is not unusual. What you are saying is what I myself believed a year ago. I believe it is DCE 001 and 002 of the OPME which are covered off in ALP with 2 others (atleast) by the time one reaches SLP. Unfortunately, the wide spreading of misinformation for an OPME-like NCMPME grew it's own legs. There is a one year full time program for snr. CWOs/CPO1s with 6 in house in Kingston right now. These are generally SP'd personnel moving into key posits shortly. Whether this program will expand out beyond this specific group is another story. It indeed may but I doubt it will be any time soon. I suspect this is where the 'rumour' of an 'NCM PME' program came from. Keep in mind, it has always been possible to take post secondary courses and be reimbursed under either one of the two financial programs available.

Funny as it may seem, part of the presentation deals with how to disseminate the info and I actually incorporate into it that I intend to use limited social media and specifically this website!

Pat