SOCP Issues RFP for Best Practices Guide Subject Matter Expert

13 February 2023 - The Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP) seeks an Independent Contractor (IC) with SASH subject matter expertise to work with SOCP’s Achieving a Respectful Onboard Culture (AROC) Project Team to develop a Best Practices Guide (BPG) for Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment (SASH) Prevention and Response for the Maritime Industry. Using the existing (2017) BPG as a base, the guide should incorporate comments or amendments from previous review(s) and additional information provided by SOCP’s AROC Team. The IC will update the design, images, and graphics as necessary to communicate the objective of the guide simply and clearly.

The BPG created by the IC under this Agreement must comply with Annex 1 and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

In addition to this Request for Proposal (RFP) for a qualified IC capable of recreating the SOCP BPG, this contractor will also assist in providing guidance for conformance with the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) Maritime Cultural Transformation Training Resources – Every Mariner Builds A Respectful Culture (EMBARC) Standards Update, the legislative requirements set forth in the National Defense Authorization Act and recommendations to USCG from NMEDMAC and NMERPAC.

SOCP requests interested entities to submit their technical and cost proposals electronically by 5:00 p.m. ET, February 22, 2023, to the SOCP Program Administrator at programadmin@socp.us.  

View RFP

Mariner Shortage Data Survey

Last Day of Data Collection - Thursday, February 23, 2023

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SURVEY LINK https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/USMarinerShortage

Current trends show that the number of qualified, credentialed, active mariners continues to decline. To help the maritime industry develop the necessary data to quantitively define the scope and impact of the mariner shortage within the industry, the Transportation Institute (TI) has created a survey.

This survey is the first step to quantitively define the impacts currently facing the maritime industry. The data collected will be anonymized and used to provide a holistic industry view to regulators as part of the ongoing efforts of various groups to provide solutions to the mariner shortage problem.

This survey intends to be from the maritime company perspective. The objective is that all groups, associations, and unions share this survey with their membership. Please have one person from your company respond to this maritime workforce survey.

This survey will be open for two weeks. The last day to respond is Thursday, February 23, 2023, at 1700 AKST.

Take the Survey

SOCP Spring Maritime Autonomous Ship Symposium

The Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP) will host the Spring 2023 Maritime Autonomous Ship Symposium (MASS). This event will take place on April 25 and 26, 2023, at the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS) in Linthicum Heights, MD. U.S. Coast Guard, among other industry and government representatives, will attend to answer questions and offer presentations.

Through robust discussion, the symposium aims to outline current governance expectations for autonomous technology in the maritime industry and to understand what the industry needs from the regulators and supporting federal agencies to prepare the existing and upcoming workforce for this technology.

Through keynote speakers, subject matter expert panels, and productive breakout groups, the event’s outcome is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of autonomous maritime technology, operations, and safety from a human and technical perspective. This holistic approach will help to provide best management practices and oversight of autonomous technology for the maritime industry. Breakout groups will lead with critical questions for discussion to foster equitable solutions for technology development and regulatory requirements and bring all invested parties into a united conversation.

For more information, please visit the SOCP MASS website HERE.