Enclosure (1) to COMDTINST 16721.1
3.
CLASSIFICATION OF APPROVED PARTIES.
a.
LEVEL I. These entities are a course approved in lieu of a Coast Guard examination, a
quality standards system administrator, a course with a history of non-compliance, and an
independent assessor of a mariners' performance such as a designated examiner.
b.
LEVEL II. These are courses that grant 30 or more days sea-service credit or courses
required by regulation (other than CPR and first aid).
c.
LEVEL III. This level includes first aid courses, CPR courses, locally approved courses,
and courses granting 29 days or less of sea-service equivalency.
d.
OTHER. The above classifications include the types of activities known to require
oversight at the time of writing. It is believed that other activities or entities will arise in
the future that will also require oversight. These may include private organizations that
evaluate a mariner's qualifications for issuance of a license or MMD, organizations
approved to offer CG examinations, and Coast Guard approved Quality Standards
Systems. Appropriate classifications of those organizations or functions will be assigned
as the need develops.
4.
FREQUENCY OF OVERSIGHT.
a.
LEVEL I. An announced administrative audit shall be held annually. Informal visits
should be held quarterly.
b.
LEVEL II. An announced administrative audit shall be held biennially with semi-annual,
informal visits.
c.
LEVEL III. Audits are at the discretion of the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection
(OCMI).
d.
The RECs that frequently receive applications for licenses where the applicants have
attended a course approved in lieu of a test, should do survey testing on at least 10% of the
applicants. Cumulative test results may be shared with the training institution in order to
provide feedback on the training institution's performance. Where there are several
training institutions in direct competition, the scores of applicants from one course when
compared to scores from applicants from another course provide a good basis for decisions
about a course's performance. The scores from one training institution or course must not
be divulged to any other training institution or course.
e.
Informal visits should be randomly scheduled to preclude predictability.
f.
Over-the-counter surveys, survey tests, and the results of announced administrative audits
and informal audits provide information about a course's performance. If these audits
raise concerns about either a course or a training institution, more intensive oversight is
appropriate. This may consist of more frequent administrative audits, informal audits, or a
covert audit.
2
Previous Page
