A new competency-based framework is being developed to set common standards for training, assessment, and certification of coxswains operating small vessels across Eastern, Southern, and Northern Africa.

The framework, developed through a proposed Coxswain Grade 3 curriculum by Bandari Maritime Academy (BMA) for the Maritime Organisation for Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa (MOESNA), seeks to address differences in how small-vessel operators are trained, assessed and certified across the region.

Maritime stakeholders in Mombasa validated the proposed curriculum with minor amendments, setting the stage for further work toward a harmonized regional system based on demonstrated competence.

The approach seeks to establish common standards while allowing individual countries to retain control over national requirements. For example, the draft curriculum proposes a minimum entry age of 16, or such other age as may be designated by the maritime administration of the member state.

This means MOESNA would establish what a Coxswain Grade 3 should know and be able to do, while individual countries retain the authority to determine age and other requirements in accordance with national laws or operating environment.

The Grade 3 curriculum is intended to form the foundation for the subsequent development of Grade 2 and Grade 1 curricula. It defines the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to safely operate and be in charge of a vessel not exceeding 12 metres.

The proposed Regional Occupational Standard for Coxswain Grade 3 would also provide a common reference for countries without dedicated small-craft qualifications, while allowing countries with existing systems to benchmark their qualifications against a regional standard.

The curriculum is organized into six competency units covering the principal responsibilities of a small-vessel operator. Together, they require 170 training hours.

Seamanship has the largest allocation at 42 hours, followed by vessel navigation and manoeuvring at 35 hours and safety and emergency response at 26 hours. Engine and auxiliary systems and maritime communications each receive 24 hours, while passenger and cargo handling accounts for 19 hours.

The safety and emergency response unit covers safe working practices, fire prevention and response, survival and lifesaving operations, first aid and safety incident reporting.

Seamanship training covers vessel inspection, ropework, mooring and unmooring, anchoring, towing, environmental protection and maritime regulations.

Navigation and manoeuvring includes pre-departure checks, use of navigation aids, steering, collision regulations, weather interpretation, maintaining a safe lookout and responding to navigation hazards and emergencies.

Trainees will also learn to operate engines and auxiliary systems, carry out basic maintenance, manage onboard inventories and undertake safe fuelling. The communications unit covers standard marine phrases, communication equipment, vessel traffic service communication, visual and sound signals and distress communication.

Passenger and cargo handling covers cargo operations, vessel stability, crowd management, cargo safety and the transfer of passengers, personnel and cargo.

The broad range of competencies reflects the reality of small-vessel operations, where a coxswain may be required to navigate, handle ropes, monitor an engine, communicate with other vessels, manage passengers and respond to an emergency during the same voyage.

The proposed assessment system therefore gives greater weight to practical performance. Theory will account for 30 per cent of assessment, while practical performance will account for 70 per cent. Candidates will have to meet specified minimum thresholds in theory and practical assessment, where applicable, as well as achieve the required overall score to demonstrate competence.

Trainees will also be required to attain at least 90 per cent attendance in each unit before undertaking summative assessment. The emphasis on practical competence is intended to reflect the safety-critical nature of small-vessel operations.

The proposed entry requirements also demonstrate the balance between regional standardization and national flexibility. Candidates will require a valid local Certificate of Medical Fitness for seafarers issued under the standards of the relevant maritime administration. They will also be able to read, write and communicate effectively in English or another working language designated by the national maritime administration.

Where formal certification is unavailable, basic literacy and numeracy could be demonstrated through an approved assessment. No previous sea service or formal maritime training will be required for initial entry to Grade 3.

This could open a pathway into formal certification for people who have gained experience operating boats through fishing, family businesses or local transport. The framework proposes Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for experienced small-craft operators, including artisanal fishers, boat operators and informally trained coxswains.

Applicants could provide evidence such as letters of reference, sea or log records, photographs and third-party testimonials before undergoing structured interviews and practical demonstrations.

A trainee who has demonstrated competence in a unit at an accredited institution in one MOESNA member state will not necessarily have to repeat the assessment when seeking recognition in another country.

Equivalent national or international qualifications, including Coxswain, Boatmaster or Small Vessel Operator certificates, could also qualify for exemptions subject to equivalence assessment.

The arrangement is intended to support mobility of trained coxswains and make it easier for countries to establish whether qualifications obtained elsewhere meet comparable standards.

The framework also proposes common requirements for trainers. Trainers will generally need a qualification at least one grade above Coxswain Grade 3, such as Coxswain Grade 2 or Grade 1, Marine Engine Driver or an equivalent nationally recognized qualification.

Specialist instructors could teach areas such as first aid, firefighting or radio operations where they hold relevant qualifications. Trainers would also require at least three years of relevant small-craft or coxswain experience and a recognized trainer or assessor qualification.

They would have to be registered or licensed by the relevant national maritime training authority and, where applicable, recognised by MOESNA. The proposed trainer-to-learner ratio is one to 25 for classroom instruction and one to six for practical on-water training on each training vessel.

The initiative comes against the background of significant differences in coxswain training across the region. The BMA assessment found that Kenya was the only country among the nine covered in the Maritime Training Institutions assessment where a formal coxswain curriculum was confirmed.

The wider assessment found that 86.8 per cent of respondents considered coxswains to require some level of additional or new training, while 79.6 per cent reported difficulties finding operators with the required knowledge and skills within MOESNA member states.

The proposed framework is intended to respond to these gaps by creating a common reference point for training and assessment.

It would not require countries to have identical laws, institutions or training arrangements. Instead, it will establish a common competency baseline while allowing national maritime administrations to determine matters such as entry age and other national requirements.

For the framework to be implemented effectively, member states will need appropriate legal and institutional arrangements, adequate practical training facilities and mechanisms for recognizing qualifications obtained in other countries.

The proposed Grade 3 curriculum therefore represents the first building block of a broader regional system intended to strengthen the skills, safety and professional mobility of coxswains operating across Africa's lakes, rivers and coastal waters.