Lesson One

The Technician rating level at the Professional Development Officer (PDO)

Introduction
This is the entry level of the Civil Air Patrol Moral Leadership Officer Program. It is designed to encourage, promote, and instruct the basic professional skills necessary to implement a beginning program.
 
Objectives
·      Explain and process the purpose of the forms correctly
·      Work on and review the professional development reports
·      Develop and maintain a unit professional development training materials library
 
Lesson 1 key term: Form, PDR, library, publication
 
Position Description
As a PDO you are expected to:
·      Work with the commander and unit staff to assure the training and manning of the unit’s staff and senior membership.
·      Know directives applicable to the Professional Development Program.
·      Know the structure of the CAP Officer Training Program and CAP Officer member activities.
·      Maintain an adequate stock of applicable forms or have internet access so that current forms may be downloaded via the internet from CAP’s website.
·      Assist other members in completion of applicable forms.
·      Maintain unit training records and resources.
·      Operate audio-visual equipment.
·      Operate a computer so as to fully use the tools available through CAP’s website and the internet for the training of CAP members.
·      Assist testing officer in security of any training examinations.
·      Prepare documentation in support of training awards for the commander’s review.
·      Submit applications for awards.
·      Coordinate training accomplishments with other members of the staff.

Publications
CAP has three types of publications:
·      CAP Regulation (CAPR): to provide directives that establishes programs and procedures.
·      CAP Manuals (CAPM): For more details on “how” of a particular subject.
·      CAP Pamphlets (CAPP): For information or training purposes.
 
Critical publications for the PDO: CAPR 50-17, CAPR 5-7, CAPR 10-1, CAPR 35-1, CAPR 35-5, CAPR 35-10, CAPR 39-3, CAPR 50-4, CAPR 52-10, CAPR 52-16, CAPP 151.
 
Forms

You should be familiar with forms and be able to correctly complete and submit the forms. It is important to identify how each form is used. You need to be able to download the forms on-line from the forms and publications page on CAP’s website.  Moreover, part of your duties is to assist other members in preparation and use of these forms. To keep up-to-date with current forms information, the PDO should review INDEX 0-9, Numerical Index of CAP Forms, Tests, and Certificates.

The Professional Development Report (PDR):
The PDR is an electronic report compiled by HQ CAP and is made available on-line through E-Services (PDO’s should contact the unit’s web security administrator for permission to access this report on-line). This report lists member’s professional development training accomplishments. Changes to this report are made by the PDO using the online Specialty Track Administration module in E-Services. Each unit should download and print copies as needed of the PDR. CAPR 50-17 explains how to update the report if the PDO does not have access to an on-line system.
 
Using the PDR

The PDR is a valuable tool for professional development officers. PDOs can use this report to track the training of unit members and to determine what training is needed, for instance, whether new members have completed the Level I Foundations course and if the unit commander has completed the Summary Conversation. PDOs can also use the PDR to determine problems and gaps within the unit’s training program.
 
The training reference library

Each unit should have a training reference library. The PDO is responsible or maintaining this library. The training library and the administrative library should exist separately. The training reference library should contain all the training materials published by HQ CAP or allow access to the materials via computer. It should also contain any other training materials used locally in a unit’s or wing’s unique training program. Examples of this additional material could include:

·      Current Red Cross or National Safety Council or American Heart Association First Aid training materials.
·      Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) courses
·      Air Force publications
·      Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) publications
·      Federal Communications Commission (FCC) publications
·      Aerospace publications from any source
·      Management/leadership/training DVDs or books
 
The PDO should establish procedures for members to use to checkout and return these resources. Also, if facilities permit, the training library should have a reading room.
 
To summarize, this level is the basic level of the PDO where members can learn the necessary skills to achieve the technician rating level.

Instructional activity
For this activity, you need to locate, download, complete and submit online forms (CAPR 35-1,  CAPR 39-2, CAPR 50-16)  Identify the purpose of each form.   

Check the following link to download the forms.  http://www.capmembers.com/forms_publications__regulations/forms/

Email the completed forms to your instructor.

This concludes lesson 1. Now you can take the first assessment or proceed to lesson 2 for the next rating level in the PDO.