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The client

UK MCA

The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) oversees seafarer training. They approve and monitor training providers who offer STCW courses. STCW (Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping) ensures consistent training standards worldwide. For instance, Captains from Europe or America undergo similar training according to STCW. Approved providers issue certificates on behalf of the MCA.

The challenge 

Course information stored on disparate databases

The MCA’s short course database team maintains Approved Training Provider (ATP) data and issue certificates. Previously, they used a Microsoft Access database for some approved course information while other course data was managed by various individual marine offices in separate systems. Now, as part of digital transformation, the MCA aims to centralise all short course data into one online system. This move will improve audit processes, workload forecasting, and examiner allocation.

The solution

Efficient, centralised system to oversee all courses

The new Short Course Database solution provides the MCA team with one easy-to-use system to manage all of their course information and their relationships with global training providers. The system efficiently generates all relevant correspondence, certificates and audit records. It also covers various course types and approvals, including peripatetic, online, mandatory and voluntary courses. The system adheres to MCA policies and has passed rigorous third-party penetration testing.

Sector

Maritime
Concept of man using a laptop and smartphone for data analytics
Digital Certificate concept, international standard

Project delivery

Discovery Phase

We mapped user stories to understand project steps. These stories were managed in Azure DevOps.

Methodology

We followed Scrum with fortnightly sprints.

Development

We collaborated with the MCA’s product owner to create mock-ups and specifications. QA and UAT testing occurred within sprints.

End Solution

We developed an Angular single-page application with a .NET core backend for the MCA's new Short Course Database, hosted on Azure using an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) model.

The benefits

  • Efficiency: The centralized system streamlines course management. Training providers and MCA staff can easily access and update information, reducing administrative overhead.
  • Accuracy: By retiring the old Access database, the risk of data inconsistencies decreases. The system ensures that course approvals, audit records, and relevant dates remain up to date.
  • Timeliness: The system generates correspondence, certificates, and audit records automatically. This saves time and ensures timely communication with seafarers and training providers.
  • Insight: With better management information, the MCA can forecast workload demands and allocate resources effectively. The system helps identify areas where additional examiners may be needed.
  • Compliance: The solution adheres to MCA policies and underwent rigorous penetration testing. It ensures data security and compliance with industry standards.

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