[LynxMukka]

The {UFP} has had many successful years, the fact that we're still here after its establishment back in 2002, goes some way to showcasing that fact. However from time to time, change can be a good thing and Starfleet Command is planning a bit of a shakeup in the fleet's infrastructure that is due to start in the next couple of months.

I shall summarize the specific changes below, however I won't go into much detail given that members have already been made aware of what's coming up. SFC originally began discussing a proposal around two months ago, to which we outlined where exactly we felt things could do with improving. Since then, we took several weeks to consult with firstly Starfleet Headquarters on the changes, primarily to gain feedback and iron out any issues. Some time later, the general membership was informed of the reforms being planned, with once again, another stage for feedback to be provided.

The proposal has now been given the go ahead, with the main focus of the changes concentrating on making the fleet more canon with what was revealed in the movies and television shows. In doing so, Starfleet Command will be renamed to the Federation Council, and Starfleet Headquarters named Starfleet Command, ultimately creating a Federation and Starfleet structure. The Federation would concentrate on administrative matters, as the departments do at the moment, with Starfleet continuing on the gaming side.

Starfleet Command sees the benefits as follows:

• Make the fleet structure more in line with Star Trek canon.
• Allow for members to gain higher ranks.
• Further empower division and department leaders.
• Make it easier for members to identify who the appropriate person is to speak to if they have issues.
• Better clarify the differences between gaming divisions and administrative departments.
• Promote a shift to a more open system of running the fleet.
• Reduce the amount of administration work done outside of Starfleet Command.
• Strengthen our 'brand' within the community and appealing more to Star Trek fans.

Each member of the Federation Council (FC) will be given a specific duty and position, which will largely involve supervising a department directly. This will be that the structure of the fleet in summary would be:

Federation Council
- Department of State (formerly Diplomatic Corps)
- Department of the Interior (formerly Internal Affairs)

Starfleet Command
- Gaming Fleets (formerly Gaming Divisions)
- Starfleet Academy

Federation News Network

Positions on the Council would be:

President (previously Fleet Admiral)
Same role as current.

Vice President (previously Vice Fleet Admiral)
Would be an additional responsibility of making sure the leadership remains in check.

Chief of Staff
Reviews daily fleet operations and keeps checks on the Council.

Secretary of the Interior
Supervises internal fleet administration

Secretary of State
Heads up the fleet's public relations with communities, companies and gaming groups.

Secretary of Defence
Works with/Supervises Starfleet Command.

Secretary of Commerce and Technology
Is in charge of all fleet engineering and monetary aspects.

Councillor for Projects and Development
Involves leading up specific fleet development projects.

It is worthy to note that it is unclear at this time as to whom will be taking which positions, since those in SFC are currently going through an application/interview process to see who is the best fit for whichever position. This is similar in a sense to the Command changes we conducted back in 2009 but on a smaller scale. Needless to say, we're trying to make the entire process more transparent; the changes coming up will provide a bit of a fresh start for everyone in the {UFP}.

From the feedback provided to us by members and the feelings in Starfleet Command, we're all quite excited for the changes coming up. So keep an eye out in the next few months as we move the fleet forward!

[Infernico]

From what I can tell this is a splendid idea. Change is good, and it looks like change in the right direction. (Not that it was bad to begin with)

[Caymen Greener]

I agree with Vrih - this looks great thus far!

Greener

[LifesaverM]

An interesting action plan, and am looking forward to seeing more. Change if planned well, is generally a good thing. Plus changing positions up a bit is also a good thing over time. Keeps folks from getting to comfortable with the same 'ole. An exciting new adventure.

[Babyhead4127]

I quite interested about the changes as you have pointed out , yes hopefully it make things easyer on the long run but as all new things i expect the SFC or now Federation Council will new time to settle into there new roles , this is very drawen out plan , communication is as important as any real world communication medium. Without proper communication, you will be thinking 'What the hell is they doing?' or your clan mates will think 'Where the hell is he? He's not in position'. When these kind of thoughts start festering in your mind, the mental part of the game can become interrupted, meaning you can't concentrate, and may start to think negative rather than postive which will have a detrimental effect on your team and could ruin your things.


Co-operation in you and I

There are some clans that I've seen that have bad co-operation, which no doubt results in their downfall.
There's a chinese proverb; 'Co-operation is STRENGTH'. This stresses the importance of co-operation.


Leadership

Every clan has a clan leader (if you could actually call him that). His job is clear....to give out orders to the team and be in charge of the whole performance of clan, recruiting and so on. But it isn't as easy as you think. These days, team leaders are being let down. You'll often hear people whining to their team leader: 'You play like s***, why should I listen to you?'

Apparently, the most difficult problem in order to get this strategy working is not time, money, or manpower, but the willingness of your teamates to listen.

Currently, your small band of loyal warriors are not afraid of dying, with exception to the true elite nerds out there. Psychologically, teamplay is very interesting and most people are willing to be a part of something. Strategy is the most important part.

And yes there is a move around to make more in tune with the starfleet timeline etc but if you relly think of things outside the box the bigger picture so to speak this is a good move as Ex Co of gaming div the hardest part was to try and maintain something that you could not communicate with other members at the same time etc

anyway I think this is a great move and for people just joined this is why we have been gaming since 2002 because we know how to make things happen and change things that dont work , so please please be patent while all this is going on and remember weather your a crewman to an officer respect each other well this is going on in the next coming weeks / months .

[Xen]

nice one... hope everything will go well like planed.

[Seeker]

These should be excellent changes that will benefit everyone.

[Christopher Halsey]

We've been discussing these changes for months and they have been something that I've been bouncing around for a lot longer. We're currently at the stage of identifying literally everything that will need to be changed (down to the wording in each document or post) this process will probably take quite a bit of time, although we are making excellent progress we really want to make sure that nothing gets missed and a lot of the updating work has already begun behind the scenes so it can all be updated in a very short span of time when everything is ready.

I was very big on the current SFC members having to apply for Council jobs and not just inheriting them, all of our officers have to go through a set process when they want to apply for positions and the same should go for SFC members. Not only is it fair but it goes to show that people can't just work to get a position and think that the hard part is over. Was really glad to hear when it was a requirement that we have to apply for our positions and not just get them.

[Grace Pryde]

Thanks for the post Chris. I'm similarly pleased that the SFC are having to apply for their positions. I'm intrigued to see if the proposed changes will have the desired effect and I'm appreciative of the effort required to make all of those changes.

It would be great to see some fairly high level milestones and very approx timescales for them so we can get a sense of both the scale of the work required to implement these changes and the overall time frame.

Grace

[Thomas Mullaly]

A few questions regarding SFC members "applying" for Federation Council positions:

• Who accepts the application?
• Will Hathaway remain as President and then review the applications?
• Are the applications for the initial implementation, or will they be used in perpetuity?
• Will the positions have set terms where the incumbents must re-apply?
• Is the position good for life (until retirement/removal) as in the current SFC?

[John Hathaway]

In answer to your questions, I will be reviewing the applications and in consultation with other SFC members, will be making a decision on final placements. I'll be remaining on as President as there are no plans for any election system to be put in place.
Successful applicants will hold the position on a permanent basis, in the same way as COs are currently given their position. They may leave or be removed if necessary.
There are currently no plans to have set terms, and on a personal level I believe it would be counter-productive and unnecessary.

[Thomas Mullaly]

In answer to your questions, I will be reviewing the applications and in consultation with other SFC members, will be making a decision on final placements. I'll be remaining on as President as there are no plans for any election system to be put in place.
Successful applicants will hold the position on a permanent basis, in the same way as COs are currently given their position. They may leave or be removed if necessary.
There are currently no plans to have set terms, and on a personal level I believe it would be counter-productive and unnecessary.

Understood. Thanks for clarifying. I wasn't suggesting there be terms, however I just saw it as a logical extension of the change, also providing a simple mechanism to keep COs competitive, as they have to ensure they are still the best person for the position when their term is up in order to renew their position for another term.

I'm just wondering why there is an "application" process for the positions, since SFC members will be deciding if they are remaining in their own positions, and honestly with the experience most people have in their jobs, who else is going to have a realistic chance of competing for one of the jobs? The only competition I can really see happening is competition between SFC members for the positions they want. I would personally prefer the positions go to current active SFC members. Why raise false hope in applicants with far less experience that they have a realistic chance of getting a position from the incumbents?

I know this may sound as if I'm being contrary or difficult, but I just find it difficult to believe that anyone will beat out a current SFC member for a position, and I can see this as a possible cause for discord among fleet members.

[John Hathaway]

The applications are initially only going to currently serving SFC members... that doesn't mean to say that won't or can't be expanded later, but in lieu of their experience, that's how we're starting out.
SFC members won't be deciding on their placements, that responsibility will fall to me. However as aforementioned I will be consulting with various SFC members throughout that process.
This process isn't so much about SFC members proving their worth in their current jobs, but rather showcasing that there are possibilities for change. There is a fair amount of excitement at the possibility of taking on new and different challenges, and as someone who has a very varied workload, I think that's a good thing. Few people want to do the same job, day in and day out forever. Variety is the spice of life as they say.

[Christopher Halsey]

Essentially any current SFC members that wish to serve within the Council will need to prove they are up for the task and a good fit.

The new Council positions bring with them a lot more individual accountability than has been the case for SFC members. Everyone there will do a job and they will be assessed on the performance of that job. This process is about making sure if the existing SFC members aren't up to the task they aren't put in a position where they won't be able to perform as expected.

It isn't just about performance though, it is also about desire, being a Council member will be different from being an SFC member, although SFC are strongly in support of these changes that doesn't neccesarily mean that on an individual level everyone wants to hold one of these positions so it really wouldn't be right to push someone in to something that wasn't for them. These changes are what is best for the membership but just like any of the jobs within our community they aren't for everyone so it is important that we get people that are both up to the job and are genuinely passionate about it.

It is imperative that we get people that are willing and able and don't make the mistake of assuming someone is capable or motivated to do a specific job. This isn't a time where we should be making assumptions, this is a time to make sure we are doing what is right.

[Jason Howard]

These sound like some great changes instore for the fleet! Thanks for the update.