Port and Maritime Security Working Group

Charter

Purpose: The Port and Maritime Security Working Group (“PMSWG”) is established to update, validate and introduce into classrooms Nth generation integrated curriculum in the port and maritime security field.
Background: (a) After 9/11/01, the U.S. Congress passed the Maritime Transportation Security Act (P.L. 107-295), the International Maritime Organization produced model courses for port and maritime security, and the MARAD Administration established its MTSA Section 109 voluntary course approval system. Thus, first generation port and maritime security education and training classes have been introduced into the field both in the United States and abroad. In parallel, the Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA), under Public Law 107-206, has initiated a multi-year program to conduct 40 table top training exercises due to be completed in October 2007. These activities make important improvements, but they are incomplete if one looks at the homeland security environment from the perspective of the next decade. (b) The challenge for the country is to create a cost effective mechanism to update, validate, and introduce into classrooms and training ships 2nd, 3rd and Nth generation integrated curriculum in the port and maritime security field.
Authority: (a) The Maritime Administration (MARAD), under Section 1304 (46 App. U.S.C. 1295c (2003)), shall cooperate with and assist any State maritime academy in providing instruction to individuals to prepare them for service in the merchant marine of the United States. (b) Under this authority MARAD will support the PMSWG to strengthen port and maritime security curriculum.
Responsibilities: (a) One state academy will be selected by a majority of the voting members of the PMSWG to serve as Secretariat for the PMSWG and will be entitled to receive an administrative fee of 5 percent of the total PMSWG budget to cover costs associated with providing administrative services to the collective PMSWG. (b) The Secretariat will receive funds from MARAD on a quarterly basis after it has submitted an invoice for progress payments as outlined in the July 8, 2005 Final Proposal presented to MARAD by the PMSWG. (c) The Secretariat will distribute funds on a quarterly basis to each academy for fees and expenses associated with work completed by its participating members of the PMSWG as recommended by the Coordinator. (d) A Coordinator of the PMSWG will be selected by a majority of the voting members of the PMSWG. He or she need not be associated with the state academy elected to serve as the Secretariat of the PMSWG. (e) MARAD will nominate one individual to serve as liaison with the PMSWG. He or she will be free to participate in all PMSWG activities at MARAD’s expense.
Structure and Function: (a) Voting members of the PMSWG will include one member from each the following six state maritime academies: California Maritime Academy, Great Lakes Maritime Academy, Maine Maritime Academy, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College, and the Texas Maritime Academy. (b) Non-voting participating members of the PMSWG shall include additional faculty, staff and students from each of the six state maritime academies working to improve maritime security curriculum.
Process: (a) the PMSWG will meet monthly and produce a net assessment memo. (b) The PMSWG will work on a quarterly basis to complete each of the ten deliverable tasks described in its final proposal to MARAD. (c) The PMSWG will hold a virtual conference after six months of operation to assess progress and make mid-course corrections.
Records: All final deliverables produced by the PMSWG will be posted on its dedicated web site. All administrative records will be maintained by the PMSWG secretariat and will be accessible to MARAD.