Understanding Common Operating Procedure and its importance
Let’s start with learning about what a “Common Operating Procedure” is. It’s defined as ” A single identical display of relevant information shared by more than one command. A common operational picture facilitates collaborative planning and assists all echelons to achieve situational awareness”. So the first significant part of “Common Operational Procedure” is the information, specifically the “display of relevant information” The importance of relevant information cannot be understated. Without it, you’re left in the dark – unable to make informed decisions or take proper actions that will keep your team safe and productive. The key is knowing what makes information RELEVANT – so let’s explore some factors!
~What about that information do you need?
~Where does it come from?
Remember, this type of question informs our decision about how much data we should collect on a mission before sending people out into harm’s way, so like we said earlier What about that information do you need? Where does it come from? And what is an operations center like where all of those sources are connected together in front of you with a multitude of screens streaming through different channels, breaking down data so we can get at the truth behind the situation. Then finally evaluating if the information is relevant. As the data flows into an operation center, it is up to your staff to determine what data has a bearing on a particular problem. However, filtering through all of this may seem daunting for someone who does not have experience in education or training. Nevertheless, their background and branch of service transform them into human filters with specialized knowledge that allows them to filter out information that does not have relevance to the problem.