Assessment: Coastal Passage Plan & Operational Bridge Briefing

Assessment Brief — 2025/26

Module Code & Title: 4207NAU — Navigation, Regulations & Bridge Resource Management
Level: Level 4 (or Level 5, depending on your programme structure)
Credit Value: 20 credits
Assessment Title: Coastal Passage Plan & Operational Bridge Briefing
Weighting: 100% (single coursework)
Word Limit / Equivalent: 2,800 words ±10% (excludes charts, tables, appendices)
Submission Deadline: Week 11, Friday 16:00 (as per VLE schedule)
Submission Method: Upload PDF to LJMU VLE (Canvas / MyLJMU). Filename: SURNAME_FIRSTNAME_4207NAU_PP.pdf

Module Aims & Context (suggested)

The module 4207NAU — Navigation, Regulations & Bridge Resource Management seeks to develop students’ advanced competence in route planning, understanding and applying relevant navigation regulations (e.g. COLREGs, pilotage, port rules), and bridge resource management (BRM) practices. The module emphasizes bridging theoretical knowledge and real-world navigation tasks via scenario-based assessment.

This assessment is intended to give students a realistic, integrative task similar to those used in the maritime industry and within maritime training institutions, assessing chart work, navigational computation, hazard analysis, decision-making, and operational briefing skills.

Learning Outcomes (aligned / plausible for 4207NAU)

On successful completion, students should be able to:

1. Produce a safe, practical berth-to-berth passage plan using chart and electronic navigation tools, accounting for tides, currents, under-keel clearance, and pilotage constraints.

2. Perform essential navigational computations (e.g. tidal offsets, ETA calculations, distance/speed/time, UKC) with clarity, justification, and correctness.

3. Identify and evaluate navigational hazards, perform a structured risk assessment, and propose mitigation and contingency measures.

4. Demonstrate understanding and application of Bridge Resource Management (BRM) principles: roles, communications, escalation, monitoring, and decision protocols.

5. Prepare and present a professional operational briefing (slides + narrative) to the Master and bridge team reflecting navigational intent, contingency planning, and regulatory compliance.

6. Justify navigation and operational decisions by referencing applicable regulations (COLREGs, SOLAS, port rules, pilotage) and relevant theory.

Assessment Task Description

You are required to submit two deliverables:

A. Written Passage Plan & Report (approx. 2,500–2,800 words)

Include:

• Executive summary (≈ 200 words)

• Vessel particulars & assumptions: draught, freeboard, speed, manoeuvring limits, equipment, crew assumptions

• Pre-planning / data sources: charts, pilot books, Notices to Mariners, tidal publications, meteorology, radar/ECDIS sources

• Detailed route plan: waypoint table (latitude/longitude), courses, leg distances, speeds, times, tidal/current considerations, UKC, deviation allowances

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• Hazard identification & risk assessment: include at least 5 significant hazards, with likelihood/severity, controls and contingency actions

• Navigational calculations: full workings (tidal offsets, ETA, D/S/T, UKC where applicable)

• Regulatory, environmental, and pilotage constraints: COLREGs rules, port / VTS / pilot rules, environmental zones

• Bridge Resource Management (BRM) discussion: roles (OOW, lookout, pilot, communicator), communication protocols, escalation points

• Monitoring, replanning & deviation response: how to track passage progress, address deviations, trigger replanning

Charts, annotated chart extracts, tables, and detailed calculation sheets go into appendices (do not count toward word count).

B. Operational Briefing Slides (max 7 slides + title slide)

Suggested slides:

1. Title, vessel & transit summary

2. Route map & critical timings

3. Key hazards & mitigation strategies

4. Tidal / current summary & critical legs

5. Roles & responsibilities (OOW, lookout, pilot)

6. Contingencies & alternative plans

7. Departure checklist, communications & escalation plan

Ensure clarity, professionalism, legibility (suitable for presentation to Master and bridge team).

Submission Format & Requirements

• Submit as one PDF (or two linked PDFs if required by VLE) containing the written report + appendices + slides.

• Include cover sheet: student name, ID, module code, word count (excluding appendices).

• Use Harvard referencing style (or the style stipulated by 4207NAU) for charts, publications, regulations, literature.

• All calculations must display units, steps, supporting rationale.

• Late submissions subject to penalties as per LJMU policy; extension requests must follow formal procedure.

Marking Rubric (100 marks)

Below is a suggested rubric aligned with the learning outcomes and module expectations. Adjust weightings if the official proforma differs.

Pass mark: 40 / 100 (or as per the faculty’s assessment rules)

Indicative Resources

• IMO voyage planning guidelines (IMO Resolution A.893(21))

• Admiralty charts and publication guidance from UKHO

• Bridge Resource Management / human factors literature

• LJMU library resources, VLE reading list for 4207NAU (when available)

• Sample passage planning exercises and maritime training materials

References

1. Mallam, S. C., Nazir, S., & Renganayagalu, S. K. (2019). Rethinking maritime education, training, and operations in the digital era: Applications for emerging immersive technologies. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 7(12), 428. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse7120428

2. Griffioen, J. (2021). Enhancing maritime Crew Resource Management training by applying Resilience Engineering: a case study of the bachelor maritime officer curriculum. Education Sciences, 11(8), 378. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11080378

3. Zhang, W., & Zhang, Y. (2023). Navigation risk assessment of autonomous ships based on Entropy–TOPSIS–Coupling Coordination Model. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 11(2), 422. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11020422

4. Pazaver, A., & Kitada, M. (2025). Integrating twenty-first century skills into STCW competences: Implications for maritime education and training. WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13437-025-00368-7