What is the RAF Intermediate Officer Development Programme?

Introduction

The Royal Air Force’s (RAFs) Intermediate Officer Development (IOD) Programme consists of five stages:

IOD 1.
IOD 2.
IOD 3.
IOD 4.
IOD 5.

These stages of the IOD programme are outlined below.

Location and Delivery

The IOD Programme is delivered by the Joint Services Command and Staff College, part of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, located in Shrivenham.

Who is the IOD Programme For?

IOD 1-3 are intended for junior officers, or those specialist and RAF reserve officers who have served less than 6 years.
IOD 1-3 are key developmental courses to better enable RAF junior officers to support the needs of the RAF.
On successful completion of IOD 1-3 and being selected for promotion, you will be nominated to attend IOD 4 and 5 as squadron leaders.
Selected warrant officers and civil servants, subject to budget manager approval, can also attend IOD 4-5.
From an academic perspective, IOD 1-3 are at the undergraduate level, in the areas of defence studies (supported by King’s College London (KCL)) and broader defence leadership.
IOD 4-5 are at the postgraduate level and graduates of the programme have the option of working towards a Masters in Defence (Air Power) Studies through KCL.

IOD 1

The first residential element of the IOD programme.

You will learn/develop:

The ability to articulate and influence the effective application of air power at the tactical level; and
The ability to apply a full range of command, leadership and staff competencies.

IOD 1 is a mandatory course for all RAF junior officers to attend.

Successful completion of the IOD1-3 programme, are pre-requisites for eligibility for promotion.

Who Can Attend?

Discussion on IOD can cover up to UK Secret, hence all personnel attending IOD 1 must be UK personnel.
Before you attend you will need to have completed initial officer training and approximately 30-hours of e-Learning.

How Will the Course be Taught and Assessed?

Face-to-face/ Residential; Blended; e-Learning (DLE).
Formative assessment delivered through peer-to-peer and instructor-delivered verbal and written feedback.

Duration

1 week.

IOD 2

This is the second residential element of the IOD programme.

What you will learn/develop:

The IODPs aim is to produce junior officers who can analyse articulate and influence the effective application of air power at the tactical level; and
Apply a full range of command, leadership and staff competencies.

IOD 2 is a mandatory course for all RAF junior officers to attend.

Successful completion of the IOD1-3 programme, are pre-requisites for eligibility for promotion.

Who Can Attend?

Material discussed on IOD 2 can cover up to UK Secret, hence all personnel attending IOD 2 must be UK personnel.
Before you attend you will need to have completed Intermediate Officer Development 1 and approximately 30-hours of e-Learning.

How Will the Course be Taught and Assessed?

Face-to-face/ Residential; Blended; e-Learning (DLE).
Formative assessment delivered through peer-to-peer, and instructor-delivered verbal and written feedback.

Duration

2 weeks.

IOD 3

The third residential element of the IOD programme.

You will learn/develop:

An understanding of air power at the tactical and operational level;
Collaborative working, analysis and complex problem-solving;
Effective, verbal and written, communication skills, appropriate to your grade;
Leadership, management skills and how to manage future leadership challenges; and
Functional business skills (management of risk, P3M, defence acquisition), appropriate to your grade.

IOD 3 is a mandatory course for all RAF junior officers to attend.

Successful completion of the IOD 1-3 programme, are pre-requisites for eligibility for promotion.

Who Can Attend?

All personnel wishing to attend this course must be able to gain access to the RAF Division’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), hosted on the Defence Gateway.
Material discussed on IOD 3 can cover up to UK Secret, hence all personnel attending IOD 3 must be UK personnel.
Before you attend you will need to:
- Have completed IOD 1-2, (with a minimum of 18 months commissioned service from completion of IOD 2);
- Be a minimum of SO3 grade; and
- Have completed 10-hours of e-Learning

How Will the Course be Taught and Assessed?

Face-to-face/ Residential; Blended; e-Learning (DLE).
Formative assessment delivered through peer-to-peer, and instructor-delivered verbal and written feedback.

Duration

1 week.

IOD 4

The fourth residential element of the IOD programme.

The aim is to produce officers and MOD civil servants who understand and are able to advocate the effective employment of air power in the joint, combined and multi-agency environments.

They will be able to:

Demonstrate a well-developed appreciation of contemporary doctrine and its application in campaign planning and execution;
Have a well developed appreciation of command, leadership and management techniques relevant to defence and demonstrate effective analysis at the post-graduate level; and
Deliver that analysis with clarity in writing and orally and clearly understand and advocate the importance of Royal Air Force history and ethos where applicable.

Course elements include:

Introduction;
Air and space power;
Human performance;
Defence acquisition and business skills;
Command, leadership and management (CLM) presentations (note – CLM and RAF history and culture run as themes throughout the course).

You will learn/develop:

The ability to advocate the effective employment of air, space and cyber power in the joint, combined and multi-agency environments;
An appreciation of the contemporary doctrine and its application in campaign planning and execution;
An appreciation of the command, leadership and management techniques relevant to the defence;
The ability to engage effectively with academic debate, orally and in writing, at the post-graduate level; and
To advocate the importance of RAF history and ethos.

You will develop your skills in order to progress within your chosen career.

Who Can Attend?

All personnel wishing to attend this course must be able to gain access to the RAF Division’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) hosted on the Defence Gateway.
Before you attend you will need to complete up to 40-hours e-Learning before starting the course.
- This is most effectively completed in a structured manner over the 2-month period immediately before joining.

How Will the Course be Taught and Assessed?

Face-to-face/ Residential; Blended; e-Learning (DLE).
You will be assessed by:
- 4 assessed elements of the course;
- A masters level essay (no prior degree is required), a group presentation;
- Individual presentations; and
- Personal attributes.
Everyone on the course are expected to complete all assignments and will receive a course report.

Duration

3 weeks.

IOD 5

The fifth and final residential element of the IOD programme.

On completion of IOD 5, you will be able to:

Understand and advocate the effective employment of air power in the joint, combined and multi-agency environments;
Demonstrate a well-developed appreciation of contemporary doctrine and its application in campaign planning and execution;
Have a well-developed appreciation of command, leadership and management techniques relevant to defence;
Demonstrate effective analysis at the post-graduate level and deliver that analysis with clarity in writing and orally; and
Clearly understand and advocate the importance of Royal Air Force history and ethos.

You will learn/develop:

An understanding of the effective employment of air power in the joint, combined and multi-agency environments;
The ability to demonstrate a well-developed appreciation of contemporary doctrine and its application in campaign planning and execution;
An appreciation of command, leadership and management techniques relevant to defence;
The ability to demonstrate effective analysis at the post-graduate level and deliver that analysis with clarity in writing and orally;
A clear understanding and advocacy of the importance of Royal Air Force history and ethos.

This course is necessary to work towards promotion within your chosen career.

Who Can Attend?

All personnel wishing to attend this course must be able to gain access to the RAF Divisions Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) hosted on the Defence Gateway.

How Will the Course be Taught and Assessed?

Face-to-face/ Residential; Blended; e-Learning (DLE).
You will be assessed by:
- 4 assessed elements of the course;
- A masters level essay (no prior degree is required), a group presentation;
- Individual presentations; and
- Personal attributes.
Everyone on the course are expected to complete all assignments and will receive a course report.