From Compliance to Competence: Closing the Last Mile

The maritime industry is highly regulated. Across safety, environmental performance and operational standards, there is no shortage of rules, procedures and guidance. The challenge is not necessarily creating more policy. It is making sure that policy translates into the right actions and outcomes onboard.

The IMO’s 2026–2027 theme, From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence, puts this challenge into sharp focus. With over three decades at sea and ashore, I've seen firsthand what drives success in maritime operations. Now, looking at the industry from a learning, competency and technology perspective at Mintra, I see the journey from regulation to operational outcome as a series of connected steps:

Regulation → Company Policy/SMS → Training → Competence → Behaviour → Operational Outcome

The industry is generally good at the first part of this process. Regulations are translated into company policies and SMS procedures, with training requirements and compliance records providing evidence that those requirements have been communicated. But this is where the real challenge begins. Completing the training and having the procedure in the SMS does not necessarily mean that someone can apply it effectively in a real operational environment.

There is a significant difference between knowing what a regulation or procedure says and being able to put it into practice. Competence requires people to understand what they have learned, apply that knowledge and demonstrate the skills needed to perform a task. Behaviour takes this a step further. It is about how people actually respond when they are working under pressure, dealing with uncertainty, managing competing priorities or confronted with a situation that does not quite match the procedure they have learned.

This is what I see as the last mile between policy and practice. Ultimately, the effectiveness of a regulation is determined by what happens when it reaches the person who must apply it.

This changes how we should think about training. A course should not necessarily be viewed as the end point of learning. As the operating environment changes, people need opportunities to refresh their knowledge, test their understanding and access relevant information when they need it.

Technology can help to make that connection. Mintra’s Mentor AI is an example of how learning and operational support can be brought closer together. Designed as an on-demand learning and performance assistant, Mentor AI gives users access to trusted information, contextual guidance and micro-learning when they need it. Rather than replacing formal training, it extends its value into the working environment.

That distinction matters. If someone encounters a question during an operation, having completed the relevant training some time ago does not necessarily mean they will remember every detail. Being able to access reliable information and use it to reinforce their understanding can help turn knowledge into action. Mentor AI can also be used to test understanding, creating an opportunity for people to revisit and reinforce what they have learned.

The need for this kind of continuous development is only going to increase. SIRE 2.0, alternative fuels, decarbonisation, digitalisation and AI are changing the knowledge and competencies required onboard. We therefore need to move beyond measuring whether someone has completed the required training and look more closely at whether they can demonstrate the capabilities needed in the environment in which they actually work.

This is not about replacing compliance. Compliance remains fundamental to a safe and well-run operation. It is about recognising that compliance is one stage in a much longer journey. Policy provides the framework, training builds knowledge, competence develops the ability to apply it, and behaviour determines what happens in practice.

The final measure is the operational outcome. If we want to turn policy into practice, we need to keep following that chain all the way through and ensure that the people expected to apply the rules have the knowledge, competence and support to do so effectively.

Capt. (Dr) Sartaj Gill is Senior Vice President, Mintra, brings over three decades of extensive maritime and ship-management experience to his work across learning, competency and technology. His focus includes the evolving skills and capabilities required by the maritime industry and how digital learning and technology can help close the gap between training, competence and operational performance.