RAN Establishments

RAN shore establishments exist primarily to develop, manage, maintain and sustain the infrastructure and services necessary to project and support operational capability through the subordinate and lodger units located within them. However, these units and their military personnel are not necessarily within the Commanding Officer's direct chain of command and are often not part of the RAN. Commanding Officers ashore are responsible for coordinating all cross-establishment administrative, logistics and other services, including safety, and this involves coordinating activities between the subordinate and lodger units as well as close engagement of the appropriate enabling groups and output groups within the ADO and a wide range of external organisations.

Shore establishments no longer have embedded ships' companies equivalent to the command hierarchy at sea. Much of the work formerly done ashore by members of the RAN is now done by civilians - in the public and the private sectors - over whom an establishment Commanding Officer has no military authority. While Commanding Officers ashore remain responsible for the discipline, health, welfare, and morale of all military personnel posted to their command, many of these personnel are now employed in other Defence Groups, and in locations distant from the establishment.

While the leadership and management environment in a commercialised establishment ashore is very different from the operational environment of a seagoing command, many of the fundamental obligations of command remain unchanged. However, a great majority of the shore Commanding Officer's responsibilities focus on business and management issues, and some of the prerequisite skills and training required to effectively command ashore now differ considerably from the sea-going environment.