The UK railway industry has long faced challenges in decision-making processes. It’s a sector where life-or-death choices must be made in a split second, and there’s not always time to check with a superior. Enter the Rail Safety and Standards Board’s (RSSB) Operational Decision-Making training course and its G-FORCE model.

RSSB’s training course empowers railway staff to make rational decisions under pressure, fostering confidence and accountability based on its G-FORCE approach to making the right choice. Here, the acronym stands for ‘go/no go’, ‘facts’, ‘options’, ‘risks’, ‘choose’ and ‘evaluate’, hence, G-FORCE.

There are multiple situations where the G-FORCE model may be useful. For instance, when there isn’t a rule to cover the situation you are in. This could happen when you need permission to act but cannot reach anyone, remembering that delays often make the situation worse. You may be in a scenario where more than one rule could apply, but the two conflict with each other. There could be a rule telling you what to do, but something unusual about the situation means that you cannot apply it, or if you did, it could lead to a bad outcome.

Why was the G-FORCE training course created?

The G-FORCE training course was developed in response to several critical issues within the UK’s railway industry. There has been a recognised need for the industry to enhance its decision-making capabilities. For example, staff often feel unable to exercise their professional judgement effectively. Furthermore, decisions have frequently been judged retrospectively, based on their outcomes rather than the processes and information available at the time of decision-making.

Then there’s the impact on decision-making confidence. When decisions are judged on outcomes, staff are less likely to make a certain choice, impacting overall operational efficiency. Management actions significantly influence how confident staff feel about making decisions, so there is a need for a model to address this issue.

Main objectives

The primary objective of the training course, RSSB says, is to support railway personnel in making rational decisions, particularly under pressure or in unfamiliar situations. The course provides a rational decision-making framework, helping users reach logical conclusions.

The company says the course is beneficial for anyone involved in decision-making or evaluating others’ decisions, including control and on-call staff, driver managers, signallers and signalling managers, or other frontline and management roles involved in incident management. Through practical training, RSSB essentially equips staff to make decisions with confidence, enhancing operational effectiveness and safety.

Maximising the benefits

The course includes interactive discussions, exercises, videos, and case studies, conducted individually, in pairs, and in groups. This allows delegates to gain the most benefit through a combination of open discussions and collaborative problem-solving sessions.

It also encourages delegates to share personal experiences and discuss decision-making barriers within their teams or organisations. Furthermore, they can freely take part in discussions on fair culture and the difficulties of making decisions when concerned about being judged on outcomes. For a more practical application, the afternoon session involves group activities to solve operational scenarios using the G-FORCE model.

Implementation of G-FORCE

As of December 2023, the G-FORCE Model training course has been integrated into Network Rail’s National Operating Procedure 3.06 on Operational Decision-Making. This adoption signifies that G-FORCE is the supported method for decision-making, making it essential training for all Network Rail operational staff.

Addressing critical challenges in the UK’s railway industry by providing a structured approach to decision-making, the course has attracted significant interest from various rail organisations to roll out training for their staff.

Bespoke Courses

RSSB works directly with organisations to develop and deliver this training as a bespoke course. The course can be tailored to the delegate group and business requirements, incorporating relevant case studies and scenarios. If you would like RSSB to deliver this as a bespoke training course, remotely or at a location of your choice, please email: training@rssb.co.uk, and they will contact you to discuss your exact requirements and how they can tailor the course to your target audience.