Missions and organisation of the Oceanographic Fleet Management on 1st January 2018

The mission for the Oceanographic Fleet Management (DFO) is operational deployment of the fleet. It defines and implements scheduling for the French Oceanographic Fleet to serve a variety of user communities. In this capacity, it provides management of the FOF very large research infrastructure (TGIR). It oversees development and optimisation of naval resources. It steers structures overseeing the manning and equipment of all the fleet’s vessels (particularly Genavir). It coordinates for France on developing international agreements regarding oceanographic fleets. It runs its activities for the benefit of all French user communities.

For this purpose:

• It oversees the construction of fleet operations, particularly actions revolving around preparation, work permits, running campaigns and consolidation of documents at the end of a campaign. It prepares annual scheduling and associated budgeting.
• It ensures the contractual and operational interface with the different shipping lines in charge of the fleet vessels.
• It guarantees keeping the FOF in good working order and guides investments and work to be carried out.
• It prepares the Fleet Evolution Plan that it sends to the French Oceanographic Fleet TGIR steering committee.
• It runs national (TAAF, Navy, SHOM), international and European (IRSO, OFEG, CE, etc.) partnerships for the fleet and keeps up-to-date on knowledge of foreign best practices.
• It guarantees the operational quality of campaigns. It proposes and deploys developments as necessary, whilst ensuring links with user authorities that it notifies about major events that might have an impact on running the campaigns’ scientific programmes.
• It also helps make the most of research partnerships through cooperation where fleet resources are implicated (apart from research teams) or through chartering.