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Unit Aims, Objectives and Prerequisites
S.1.2. - The port supervisor: tasks and duties

1. Unit Aims

This Unit is designed:

1. To review the main responsibilities and duties assigned to a supervisor with respect to preparing the work-group for work, setting them to work and controlling their activities during the work.
2. To discuss the supervisor’s duties in maintaining the work-group’s productivity and performance quality.
3. To describe and discuss the role of the supervisor in maintaining the safety, health and welfare of the work-group.
4. To discuss the duties of the supervisor with regard to human resource development.
5. To improve the supervisor’s ability to carry out his/her work-group management tasks.

2. Unit Objectives

After completing this Unit, the learner will be able to:

1. Explain the role of supervision in relation to the overall objectives of the organization.
2. Explain the nature and significance of the steps involved in preparing the work-group’s tasks for a work period.
3. Given a series of work tasks and a list of available resources, prioritize the tasks and allocate the appropriate labour and equipment to them.
4. List and explain the need for the supervisory activities involved in setting the work-group to work.
5. Explain what is meant by ‘control’ and how a control system works.
6. Describe the three supervisory tasks involved in the control of work and explain the significance of the supervisor’s role in work control.
7. Explain the value to an organization of, and the nature of the means available for, maintaining work-group performance, in terms of output and productivity.
8. Explain the need for maintaining work-group performance quality, and describe the main requirements of the total quality management approach.
9. Explain the nature and operational significance of the supervisor’s responsibilities for the safety, health and welfare of his/ her work-group.
10. Survey a given work location for safety and health hazards, identifying and dealing appropriately with all detected hazards.
11. Explain the role of the supervisor in the organization’s human resource development system.
12. Describe the purpose, application and process of employee performance appraisal, and explain the features required by such a scheme.
13. Define, recognize the best definition of, or distinguish between true and false statements concerning, the technical terms used in the Unit, as listed in sections 3 and 4 below.

3. Unit Prerequisites

It is assumed that trainees will, before starting this Unit, have studied the following Units or will have demonstrated (for example by successfully completing the Tests for those Units) their understanding of the topics covered by them:

• Container terminal operations (C.1.1) or its equivalent for break-bulk berths or bulk terminals
• The port supervisor: organizational status (S.1.1)
• Safe working on container terminals (C.4.1) or its equivalent