Intermediate Command and Staff Course (Land Reserve)

Intermediate Command and Staff Course (Land Reserve) (ICSC(LR)) prepares reserve officers for promotion to OF3 and subsequent employment in reserve grade 2 appointments and sub-unit command. It is a 17-day career course delivered in two parts: a residential two-day primer followed by a 15-day course. Running twice a year, once in June/July and once in September/October, the course syllabus includes government policy; staff and communication skills; land warfare; doctrine; operational planning; broader Army and Royal Marines business in the context of Defence; and command, leadership and management (CLM).

It consists of central lectures, syndicate room activities and discussions, exercises and additional time dedicated to reflection and reading.  Having successfully completed the course, you will be equipped with the professional knowledge, analytical and communications skills and motivation required to fill reserve OF3 staff and command appointments.

Application timelines:
•    Career Management Operations (CM Ops), Army Personnel Centre (APC), will inform reserve captains who have been selected for promotion to major and notify them of their expected attendance on the ICSC(LR)
•    foreign military and civil servants expressions of interest need to be declared through their respective UK defence attaché
•    any other party interested in joining the course should contact the LCSC SO1 for more information

Accreditation:
•    Chartered Management Institute (CMI), Level 7 Diploma in Management and Leadership
•    Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), Level 7 Certificate in Management

What you will learn

The course will prepare reserve officers for promotion to OF3 and subsequently for employment in reserve grade two appointments and sub-unit command by providing focused opportunities to understand, experiment and develop staff and communication skills, professional knowledge and analytical and decision-making skills.

How this course will help your career

ICSC(LR) provides a unique opportunity for OF3 and senior OF2 reserve personnel to study strategy, higher management of defence, doctrine and operational planning alongside multi-national partners and be graded against a wider peer group. The course is supported by numerous guest speakers, up to OF6/1-star level.

The course provides focused opportunities to understand, experiment and develop staff and communication skills, professional knowledge and understanding, and analytical and decision-making skills which will be of benefit for both military and civilian careers. The course report is used by boards to support consideration for employment in sub unit command and in staff appointments at OF3.

Who can attend this course

• Military
• Internationals

The course is principally designed and resourced to take the SOTR of military reservist personnel, plus up to 12 overseas military reservist personnel.

Overseas military or civil servants must have a very good command of English (NATO 3333) and be comfortable with learning in English at post-graduate level.

Foreign military personnel are to be nominated through their respective defence attaché and security checked by International Defence Training (Army). The course is delivered at official level only.

Before you attend

You will be required to complete the Military Knowledge ICSC package on the Defence Learning Environment (DLE) before arrival. This can be completed in approximately six hours.

You will also have to complete a small amount of work between the course primer weekend and the main residential phase. It will also be necessary for you to conduct research and undertake essential reading in the evenings, outside the scheduled daily programme.

The course programme runs from 0830-1730, seven days a week, therefore you are advised to plan on being present at the Defence Academy for the entire period once you start the main residential phase.

To assist learning, you will be provided with an electronic reading list and some tasks on the course primer weekend that should be completed before returning for the main residential phase.

International students will not be expected to attend the course primer weekend with the UK students; this will be replicated for them two days prior to the start of the main residential phase.

How the course will be taught

• Face-to-face
• Online (Virtual)

How you will be assessed

The course comprises both formative (course interaction) and summative (formal examination) assessments. There are two summative examinations, one for the CLM module and one for the doctrine module.

Formative assessment includes:
•    professional knowledge
•    written communication
•    verbal communication
•    emotional intelligence
•    leadership

All students receive a course report.