R 270929Z JUN 13
UNCLASSIFIED/
MARADMIN 316/13
MCGID/MARADMIN/CG MCCDC//
SUBJ/ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW COMMAND CLIMATE SURVEY//
REF/A/DOC/CMC WHITE LETTER 3-13/9 MAY 13//
AMPN/REF A IS CMC WHITE LETTER ADDRESSING A NEW COMMAND CLIMATE SURVEY//
POC/SEAN GIBSON/COL/MARINE CORPS COMBAT DEVELOPMENT COMMAND/PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER/TEL:  703-432-8420/EMAIL:  SEAN.D.GIBSON(AT)USMC.MIL//
POC FOR TECHNICAL ISSUES RELATED TO THE CCS AND THE CCS WEBSITE/ PETER HILL/CMC SAFETY DIVISION/TEL:  703-604-4384/EMAIL:  PETER.J.HILL(AT)USMC.MIL//
RMKS/1.  REF A IDENTIFIES THE CLEAR LEADERSHIP ROLE OF THE UNIT COMMANDER IN SETTING THE TONE AND DETERMINING THE DIRECTION OF THE UNIT.  THERE IS NO MORE VISIBLE ASPECT OF LEADERSHIP THAN THE CLIMATE A COMMANDING OFFICER ESTABLISHES FOR THE MARINES IN HIS OR HER CHARGE.  IT IS INEXTRICABLY LINKED WITH MISSION ACCOMPLISHMENT.  A COMMANDING OFFICER HAS THE GREATEST INFLUENCE IN DETERMINING WHETHER THE MARINES IN THE UNIT ARE COMBAT READY, WHETHER THEY'RE HONORABLE, WHETHER THEY'RE FORTHRIGHT, WHETHER THEY'RE FOCUSED, AND HOW OR WHETHER THEY UPHOLD OUR VALUES AND VIRTUES.  WHILE THERE ARE MANY LEADERSHIP STYLES, THE RESULT MUST BE A UNIT OF MARINES AND SAILORS WHO HAVE ABSOLUTE TRUST IN THEIR LEADERS, AND IN THEIR COMPETENCE.
2.  IN ORDER TO ASSIST COMMANDING OFFICERS IN GAINING THE INSIGHT NECESSARY TO ADDRESS POTENTIAL AREAS OF CONCERNS AND HOLD MARINES TO THE HIGHEST PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL, AND UNIT STANDARDS, CMC HAS DIRECTED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW COMMAND CLIMATE SURVEY (CCS).  SURVEY RESULTS WILL BE PROVIDED TO THE COMMANDING OFFICER WHO WILL INFORM THE COMMANDER OF THEIR HIGHER HEADQUARTERS ON THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY WITHIN FOURTEEN DAYS (NO STANDARD BRIEF FORMAT REQUIRED).
    2.A.  THE PURPOSE OF THIS SURVEY IS TO GATHER RESPONDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR UNITS' COMMAND CLIMATE ASSOCIATED WITH LEADERSHIP ISSUES AND TO PROVIDE SURVEY FEEDBACK TO UNIT COMMANDERS.
3.  THE CCS WILL BE TAKEN BY EVERY LIEUTENANT COLONEL AND COLONEL LEVEL COMMAND ON THE FOLLOWING TIMELINE:
    3.A.  COMMANDING OFFICERS WHO TAKE COMMAND AFTER 30 JUNE 2013 WILL INITIATE THE CCS WITHIN 30 DAYS OF ASSUMING COMMAND, AND AT LEAST ANNUALLY THEREAFTER.
    3.B.  COMMANDING OFFICERS WHO TOOK COMMAND PRIOR TO 30 JUNE 2013  WILL INITIATE THE CCS NLT 30 SEP 2013, AND AT LEAST ANNUALLY THEREAFTER.
    3.C.  COMMANDING OFFICERS WITH AN ESTABLISHED RELIEF DATE ON OR BEFORE 30 SEP 2013 ARE NOT REQUIRED TO INITIATE THE CCS.
    3.D. IF THE ANNUAL CCS DATE FALLS WITHIN 90 DAYS OF A COMMANDING OFFICER'S CHANGE OF COMMAND, THE CCS WILL NOT BE REQUIRED AND THE INCOMING COMMANDER WILL REQUEST A CCS WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THEIR ASSUMPTION OF COMMAND.
4.  CONSISTENT WITH OTHER MARINE CORPS SURVEY INSTRUMENTS AND TO PROMOTE THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE INTEGRITY OF THE DATA COLLECTED, THE FOLLOWING POLICIES ARE ESTABLISHED: 
    4.A.  INDIVIDUAL SURVEY RESPONSES ARE ANONYMOUS - THE RESPONSES OF MARINES AND SAILORS RESPONDING TO THE SURVEY ARE PROTECTED AND NOT IDENTIFIABLE IN THE SYSTEM.  ALL MARINES AND SAILORS MUST BE FREE TO RESPOND WITHOUT CONCERN FOR REPRISAL, REAL OR PERCEIVED.
    4.B.  ACCESS TO UNIT LEVEL SURVEY RESULTS IS RESTRICTED - THE SURVEY RESULTS FOR A UNIT BELONG TO THE COMMAND THAT TOOK THE SURVEY.  EVERY COMMANDER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ADVISING HIGHER HEADQUARTERS OF THE READINESS OF THE COMMAND AND THE CCS RESULTS WILL FORM PART OF SUCH ASSESSMENT.  SINCE A COMMANDER OWNS THE SURVEY DATA THEY MAY SHARE THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY DATA WITHIN THE COMMAND.  SURVEY RESULTS CAN BE PROVIDED TO HIGHER HEADQUARTERS IN AN AGGREGATED FORMAT (E.G. DIVISION CG CAN BE PROVIDED RESPONSES GIVEN BY ALL PERSONNEL IN THE DIVISION FOR A SET PERIOD) - BUT THE IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUAL UNITS WILL NOT BE IDENTIFIABLE IN THE RESULTS.
    4.C.  SURVEY RESULTS ARE FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY.
    4.D.  ABILITY TO CONDUCT TARGETED RESEARCH/ANALYSIS OF DATA - APPROVED RESEARCHERS IN THE ACADEMIC OR MILITARY ENVIRONMENT MAY BE PROVIDED LIMITED ACCESS TO DATA IN ORDER TO STUDY SPECIFIC ISSUES REGARDING LEADERSHIP, CLIMATE, AND CULTURE.  THE IDENTITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL SURVEYED OR THEIR BATTALION/SQUADRON OR REGIMENT/GROUP WILL NOT BE PROVIDED.
    4.E.  UPON COMPLETION OF THE SURVEY, THE COMMANDER WILL RECEIVE A CODE ALLOWING ACCESS TO THE SURVEY RESULTS, AND A GUIDED DEBRIEF OF THOSE RESULTS FROM THE SURVEY PROVIDER THAT WILL INCLUDE ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING SPECIFIC AREAS OF INTEREST.  THE COMPLETE DIRECTIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR TAKING THE CCS, AND THE PROCESS FOR COMMANDERS RECEIVING THEIR UNIT'S RESULTS ARE PROVIDED IN DETAIL AT WWW.USMCSURVEYS.COM. 
    4.F.  COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THE QUALITY AND VALUE OF THIS SURVEY.  FEEDBACK WILL BE COLLECTED BY THE SURVEY PROVIDER DURING THE DEBRIEF, OR THE COMMANDER MAY SUBMIT FEEDBACK VIA THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.  FEEDBACK WILL BE COMPILED IN SUMMARY-AGGREGATE FORM, USED TO REFINE THE CCS, AND TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT MARINE CORPS TRENDS OR FINDINGS.
5.  THE CCS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT WWW.USMCSURVEYS.COM BEGINNING 1 JUL 2013.
6.  THIS SURVEY DOES NOT REPLACE OR ALLEVIATE THE REQUIREMENT TO TAKE THE DEFENSE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (DEOMI) SURVEY WITHIN 90 DAYS OF ASSUMING COMMAND.
7.  THIS MARADMIN IS APPLICABLE TO THE MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE.
8.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY LTGEN RICHARD P. MILLS, DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR COMBAT DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION.//