eDIVO app puts a reference library in divisions officers’ pockets
Connecting state and local government leaders
Two junior officers’ idea for making critical information more accessible at sea sparked the eDIVO mobile application, which is now used throughout the Navy.
Navy vessels are complicated places, and the learning curve for junior officers can be daunting. Division officers, or DIVOs, are responsible for critical functions that include electrical maintenance or engineering — duties that require ready access to a vast array of manuals, books and other reference documents. Too often, DIVOs on their first sea tour would discover that those materials were not accessible when and where they were most needed.
When Lt. Charlie Hymen and Lt. John Harry came off sea duty, they were convinced there was a better way than relying on paper printouts, random PDF files and word of mouth. They approached Vice Adm. Bill Moran, chief of naval personnel, with an idea for a mobile application containing all the necessary information — and out of that discussion came eDIVO.
The Sea Warrior Program — which manages IT systems to support a wide range of Navy missions — further explored and developed the lieutenants’ idea into a fully operational solution in just seven months. The application was released in March in both the Android and Apple stores, and the result has been “a higher level of proficiency earlier in the tour, and subsequently a more efficient and successful mission for the DIVO and the entire ship’s complement,” according to Navy officials.
The application allows sailors to use their own smartphones or tablets to easily access more than 8,300 pages of publicly available information concerning division management, personnel management, bridge operations and emergency functions. The materials are searchable and stored in the app so that no network connection is required. It puts a full training library in sailors’ pockets.
The app was developed through seven month-long sprints, each of which was followed by functionality tests and feedback from users to help developers make adjustments. The finished product includes a tutorial that familiarizes users with all the functions and services the application features.
The eDIVO application was downloaded more than 10,000 times in the first month after its release. One early user gushed: “Fantastic! As a brand-new DIVO, this is invaluable. A one-stop resource for some of the basics, as well as the essential publications for taking care of my people, is a great help. I’ll be recommending this to all my fellow DIVOs.”
Given the success of eDIVO, the Sea Warrior team is planning additional training apps — and the lessons learned during the eDIVO process are projected to cut development time to four months or less.