Deploying a recruit who missed the practical training module

No, not for the tactical border surveillance task. Basic training is not a menu from which the practical module can be dropped because the written examinations were passed. The practical module tests applied competence - observation, communication, positioning, use of equipment, decision-making and safety - that cannot be certified from online modules alone. Releasing her early would create three problems: she may not be legally certifiable for the tasks in the operational plan; she may be a safety risk to herself, colleagues and migrants; and the Agency would be applying an inconsistent training standard. The team leader's '90%' argument is understandable operationally but weak as a certification argument: the missing 10% is the applied component that matters most at the border. The correct starting point is that certification requirements are not waived by deployment pressure. If the operational plan can use her only in a role that does not require the missing module, that is a separate decision, not a substitute for certification.

First, ask the training centre whether the remedial session can be brought forward or delivered at the deployment location before she takes up tactical duties; if not, do not pretend that eight weeks is three weeks. Second, check whether the operational plan has a supervised non-tactical role - for example reception support, administrative recording or observation under direct supervision - that does not require the missing certification. That would keep her in the mission only if the host state and Frontex team leader agree and the role is genuinely outside the certified task. Third, plan a backfill: extend the rotating national team, request another category 1 officer, or reduce the task coverage. Fourth, set a clear date for the remedial module and confirm that she will not perform tactical surveillance until certified. Document the risk assessment and the decision. Do not use 'learning on the job' as a cover for an uncertified officer performing tactical duties; on-the-job learning is appropriate after certification, not instead of it.

Record the training gap, the date of the missed module, the reason, the certification rule applied, the remedial date, the operational pressure, the alternatives considered and the final decision. State explicitly whether she is deployed in a non-tactical supervised role or not deployed at all. Record who was consulted - training coordinator, team leader, operational planner - and who accepted the residual risk. The record matters because a later incident may trigger questions about whether the Agency knowingly deployed an uncertified officer. It also protects the officer: if she is asked to perform a task outside her certification, the record shows that this was not authorised. Keep the record factual and avoid blaming her for the illness. The decision should be reviewed if the remedial session is cancelled or the operational requirement changes. This is a judgement call about standards under pressure, not a clerical note.