Introduction
Bi-SC Directive 075-007 (March 2025) introduced a firm requirement for Education and Training Facilities (ETFs) and Department Heads (DHs) to systematically review their Course Control Documents (CCDs) at defined intervals. This article explains what that means in practice, outlines who does what, highlights key deadlines, and suggests steps for planning ahead to ensure courses retain their NATO-Approved or NATO-Selected certification.
Overview of the provision
“Once a course has been granted a certification category of NATO-Approved or NATO-Selected, the DH must review and update CCD II, and the ETF must review and update CCD III at least once every three (3) years. Where the dates (and signature dates) on CCD I are older than three years, rectification action must be taken, otherwise the course certification category may be withdrawn by HQ SACT DCOS MDFD and thus downgraded to Listed.”
— Bi-SC Directive 075-007, Annex J, Chapter 5
– All NATO-certified courses must have three governing documents in the NATO Education and Training Opportunities Catalogue (ETOC): CCD I (Control Form), CCD II (Course Proposal), and CCD III (Programme of Classes).
– Directive 075-007 now mandates that CCD II and CCD III for each NATO-Approved or NATO-Selected course must be reviewed and updated at least once every three years.
– CCD I signature dates older than three years trigger “rectification action”; failure to update may lead HQ SACT DCOS MDFD to withdraw certification and downgrade the course to “listed” status.
Roles and Responsibilities
Discipline Head (DH)
• Leads the review and update of CCD II to confirm the course still addresses validated performance requirements and aligns with the Strategic Commands’ annual battle rhythm and Requirements Review.
• Coordinates with the Requirements Authority (RA), ETF, and any External Officer of Primary Responsibility before inputting changes into the NATO Digital Training Management System (NDTMS) / ETOC.
Education and Training Facility (ETF)
• Reviews and updates CCD III (detailed lesson plans, enabling objectives, resources, assessment methods) at least every three years.
• Ensures that any major changes to content, methods, or assessments trigger a reapplication for course certification and, if necessary, a pilot iteration.
HQ SACT DCOS MDFD Quality Assurance Team of Experts
• Monitors certification validity and may enforce downgrades if CCDs are not current.
• Issues formal confirmation of “NATO-Approved” or “NATO-Selected” status, through course certification, once CCDs comply with requirements.
Key Deadlines
• Three-Year Review Cycle: From the date of the last signature on CCD I, count forward three years. Before that due date, the DH and ETF must complete their respective updates.
• Transitional Deadline: All courses certified before 31 December 2023 must complete their three-year CCD reviews by 18 December 2026 to remain in certified status.
Certification and Recertification Implications
• If CCD II and CCD III remain up-to-date and accurate, as a result of the review process, the course maintains its NATO-Approved or NATO-Selected certification without further action, namely there will be no need for recertification.
• Significant curriculum or Performance Objectives (PO) changes necessitate a full recertification cycle—new CCD I submission, RA/DH review, and HQ SACT approval.
• Courses whose CCD I dates exceed three years without rectification are automatically downgraded to “listed” certification status.
• Additionally, it can affect course’s visibility in ETOC, its eligibility for common funding, which means travel and subsistence costs for multiple (usually 1-2) SMEs per course when they originate from outside the NCS, and the right to use “NATO-” word in its title.
Planning Ahead: Integrating Reviews into Your Annual Cycle
To avoid the risk of decertification / course downgrade, ETFs and DHs should:
a. Maintain a CCD Review Calendar
– Log signature dates for courses’ CCD I in a database file (can be as simple as an excel spreadsheet).
– Set reminders 6-12 months before each three-year due date.
b. Align Reviews with Global Programming Events
– Use the Annual Discipline Conference (ADC) to confirm CCD II alignment.
– Schedule Curriculum Review Boards or similar governance bodies for CCD III updates each year.
c. Allocate Resources Early
– Assign staff to CCD maintenance tasks in the ETF’s Program of Work.
– Secure SME time for performance-objective validation and lesson-plan revisions.
d. Leverage the NATO Digital Training Management System (NDTMS) / (ETOC)
– Use ETOC’s built-in templates for CCD II and CCD III by filling out all the required text fields.
– Track version history and record changes to ensure traceability.
Benefits of Regular CCD Reviews
• Ensures courses remain fully aligned with evolving NATO requirements and operational lessons learned.
• Supports continuous improvement by integrating student, instructor, and graduate feedback into course updates.
• Maintains visibility, credibility and relevance of ETFs and their courses within the NATO Education and Individual Training community.
Conclusion
The three-year mandatory review of Course Control Documents under Bi-SC Directive 075-007 underscores NATO’s commitment to quality, relevance, and interoperability in education and individual training. By understanding responsibilities, adhering to deadlines, and embedding CCD updates into annual planning, ETFs supported by DHs can sustain their course certifications and continue to deliver up-to-date training to the Alliance.
A link to a detailed article about changes in the new BiSC Directive 75-007 can be found here.