MARADMIN 468/23 - Command Climate Assessment Policy Updates and Guidance to the Fleet

Scope

MARADMIN 468/23 publishes policy updates and guidance to the Marine Corps Total Force on part one of the Command Climate Assessment (CCA) Lifecycle. Part one covers the annual Defense Organizational Climate Survey (DEOCS), the change of command CCA, and the Defense Organizational Climate Pulse Survey (DOCP). Part two (Comprehensive Integrated Primary Prevention or CIPP plan) ships separately through Marine and Family Programs. The MARADMIN runs the CCA framework under DoD Instruction 6400.11 and the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013. The page-level status on this MARADMIN reads CANCELLED at the source.

Audience

• O-5 and O-6 slated commanders, commanding generals, and deputy commandants. Required to conduct the annual CCA and the change of command CCA.
• Reporting officials. Annotate conducted CCAs on the commander annual fitness report under the NDAA 2013 requirement.
• Service Members and DoD civilians in the command. Eligible to participate voluntarily.
• Marine and Family Behavioral Programs Integration Branch. Coordinates the policy and the part two CIPP rollout.
• Prevention staff. Supports CCA augmentation as defined in DoDI 6400.11.

CCA structure

• Annual CCA. Conducted under MCO 5354.1F Chapter 2 within the new annual CCA window. Required between 01 August and 30 November. Begins no later than 31 October.
• Change of command CCA. Conducted within 90 days after assumption of command. Reviews the most recent annual CCA and assesses corrective action plan progress.
• Single CCA covering both. When a change of command CCA falls during the annual CCA window, a single CCA fulfills both requirements.
• Defense Organizational Climate Pulse Survey (DOCP or Pulse Survey). Brief flexible survey administered during the change of command CCA or between the change of command and annual CCA. Cannot run more than once a year. Cannot run within the 90 day window before or after a DEOCS.
• Calendar year 2024 transition. Commanders who conducted a CCA between 01 January 2024 and 31 July 2024 still complete a new annual CCA within the new required window in paragraph 6.a of the MARADMIN.

Participation rules

• Participation is voluntary.
• Every Service Member and civilian employee in the command receives the opportunity to participate.
• Contractor personnel are not eligible.
• Personnel temporarily assigned for 30 days or more participate in the assessment of the organization they perform duties in.
• Commands or organizations with fewer than 50 survey participants combine the DEOCS portion with another unit or organization to keep responses anonymous.
• Commanders and leadership actively promote maximum survey participation. Provide opportunities for personnel to take surveys during working hours.

Deployed and disconnected commands

When a unit deploys without connectivity, the commander creates and signs a Memorandum for the Record. On return, the unit completes a CCA within 90 days.

Action items

1. Compute the unit annual CCA window. Open 01 August. Begin no later than 31 October. Close 30 November.
2. On change of command, schedule the CCA within 90 days. Pull the most recent annual CCA and review the corrective action plan.
3. Confirm at least 50 Service Member and civilian survey respondents. Combine the DEOCS administration with another unit when below the threshold.
4. Confirm the CCA is annotated on the commander annual fitness report.
5. Subscribe to MPE updates. Coordinate prevention staff support through the unit Embedded Preventive Behavioral Health Capability (EPBHC).
6. Pull resources from A2S Home at https://www.defenseculture.mil/Assessment-to-Solutions/A2S-Home/.

Connection to higher policy

• DoD Instruction 6400.11, 2022-12-20. DoD Integrated Primary Prevention Policy for Prevention Workforce and Leaders. The governing policy for CCA.
• National Defense Authorization Act of 2013. Drives the FITREP annotation requirement for conducted CCAs.
• Secretary of Defense Memorandum dated 2021-09-22. Independent Review Commission Recommendation-Implementation Roadmap.

Connection to Marine Corps doctrine

• MCO 5354.1F. Marine Corps Equal Opportunity Manual. Chapter 2 carries the CCA framework.
• MARADMIN 573/24. Taking Care of People (TCOP) Program Initiatives. Companion initiative under Marine and Family Programs.

Status

Released 20 September 2023, DTG R 200815Z SEP 23. Originator CMC Washington DC MRA. Release authorized by Lieutenant General James F. Glynn, Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. Applicability is the Marine Corps Total Force. The source page on marines.mil shows CANCELLED on this MARADMIN. MARADMIN 534/23, signed 2023-10-20, reissued this guidance and is the active CCA policy message, confirmed against both message texts on 2026-07-15. Use this entry for historical context only.