In January 1999, IMCA launched its guidance on competence assurance and assessment, covering personnel working in safety-critical positions. The guidance, as updated, sets out competence requirements for ROV personnel in document IMCA C 005, providing a framework within which contractors can implement competence schemes based on on-the-job assessment. That guidance does not set out training requirements, but notes that competence is a combination of skills, experience and knowledge. One way of gaining the necessary knowledge for a competence is by attending an appropriate training course.

IMCA has now produced this additional guidance which sets out outline syllabi for a number of ROV-related training courses. Each provides an outline of the topics that should be covered in such training, rather than detailed information on the contents, and it is envisaged that contractors and training providers will develop courses based on the topics outlined then tailored to suit specific personnel/ company requirements. The courses as suggested provide an overview of the proposed topics, rather than detailed information.

It should be noted that none of the courses should be considered mandatory or as a pre-requisite under IMCA's competence guidance. The syllabi have, rather, been developed to aid members in setting up appropriate courses where they feel that their personnel would benefit from formalised training. It is not intended that personnel need necessarily to have attended a formalised training course in order to demonstrate the appropriate knowledge during a competence assessment.