Ship Design Oversight Committee

The Federation Council Ship Design Oversight Committee, commonly referred to as SDOC, is a body made up of Federation Councillors tasked with oversight of all ship design, performance and commissioning in Starfleet and the wider Federation. The influential role of SDOC Chair has historically been highly contested, particularly between the Hawk and Pacifist factions, and is currently held by the Pacifists.

Role
SDOC are responsible for setting and monitoring Starfleet ship standards (such as those regarding Militarisation), approving Starfleet ship designs and ensuring that the actual ships launched by Shipyard Operations Command meet recorded specifications and build plans.

Ship Design Standards
Perhaps their most direct influence on Starfleet is when SDOC set Starfleet Ship Design Bureau guidelines, targets and standards- though these are in practice developed with SDB, following testimony and advice from expert panels- which naturally often include those same SDB Officers. While mostly a fairly smooth process, exceptions do occur such as the controversy over the minimum diplomatic facilities required onboard Starfleet vessels. There was considerable debate at the time over the merits of prioritising diplomatic capability on the Renaissance cruiser, even above its ability to support what others considered Starfleets primary Scientific and Exploratory role. The (losing) counter-argument went that while extensive diplomatic facilities naturally should be present on First-Contact Explorers and specialist diplomatic envoys, these were not appropriate as a requirement on a line combat Cruiser.

Ship Design Approval
Most visible to the public, given the excitement the announcement of a new Starfleet ship class can generate, SDOC are responsible for making the final recommendation to the Federation Council whether to approve any design, refit and variant request submitted by Starfleet.

Long-range strategy, logistics, and value
SDOC is more frequently occupied with strategic economic and logistical questions. Panels report on whether a specific comparatively costly performance increase to a design is worthwhile, on this ship designs resource-effectiveness, on recommended minimum specifications in the 2330s and similar matters (that are reflected in SDB thread debates of "is +1S for 10SR worthwhile?" or "Is H2 good enough for new designs, or should we insist on H3 from now on?"). In addition, they consider long-range logistical issues relevant to Shipyard Operations, such as whether Starfleet crewing or rare minerals supply (SR) is more likely to be the primary constraint on ship construction in ten years time. Accordingly, SDOC is also given oversight of Starfleet Tacticals work on Role and Ship Profiles.

Shipyard Operations
A function added to SDOC after their formation, and seen by SDOC as flowing from and tying together the above responsibilities, they also have oversight over all Starfleet ship construction and Shipyard output. They review commissioned ships quarterly and have authority to audit all Starfleet Shipyard production, in part to confirm the produced ships in fact meet the agreed build plans and design specifications.

While that makes the Committee name something of a misnomer, most on the SDOC believe this is necessary to prevent another Project Ares, when a promised “cheaper Excelsior” turned into a delayed and highly-limited warship as the ambitious design was cut, cut and cut again.

Member World Fleets
The role of SDOC also includes, by treaty, equivalent oversight of the Member World fleets, where the SDOC coordinates with the Member World Coordination Division on matters such as whether a planned new generation of mono-focused member fleet ships is going to place additional response burdens on Starfleet or their neighborhood polities. While they receive regular reports from the MWCD, in reality, the breadth and diversity of Member World fleet operations mean SDOC oversight is more theoretical, remote and based on exception-handling, typically when another Member World makes enough noise about a specific matter at the MWCD.

In this capacity SDOC has the authority and precedence to call in ranking officers of those Naval Services before a formal panel to answer questions. SDOC can request alterations to the Member Fleet plans (and has on occasion, typically after taking advice from expert panels of Starfleet Officers), more rarely report their objections to the MWCD, or- in extremis- issue a formal statement of censure, though it is likely everyone, especially at the Federation Council level, would bends over backwards to reach an accommodation before that point.

Powers
SDOC have the authority to call any Starfleet Officer (but not Enlisted personnel) to formally testify to the Committee on matters within their remit- in practice, virtually any topic related to starships, their role, function, design or commissioning. SDOC can also set up ad-hoc or standing panels of experts to advise on technical matters or report on specific questions.

While SDOC have the authority to recommend Council deny Starfleet permission to commence a design, in practice the discussions and compromises are made long before it reaches this point, and the Council vote is typically a rubber-stamping exercise following SDOC approval. If the SDOC is not satisfied with Starfleets reasoning for a design, but Starfleet insist on the tactical requirement, they can also make that clear in their report.

Thus far, the consequences of Starfleet insisting they require a given highly-militarised design over the strong objections of SDOC remain theoretical (see Militarisation).

Relations with Starfleet
With Commander, Starfleet acting as 'de-facto High Commissioner for Starfleet' to the President, the SDOC is one of the primary Council Committees tasked with oversight of Starfleet on behalf of the Council, including ships, their capabilities, design, role and commissioning. Thus, a good working relationship is a prize sought by many a CiC, though in practice the SDOC is more frequently directly concerned with specific Starfleet Commands including Ship Design Bureau, Shipyard Operations and occasionally Starfleet Tactical.

The key, two-way working relationship with the Ship Design Bureau has varied over time. Currently the main point of strain appears to be the result of relaxation of ship design parameters to a more flexible, encapsulated parts-driven approach, the related expansion of SDB, and a consequent explosion in the number of design proposals with minor variations.