FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
Beginning April 1, the U.S. Army will change their officer evaluation reporting system to a new format to analyze and rate officer performances in a manner more in line with Army doctrine.
The system change switched DA Form 67-9 to DA Form 67-10, which has four different versions, or "grade plates", based on the rank of the officer.
"Our goal with the new system is to effectively link the evaluation of officers to our leadership doctrine, Army Training and Doctrine Publication 1: The Army and Army Doctrine Reference Publication 6-22: Army Leadership," said Maj. Rebekah Lust, U.S. Army Human Resources Command assignments officer.
One version of the evaluation system is for warrant officer one, chief warrant officer two, lieutenant and captain; another for chief warrant officer three through chief warrant officer five, major and lieutenant colonel; a third version for colonels and a fourth for brigadier generals.
"The different versions focus on leadership attributes and competencies," Lust said. "Officers will have to show strengths in a number of areas, and not just what they achieved, which is what the current form is focused on."
Sixteen boxes will be eliminated on the new DA 67-10, dealing with such items as "attributes, skills and actions." Raters will be required to write an evaluation, rather than checking a box, regarding a particular officer's attributes, specifically "character, presence and intellect."
Also, the different forms focus on the challenges that different levels of leadership face.
"For example, a field-grade officer will be more focused on operational issues, as opposed to the tactical level of company-grade officers," Lust said.
The new system also keeps raters more accountable in providing accurate reports of their performers. Using the current system, raters can give all subordinates top-block, or "superior performance", if they choose. The new system will only allow a rater to check the top block on less than 50 percent of the officers rated.
"It provides more realistic ratings and reduces inflation," First Lieutenant Kyle Selig, B Company, 5-159 General Support Aviation Battalion executive officer, said. "I'd rather have an accurate picture of myself or my troops than try and figure out the true skills of a person based on an inflated system."
To enact the changes and quell potential confusion about the new product, a mobile training team was put into place. Maj. Lust was part of the team that came from Fort Knox to provide training for officers at Fort Eustis. Officers were briefed about the new system, data input, submission procedures and rating philosophy.
"One of the main reasons it was important to brief face-to-face was because we want officers to understand that this is not a simple change in the form," Lust said. "This is a change in how the Army will develop and assess its officers."
Lust went on to outline other benefits of the new system.
"The new officer rating system was developed as a web-based tool rather than a form," she said. "That makes it quicker to use and better functionality in the system."
Lust referred to the Human Resource Center website for those who missed the training on Jan. 21-24. The Evaluations branch of the HRC is developing training videos to post on the website. The site should be updated in the next month for anyone seeking further clarification on the new rating system.
To find out more information about the OER, visit the Army HRC at www.hrc.army.mil/.