FITREPs
Navy Overhauling its Evaluation System in Drive Toward Pay-for-Performance
Here is an article that gives some details on the new system they are developing to replace fitness reports:
Navy Overhauling its Evaluation System in Drive Toward Pay-for-Performance
Fitreps in 18 Minutes
Here is the Powerpoint and screencast of a lecture I gave on Fitreps a few weeks ago at the NMCSD Transition to Practice Symposium for all the graduating residents and fellows. Without audience participation, the lecture went from 30 minutes down to 18. Enjoy!
All New Evals and Fitreps Coming Soon – Military Times Article
Here is another article about the changes to our fitreps:
Navy Announces Effort to Modernize its Performance Evaluation System
WASHINGTON (NNS) The Navy announced Sunday that an effort is underway to replace its current performance evaluation system with a new, modern one.
“While NAVFIT 98 has worked for many years, we believe that it is time to develop a different system to measure Sailors’ performance,” said Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Robert Burke. “Our reason for making this change is threefold. First, we want a system that provides more meaningful, frequent and useful feedback to Sailors. Second, we want to objectively measure Sailors’ performance. Third, we want to remove artificialities in our current system, such as the tendency of reporting seniors to rate individuals by seniority rather than talent.”
The Navy’s goal is to test a conceptual prototype platform later this fall while running the existing performance evaluation system in parallel.
“The Navy’s current system was conceived, developed and implemented in 1996, and there has not been a major overhaul since,” said Commander, Navy Personnel Command Rear Adm. Rich Brown. “Transforming the way we measure Sailors’ performance will ultimately provide better transparency, counseling opportunities and a more accurate assessment of an individual’s talent. Our Sailors deserve a modern evaluation system and we are working to develop it as quickly as possible.”
The Navy has outlined an initial concept for a system that meets the following objectives:
- Measure an individual’s performance through standards based objective measures
- Tailor reports and counseling objectives to paygrade/seniority and experience (e.g. E1-E3; E4-E6; O1-O2; O3O4; O5-O6)
- Remove forced distribution competitive categories
- Enable formal and informal counseling that is both meaningful and frequent
- Include warfare communities’ specific objective measures
- Provide accountability, feedback and control mechanisms on reporting seniors’ performance grades
- Enhance talent matching aspects of counseling and formal reports
- Simplify reporting senior and counselor completion by allowing cloud based/mobile device input
Navy Personnel Command began leading fleetwide working groups in midApril to discuss the development and implementation of a new system.
“This change is not going to occur overnight,” Burke said. “We have a lot of work to do, and will partner closely with the fleet every step of the way. Rest assured that no one will be disadvantaged as we implement a new system. As we go forward, you can continue to expect a lot of discussion and we’ll give you plenty of notice before any changes are made. Please make your voices heard and take part in our fleet focus groups that will travel to your home ports this summer and fall. Additionally, you have a direct line to me via email at usnpeople.fct@navy.mil. We need your help to get this right.”
For more news from Chief of Naval Personnel, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnp/.
Joel Schofer’s Fitrep Prep
Thousands of times a year Navy physicians struggle to do something that no one really ever teaches them how to do…write their fitrep. I have read the Navy fitrep instruction, taken guidance I’ve received from senior Navy leaders and classes I’ve attended, and consolidated it into one document that you can read from start to finish when you need to write your fitrep. Click here for the latest version of Joel Schofer’s Fitrep Prep:
All of My Fitrep Writing Resources
Someone recently sent me a blog comment asking for more resources to use when writing their fitness reports. Here is one blog post that has everything in it that I’ve created so far:
BASIC ANATOMY OF A FITREP
This video lecture has been watched 690 times in less than a year and a half:
BLOG POSTS
How to Find Out Your Reporting Senior’s Fitrep Trait Average
LCDR Fitreps – Language for Writing Your Block 41
Tips to Improve Your Concurrent FITREP
The Top 5 Critical FITREP Mistakes
USEFUL DOCUMENTS
NAVFIT98 Block 41 Word Spacing Template – I didn’t create this one, but it is very useful. Thanks to whoever did!
Fitrep Instruction – BUPERSINST 1610.10D – Navy Performance Evaluation System
How to Find Out Your Reporting Senior’s Fitrep Trait Average
One of the most important markers of a good fitrep is that your trait average is above your reporting senior’s trait average. Since most officers initially write their own fitrep and create their own trait average on the first draft, it is important to find out your reporting senior’s trait average so that you can try to be above it. Here are a few ways to find out what it is.
First, in order to have a trait average, your reporting senior has to have served as the reporting senior for officers of your same rank from any corps. If they have not done this, they’ll have no pre-existing average. For example, if you are a LCDR, your reporting senior does not have to have ranked LCDR physicians. If he/she has ever ranked a LCDR of any kind (nurse, Medical Service Corps, line officer, etc.), then they will have an average.
If they have an average, here are the ways I know of to find it:
- If you’ve already received a fitrep from them in your current grade, then you can look at your Performance Summary Report or PSR, which you download from BUPERS On-Line. The number in the lower right in the “AVERAGES” column (circled below) is their average for that rank.
- If you haven’t received a fitrep from them, maybe you have a friend in the same rank who has received a recent fitrep from them. You can look at their PSR if they’ll let you.
- You can ask your chain of command or command fitrep coordinator. They often know because they are trying to make sure that all of the fitreps being done don’t change the reporting senior’s average in ways he/she doesn’t want.
- You can ask the reporting senior. They just may tell you.
The bottom line is that if you are drafting your fitrep, you want to try and find out the average and grade yourself above it. In the end, the ranking process may move you below it, but by submitting the draft with an above average grade you may increase the chances you stay above it.
