As the Army switches to a new Officer Evaluation Report data input, submission procedures, and rating philosophy were critical focal points of a mobile training team on post Jan. 13 to 16.
An Army Human Resources Command team met with officers and HR specialists to dwell deep into changes of the new OER system, set to be implemented April 1.
"Every Army officer, from the commanding general down, is affected by these changes, and it is important to educate all involved on the new processes, particularly in light of the drawdown the Army is facing this year," said Joe Reynolds, HR specialist, Fort Leonard Wood.
"The mobile training team taught the Soldiers not only the new regulations for the OER, but also the new web-based procedures for preparing and submitting reports," he said.
"It is important for Human Resources Command -- Evaluations Branch to personally teach this material, so that the details are not lost or diluted in web-based training or in chain teaching," Reynolds said.
The new OER system is designed to both strengthen rater accountability and reflect current Army leadership doctrine.
According to the Human Resources Command, the new system will affect officers in all branches and all components of the Army.
Maj. Lawrence McKiernan, MTT officer-in-charge, said one of the biggest changes is the grade plates.
Three OER grade plates were established -- one for company grade officers, one for field grade officers, and the third is the strategic level, colonel and general officer reports. Brigadier general and chief warrant officer 5 will not receive box checks, major general and above will not receive evaluations.
Each set of grade plates identifies performance attributes that reflect the potential appropriate for the individual officers' grade, according to HRC.
Evaluations will be input and submitted by way of a Web-based system.
"We are going from the DA Form 67-9 to the 67-10. It's a Web-based system," McKiernan said.
"Before, all of the forms resided on Army Knowledge Online. They had to be uploaded and sent. With the new entry system, everything is in real time. You aren't saving the form anymore; it's saved on the website automatically. Once it's submitted it goes straight to HRC. It's a better, more streamlined, system," he said.
McKiernan said for OER thru dates of March 31 or earlier the DA Form 67-9 should be used.
For thru dates of April 1 or later, 67-10 OER series will be used via the new evaluation entry system.
According to HRC, the new EES will include, an enhanced wizard to guide rating chain and human resource professionals in preparing an evaluation, multi-pane dashboard allows user to view data input and form simultaneously, a built-in tool to view and manage rater and senior rater profiles, and a quick reference to AR 623-3 and DA PAM 623-3.
A Common Access Card will be needed to access the Web-based EES.
The team gave officers a demonstration of the system and conducted briefs on rating philosophy. The team also met with civilian and military human resources specialists, for training.
"There were over 12 separate sessions available for all Army officers and their civilian raters to include students in the Basic Officer Leadership Course and the Captain's Career Courses.
"The mobile training team also taught five sessions specifically targeted for Human Resources professionals who will be charged with the responsibility for the evaluations system," Reynolds said.
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