Army to hold selection assessment program for colonels

By The Army Talent Management Task ForceJuly 15, 2020

The Army will hold the first Colonels Command Assessment Program in September at Fort Knox, Ky. The program is a four-day assessment to determine officers’ readiness for command and strategic potential. Officers who are eligible for consideration in the Fiscal Year 22 Colonels Active Competitive Category Centralized Selection List board are invited to attend.
The Army will hold the first Colonels Command Assessment Program in September at Fort Knox, Ky. The program is a four-day assessment to determine officers’ readiness for command and strategic potential. Officers who are eligible for consideration in the Fiscal Year 22 Colonels Active Competitive Category Centralized Selection List board are invited to attend. (Photo Credit: Courtesy TMTF) VIEW ORIGINAL

The Army will hold the first Colonels Command Assessment Program in September at Fort Knox, Ky.

The program is a four-day assessment to determine officers’ readiness for command and strategic potential. Officers who are eligible for consideration in the Fiscal Year 22 Colonels Active Competitive Category Centralized Selection List board are invited to attend.

The Army uses programs like the Battalion Commander Assessment Program and the Colonels Command Assessment Program to form a multidimensional view of its top performing officers.

Participants undergo a series of assessments in addition to an Army Comprehensive Talent Interview with senior officers.

The Army Talent Management Task Force conducted the Battalion Commander Assessment Program at Fort Knox in January 2020, and results were released in March 2020.

When compared to the legacy centralized selection process, the BCAP resulted in a 34 percent change to the principals selected for command and key billets. Twenty-five officers selected by the CSL process as principals were found not ready for command. Nearly one hundred officers selected by the CSL process as alternates, moved into principal positions on the BCAP list.

Compared to the legacy CSL process, the BCAP-selected officers demonstrated that they were more physically fit, had higher levels of cognitive ability, communicated better and exhibited fewer counterproductive leadership traits.

While BCAP and CCAP are similar programs, the demands of O-6 CSL are different from O-5 CSL. As such, the CCAP assessments differ from the assessments given at BCAP.

For instance, CCAP candidates will take part in a Strategic Leadership Exercise instead of the Leader Reaction Course. The Cognitive/Non-cognitive and written assessments will also vary.

Command assessment programs have built in mechanisms to reduce bias, both conscious and unconscious, during the Army Comprehensive Talent Interview.

Each interview panel includes diverse representation to provide multiple, independent perspectives including race, gender, branch category, and military experience.

The interview is "double blind," meaning the candidate answers questions from behind a screen where they cannot see the panel members and panel members cannot see the candidate.

To further reduce the possibility of branch, unit, and skill qualification bias, the identity, branch, and units of the candidates are masked from the panel members, and candidates are asked not to share this information during the interview.

Candidates for O-6 Command and General Staff designated positions should consider if they will opt in to the CSL board and subsequently attend CCAP. Watch the documentary on the BCAP website and review the op-eds by BCAP participants.

To learn more about the Army’s newest assessment program, visit https://talent.army.mil/CCAP.