The Army has developed a new tool to better monitor the progress of sexual harassment complaints and ensure that all necessary timelines are met.
As of March 1, Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) professionals are required to input all anonymous and formal sexual harassment complaints into the SHARP Strategic Management System (SMS) Complaint Tracking Tool.
The performance management tool is designed to be used by the lead sexual assault response coordinator (SARC) and supporting agencies at the installation level, and it addresses gaps identified by the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee (FHIRC) and the Department of Defense Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military.
According to Jill Londagin, director of the SHARP program, “This tracker will help us to adhere to regulatory requirements and effectively manage investigations and the handling of sexual harassment complaints.”
One of the recommendations the FHIRC made was for the Army SHARP Program Office to track and monitor the aging life cycle of each sexual harassment case. The new tracking tool provides the SHARP program with oversight capabilities to properly monitor the execution of the sexual harassment complaint timeline and identify program deficiencies, informing improvements to current processes.
Senior commanders will use the sexual harassment tracker at the Quarterly Sexual Assault Response Team (QSART) meetings to review compliance with required timelines and case characteristics and disposition trends.
Jeff Travers, SHARP’s Data and Reporting Branch Chief, explains that the tracking tool provides each echelon with a set of dashboards to better visualize the proper execution of the complaint timeline, allowing senior commanders to focus on gaps and friction points that prevent proper sexual harassment complaint processes.
Travers adds, “The required QSART meeting will be a forum to collaborate on solutions to improve the sexual harassment complaint process and address the identified problems.” The Army’s new performance management tool is a step forward in the fight against sexual harassment and assault in the military, and it will help ensure that all complaints are handled appropriately and in a timely manner.
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