Promotion, Personnel Advisory Committee and Pay

PAC / Promotion / PAR / Pay Cell

The PAC/Promotion/PAR/Pay Section is responsible for:

1. Preparing all the required information for the annual Personnel Advisory Committee (PAC), the coordination aspects of the PAC conduct and for the associated administration for promotion of soldiers to SNCO and WO.
2. Ensuring that all regular soldier's trade qualifications are recorded.
3. Processing any changes in pay details associated with posting, gaining trade qualifications and/or promotions.

Personnel Advisory Process

The promotion process is not a secret process shrouded in mystery only to be understood by SCMA. In fact, the process is open and transparent. All ranks are able to visit SCMA during the promotion series to view it first hand. The only stipulation is that you cannot view your own Corps.

The promotion process consists of several steps, starting with the soldier and the unit. The key document considered by the Personnel Advisory Committee (PAC), is the annual Performance Appraisal Report. Other records such as special reports, interview sheets, career planning letters, medical classifications, AIRN status, course reports, record of service including offences and awards are also considered. Finally, the soldier's posting history and the experience gained in different environments are considered in determining those with the merit and potential for greater responsibility.

The Personnel Advisory Committee convenes between February and June each year and indicates to the appropriate promotion delegate the suitability and relative merit for promotion of soldiers to SGT and above. The PAC's role is to consider and rank in order of merit, all soldiers eligible for promotion. The PAC process is detailed in the appropriate Career Management Agency Standing Operating Procedures, which are held at SCMA/DRCM-A.

Soldiers should be conscious that promotion is not merely a reward for performance. Promotion occurs to give soldiers the authority to carry out their duties. Promotion is a service needs driven requirement and opportunities can change from year to year due to available vacancies.

2010 PAC Time Table

Promotion Advice

As in previous years, all soldiers considered by the PAC in 2010 will be notified of their results in writing via their unit CO/OCs. There are five bands and a No-Band, the numbers in each of these bands will be determined by vacancies, therefore the numbers in each band will vary according to Corps and Trade.

PAC Banding System

The PAC grading system will employ five bands and a no band. A brief description of each band is as follows:

• Band 1. The soldier is suitable for promotion. Based upon projected vacancies, it is likely he/she will be promoted within the current Posting Planning Cycle (PPC).
• Band 2. The soldier is suitable for promotion. Subject to the availability of positions, the soldier may be promoted during this PPC.
• Band 3. The soldier is suitable for promotion. Due to the limitations on the number of positions available, the soldier is not expected to be promoted in this PPC.
• Band 4. The soldier is not suitable for promotion in this PPC. The PAC will identify the areas in which the soldier needs to improve or the circumstances that need to change before a soldier would be considered suitable. This may be due to performance, medical, discharge, conduct/discipline, insufficient experience in trade or insufficient time in rank but could also be due to other factors. The soldier will receive feedback on the circumstances that prevented them from being suitable.
• Band 5. The soldier is not suitable for promotion in the long term. The soldier may be offering restricted service or their performance history relative to his/her peers has not been strong enough for them to be considered competitive for promotion. This does not necessarily mean they do not have the qualities required to perform at a higher rank or do not have the qualities required for continued service in the Army. The soldier's long-term overall performance relative to their peers or posting restrictions, makes it highly unlikely that they would be considered competitive for promotion in the foreseeable future. While soldiers who have been placed into Band 5 during a previous PAC session will not normally be considered further, there is provisions that they may be reconsidered at PAC if there is a significant change in circumstances:such as sustained (ie. over at least two consecutive reporting periods) and significant improvement in performance; or significant increase in projected vacancies for the target rank and trade.Requests for Band 5 reconsideration must be made to the CMA by a soldier's CO/OC in writing
• No Band. Soldiers who are considered to be suitable for promotion but are not able to become fully qualified for promotion in the current PPC will not be allocated to a Band. He/she will receive feedback on their circumstances.

Conclusion

The Army's promotion and reporting system for soldiers has been designed to be as fair and objective as possible. Promotion is based on Army needs and merit (once the soldier has met the minimum selection criteria for their Corps and trade). This is largely determined by the soldier's performance, which is assessed at unit level. The unit commander should maximise the contribution to the future standards of the Army by using the guidance provided here to produce fair and accurate reporting. Only then can the promotion of the right soldiers be ensured.