Army - The Soldiers' Newspaper

Grievance: If you don’t agree with your assessment, talk to your supervisor. Photo by Cpl Mike McSweeney

WE all know how important a good PAR is to the promotion system. So what happens if you believe you have not received a fair report?

The PAR is subject to a representation process in the event that you disagree with any part of the appraisal. This process should be a quick and expeditious process that focuses on resolving a dispute about a PAR at unit level. The PAR is not to be sent to SCMA until the representation process is complete.

The first step is to talk things over with your assessor. The PAR is a performance-based system, so if you believe that your PAR is not an accurate reflection of your performance, you should begin by discussing this with your assessor. If the assessor agrees to amend the report accordingly then no further action is necessary. If you and your assessor cannot agree, you should then start thinking about representing. You have two days to decide whether to represent.

It is important to note that the Army Personnel Advisory Committee (PAC) on Other Ranks is conducted from February to May each year. Therefore, it is too late to represent against a report after it has already been presented to a promotion board.

Remember that the PAR is only one of many documents that are considered during PAC deliberations.

You should be honest about your performance when deciding whether you think you deserve a higher performance dimension or a stronger, more comprehensive narrative. You should take both praise and criticism within the context it is given, and should not expect a high report if you are not performing at a high standard.

When the PAC looks at your PAR, a bad PAR is one where the narrative does not justify the performance dimensions awarded and does not provide examples.

Once you have decided to represent, you should stick to the facts and not be emotive when presenting your case. You should expand on your identified performance achievements, outline what the job standard is and how often you achieve it.

You may represent against assessments made by both the assessor and senior assessor but may not represent against the senior assessor for matters raised by the initial assessor.

If, after your PAR is completed, you are still dissatisfied, you may pursue the matter further using the Redress of Grievance process.

Naturally, a case for redress is more difficult to substantiate where you have already signed your PAR as agreeing with the content of the report and/or you have not represented against the report.

You should be prepared for your PAR long before you receive it. So it is imperative that you take a good look at your performance and take any constructive criticism as feedback.

Remember the PAR is the last step in a three-step process of initial counselling, mid-term review and the PAR. If these steps are followed throughout the year, there should be no surprises when it comes to your PAR.

For more information read Additional Information on Performance Dimensions contained in DI(G) 10-8 Annex D, Appendix and Redress of Grievance system, as detailed in DI(G) Pers 34-1.