Dipping into a pool of quality

FOLLOWING the release of the 2005 promotion lists, it is appropriate that DPA reflect on the success of the Performance Appraisal System (PAS) since its introduction in 2001.

Promotion within the Air Force is all about selecting the right people for the right job and depends on two things – a pool of jobs or positions available and a pool of quality people to promote to these positions.

Some 4000 personnel were considered for about 750 promotions during the 2004 Airmen/Airwomen promotion boards.
In terms of the pool of positions available, the number of promotions authorised for 2005 is less than previous years. This reflects a decrease in the number of personnel leaving the Service; the Air Force can’t promote people to positions that aren’t available.

Selection for promotion, in most musterings, was highly competitive.

In many ways it is pleasing that more people than forecast are choosing to stay with the Air Force, however this obviously has an impact on the number of people that can be promoted. Fortunately, the appraisal system is able to help the Air Force select from the pool of quality people that are presented to boards each year.

The appraisal system has two roles. The first is to provide an accurate description of an individual’s performance for external scrutiny (for promotion and selection purposes). The second is to provide feedback to an individual on his or her performance.

When the promotion boards view the appraisal of people in the pool, the expectation is that the assessors have made an accurate and valued representation of not only the past performance of an individual, but that individual’s potential for future performance.

The PAS is reliant on the integrity of the assessors and the quality of the supporting narrative. While some people might argue that this system has set-backs, feedback from those members who have sat on promotion boards, and those who have experienced the mock promotion boards on their promotion courses, is overwhelmingly positive in respect to the PAS. Each person in the pool is given equitable representation to the board for their performance over the years considered.

As the appraisal system also serves the role of providing feedback to the individual, the expectation is that each individual presented to the board has had the opportunity to review and address any concerns with the appraisal before it is presented. Combined with the participation in promotion boards by Air Force people in the field, the promotion system strives for transparency and fairness to each individual.

As a final “check and balance”, if a commanding officer does not agree that an individual selected for promotion is ready for the task ahead, then that CO has an obligation to provide reasons to DPA within 10 working days of the date of promulgation of the promotion list.

Any follow-on action in this case must be advised to the individual concerned and must follow the normal rules of procedural fairness. Ultimately DPA will consider all the information presented and make a final decision.

No appraisal system is flawless and for this reason DPA is contributing to the ADF review of the PAS; a review that will be based on the experiences of all three Services. Despite this review, the current system has improved the ability of DPA to find the right people for the right jobs.

The system still relies on adequate familiarity and training by all those involved. To this end, Airmen Performance Appraisal Cell (APAC) staff are regular presenters to the SNCO and WOFF promotion courses and are available to provide presentations to units or to answer any questions that people have.

More information, including PowerPoint presentations, are available on the Promotion Information page on the DPA web site on the intranet at http://intranet.defence.gov.au/raafweb/sites/DPAAF.

.