Air Force's Personnel Center

The revised AF Form 931, Airman Comprehensive Assessment Worksheet (AB through TSgt) and the AF Form 932, Airman Comprehensive Assessment Worksheet (MSgt through CMSgt) are now available. The revised AF Forms 931/932 are effective immediately and all rating chains should utilize these revised forms for any upcoming ACA sessions (links found on rights side of this page).

Some of the changes to these forms include: adjusted language on the specific performance assessment ratings to mirror the AF Form 910 and AF Form 911; a third page added for a continuation of comments; and "AF Indicator" was corrected to "AEF Indicator".

CLARIFICATION OF PROMOTION STATEMENTS ON ENLISTED EVALUATIONS

Several inquiries have been received over the last few months regarding clarification on enlisted promotion statements authorized on Enlisted Performance Reports (EPRs). After reviewing AFI 36-2406, Officer and Enlisted Evaluation Systems, some of the language may be misinterpreted and therefore the following clarification is provided:

-Regarding promotion statements on the AF Form 910, although para 1.12.2.3 states "Written promotion statement on the AF Form 910 are prohibited", this prohibition does not include factual statements such as Airmen STEP-promoted or selected/promoted BTZ. These types of statements are facts and inclusion of these statements in an EPR does not violate AFI 36-2406 (for example: "STEP promoted to technical sergeant" or "Selection to staff sergeant on target" or "Selected for senior airman below-the-zone")

-Veiled promotion statements continue to be prohibited on enlisted evaluations; however, statements of fact are not veiled promotion statements. Comments such as "filled a senior master sergeant billet for XX-months" are authorized on a master sergeant EPR only if the master sergeant actually filled the senior master sergeant billet. In other situations, although a master sergeant may be "operating like a senior master sergeant" or "already perform like senior master sergeant ", these types of comments are "veiled promotion statements" and are prohibited. Promotion recommendation statements (pushes to the next higher grade) are only authorized for SNCOs that are Time-in-grade/Time-in-Service eligible for promotion and may only be placed in the final evaluator's block of the AF Form 911

As a reminder, the focus on EPRs should be to document how well Airmen performed their job ("Performance") and the qualities Airmen bring to accomplishing the mission versus what specific position or billet the Airman is assigned. This clarification will be included in the revision of AFI 36-2406 and until published this message will be utilized.

Direct any questions to the myPers - Total Force Service Center.

VIRTUAL EVALUATION PROCESSING

The Regular Air Force is now processing evaluations using the enhanced online workflow called the virtual Personnel Center (vPC). Through the vPC Dashboard, Commander Support Staffs will be able to initiate, process and track evaluations. This automated workflow concept serves to replace the Evaluation Management System or local processes at the unit-level. vPC now provides pre-populated Airman information into forms, on-line evaluation shells and will eventually allow the Military Personnel Section (MPS) to auto-update the Military Personnel Data System (MilPDS).

AIRMAN COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT FEEDBACK FORM

In today’s Air Force there are a number of issues affecting our Airmen and the role of the supervisor has become more relevant than ever. The supervisor is not only required to document the performance of those Airmen under their direction but also to assess their mission capabilities, deployment readiness, and mentor them for increased leadership abilities to lead our Air Force into the next century. An Airman is an Airman 24/7, which means that leaders should be concerned with their welfare and development regardless of whether they're on duty, off-duty or on leave.

The performance feedback program was originally designed as a formal communication between the rater and ratee to establish expectations regarding duty performance. However, as we continue to enhance our Airman’s capabilities additional areas were needed to encompass other aspects of an Airman’s life.

The performance feedback portion of the Airman Comprehensive Feedback (ACA) continues to be a cornerstone of Enlisted and Officer Evaluation System (E/OES), as Performance Recommendation forms (PRFs) (for officers) are based upon the expectations and guidance given in the feedback process. An Airman requires feedback to develop professionally and should receive it regularly through informal means in addition to the required formal ACA sessions. The ACA also serves as a method of motivation. If given frequent and specific ACA sessions, Airman will better understand what is expected and will be motivated to perform better in order to meet and exceed expectations.

WHY AN ACA IS REQUIRED?

Communication

Effective feedback is a realistic assessment of an individual’s performance and knowing your Airman. The rater should discuss the ratee’s skills and abilities, behavior, how he or she affected the mission and what his/her goals are professionally and personally. Raters should be impartial and provide honest and realistic feedback, as the performance portion of the ACA will be used to support evaluations based on observed behavior.

Information

The private feedback session is an ideal opportunity to inform an individual where they need improvement, obtain where an individual may need more information, discuss professional and personal goals and set future expectations. It also lets the ratee know what needs to be done before the Performance Report is due. Sheltering the ratee from bad news is much more harmful than providing needed criticism. However, do not use an ACA worksheet to document behavior that may result in administrative or judicial action.

Motivation

Feedback, whether positive or negative, needs to be specific. Specific positive comments reinforce the behavior, and specific negative comments focus the attention where the ratee needs improvement. A lack of information, on the other hand, tends to lower the ratee’s motivation to improve. Comments that are not sufficiently specific will not concentrate the ratee’s attention on exactly what he or she needs to do in order to be successful in their job. Below are examples of how you can make your comments more specific to improve the quality of the feedback session.

WHEN TO GIVE FEEDBACK

Within the first 60 days of supervision, the rater must conduct an initial ACA session to discuss with the ratee the rater’s expectations for the job and standards that will be used to evaluate performance. It is not necessary to mark the scale provided during this initial feedback session. In addition to the initial feedback, a midterm feedback session halfway between the initial feedback and the projected close-out of the ratee’s next Enlisted/Officer Performance Report (E/OPR). A final feedback session, called “End of Reporting Period Feedback” will now be accomplished during the ratee’s acknowledgement of an OPR.

Colonels and CMSgts will continue to receive initial feedbacks; however, they will now also receive an end of reporting period feedback upon acknowledgement of the E/OPR.

Additional sessions may be held at the request of the ratee or as determined necessary by the rater.

A formal feedback session should be held face-to-face. If impractical due to geographical separation or extended Temporary Duty, conduct the feedback session via telephone.

KEY PLAYERS AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES

Commander

The commander has the overall responsibility in ensuring his/her squadron has an effective ACA program. He/she can establish quality performance measures to ensure ACA sessions are being conducted. To enable this responsibility commanders may review the ACA worksheets if desired (do not allow unauthorized personnel to have access to ACA worksheet according to Air Force Instruction (AFI) 36-2406).

Raters and Rater's Raters

Raters are not the only ones that can see an ACA worksheet--the rater’s rater can too as well as other Airman in the chain-of-command. Therefore, it is not only the responsibility of the rater to ensure ACA sessions are is conducted, but also those who have access to ACA worksheet as well. The rater’s rater should initiate this action (review ACA worksheet) when they actually have a need to know or have evidence that would warrant such a review. The rater should periodically spot check to ensure his/her subordinates are providing ACA sessions to their Airmen.

Ratee

It is important that ratees know that it is not only their rater, rater’s rater and commander’s responsibility to ensure they receive ACA sessions, but also it’s their ultimate responsibility. Ratees need to know they can ask for unscheduled ACA sessions as long as there has not been an ACA session conducted in the last 60 days. The rater has 30 days upon request to provide it. If not provided within this window, the ratee has justification to elevate the rater’s failure to provide ACA session to the rater’s rater, and to the commander if necessary.