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 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 responsibility
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 Rater
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.
Tools
- AF Form 724A, Airman Comprehensive Assessment Worksheet (2Lt - Col)
- AF Form 932, Airman Comprehensive Assessment Worksheet (MSgt - CMSgt)
- AF Form 931, Airman Comprehensive Assessment Worksheet (AB - TSgt)