Breaking the Mold

This monograph seeks to answer the primary research question of how can the Army improve its officer evaluation report in order to evaluate current doctrinal competencies, and better differentiate its top, middle, and bottom performers. The research applies evaluation theory to two case studies in order to determine best practices for a future Army evaluation. The cases involved are the Army's current officer evaluation system and the Marine Corps Fitness Report (FITREP). The monograph concludes with a recommendation for a framework of a future evaluation. The research found that the Army can improve its Officer Evaluation Report by incorporating the leader competencies of the Army's Leadership Requirements Model. Additionally, the Army should use behavior-anchored rating scales to rate performance and use a senior rater forced distribution system that evaluates leader competencies to differentiate between officers based on their performance and potential.