Writing the Navy EVAL

It's an unfortunate fact of military life that no matter how hard you work or how many hours you put in, all your efforts will have been wasted if they aren't recorded and documented in a single sheet of paper --your Evaluation. The single most important factor in whether you get promoted is your annual performance Evaluation. That single sheet of paper affects your chances for promotion, your assignment options, training opportunities, and your entire future in the military. It is vital that you take the time to find out what you need to do in order to meet and exceed requirements for your rating and then prepare. And you have to start early. It takes from six months to a year to build a favorable impression. Then, it's equally important to make sure those achievements get recorded in your Eval and that it's as well written as possible. To help make your Eval as well-written as possible, below are performance report instructions, phrases, examples, and other guidance.

Writing a Navy Eval

The effectiveness and quality of your annual evaluation depends on much more than the Comments on Performance block. Your actions and preparation over the previous year are the most critical component because without them, there would be nothing to write about! But this short tutorial is only focused on filling in the Comments on Performance block. Squeezing an entire year of performance into a mere 16 lines is a challenge but if you break down the task into its basic parts, it makes the job logical, less subjective, and easier. The Comments on Performance block has three main areas: the Introduction, the Accomplishments section, and the Summary. Each of these areas has its own format and purpose. Note that these "sections" within the Comments on Performance block are not labeled as such. The requirement to follow this format and address the topics required by each section derives from evolving Navy tradition and methodology rather than published guidance.

The Introduction

The purpose and goal of the Navy Eval is to accurately and fully describe performance. This is often accomplished by listing the notable achievements of the person being rated. While listing significant achievements does provide some insight into a person's capabilities, it doesn't provide the whole picture. A list of achievements doesn't give any indication as to the character or personality of the ratee. A Seaman might have a long list of impressive accomplishments but be an unruly Sailor with a bad attitude. He or she might be an expert in their field but the absolute worst at sharing experience or getting along with others. And those social qualities are very important, fully as important as a person's technical skills! So, in addition to describing a person's professional and technical skills, we need a way to convey to the EVAL's reader his social skills, his integrity, his character, his loyalty and other qualities which are not apparent when merely reading a list of accomplishments. The introduction is where this is done. Incidentally, these are the only lines where descriptive, subjective terms and adjectives are tolerated and even encouraged. More...

Accomplishments

As stated above, the goal of the Eval is to accurately and fully describe performance. While the Introduction provides information on the subject's personality and character, most of the Comments on Performance block is reserved for recording the subjects accomplishments during the reporting period. A list of accomplishments provide a factual window onto a person's abilities, skills, and productivity. The ratio of the number of lines devoted to accomplishments to the number of lines set aside for the introduction give you an idea of the importance of achievements to the Navy. Technical and professional qualities are critically important to achieving the Navy's mission and for advancement, fully as important as a person's social and leadership skills. The quickest and most effective way to come up with material for your Eval is to brainstorm first. List all the ratee's accomplishments on a separate sheet of paper. Write down everything that might qualify as a bullet. Nothing is too small or off-limits. More...

The Summary

Just as the introduction was a masterpiece of concise expression, the summary must sum up the impression the writer is trying to convey about the subject of the Eval. Normally, one to three lines are used at the bottom of the Comments on Performance block to summarize the tone of the report and provide a promotion statement. More...