CDR Linda West, MSPH, RS/REHS Preparation for the Promotion and Review Processes

1. CDR Linda West, MSPH, RS/REHSPreparation for the Promotion and Review Processes What you Need to Know to Help you Get Promoted!

2. Your eOPFA Road Map of Your Career • What does your eOPF say about your career and your potential? • Let’s dive a little deeper. • How do you put all this into action?

3. Section by Section-your eOPFWhat they see • Documents Relating to Your Performance • COER Documents • Reviewing Official Statements • Officer’s Statement • Letters of Reprimand • Personnel orders, assimilation documents, documents associated with CAD

4. Your eOPF • Promotion Information Report (PIR) • Curriculum Vitae (CV) • Licenses, Credentials & Certificates • PHS Awards & Non-PHS Awards • Continuing Education Documents • Special Skills Documents • Outside Activities Documents • PHS Support Activities

5. Category Benchmarks • 5 Promotion Precepts that describe the “Best Qualified” officer for a specific category at a specific grade • Promotion Precepts identical for all categories • No officer is expected to meet all the standards for all precepts • Not a checklist of activities, quality and impact more important than quantity of activities • Go review the benchmarks for your category! • http://dcp.psc.gov/Category_Benchmarks.aspx

6. Promotion Precepts and weighted scoring • Performance- Performance Rating 40% and Reviewing Official’s Statement • Education, training, and 15% professional development • Career progression and potential 25% • Officership-professional 15% contributions and services to the PHS Commissioned Corps • Basic Readiness 5%

7. Promotion Benchmarks • The Precepts are composed of factors • Benchmarks are given for each factor at various grade levels • Identical Benchmarks for all categories for precepts 1, 4 and 5 • Benchmarks for precepts 2 and 3 are category specific

8. Example Promotion Counseling • Review the overall appearance of your eOPF • Are scanned items clear and easy to read, not grainy? • Items scanned in upside down will be corrected, however, marred or faded copies will appear to the board as you see them. • Make sure all required documents are in the correct section.

9. Overview of Your eOPF • Outside activity section- should contain a 520 form, report of outside activities if you are serving in an outside activity whether for financial gain or volunteering. When in doubt, consult the ethics section of your program • PHS Support Activities- thank you letters, letters of appreciation go in this section. If you receive an email or a phone call about a great job you’ve done, don’t hesitate to ask for a letter that can be permanently placed in your file

10. Overview of your eOPF • Make sure your PIR is in sync with your eOPF. • Special Skills Documents- examples are certifications in scuba diving, private pilot’s license, commercial vehicle license. • Continuing Education Section- What did you do to broaden your scope of knowledge in addition to the 75 hours you needed to maintain your RD certification?

11. Overview of your eOPF • Do your eOPF documents read like “Alphabet Soup”? • In other words, are so many abbreviations used that board members from other agencies will not understand? • Remember in general: • The promotion board is made up of multiple agencies that may not recognize the acronyms. • Don’t describe in so much detail that those not familiar with your job are lost in the minutia, stick to measurable impact!

12. Overview of your eOPF • Curriculum Vitae • Don’t use small font sizes, harder to read. • Describe your job duties so that others can understand; use Action Verbs at beginning of bullets. • More is not necessarily better here, include key pieces of information in as few pages as possible. • Use benchmark words when possible i.e. “collateral”, so easily spotted by the board. • Have a “seasoned” colleague look over your CV, preferably an 0-6 in your category; ask at least 2 people to review, and do promotion counseling.

13. Overview of your eOPF • Even if nothing has changed in your CV, make sure you review it and title it with a current date, not a previous year’s date. • Make it easy on the Promotion Board to see your best accomplishments and qualities • Keep in mind they have an average of 10 minutes to spend on each candidate’s file

14. Precept 1, weighted 40%Performance • Focus is on the narrative of the last 3-5 COERS, therefore rater’s comments should not be the same year after year. • Should occupy a billet at their current grade or preferably the grade they seek to attain. Billet increases should also reflect an increase in level of responsibilities, independence and leadership. • Main thing is to show INCREASED responsibilities over time. • Secondary assessment is COER scores.

15. Precept 1Performance • The COER is a good place to sell yourself, what have your accomplishments been over the past year? • Remember the Board sees all your COERs, for the last 3-5 years, so avoid listing the same accomplishments every COER. • Supply your rater with bullets for each of the 8 factors; that can lend itself to a more remarkable COER.

16. The New COER Instrument • A New “Performance Evaluation Tool/Instrument” • New COER Instrument will be launched 6 October 2010 • The change is about obtaining a more objective measure of assessment of officer performance (e.g. assessing how well an officer performs his/her duties & responsibilities)

17. The New COER – Structural Changes • • There are now 8 officer evaluation factors: • 1. Leadership • 2. Initiative and Growth • 3. Communication Skills • 4. Interpersonal Skills • 5. Planning and Organization • 6. Professional Competencies • 7. Analysis, Judgment, and Decision-Making • 8. Overall Effectiveness

18. Reviewing Official’s StatementROS • ROS- Reviewing Official’s Statement- strong statement of endorsement for the officer’s promotion to the next higher rank. • Assessment includes: • Leadership potential, • Contribution to agency mission, and • Overall promotion readiness.

19. ROS • If possible, provide your RO with bullets of information to assist him/her in writing your ROS. • ROS/OS can contain any significant accomplishments since your last promotion. • ROS should address information that supports (by providing different examples) that which is found in OS, CV and COER. • ROS is NOT automatically electronically generated. • “Extra space” to potentially highlight things not in COER or OS.

20. Officer’s Statement (OS) orWhat have you done for me lately? • Opportunity to present why YOU should be promoted. • Describe all significant accomplishments since last promotion with respect to support of Corps activities, commitment to visibility as an officer; and vision and expectations of a career in the Corps and Corps Mission. • OS should not be identical to ROS. Use examples different from those in the OS.

21. OS • Only current year’s OS and ROS are available for promotion board to review. • When OS is missing, that may be perceived as lack of interest on the officer’s part. • Between OS, ROS, CV, and COER the officer has 4 opportunities to sell themselves for promotion!

22. Awards • There should be a record of awards across the officer’s career with increasing impacts at the regional, national or international level which may result in progressively higher awards or recognition • Other Awards • Professional organizations • Agency and non-agency awards and recognition

23. Precept 1 • Can be reflected in: • COERS, • OS, ROS • PHS Awards & Non-PHS Awards, PIR, CV • Personnel orders

24. Precept 2, weighted 15%Education, Training & Professional Development • Is it evident that the officer is committed throughout their career to increasing their knowledge and therefore their impact on public health? • Additional certifications • Graduate degrees • Advanced coursework • Can be reflected in: • OS, ROS, COERs, CV • Continuing Education, Licenses, Credentials & Certifications

25. Precept 3, weighted 25%Career Progression & Potential • Board is instructed to look at whole picture. • Factors are: • Billet level, progressively higher billets • Mobility, geographic and/or programmatic, includes extended TDY assignments • Collateral Duties, actively engaged in duties/activities at the local/institutional, regional, national level, noting responsibilities and impact • Assimilation

26. Precept 3 • Reflected in: • OS, ROS, COERs • PIR, CV • Personnel orders

27. Precept 4Benchmark Factors • Officer Contribution, demonstration of involvement : • in PAC and Advisory Groups • Local Branches of Commissioned Officers Association • Recruitment activities • Mentoring • Membership/Involvement in Professional , Uniformed Service and Specialty Organizations • Commitment to Visibility • Acknowledgement of the Corps, presentations, etc

28. Precept 4, weighted 15% • Professional contributions and services to the PHS Commissioned Corps (Officership) • Honor/Integrity/Duty- summed up by officer seen as a role model by peers/agency leadership • 3 pages of factors with benchmarks, however only weighted 15%, thus a balancing act

29. Precept 4 • Reflected in: • OS, ROS, COERs • PIR, CV, PHS Awards & Non-Awards, PHS Support Activities Documents (letters of appreciation) • Personnel orders (if deployed or sent to certain types of training)

30. Precept 5 weighted 5%Basic Readiness (Check) • These points are not awarded by Promotion Board • 5 points awarded if found Basic Ready at Dec 31st basic readiness check, if found “not Basic Ready”, do not receive 5 points and receive automatic “board not recommend” • Automatically referred to a Retention Board • If found “not basic ready” at Mar 31st check, even if they were to be promoted, they will be removed from the promotion list

31. CCMISPromotion Information Website • CCMIS Website, Under “Services” • Select “Promotion Information” from drop down menu. • The Promotion Information Web site has links to documents including, Category Benchmarks, Officer Statement (OS) and Reviewing Official (ROS) forms and instructions, and a description of the promotion process. • It contains important guidance to assist officers in preparing for promotion.

32. What’s going to help YOU get promoted? Take responsibility for your promotion • Ensure your eOPF and PIR are accurate • Be aware of visual presentation of documents – appealing to the eye and not overwhelming- beware of small font- more isn’t necessarily better • Compare the benchmarks and precepts • Seek mentoring/career counseling from a senior officer in your category • This is not a process you should start 3 months before your promotion; it takes career planning

33. A Few Points About Leadership, Career and Promotion • Always do what you love (in other words, don’t sacrifice what you love doing for promotion unless it’s part of your strategic plan). • Strategic plan- it is okay to transfer into a position that appears to be less responsibility or a lower billet, if you can justify the reason. • Changing agencies, stepping stone in learning a new field • Justify in your CV, and OS, and ROS if allowed to draft it.

34. A Few Points About Leadership, Career and Promotion • Leadership can be across many domains. • Higher billets, assume more responsibility and independence in assignments or collateral duties. • Taking on leadership roles in professional organizations. • Serving in leadership role on PAC subcommittees. • Mentoring. • Leadership needs to be demonstrated throughout the officer’s career not just when approaching higher promotion grades.

35. In Summary:Promotion PreparationIS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY! • Officers should do the following: • Start preparing now! • Review the CCMIS Promotion information and Category Benchmarks. • Reach out to 2 senior officers in your category to review your COER (before you turn it in) and CV. • Meet with them to get career counseling. • Put Curriculum Vitae (CV) in format recommended by your Category (CCMIS/PAC Links).

36. In Summary:Promotion PreparationIS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY! • Officers should do the following: • Review your Electronic Official Personnel File (eOPF) • Fax: 301-480-1436 or 301-480-1407 • Send in Licenses. Fax: 240-453-6142, ATTN: Licensure Technician. • Review your Promotion Information Report (PIR) • Make time to show impact on your Commissioned Officers’ Effectiveness Report (COER) • Put time into the Officer’s Statement (OS) • Reviewing Official Statement (ROS) • Promotion, Readiness, Leadership, Mission

37. Summary • Please make sure when submitting documents they are submitted to the proper area • Medical forms must go to MAB whether for readiness or physical exam requirements • Make sure to read instructions when sending/faxing/mailing documents, if sent to the wrong place they may be lost • Basically, follow the instructions on the CCMIS website (CCMIS/Services/Promotion Information) • Get a mentor and utilize his/her advice

38. Commissioned Corps Personnel Office Main Number: 404-498-1800 • Director: CAPT Doris Ravenell-Brown 404-498-1805 • Deputy Director: CDR Amanda Dunnick 404-498-1809 • CAPT April Shaw 404-498-1813 • CDR Linda West 404-498-6664 • LCDR Joe Laco 404-498-1826 • CDR Leslie Leonard 404-498-1818 • LCDR Matthew Weinburke 404-498-1803 • Mr. Aaron Arnold 404-498-1802 • Ms. Janette Chaney 404-498-1804

39. Commissioned Corps Personnel Office • Staff Specialists Assignments – If you work at CDC/ATSDR, you can call us for promotion counseling (or your OPDIV Liaison): • NIOSH - CDR Amanda Dunnick • NCEZID - LCDR Matthew Weinburke • NCCDPHP / NCIRD - CAPT April Shaw • NCEH/ ATSDR/ NCIPC - Mrs. Janette Chaney • OSELS /OSEILS / NCHS - CDR Linda West • NCHHSTP/ CGH/ NCBDDD - LCDR Joe Laco • OD / OPHPR - CDR Leslie Leonard

40. Thank you! CDR Linda K. West (EHO) Staff Specialist CDC/ATSDR Commissioned Corps Personnel Office CDC/OCOO/HCMO/HCPB/CCPO Atlanta, GA Phone: (404) 498-6664 Lwest@cdc.gov