Writing the Navy Eval
If you want to advance in today's Navy, you have to take responsibility for yourself and look after your own interests. We usually have good supervisors who look after us and guide us into making all the right decisions but that's not always the case. Sometimes we're left on our own and because of our lack of experience, fail to realize the importance of our actions (or inaction). If one action must be singled out as the most important to our career and advancement, it is to prepare for and deliver a sound annual evaluation.
In order to produce the best annual eval, it helps to remember the Eval's purpose: to document performance, provide feedback, and serve as a reference for selection boards. The best and most effective evaluation is an eval that describes growth or progress over the reporting period and shows how your sterling performance has led to the assignment of greater responsibilities. It should describe initiative, loyalty, and a willingness to help, and it must contain a promotion statement recommending assignment to the next higher level of responsibility or rank.
NAVPERS 1616/26 Evaluation Report & Counseling Record (E1 - E6)
Although official Navy guidance does not divide the Comments on Performance block into sections (or provide any guidance at all), there are three areas that must be addressed if you want to be competitive for promotion. These required areas are the Introduction, Accomplishments, and the Summary.
The Introduction
The purpose of the Navy Eval is to describe a person's performance over the reporting period (normally one year). This is accomplished by listing the notable achievements of the person being rated. While listing significant achievements does provide some insight into a person's capabilities and performance, it doesn't provide the whole picture. A list of achievements doesn't describe the character or personality of the ratee. A Sailor might have a long list of impressive accomplishments while also being undependable, frequently late for duty, or incapable of getting along with others. And those teamwork qualities are just 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 integrity, character, loyalty and other qualities which are not apparent when merely reading a list of accomplishments. The introduction is where this is done. More...
Accomplishments
The purpose of the Eval is to accurately and fully describe a Sailor's performance. While the Introduction provides information on the ratee's personality and character, most of the Comments on Performance block is reserved for recording the ratee's actual accomplishments during the reporting period. A list of accomplishments provide a factual window onto a person's abilities, skills, and productivity. Technical and professional qualities are critically important to achieving the Navy's mission. The quickest and most effective way to come up with material for an Eval is to brainstorm first. List all the ratee's accomplishments on a separate sheet of paper. Write down everything that might qualify as an accomplishment. Nothing is too small or off-limits. More...
The Summary
In the same way that the Introduction described the ratee's character, the Summary must sum up the impression the writer is trying to convey about the ratee. Normally, the last two lines of the Comments on Performance block are used to summarize the tone of the report and provide a promotion statement. Sometimes only one line is used while on some Evals, three lines are used. It's up to the writer. More...