R 241630Z OCT 97 ZYB
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//M-RA//
TO ALMAR
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UNCLAS //N01070//
ALMAR 360/97
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC MIF//
SUBJ/PROFICIENCY, CONDUCT MARKS AND COMPOSITE
/SCORE COMPUTATION//
RMKS/1. RECENT CONCERNS ABOUT THE ACCURACY AND FAIRNESS OF THE
PROFICIENCY AND CONDUCT MARKS EVALUATION SYSTEM AND THE COMPOSITE
SCORE COMPUTATION PROCESS INDICATE A NEED TO REEMPHASIZE THESE
PROCESSES. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PROVIDED TO AMPLIFY THE
CONTENTS OF MCO P1070.12H, MARINE CORPS INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
ADMINISTRATION MANUAL (IRAM) AND MCO P1400.32B, MARINE CORPS
PROMOTION MANUAL VOLUME 2 ENLISTED PROMOTIONS (MARCORPROMAN VOL
2 ENLPROM).
2. PART I - PROFICIENCY AND CONDUCT MARKS
A. PROFICIENCY AND CONDUCT MARKINGS ARE ASSIGNED FOR
MARINES IN THE GRADES OF PRIVATE THROUGH CORPORAL. THESE MARKS
RECORD THE MARINE'S PERFORMANCE WHICH IS USED TO DETERMINE
ELIGIBILITY FOR REENLISTMENT, QUALIFICATION FOR CERTAIN TYPES
OF DUTY ASSIGNMENTS, CHARACTERIZATION OF SERVICE UPON DISCHARGE,
AND COMPUTATION OF COMPOSITE SCORES FOR PROMOTIONS (DISCUSSED
IN PART II OF THIS ALMAR).
B. AT A MINIMUM, PROFICIENCY AND CONDUCT MARKS ARE REQUIRED
TO BE RECORDED DURING THE SEMI-ANNUAL EVALUATION PERIODS ENDING
31 JANUARY AND 31 JULY. THE MINIMUM OBSERVATION CRITERIA REQUIRE
THAT A MARINE PERFORM THE SAME DUTIES IN EXCESS OF 30 DAYS BEFORE
NEW MARKS ARE RECORDED. IF THE OBSERVATION PERIOD IS LESS THAN
30 DAYS, THEN MARKS OF NA/NA WILL BE ASSIGNED. PROFICIENCY AND
CONDUCT MARKS ARE ALSO REQUIRED WHENEVER A MARINE IS TRANSFERRED,
DISCHARGED, RELEASED FROM ACTIVE DUTY, PROMOTED TO CPL/SGT,
ASSIGNED TO OR COMPLETED TAD IN EXCESS OF 30 DAYS, OR AT OTHER TIMES
AS OUTLINED IN THE IRAM.
C. PROFICIENCY AND CONDUCT MARKS RANGE FROM 0.0 TO 5.0. THE
FOLLOWING EXPLANATION OF MARKINGS IS PROVIDED:
MARK CORRESPONDING ADJECTIVE RATING
0.0 TO 1.9 UNACCEPTABLE
2.0 TO 2.9 UNSATISFACTORY
3.0 TO 3.9 BELOW AVERAGE
4.0 TO 4.4 AVERAGE
4.5 TO 4.8 EXCELLENT
4.9 TO 5.0 OUTSTANDING
D. PARAGRAPH 4007 OF THE IRAM OUTLINES THE STANDARDS OF
PROFICIENCY AND CONDUCT WHICH SHOULD BE APPLIED TO THE
ASSIGNMENT OF MARKS. THE PROCESS FOR ASSIGNING PROFICIENCY AND
CONDUCT MARKS IS FOUNDED IN THE BELIEF THAT THE COMMANDER WHO
ASSIGNS THESE MARKS AND THE STAFF NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS WHO
RECOMMEND THEM ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS PORTION OF THE IRAM. THE
TABLES PROVIDED IN THE IRAM ARE PROVIDED AS GENERAL GUIDANCE IN
ASSIGNING MARKS, AND FULL DISCRETION IS LEFT TO COMMANDERS TO
ASSIGNS MARKS OUTSIDE OF THOSE STANDARDS "FOR GOOD AND SUFFICIENT
REASONS." THE INTENT IS TO BALANCE THE NEEDS FOR THE FAIR
EVALUATION OF A JUNIOR MARINE'S PERFORMANCE WITHOUT "TYING THE
HANDS" OF THE COMMANDER.
E. IN ADDITION TO TECHNICAL SKILLS AND SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE
RELATING TO DUTY PROFICIENCY MARKS, THE "WHOLE MARINE CONCEPT" MUST
BE CONSIDERED. SUCH ATTRIBUTES AS MISSION ACCOMPLISHMENT,
LEADERSHIP, INTELLECT AND WISDOM, INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER, PHYSICAL
FITNESS, PERSONAL APPEARANCE, AND COMPLETION OF PROFESSIONAL MILITARY
EDUCATION, MARINE CORPS INSTITUTE COURSES, AND OFF DUTY EDUCATION
SHOULD ALSO BE EVALUATED AND INCORPORATED INTO THE DUTY PROFICIENCY
MARK.
F. RECOMMENDED PROFICIENCY AND CONDUCT MARKS PROVIDED BY
THE MARINE'S IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR, SNCO'S AND NCO'S IN THE MARINE'S
CHAIN OF COMMAND SHOULD BE REVIEWED AND CONSIDERED IN THE COMPILATION
OF ASSIGNED MARKS. THERE WILL BE INSTANCES WHEN THE OIC OF THE
MARINE REPORTED ON IS SENIOR TO THE COMMANDING OFFICER WHO WILL
BE ASSIGNING PROFICIENCY AND CONDUCT MARKS (E.G., MARINE WORKS
FOR THE CHIEF OF STAFF, DIVISION G-1, COMMAND INSPECTOR, ETC.).
HOWEVER, THE COMMANDING OFFICER IS THE DECIDING AUTHORITY. HE OR SHE
ALONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ASSIGNMENT OF PROFICIENCY AND CONDUCT
MARKS AND FOR MAINTAINING AN EQUITABLE PROFICIENCY AND CONDUCT
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION SYSTEM FOR ALL MARINES UNDER HIS/HER CHARGE.
G. TO VALIDATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROFICIENCY AND
CONDUCT MARK SYSTEM OF PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, A STUDY DIRECTED
BY THE COMMANDANT WAS COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER 1996. USING DATA
ENTERED INTO THE MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE SYSTEM (MCTFS), MANPOWER
SPECIALISTS ANALYZED AVERAGE PROFICIENCY AND CONDUCT MARKS FOR BOTH
CORPORALS AND LANCE CORPORALS FOR VARIOUS MOS'S. THE ANALYSTS
CONCLUDED THAT COMMANDERS ARE MAKING A CONSCIENTIOUS EFFORT TO FOLLOW
THE GUIDELINES PROVIDED IN THE IRAM WHEN ASSIGNING PROFICIENCY AND
CONDUCT MARKS. THEY ALSO FOUND THAT, WHILE THERE ARE SOME MINOR
DIFFERENCES IN THE AVERAGE-IN-SERVICE PROFICIENCY AND CONDUCT
MARKINGS AMONG THE VARIOUS OCCUPATIONAL FIELDS, THESE DIFFERENCES
HAVE NO IMPACT ON PROMOTION OPPORTUNITY SINCE PROMOTIONS ARE BASED
UPON OCCUPATIONAL FIELDS. THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY VALIDATE THE
PROFICIENCY AND CONDUCT MARKING SYSTEM AS A RELEVANT INDICATOR OF A
JUNIOR MARINE'S PERFORMANCE.
3. PART II - COMPOSITE SCORES
A. PROMOTION TO SGT AND CPL IS BASED ON OVERALL PERFORMANCE
COMPETITION OF MARINES IN THE SAME MOS. A MARINE'S OVERALL
PERFORMANCE IS DETERMINED BY COMPOSITE SCORE AND IS IN EFFECT FOR THE
ENTIRE PROMOTION QUARTER. SPECIFICS ON COMPUTATION OF A COMPOSITE
SCORE ARE PROVIDED IN CHAPTER 2 OF THE ENLISTED PROMOTION MANUAL,
MCO P1400.32B. THE FOLLOWING AREAS ARE USED TO DETERMINE THE
COMPOSITE SCORE:
RIFLE MARKSMANSHIP
PFT
PRO/CONS
TIME IN GRADE/TIME IN SERVICE (TIG/TIS)
DI/RECRUITER/MSG BONUS POINTS
SELF-EDUCATION
COMMAND RECRUITING BONUS POINTS
B. ELIGIBILITY FOR PROMOTION REQUIRES THE MINIMUM TIG, TIS, AND
THE COMMANDER'S RECOMMENDATION.
MINIMUM TIG/TIS:
SGT 12 MONTHS TIG, 24 MONTHS TIS
CPL 8 MONTHS TIG, 12 MONTHS TIS
C. AUTHORIZATION FOR PROMOTION REQUIRES THE COMMANDER'S
APPROVAL AND A COMPOSITE SCORE WHICH MEETS OR EXCEEDS THE PUBLISHED
CUTTING SCORE FOR THE MARINE'S MOS. CUTTING SCORES ARE GENERATED
AND PUBLISHED EACH MONTH FOR ALL MOS'S.
D. THE FOLLOWING IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS FOR
THE CUTTING SCORE PROCESS:
(1) ELEMENTS OF THE COMPOSITE SCORE (PFT SCORE, RIFLE SCORE,
PRO/CONS, ETC.) ARE REQUIRED TO BE ENTERED INTO THE MARINE CORPS
PERSONNEL DATA BASE 45 DAYS PRIOR TO THE PROMOTION QUARTER FOR ALL
THOSE WITH THE MINIMUM REQUIRED TIG/TIS. THE MINIMUM TIG/TIS IS
COMPUTED USING THE DATE AT THE END OF THE PROMOTION QUARTER.
(2) COMMANDERS DETERMINE IF MARINES WITH THE REQUIRED TIG/TIS
ARE QUALIFIED FOR PROMOTION. AN ENTRY IS MADE INTO THE MARINE CORPS
PERSONNEL DATA BASE, AS REQUIRED, FOR THOSE MARINES NOT RECOMMENDED
FOR PROMOTION.
(3) EACH MONTH CUTTING SCORES ARE GENERATED AND PUBLISHED VIA
ALMAR FOR ALL MOS'S.
(4) ELIGIBLE MARINES WHO HAVE A COMPOSITE SCORE GREATER THAN
OR EQUAL TO THE PUBLISHED CUTTING SCORE FOR THEIR MOS AND HAVE THE
COMMANDER'S APPROVAL FOR PROMOTION ARE AUTHORIZED FOR PROMOTION ON
THE FIRST OF THE MONTH.
E. IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT COMPOSITE SCORES ARE
GENERATED AND IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE PROMOTION QUARTER AND
CUTTING SCORES ARE GENERATED, PUBLISHED, AND IN EFFECT FOR ALL
MOS'S EACH MONTH.
F. CUTTING SCORES ARE DETERMINED BY THE NUMBER OF ACTUAL
VACANCIES THROUGHOUT THE MARINE CORPS FOR THAT MOS. ALTHOUGH
COMPOSITE SCORES REMAIN THE SAME FOR THE ENTIRE PROMOTION QUARTER,
CUTTING SCORES ADJUST TO THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES. THEREFORE,
CUTTING SCORES MAY DROP EACH MONTH OF THE PROMOTION QUARTER TO
PROMOTE TO ACTUAL NUMBER OF VACANCIES. IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT
EVEN THOUGH A MARINE DOES NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED COMPOSITE SCORE FOR
PROMOTION THE FIRST MONTH OF THE QUARTER, THAT MARINE'S SAME SCORE
MAY ALLOW FOR PROMOTION THE SECOND OR THIRD MONTH OF THE QUARTER AS
THE CUTTING SCORE IS RECOMPUTED BASED ON VACANCIES.
G. CURRENTLY, COMPOSITE SCORE COMPUTATION IS DONE QUARTERLY IN
ORDER TO MINIMIZE THE ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN AT THE LOCAL REPORTING
UNIT LEVEL. HOWEVER, IN THE FUTURE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF TECHNOLOGY TO UPDATE AND IMPROVE THE PROCESS USED TO
COMPUTE COMPOSITE SCORES.
4. THE CONTENTS OF THIS ALMAR SHOULD BE PASSED TO ALL MARINES AND
POSTED ON EACH UNIT'S BULLETIN BOARD. IT HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE
OF THE PROFICIENCY AND CONDUCT EVALUATION SYSTEM AND ITS RELATIONSHIP
TO THE COMPOSITE SCORE COMPUTATION PROCESS. FAIR AND ACCURATE
REPORTING IS ESSENTIAL TO THE WELFARE OF ALL OF OUR MARINES.
5. POC FOR PART I IS MR. ED NELSON, CMC (MIF), DSN 224-1971 OR COML
(703) 614-1971; FOR PART II IS CAPT MARK A. GRILLO, CMC (MPP),
DSN 224-1653, COML (703) 614-1643.//
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