IG Corner: Performance Feedback for Military Personnel--Why Is It Important? Published Feb. 10, 2011 By Lt. Col. Natalie Bonetti 341st Missile Wing Inspector General MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- Performance feedback to Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen is essential to ensuring an effective and equitable performance evaluation system. For feedback to have an impact, it needs to be more than just an initial discussion between raters and ratees about performance expectations. Raters should also provide feedback to their subordinates at least periodically to help them assess their training needs, channel and hone their strengths, improve any noted deficiencies, and define their professional development goals. For feedback to be both effective and fair, it must be conducted in a timely manner and should clearly evaluate member performance against an established baseline--that is, the duties they're assigned to perform as specified in their job description. AFI 26-2406, Officer and Enlisted Evaluation Systems, requires raters to conduct documented face-to face performance feedbacks within the first 60 days they initially begin supervision of a ratee and then midway between the date supervision begins and the projected close-out date of the ratee's EPR/OPR (approximately 180 days). Ratees may also request formal feedback from their supervisors at any time during the reporting period which should be conducted within 30 days, provided 60 days have passed since the ratee's last feedback session. Though a rater's failure to conduct and/or document performance feedback does not invalidate a ratee's subsequent performance report, it can provide the ratee leverage for successfully appealing an EPR/OPR to the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records. For questions or concerns about this or any other matter you think needs IG attention, please contact your local IG office at 731-7076/7091 or 24-hour Hotline at 731-6669.