With discussions still in the line, as the Indian army looks forward to a ‘360-degree appraisal system’, can the personnel expect improved transparency and comprehensive feedback? Read to know!
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Brought to the fore during a commander’s conference in May, Amrita Dutta reports that the idea for a ‘360-degree appraisal system’ has now been shared among Indian army’s commands for review. Promising a significant shift from the current ‘top-down’ model, the new system can promise major benefits for the personnel.
What exactly is the Indian Army’s 360-degree appraisal system?
Designed on the lines of central government’s review mechanism for civil servants, the system will involve taking a comprehensive look at peer reviews as well as subordinate’s feedback, alongside the conventional hierarchical reviews, for finalising a personnel’s appraisal. The proposed modes for making such a system operational are two, as described below-
- Reciprocal Feedback Model- Subordinates submitting feedbacks to seniors, alongwith online and randomised peer reviews.
- Peer Group Perception Model- Peers and batchmates sharing reviews in a randomised manner.
How is the ‘360-degree appraisal system’ different from the current mechanism of the Indian Army?
Both the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force follow a hierarchical model for appraisals. The Initiating Officer (immediate senior) of the Junior Commissioned Officer, Non-commissioned Officer, or Major Generals writes an ‘Annual Confidential Report’ (ACR), which is further reviewed by two senior officers.
The new ‘360-degree’ system will diversify the feedback regarding an officer by admitting mass reviews about his/her general conduct, besides performance.
Can the new system offer benefits for the Indian Army personnel?
While on the surface, a 360-degree review system promises to offer comprehensive and non-hierarchical reviews for any personnel, a 2017 parliamentary bill had criticised the system for being ‘opaque and subjective’.
I see the system differently.
Albeit there is a chance for peer-to-peer influence or threatening of subordinates causing corruption in the reviews- making the subjectivity a cause of concern, the flip side has its potential too.
Mass reviews and subjective perception feedback can help understand the overall behaviour of a personnel with fellow mates and juniors. Since the army highly relies on its team spirit and camaraderie, such review beyond performance can help fill the gaps in its collective functioning. Further, the cross-matching of reviews from different sources can also serve as a check for any possible corruption in the subjective feedbacks attained. A last-stage review of the peer and subordinate feedback by senior commanders can aid the process.
Not a maiden effort
The Indian Navy in a bid to introduce new ‘best practices’ within its rank, had overturned its ‘top-down’ review approach back in October, 2023 by introducing the ‘360-degree review system’. Boasting of its comprehensive and future-ready mechanism, the Navy’s intricate system can serve as a reference point for the Indian Army and Indian Air Force. The diversity and spectrum of questions that Navy uses for the review can help prevent excessive subjectivity- if utilised by the Army as well, while the ‘randomised peer review’ model ideated by the Army itself, can be a reform in the system.
