Surface Warfare Officer School 360-Degree Feedback Program: Evaluation of Division Officer Assignments
Abstract
The Surface Warfare Officer School (SWOS) 360-degree feedback program can be improved. Since the late 2000s, this program has assessed U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officers (SWO) at two career milestones using commercial-off-the-shelf survey instruments. No program evaluation has been done since the initial pilot in 2005. A literature review is conducted to identify best practices that improve 360-degree feedback effectiveness in programs run by civilian organizations. Then, the SWOS 360 program is described, with focus on division officer assessments. History of the program's development and information on related 360 programs is included for context. Finally, a comparative analysis of the SWOS 360 program versus best practices is presented. The research identified several best practices and found the SWOS 360 program does not adhere to most of them. Key divergences include the program's lack of clear purpose, flawed design, lack of follow-up events, and no internalized evaluation. This project recommends developing a formal instruction to govern the program, tailoring survey instruments to better suit SWO community needs, centralizing all 360 programs that assess SWOs, incorporating follow-up events, and conducting routine program evaluations. These adjustments will improve SWOS 360 program effectiveness and create competitive advantages in SWO professional development.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1150986
Entities
People
- Joseph C. Hanisko
- Joshua A. Mulanax
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School