How to Write an EPR

Le Introduction

• Introduction: a single line for the Additional Rater to describe the ratee's performance.
• accomplishment
• accomplishment
• accomplishment
• accomplishment
• Summary: a single line for the Additional Rater to summarize the ratee's performance and make a promotion statement.

The Introduction: On this single line, the Additional Rater must summarize their view of the ratee.

Sample introduction statements:

• -- MSgt Baker is enthusiastic, dedicated SNCO--quickly transitioned from maintenance background to staff
• -- SrA Goober is a very talented, well trained electronics and systems technician who inspires his peers
• -- A task-oriented, conscientious SNCO--efforts lead to increased workcenter efficiency and effectiveness

How should you describe the ratee's performance? Relax your mind and meditate on what this person means to you. Close your eyes and contemplate how his or her presence has influenced your workcenter. What single facet of his or her personality stands out the most clearly? When you have it, summarize that quality in a couple of adjectives and then summarize the positive results of that quality.

If the person being rated is a SSgt or above, many squadrons insist on stratification. Stratification is a word meaning to describe a person's performance compared to his peers. The squadron wants us to document exactly how the ratee compares to his co-workers in the office. Typically this is done within the first line. It can be very frustrating to satisfy this requirement in addition to summarizing a person's character --all in a single sentence fragment. But that's how it's done.

Sample stratification/introduction statements:

• --#1 of 4 NCOs--a real go-getter--responsible for returning enthusiasm and efficiency to this workcenter
• -- My #1 of 6 SNCOs; selected by Maintenance Chief as 1961st Maintenance Group NCO of the Year 04'
• -- #1 of five NCOs! Outstanding leader and top performer--delivered stellar results during Global War on Terrorism

If a person can't be rated as number one in some category, it is probably better to omit the stratification than rate him or her as number two.

Note: Don't leave a lot of white space or unused space at the end of a bullet statement. Officially, white space is OK. Because the goal is to accurately describe the ratee's performance with no unnecessary clutter so inevitably white space will naturally occur. But, if you want to go the extra mile, if you want to demonstrate that your troop is important to you and worthy of a good rating, this is where you can demonstrate a little extra effort. Reword the statement so that there is no more than five or six spaces at the end of each statement. Make that block just chock full of text --as if you just couldn't say enough good things about this character. When the Additional Rater or future reviewers of the EPR see how well it was written and how someone labored over it, it should make them realize that this person was viewed as a person worth the effort. In real life though, even if you do spend an extra couple of hours consuming all the white space, it could all be lost if the chain of command edits it.

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