Indian Navy implements 360-degree appraisal system for officer promotion

In line with the Central Government and a first for the defence forces in the country, the Indian Navy has implemented the 360-degree appraisal system for the promotion of officers where they would be rated by their juniors too.

The central government has been using this system for promoting bureaucrats since 2015-16.

In a statement, the Indian Navy said that the women and men in whites are central to its ‘SHIPS FIRST’ approach and will continue to remain its greatest asset in the foreseeable future.

“Towards promoting their professional and personal development, the Indian Navy recognises that agile, adaptive, and advanced Human Resource management is imperative. In that regard, the Indian Navy has institutionalised a novel transformative initiative of ‘360 Degree Appraisal Mechanism’ for various promotion boards,” the Navy said.

The Navy stated that the present appraisal mechanism of periodic Confidential Reports by senior officers, has an inherent limitation of a ‘Top-down’ approach, as it does not cater for or quantify a leader’s impact on subordinates.

“The Indian Navy’s ‘360 Degree Appraisal Mechanism’ is aimed to address this shortfall by encompassing large-scale surveys from suitably identified peers and subordinates for every officer being considered for promotion,” the Navy stated.

The survey would comprise a spectrum of questions, encompassing aspects such as professional knowledge, leadership attributes, suitability in war/ crisis and potential for holding higher ranks. Once the Inputs are obtained, This will also be provided as feedback to the officers to effect behavioural changes and improvements, the Navy said.

Similar appraisal systems are in vogue in various national and international learning organisations.

It said that the Indian Navy takes pride in imbibing such ‘best practices’ and this initiative is in continuation of other endeavours towards remaining a ‘Combat Ready, Credible, Cohesive and Future Proof Force’.