Officer Evaluation Reviews

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Introduction - OER Testing for Promotion
3. Introduction - OER Testing for Retention
4. Eligibility
5. Tier I
• PRT (Physical Readiness Test)
• BPM (Basic Phaser Marksmanship)
• SQT (Skills Quotient Test)
• SQT - Command
• SQT - Operations
• SQT - Engineering
• SQT - Security/General
• SQT - Security/Tactical
• SQT - Sciences
• SQT - Medical
• SQT - Counselors
6. Tier II
• Peer Review
• Training Office Review
• Superior Officer Review
7. Tier III

Introduction

The Officer Evaluation Review process involves three stages, referred to as Tiers. Testing in Tier 1 will reflect the physical readiness of the individual (PRT), their energy weapon marksmanship (BPM) and occupational skills (SQT). Tier 2 testing takes the form of formal reviews by other Starfleet personnel: representatives of the training office, a peer reviewer and departmental head. Finally, Tier 3 testing involves a comprehensive review of the individual by station command.

OER Testing for Promotion Flow:

1. Tier I Testing
1. PRT (Physical Readiness Test)
2. BPM (Basic Phaser Markmanship)
3. SQT (Skills Quotient Test)
2. Move to Tier II Testing, if Tier I scores average 2.0 or higher.
1. Choose Peer Reviewer and allow that officer to complete Review
2. Immediate Superior, Department Head, or Asst Department Head will write CO review
3. Training Officer will complete Training Office Review
3. Move to Tier III, if Tier II scores average 2.0 or higher.
4. Sector Command (i.e., staff) renders final decision based on all Tiers cumulatively.

OER Testing for Retention/Non-promotion Flow:

1. Tier I Testing
1. PRT (Physical Readiness Test)
2. BPM (Basic Phaser Markmanship)
3. SQT (Skills Quotient Test)
2. Officer will be informed of reasons for non-promotion by Training Office

Eligibility

When the OER period is announced, the report typically will detail the criteria for judging who is report for testing. However, you can verify which OER cycle you should report for at any time.

Top-Year OERs (usually March):
You will take Top-Year OERs if you originally reported for duty on or before 31 December of the previous calendar year and you are not deferred to bottom-year OERs by special dispensation. If you are not aware of any special exception, you most likely do not have one.

Bottom-Year OERs (usually September):
You will take Bottom-Year OERs if you reported for duty between 1 January and the start of the top-year OERs or if you received a special dispensation deferring you from top-year OERs.

Please note that, even though officers may take the Tier I exams during top-year OERs, they are not eligible for promotion if they have received a promotion within the last 12-24 months, depending on current rank. This is called 'time-in-grade'.

Tier I OERs

Tier I OERs are completely objective. Each of the three tests (actually sets of +contests) may be taken up to three times - you always use the scoring of the most recent test. The PRT and BPM are the same for all officers, while the SQT if tailored to the skills required for each service branch.

For more information about a relevant area, please select from the menu:

• PRT (Physical Readiness Test)
• BPM (Basic Phaser Marksmanship)
• SQT (Skills Quotient Test)
• SQT - Command
• SQT - Operations
• SQT - Engineering
• SQT - Security/General
• SQT - Security/Tactical
• SQT - Sciences
• SQT - Medical
• SQT - Counselors

PRT (Physical Readiness Test)

Starfleet Command places a high value on the physical readiness of its personnel to meet the challenges of service. Though physical fitness does not necessarily affect an individual's ability to contribute to their mission, it does play a key factor in personnel selection for Away Missions and promotion.

The following at the ten +contests on the PRT:

• Athletics/Running vs Routine
• Athletics/Running vs Moderate
• Athletics/Running vs Challenging
• Fitness/Strength & Athletics/Climbing vs Routine
• Fitness/Strength & Athletics/Climbing vs Moderate
• Fitness/Strength & Athletics/Climbing vs Challenging
• Unarmed Combat/Chosen Style vs Routine
• Unarmed Combat/Chosen Style vs Routine
• Unarmed Combat/Chosen Style vs Routine
• Unarmed Combat/Chosen Style vs Moderate

The 'chosen style' referred to in the test list for Unarmed Combat is expected to be Starfleet Martial Arts for most Starfleet officers. However, PCs and named NPCs will very often study a more culturally relevant art as part of that-which-sets-them-apart from the faceless masses. Regulations allow a 'culturally relevant substitution' for the generic 'SFMA' techniques.

These substitutions must be specific to a character's genetic ancestry or cultural upbringing: thus, a Vulcan could use Kareel- Ifla, Ponn-Ifla, or Taroon-Ifla, but not Boxing; an Andorian or Tellarite raised on Andoria could claim Kharakom or Hleshvalath, but neither could claim Kung Fu. The substitution of a culturally relevant martial art is made at the discretion of the Training Office or the Executive Officer, and will be noted in the Training Office's notes on the PRT in the appropriate report.

Alliance officers are expected to use Romulan Naval style, or an appropriate Romulan cultural style, if Romulan; Brawling, Wrestling, or Mok'bara, if Klingon; and one of the handful of Cardassian styles, if Cardassian. For Allied officers, no substitution beyond this is allowed.

Only one Courage point can be spent during the PRT and it applies to one Skill/Specialty. Merits such as Athletic Ability will help here.

Dramatic Failures count as two failures. Each Dramatic Success will remove one failure from the total.

BPM (Basic Phaser Marksmanship)

While individual skills are of significant importance to the individual officer, the role of Starfleet as peacekeepers, defenders, and law enforcers requires that its officers also maintain skills with their primary defense weapon, the Phaser.

All Starfleet officers (other than members of Security) test on the standard Type I phaser, and that is the test of record for them. Starfleet Security officers test on the Type II Phaser and Type III/Phaser Rifle for their BPM. The two tests are averaged together, each worth 50% of the total. For example, if the officer testing scored 3.0 on the Type II test and 1.0 on the Type III test, then the average would be 2.0.

The following at the ten +contests on the BPM:

The Type I or Type II phaser is tested using the 'Phaser' specialty for Energy Weapon; the Type III phaser is tested using 'Phaser Rifle'. Allied Cardassian officers use the 'Phaser' specialty for their sidearm, and Allied Klingon and Romulan officers use 'Disruptor'.

You may spend one courage point. For most officers this will allow courage on all BPM rolls. For Security officers this means courage will apply to only one of the two weapons.

Dramatic Failures count as two failures. Each Dramatic Success will remove one failure from the total.

SQT (Skills Quotient Test)

Starfleet Command expects their officers to be highly skilled. Not only must they maintain their skills from the Academy but they must continue to develop themselves as officers throughout their careers. To advance in rank in Starfleet an officer is expected to continue to develop in their own branch, explore the disciplines of other branches and improve in their administrative abilities that will qualify them for positions of higher responsibility. The SQT test has a variant for each branch with increasing difficulties for those of more elevated rank and responsibility, administered by the Training Officer in a classroom environment.

Only one Courage point is allowed to be spent for the SQT, and counts for all tests of the exact same skill and specialty. Scoring for the SQT is:

Specialty-based skills are decided upon by the testing officer, and they are usually selected from the +roster/info of the officer being tested's position on the roster. At the training officer's discretion, he or she may allow the officer being tested to choose their own specialties.

When a random Skill must be chosen (for example, the Science SQT includes a random skill) the Training Office should choose a skill related to the character's billet based on +roster/info, but if no appropriate skill that is not already being tested is listed on +roster/info, the Training Officer may choose more widely at his or her discretion.

The tests, by branch of service, are as follows:

Command Branch:

• Administration/(Starship or Starbase) vs Routine
• Administration/(Starship or Starbase) vs Moderate
• Intellect/Logic & Command/Starship vs Routine
• Intellect/Logic & Command/Starship vs Moderate
• Law/Starfleet Regulations vs Routine
• Law/Starfleet Regulations vs Moderate
• Professional Specialty Skill Contest vs Routine
• Professional Specialty Skill Contest vs Moderate
• Professional Specialty Skill Contest vs Challenging
• Randomly Chosen Branch Skill Contest vs Moderate

Operations Branch:

• Administration/Logistics vs Routine
• Administration/Logistics vs Moderate
• Intellect/Logic & Command/Starship vs Routine
• Law/Starfleet Regulations vs Routine
• Law/Starfleet Regulations vs Moderate
• Vehicle Operations/Shuttlecraft vs Moderate
• Shipboard Systems/(Specialty) vs Routine
• Shipboard Systems/(Specialty) vs Moderate
• Shipboard Systems/(Specialty) vs Moderate
• (Random) Science (Random Specialty) vs Moderate
• 
  All three Shipboard Systems/(Specialty) rolls will be the same skill/specialty.

Engineering Branch:

• Administration/Logistics vs Routine
• Intellect/Logic & Command/Starship vs Routine
• Computer/Modeling vs Moderate
• Law/Starfleet Regulations vs Routine
• Law/Starfleet Regulations vs Moderate
• Shipboard Systems/Transporters vs Moderate
• (Division type Engineering)/{Specialty) vs Routine
• (Division type Engineering)/{Specialty) vs Moderate
• (Division type Engineering)/{Specialty) vs Moderate
• Physical Sciences (Random Specialty) vs Moderate
• 
  All three (Division type Engineering)/{Specialty) rolls will be the same skill/specialty.

Security/General:

• Administration/Logistics vs Routine
• Law/Starfleet Regulations vs Routine
• Law/Starfleet Regulations vs Moderate
• Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs Routine
• Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs Moderate
• Systems Engineering/Security vs Routine
• Security/Security Systems vs Moderate
• Security/Security Systems vs Moderate
• Security/Law Enforcement vs Moderate
• Planetary Tactics/Small-Unit vs Moderate

Security/Tactical:

• Administration/Logistics vs Routine
• Law/Starfleet Regulations vs Routine
• Law/Starfleet Regulations vs Moderate
• Security/Security vs Routine
• Security/Security vs Moderate
• Systems Engineering/Security vs Routine
• Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs Moderate
• Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs Moderate
• Shipboard Systems/Weapons Systems vs Moderate
• Starship Tactics/Naval vs Moderate

Science:

• Administration/Logistics vs Routine
• Law/Starfleet Regulations vs Routine
• Law/Starfleet Regulations vs Moderate
• Systems Engineering/Sensors vs Routine
• Shipboard Systems/Sensors vs Moderate
• Shipboard Systems/Sensors vs Moderate
• Science (Non Division) vs Routine
• Science (Division Specialty) vs Moderate
• Science (Division Specialty) vs Moderate
• Vehicle Operations/Shuttlecraft vs Moderate
• 
  All three Science (Division Specialty) rolls will be the same skill/specialty.

Medical:

• Administration/Logistics vs Routine
• First Aid/Combat Medic vs Moderate
• Law/Starfleet Regulations vs Routine
• Law/Starfleet Regulations vs Moderate
• Shipboard Systems/Medical vs Routine
• Shipboard Systems/Medical vs Moderate
• Medical Sciences/General Medicine vs Routine
• Medical Sciences/General Medicine vs Moderate
• Medical Sciences/(Assignment Specialty) vs Moderate
• Life Sciences/Biology vs Moderate

Counselors:

• Administration/Personnel vs Routine
• First Aid/Combat Medic vs Routine
• Law/Starfleet Regulations vs Routine
• Law/Starfleet Regulations vs Moderate
• Persuasion/Counseling vs Moderate
• Persuasion/Counseling vs Moderate
• Medical Sciences/Psychology vs Routine
• Medical Sciences/Psychology vs Moderate
• Medical Sciences/Psychology vs Moderate
• Culture (random species) vs Moderate

Dramatic Failures count as two failures. Each Dramatic Success will remove one failure from the total.

For officers of full Lieutenant rank and higher, all 'Routine' difficulties are changed to 'Moderate'.

Tier II OERs

With Tier II, the completely subjective part of OERs begins. An OER participant only achieves to Tier II by getting at least a 'Superior' overall rating on the Tier I. Tier II testing consists of three reviews. The participant only need select a peer reviewer.

Peer Review

Once the officer moves to Tier II testing, the Training Office will request the individual choose a Peer Reviewer. A peer reviewer may be either the same rank, one rank below but not directly below in the chain of command, or (with special dispensation from command) one rank above but not in that individual's direct chain of command. Ideally the Peer Reviewer will have enough information about the officer or direct knowledge of them to answer the questions properly, either by having been on the same missions or by having security clearance high enough to read the reports. More information on the actual Officer Evaluation Review form can be found here.

Training Office Review

One of the Training Officers, using the same forms as the peer reviewer, will also complete a review. Training Office reviews are strict and impartial, based on the officer's service record, after-action reports filed by that officer and any records regarding specific training that the officer has sought out. The Training Officer's personal knowledge of the officer does NOT apply.

Superior Officer Review

Starfleet Command relies on the judgment and experience of senior officers to cultivate the progress and review the performance of junior officers. The senior staff of a starship or Starfleet installation can uniquely track the progress of subordinates. In most cases, the Superior Officer who reviews an officer is obvious - the head or assistant head of the tested individual's department. For those officers who -are- departmental heads, this duty falls to the Executive Officer.

In cases where the officer being tested has a section head between him or her and the department head, the DH or ADH can delegate the section head who is the officer's direct superior to do the superior review. For those officers who are the heads of their departments, this duty falls to station's Executive Officer. More information on the actual Officer Evaluation Review form can be found here.

There is no Courage expenditure during any part of the review process, and all reviews follow the same scoring mechanism, which is as follows:

While explanations can be given in general, giving a rating of 'Other' requires it. This is where you would put recommendations for separation from Starfleet, rotation back to the academy for remedial training, or unsatisfactory performances.

The overall average of the ratings by the peer officer, the training officer, and the senior officer are what determine the overall Tier II rating, which averages to a 0.0 to 3.0 score. This score is then averaged again with the final Tier I score to gain the semi-final aggregate. To be considered for promotion, one must have an average of 'Superior' (2.0) from Tier I and Tier II combined.

Tier III OERs

The third, and final, stage of review is the Station Command's Review. Station Command is the XO for anyone for whom it is not a direct conflict of interest for XO to review. For department heads, because the XO has already reviewed them in Tier II as their Superior and the Tier III reviewer cannot be the same as a Tier II reviewer, and for those for whom it would be a conflict of interest for the XO to review, Station Command is the CO.

Because of the stringent process that officers go through, usually only those officers who receive at least a 2.0 in both Tier I and Tier II get to this level. The commander or captain takes the combined scores from the OER process and from this final score determines the officer's promotability and final OER rating. This rating is not only relevant for determining potential for promotion, but also qualification for special schools, new administrative responsibilities, participation in Away Missions and other temporary leadership positions. The Station Command fills out his/her section of the OER report based on the derived ratings from the previous reports. The Commander thusly recommends promotion, retention or separation from Starfleet accordingly.

From a strictly numerical perspective, the Station Command's tabulation often works as follows:

1. Officers with a final averaged rating below 1.5 are generally not considered for away mission status.
2. Officers with a final averaged rating below 2.0 are generally not considered for Line Status, away team leadership or for promotion.
3. Department and Division Heads with scores below 2.0 are generally placed on administrative probation and their retention of their position reevaluated in a special review board.
4. Officers who score a final average of 3.0 are generally immediately considered for promotion.

However, there are often mitigating circumstances. Station Command may (and generally does) choose to look over the comments of all other reviews and may add in his/her own into the mix, and then decide what to do from there.

This tier of the process is, easily, the most subjective part of Officer Evaluation Reviews. A Station Command may also choose to review an officer who did not achieve a sufficient rating to be passed up to Tier III, though this is often a rare exception to the rule.

Because the Station XO, Station CO, and offscreen Admiralty are all played or unplayed staff NPCs, the final Tier III review and the final decision of the Admiralty may occur offscreen, as the result of staff debate, at the option of staff.