Introduction
The Navy evaluation system, commonly called evals, provides an important mechanism for evaluating sailors’ performance and potential. The process of writing strong and effective evals is not always straightforward, especially for less experienced supervisors. Many sailors seek out eval writing services to help strengthen their narratives and highlight accomplishments. In this article, we will take an in-depth look at eval writing services for the Navy, exploring both positive and negative aspects to help sailors make informed decisions.
What are Eval Writing Services?
Eval writing services are companies or individual consultants that offer to write or improve Navy evaluation reports, or FITREPs, for a fee. Their goal is to craft compelling prose that accurately captures a sailor’s qualifications and achievements using specific language recommended in Navy leadership manuals. By emphasizing strengths and framing narratives positively, they aim to increase the chances of a sailor getting promoted or selected for preferred assignments.
Services typically involve an initial interview to discuss the sailor’s record, accomplishments, career goals, and any weaknesses to address. The writer then drafts a customized eval, revising it based on the sailor’s feedback until an effective final product is agreed upon. Costs range from a few hundred dollars for minimal editing to over a thousand for full writing of multiple eval blocks. Many companies offer satisfaction guarantees if the sailor is unhappy with the result.
Potential Benefits of Using an Eval Writing Service
For sailors and supervisors who struggle with the writing process, an eval service can provide concrete benefits:
Professional Writing Experience – Eval companies employ former sailors, officers, and Navy public affairs specialists experienced in evaluation standards and terminology. They understand what strong language selection boards want to see.
Objective Third-Party Perspective – Writers aren’t personally invested in the sailor’s career like a supervisor, so they can craft an evaluation that optimally highlights qualifications without bias.
Attention to Detail – Professional writers ensure all aspects like formatting, grammar, proper usage of acronyms, and section lengths fully adhere to Navy guidelines to avoid negative impressions.
Highlighting Strengths – With career experience, writers know which elements and experiences make the best material to emphasize a sailor’s greater value to the Navy through specific examples.
Customization for Goals – The eval can be tailored to strategically position the sailor for their desired outcomes like a school, promotion, or preferred next duty station.
Feedback on Weaknesses – As outsiders, writers may be able to offer an honest evaluation of any underperformance or improvements needed in a constructive manner.
Potential Downsides and Ethical Concerns
Using an eval writing service is not without potential downsides. Here are some ethical and practical concerns for sailors to consider:
Authenticity and Credibility – Professionally written evaluations lack the first-hand knowledge and genuine voice of a supervisor. Selection boards may view them with extra scrutiny for seeming overly embellished or lacking sincerity in their praise.
Overstating Achievements – In trying to optimize a sailor’s chances, writers may unintentionally stretch the truth or emphasize minor accomplishments out of proportion. Inflated evaluations risk coming across as dishonest.
Dependence and Self-Advocacy – Relying too much on outside help could undermine a sailor’s long-term ability to self-advocate and market their own qualifications persuasively in discussions with their leadership.
Intangibles and Soft Skills – It’s hard for an outsider to convey things like initiative, leadership presence, teamwork, and interpersonal skills based on a limited interview alone versus a supervisor’s ongoing observation.
Leadership Relationship Issues – Supervisors may perceive sailors using outside help as distrusting or circumventing of the proper evaluation process, negatively impacting their relationship and future letters of recommendation.
Cost and Access – Not all sailors have the budget for paid services, introducing inequities. Lower ranks without established careers have less compelling accomplishments to highlight too.
Upholding Standards – While potentially helpful, eval services exist to generate business, not purely to meet Navy needs. There are real risks of embellishment or inaccuracies to please customers at the expense of integrity.
Navy Policy on Outside Assistance
The Navy does not expressly ban or endorse the use of outside evaluation assistance services. Its policies emphasize the following guidelines:
Evaluations must authentically represent the reporting senior’s own first-hand observations and opinions formed over the evaluation period.
Any outside contributions or revisions must be clearly indicated in the evaluation by including “with input from…” to avoid misrepresentation.
Sailors are prohibited from directly or indirectly pressuring their leadership to change an evaluation or certain content within it. This could apply to strongly suggesting the use of outside help.
The final evaluation belongs to and must be signed by the supervisor and their leadership chain specifically, not outsiders.
Altering actual evaluation content without permissions violates integrity and data accuracy requirements for record-keeping.
Moderate use of a third party is allowed for minor feedback, but major writing assistance risks undermining leadership’s intended evaluation and violates both intent and letter of Navy policy regarding reporting structures. Integrity should always come before potential career benefits gained through outside help.
Ethical Use and Best Practices
For sailors who do opt to use eval services, there are some suggested best practices to balance needs with upholding integrity:
Seek supervisor’s permission and guarantee transparency on any outside contributions or major revisions made.
Treat it only as supplemental feedback versus complete outsourcing reliance. TheEvalChain must remain intact and truthful.
Verify service experience aligns to the sailor’s specific rate, community, and leadership roles. Generalizations don’t substitute well for authenticity.
Have the supervisor review any resulting work product to approve accuracy before finalizing and addition to records.
Take a measured, incremental approach—don’t make drastic year-over-year content or stylistic changes that could raise concerns.
Consider focusing help on self-initiated supplemental materials sailors provide to help prompt/guide theirEval conversation versus full writing of the eval itself.
Remain mindful that boards ultimately care most about responsibilities, relationships, and results versus prose aesthetics alone. Integrity, credibility and developing leadership are paramount long term factors for success.
Conclusion
Overall, while evaluation writing services offer potentially helpful support functions, sailors must approach them judiciously and focus on ethical conduct, honesty and developing real leadership qualifications over appearance optimizing tricks alone. By adhering closely to intentions of the Navy evaluation system and maintaining transparency, moderate third-party assistance can enhance – not substitute – the integral rapport between sailors and their on-site leadership conducting ratings. Ultimately upholding integrity should guide any such considerations.
Andrew Stroud