E-Services Promotion Module

[jimmydeanno]

This question relates to the promotion module found in e-services:  capnhq.gov> membership system> promotion

On the left side there is a column for promotion requirements.  If the requirement is met, there is a green check that pops up.  If not, it's a red flag.

However, on the right side, there is the "Approval levels" section, that shows who is responsible for approving the requested promotion.  Under that list it says, "*scratched levels have been approved."  What exactly does that mean?  Will it look like this?

Group (XXX-XX-XXX): Lt Col Rock Solid
Wing (XXX-XX-XXX): Col Wing Commander
Region (XXX-XX-XXX): Col Region Commander

The only reason that I ask, is that my promotion has been held up for 4 months now, and my group and wing commander say they have approved it.  However, I see no difference in the text in that column.  Any ideas?

[RogueLeader]

I've been having the same problem with another member's promotion.

Will it look like this?

Group (XXX-XX-XXX): Lt Col Rock Solid
Wing (XXX-XX-XXX): Col Wing Commander
Region (XXX-XX-XXX): Col Region Commander

Yes, that is what it is supposed to look like.  At this point, I would just send up a hard copy, with a copy of your member search report to verify your critical data.

[Private Investigator]

Sounds like a promotion to Lt Col and the block is at Region.

One thing at least with some Region Commanders they will not promote somebody without the comments box filled in with something like, "Highly recommended for promotion to Lt Col". If the Group CC and Wing CC know you well they may have just left it blank thinking it is a no brainer to promote you. The Region Commander's pet peeve is he wants to see comments and since it is blank, he is not clicking approval.

That is my best guess at 0215   

[RogueLeader]

Sounds like a promotion to Lt Col and the block is at Region.

One thing at least with some Region Commanders they will not promote somebody without the comments box filled in with something like, "Highly recommended for promotion to Lt Col". If the Group CC and Wing CC know you well they may have just left it blank thinking it is a no brainer to promote you. The Region Commander's pet peeve is he wants to see comments and since it is blank, he is not clicking approval.

That is my best guess at 0215   

Then said commander needs to kick it back with a note. Not ignore it.

[jimmydeanno]

It is a Lt Col promotion.  In April, I submitted a paper copy to my Group Commander because I'm a unit commander and can't submit myself electronically.  I also submitted my CAP resume with it to avoid the "who's this guy" question from the Region.  The Region said that it MUST be submitted electronically.  Group Commander submitted electronically.  Group and Wing say they have approved, but the names aren't scratched out, which prompted the question.

[RogueLeader]

At this point I would send an email to NHQ if there is a problem with the promotion system.

[Eclipse]

Then said commander needs to kick it back with a note. Not ignore it.

If the respective Region is not requiring a separate narrative, then the only option to "kick it back" would be to deny the approval, which for some wings
and Regions means that the entire process would have to start over, including any promotions boards at every level.

Some wings have SOPs that do not allow for the resubmission of promotions with "x" amount of time, so that could further delay things. So in other words, if your choice is a delay vs. deny, take the delay.

The Regions I am personally aware of, including my own, require a full narrative be included in the promotion packet, as well as input from the Wing's promotion board.  You have to submit it electronically for the technical side, but the rest is analog, and remember that eServices does not give any indication that promotion approvals are waiting (unless it's been upgraded in the last 8 months or so) unless you manually check the area.

Some Regions also require a Region board as well, which could be anything from an in-face across a table to (more likely) a phone call or coffee with someone on staff).

I would suggest you ask the wing CC to ask the Region CC if this has been approved at their level.  In my region it is not unusual for a promotion to
Lt Col to take 4-6+ months, especially if anyone has reservations as to the promotion.

Also, Lt Col is unusual enough that I'm not aware of anyone who is promoted to that level without receiving a congratulatory call / email / request for personal hands-on promotion ceremony from at least the Wing CC, if not the Region CC.

[ßτε]

A few months ago, about the same time you say this was submitted, the promotions module got an overhaul. After the overhaul, there were several glitches. One that was brought to my attention is that pending promotion approvals were not showing up in Commander's Corner approval module. This very well may have happened to this request. If this is the case, the region commander may not even know the request is there. I think the region commander can still look up the request in the promotion module and approve it from there.
So how do you find out if this is the case? Can you ask your group commander to inquire up the chain and see what is happening? 

[a2capt]

Then said commander needs to kick it back with a note. Not ignore it.

That is a *HUGE* problem in this organization. If something is wrong with a request, it is owed to the submitter/requester to tell them in a timely mannor. Not sit on it and hope they go away, and tell people it takes "three weeks" for every request. When all it's going to do is sit in an inbox and be forgotten.

[Eclipse]

Then said commander needs to kick it back with a note. Not ignore it.

That is a *HUGE* problem in this organization. If something is wrong with a request, it is owed to the submitter/requester to tell them in a timely mannor. Not sit on it and hope they go away, and tell people it takes "three weeks" for every request. When all it's going to do is sit in an inbox and be forgotten.

I agree, but there's no definition of "reasonable".  The technical / practical reality is that this can be accomplished in less than 1 minute (click-wise),
but depending on the Grade / Group / Wing / Region policy, there may well be a "process" in front of every click, and those "processes" might be a month between them (or more in the summer when a lot of units and echelons stop meeting).

I've long been in favor of a standardized, national definition of the promotion process and timing. One which requires action, or at least response, within a certain timeframe so that things do not get lost or forgotten.

We're able to do this for ROS', we should be able to do it for promotions and other related situations.

[capmaj]

As you are a member of NorthEast Region, it is the policy of Col Hayden (Region CC) to either call you himself for an interview, or to have someone from his staff call you. It used to be Lt Col Day who called, but I'm not sure who does it now.

You might need to have Col Moran give Col Hayden a shout and ask him if it has hit his (Col's Hayden's) desk yet.

[jimmydeanno]

I'm not in North East Region.  It's SWR.

[Private Investigator]

When a glitch occurs whenever. It is always best to pick up the phone and call.

99% of the membership do not mind getting a call if it's regarding an award or promotion. 

[MSG Mac]

What I really appreciate is that the National Board instituted a "Paperwork Reduction Iniative" so that we could do more faster, electronically, and avoid paperwork sink holes. But some NB/NEC still require paper to justify promotions and other actions., which only adds depth to the sinkhole.

[Eclipse]

What I really appreciate is that the National Board instituted a "Paperwork Reduction Iniative" so that we could do more faster, electronically, and avoid paperwork sink holes. But some NB/NEC still require paper to justify promotions and other actions., which only adds depth to the sinkhole.

While I agree in principle, the fact is that reducing physical paper doesn't necessarily mean reducing documentation, and the systems to eliminate paper are expensive and cumbersome to implement, especially in an environment where we have some members who are techno-phobic / antagonistic,
or who are not very well informed about CAP procedures and processes.

Considering that it is near impossible for Region CC to personally know 5-10k members under his charge, its not unreasonable to require a narrative
to support the promotion to a grade which is the highest most members will ever achieve.

[ZigZag911]

 Personnel action should get handled by higher HQ within 30 days of receipt, most should go much more quickly...the problem is twofold:

1) staff officers @ group and above not getting the work done
2) units submitting incomplete, inaccurate or ineligible requests

[lordmonar]

Personnel action should get handled by higher HQ within 30 days of receipt, most should go much more quickly...the problem is twofold:

1) staff officers @ group and above not getting the work done
2) units submitting incomplete, inaccurate or ineligible requests

If they were doing 1.....2 would not happen that much. 

Bottom line to the OP.....your promotion is lost in limbo.....it is time to get your commander to follow up or resubmit.

[Eclipse]

A Group CC and staff should be operating as a two-way filter - nothing incomplete should ever get through in either direction - that's a big part of the reason for their existence, unfortunately in a lot of cases, people go VFR-driect in both directions and then wonder why things are not done properly.

I always insisted that all unit reporting, annual stuff, finance documents, etc., come to Group first so that a single, consolidated document was sent up.
That provides a consistent format and vetted data, not to mention timely submission.  No matter how many times we discussed it, there were always people on either side going direct, then saying "I never got this..." etc.

My favorites were the times I'd be hounding someone for some administrivia, and then after a couple weeks be told "I sent that to wing already..."

I agree with Lord - in the time this thread has existed, someone could have called and just checked.

[jimmydeanno]

Went through today.  The module still doesn't show names.checked or scratched out.  Either way, time to start sewing.

[Ed Bos]

Congrats!