Merit Review Boards

Prior to promoting a cadet to the rank of CPO2/MWO/WO2 or higher the corps/sqn CO shall conduct a merit review board. Direction on merit review boards is outlined within while a detailed example of how to conduct a merit review board is provided.

 

It is the mandate of a merit review board to make recommendations for review by the CO regarding the cadets most deserving of senior rank promotions and to prioritize potential candidates if required. The final decision for any cadet rank promotion rests with the corps/sqn CO.

 

The composition of the merit review board shall include a minimum of three to a maximum of five members. As appointed by the corps/sqn CO, members shall include:

1. Commanding Officer (or delegate) acting as Board Chairperson;

2. League or local sponsor representative; and

3. A minimum of one and maximum of three additional members from the following:

• Representative(s) of the RCSU CO (Area Cadet Instructor Cadre Officer, Regional Cadet Advisor, Area Cadet Officer, etc.),

• Corps/sqn CIC Officer(s) (from within own or members of neighbouring corps/sqns), and

• member(s) of the community (to include: school principal, Legion member, etc.).

 

Note: For candidates being considered for promotion to the rank of CPO1 /CWO/WO1, the applicable RCSU/cadet detachment shall establish their preferred participation/notification requirements for their corps/sqns.

 

To ensure transparency and fairness on merit review boards the corps/sqn CO shall select an appropriate alternate to the board composition in cases where a justified conflict of interest is apparent (e.g. inclusion of a family member).

 

The merit review board shall keep a summary record of decisions (ROD) to include file review findings, board recommendations, etc. The ROD will be retained in a separate merit review board administrative file at the respective corps/sqn. As it pertains to cadets not selected for rank promotion, these notes would serve as an information source during a debrief. A detailed example of the merit review board process can be found at Annex B CATO 13-02.

 

Prior to promoting a cadet to the rank of CPO2/MWO/WO2 or higher the corps/sqn CO shall conduct a merit review board. Initiated by the Board Chairperson (CO or designate), the process includes several steps, beginning with the creation of a list of criteria to be used by board members.

 

The review criteria considerations to be made include:

1. what questions will be asked during the interview portion;

2. what criteria the file review portion will include; and

3. the method by which each portion will be scored/prioritized.

 

Once established, and prior to the selection process, the corps/sqn CO should:

1. provide the complete list of review criteria to all candidates; and

2. brief the review board members on the decided upon criteria.

 

Interview Questions

Although a Board Chairperson may decide to include any questions(s) they feel most important to their specific situation, questions must be relevant to the rank promotion the candidate would potentially receive. Question areas may include:

1. candidates recounting their achievements through cadet training (e.g. corps/sqn program, CSTC program, etc.);

2. candidates explaining what previous positions of leadership they have held (at cadets, school, etc.) and how they performed in related situations;

3. personal goals and/or their goals for the corps/sqn;

4. scenario based questions that relate to typical corps/sqn situations where the candidate shares how they might approach/deal with the situation; and

5. candidate achievements outside of the cadet corps/sqn setting (e.g. at school, in their community, sports teams, extracurricular activities, etc.).

 

It is important to note that, regardless of what questions are ultimately decided upon, each candidate will be asked the same questions. While variance in questions is not permitted, it is also to be understood that follow up/prompting type questions may be required.

 

File Review Criteria

In addition to the interview portion of the merit review process, board members shall conduct a file review for each candidate. Although the Board Chairperson may determine a specific list of criteria most relevant for this purpose, a recommended list includes:

1. historical academic review of corps/sqn training;

2. a review of all Cadet Summer Training Centre (CSTC) course reports and/or Performance Evaluation Reports (PERs);

3. pertinent positive and/or disciplinary notes kept on file;

4. a listing of all corps/sqn awards granted;

5. a listing of any other awards received by the candidate including national honours and awards, and

6. historical academic review of corps/sqn mandatory and optional attendance.

 

The file review process decided upon for each merit review board shall be applied, consistently, to each candidate without variance.

 

Documentation

The Board Chairperson is to ensure that Records of Decisions (RODs) are retained in an appropriate administration file for reference and/or to answer protest if necessary. This document would also serve as reference during recommended debrief sessions with candidates.

 

It is imperative that all board members understand the personal information referenced through the file review and/or interview process is disclosed solely for the purpose of assessing cadet’s merit. As such, the Board Chairperson shall ensure:

1. that no further copies of the disclosed information are made;

2. that all board members return all disclosed information to the Board Chairperson upon the completion of the merit review board; and

3. that all board members understand the personal information referenced is not to be disclosed to any other third party