Development of the Canadian Army Officer Selection ...€¦ · Army Officer Selection Assessment...

Director General Military Personnel Research and Analysis

Defence Research and Development Canada

COMMANDER MILITARY PERSONNEL COMMAND

© 2016 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of National Defence. All rights reserved. This presentation not to be

reproduced, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of the Director General Military Personnel Research and Analysis.

Development of the Canadian

Army Officer Selection

Assessment Centre

Major Bernadette Myslicki, Joseph Berry, & Joy Klammer

Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre and Director General Military

Personnel Research and Analysis (DGMPRA), Canada

Presented to/for: International Congress on Assessment Center Methods

October 9, 2018




About the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)

• Large organization with almost 100K members (≈ 68,000 Regular Force;

27,000 Reserve Force)

• Over 100 occupations across 3 environments (Army, Navy, Air Force)

• Enrol approximately 4000 – 5000 members per year (2016)

• All members must achieve minimum cut-off on Canadian Forces

Aptitude Test (CFAT)

• Some occupations require additional criteria for selection into the

occupation (e.g., interview, assessment center)




SCREENING ASSESSMENT TRAINING OPERATIONAL

Review Board Selection Board Review Board

CAF Model

•Application for service

•Cognitive and aptitude

testing

•Medical file review

•Physical fitness

screening test/standards

•Pre-selection physical

fitness training

programs

•Psychological

testing

•Realistic job preview

•Performance on

appropriate situation

and mission elements/

tests

•Physically demanding

in nature

•Mission

oriented

training

•Mission

performance

•Physical fitness

Maintenance test/

Standards

•Physical fitness

training programs




Assessment Centres in the CAF

• Long history of assessment centres (ACs) in the military (Germany in 1920’s, more prevalent during WWII; Thornton & Byham, 1982)

• Early Canadian ACs based off the British War Office Selection Board (WOSB) model (Yan & Slivinski, 1976)

• Canadian military used ACs starting from WWII and discontinued in 1967

• Began using again with the trial of a Combat Arms Selection Board (CAOSB) in 1982 and the Naval Officer Selection Board (NOSB) in 1984

• Both focused on the dual purpose of selection and orientation





• Validation of the CAOSB showed low predictive validity (Bradley, 1991)

• Due to cost and minimal benefit, discontinued in 1989

• NOSB showed better predictive validity but has also been discontinued





• Conduct After Capture Instructor (CACI)

• Military Police Assessment Centre (MPAC)

• Military Police (Officer) Assessment Centre (MPOAC)

• Close Protection Operative Assessment Centre (CPAC)

• Source Handler Assessment Centre (SHAC)

• Search and Rescue Technician Assessment Centre (SARTAC)

• Special Operation Forces




Combat Arms

• Consists of three occupations that participate in tactical ground combat

– Infantry

– Armour

– Artillery

• Combat Arms officers command and lead the Combat Arms troops




Why build the Canadian Army Officer Selection

(CAOS) AC?

• High attrition rates between enrollment and graduation

• Inefficient selection system results

• Concern the necessary competencies were not being assessed

• Provide a realistic job preview of the occupations




Job Analysis Methodology at DGMPRA

• An adapted version of the Combined Job Analysis Method (C-JAM)

• Conduct focus group (FG) for the occupation to identify:

– Outputs

– Tasks

– Knowledge, skills, abilities, and other attributes (KSAOs)

• Compile tasks, KSAOs (including Personality Job Profiler), into a field

survey




Job Analysis Methodology at Director-General

Military Personnel Research & Analysis (DGMPRA)

• Tasks rated on:

– Difficulty

– Criticality

• KSAOs rated on:

– Necessary for the applicant to possess prior to training

– Practical to expect in the applicant pool

– Trouble likely if ignored in the selection process

– Ability to distinguish between superior and average performers

• Retained KSAOs are combined by subject matter experts (SMEs) into overarching competencies




Focus Groups for Combat Arms

• Three focus groups conducted (Armour, Artillery, & Infantry Officers)

# of SMEs # of Outputs # of Tasks # of KSAOs

Armour 6 (5M;1F) 3 111 203

Artillery 6(6M;0F) 4 118 141

Infantry 10(10M;0F) 3 183 347




Field Survey for Combat Arms

• Survey created for each occupation

# of

Raters

# of Tasks # of KSAOs # of

Competencies

Armour 377 81 48 12

Artillery 280 81 35 11

Infantry 376 104 34 11




Combat Arms Competencies

• Results from three job analyses combined resulting in 13 competencies:

– Adaptability (adapt to changing situation)

– Analytical Thinking (information processing, problem analysis, decision making, etc.)

– Communication (writing, speaking)

– Developing Self and Others (learn from situation, give/accept feedback, etc.)

– Industrious (maintain focus, hardworking and disciplined, detail-oriented)

– Interpersonal Skills (tact and teamwork)

– Leadership (assertive, influence others, delegate)

– Personal Effectiveness (Integrity/Honesty)

– Physical Fitness

– Plan and Organize (time management)

– Resilience (cope with stress, self-confidence, positive mindset)

– Spatial Ability (spatial orientation, navigation, mental rotation)

– Working Memory




Summary of Job Analysis Process

• SMEs were used in the job analysis process

• All currently serving Combat Arms officers had an opportunity to

participate

• Task statements and KSAOs generated by individuals currently

performing the role

• Tasks and KSAOs were evaluated in a field survey

• Competencies were derived through an analysis of the KSAO ratings

and can be directly linked to the required tasks and outputs




Canadian Army Officer Selection

Assessment Centre

• 18 Events/Exercises

• 3.5 day AC schedule + travel days

• 40 applicants per serial

• Separate English and French serials

17




Challenges and Mitigation Strategies

• Development of Assessment Exercises

• Development of Realistic Job Preview Events

• Implementation of the Assessment Centre

18




Development of the Assessment Activities

– Importance of face validity

– Inclusion of computer-supported testing for cognitive ability




Importance of Face Validity




Inclusion of Computer-Supported Testing

• Canadian Armed Forces Spatial Ability Test

• Working Memory Battery

21




Development of the additional Realistic Job

Preview Events

– Unique conditions of service

– Involvement in design by the Artillery, Armoured and Infantry

Schools

– Involvement by the Directorate of Fitness




RELOCATIONS

TRAINING AND POSTINGS

FAMILY ABSENCES

UNLIMITED LIABILITY

14

Unique conditions of service




Involvement in Design by each Combat

Arms School

• Initial Concept of Operations Brainstorming session with headquarters

and each school independently

• Coordinating joint meetings to share the progress on the development

of each School’s final day 2-2.5 hr event for applicants




Involvement of the DFIT Human

Performance Specialist

Physical Environment

Psychological Environment

Equipment




Implementation of the Assessment Centre

• Scheduling and other logistics considerations

• Levels of Approval and Authority




References

Bradley, J. P. (1991). Assessment centre experience in the Canadian Armed Forces. Paper

presented at the International Congress on Assessment Center Methods, Toronto, Ontario, 6-

9 May 1991.

Thornton, G. C. III, & Byham, W. C. (1982). Assessment centers and managerial

performance. New York: Academic Press.

Yan, T. R., & Slivinski, L. W. (1976). A history of the assessment centre method in the

military. Ottawa, Canada: Managerial Assessment and Research Division of the Personnel

Psychology Centre, Public Service Commission of Canada.




Questions?

Contact:

[email protected]

[email protected]

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