Important updates to the Performance and Competency Evaluation system

Important updates to the Performance and Competency Evaluation system

March 4, 2026 - Defence Stories

Estimated read time - 1:57

As the Canadian Armed Forces prepare for the annual Performance Appraisal Report (PAR)cycle, the Performance and Competency Evaluation (PaCE)system undergoes a series of targeted updates. Each year, enhancements to PaCE's systems, processes, and policies are guided by feedback from its users and insights gathered during the National Selection Boards (NSB). These continual improvements help ensure that PaCE remains an effective, reliable, and evolving tool for assessing performance across the Forces.

Improvements coming to PaCE

Members can reference the amended Canadian Armed Forces Military Personnel Instruction 01/23 and CANFORGEN 039/26 for the full list of changes being implemented. Some of the changes are as follows:

• Behavioural Indicators (BI): There will be a reduction in the number of BIs required to be evaluated for each rank.
• Higher Level Review Ranking (HLRR)Board: Only members who are assessed an overall performance bracket of "Exceeds" OR "Far Exceeds" and a potential outcome of "Prepared" or "Advanced" will be assessed at the HLRR. The HLRR ranking result may form part of the scoring criteria at the NSB.
• Performance Appraisal Report (PAR): The applicable L1 authority will determine what constitutes sufficient level of participation for a Class A member to receive a PAR.
• Performance Appraisal Reports Rank and Rank Changes: Canadian Armed Forces members who are substantively promoted after December 1 of the current fiscal year will receive a Performance Appraisal Report Exemption (PARX)as they lack the minimum period of observation to receive a PAR.
• Commanding Officers (CO)or Second Review Officer (RO)Additional Justification Comments (Section 4C): The CO or Second RO Additional Justification Comments (Section 4C) is removed. However, the CO or Second RO is still required to review and sign PARs with an overall performance bracket of "Does Not Meet" or "Far Exceeds" Leadership Expectations. The signature will be displayed in Section 4B of the PAR.

Upcoming deadlines and reminders

• Members departing a unit on Advance Training Lists (ATLs) or release must have a PAR or PARX completed by the losing unit before departure.
• PAR writing commences on March 1.
• All Feedback Notes (FN)must be acknowledged and completed before the end of the reporting period, which ends on March 31.
• All PAR must be completed, debriefed, and signed before June 15.

The primary point of contact for PaCE-related questions is the unit PaCE manager or the Level 1 (L1)PaCE office of primary interest (OPI). Requests for clarification and interpretation of Chief of Military Personnel policies can be sent to the Administrative Response Centre (ARC) ([email protected]).

For additional resources and training, visit the Performance and Competency Evaluation (mil.ca) (only accessible on the Government of Canada network) or Performance and Competency Evaluation (PaCE) (forces.gc.ca).