Here's a tip for all people who have to write assessments: as the Librarian alluded to, use the CFPAS system (PDR/PER sheets) to track your soldiers accomplishments. Instead of having a separate form, book, etc, keep a draft copy of your soldiers PDR/PER on a memory stick (with the requisite Protected sticker on it.... and no personal info (Svc #, name) included on it if used on a personal computer..... everybody does know this, right?!??! If in doubt, go back to my last post for the link to the CFPAS site, and all the warning info is there for you).
Anyway, when Soldier A does something stellar, record it in point form on the PDR sheet. As well, if they do something less than stellar, same same, in Areas for Development. Also record their accomplishments (courses, making it to work on time more than once a week :
), and then come PDR writing time, it's all there, and you just have to flesh it out and use the correct terminology to satisfy the Staffing Gods. And then, at PER time, open up all the year's PDRs, crack open a fresh copy of a PER form, and copy/paste the pertinent information. Yes, this works if you have the same subordinate for the whole year, but would also work if the previous supervisor forwards you an electronic copy of the PDR's that are required.
As well, one could keep a copy of their own PDR's/PER's, and have the ability to look back and reflect on needs to be worked on, and also keep track of what you have done throughout the year. I don't think that there is anything more agonizing than having your current supervisor say (while writing your PDR/PER) "What did you do over the last 3 months/12 months?????". My memory is decidedly goldfish-like at the best of times, and having to remember anything that I've done 11.5 months ago is pretty much a write off.
Another tip for supervisors: create a folder in Outlook calendar (File->New Folder, or Ctrl+Shift+E) for each of your subordinates, and track their duties, appointments, taskings, courses. This way you can look back over the year to see what they've done, so you won't lose track of the fact that they were on Sensitivity Trg back in May, or that they were tasked for 2 weeks to another unit, etc. Added bonus: you can keep notes in the calendar event (name of person they were tasked to, who they worked with, etc). This also keeps you own calendar less cluttered (than if you had each soldiers appt, tasking, etc showing up in your "normal" calendar. I would be pretty much screwed at work (and home) without Outlook calendar. I also used it to track vehicle information (oil changes, monthly inspections, mileage, etc) for the vehicles in my troop. It's use is limited only by how you utilize it.
Al