How to Fill Out and Submit DD Form 2906: Elements, Ratings, and Review

DD Form 2906 is the DoD civilian performance appraisal form used under the DoD Performance Management and Appraisal Program (DPMAP), and you fill it out in three passes across the rating year: a performance plan at the start, a documented progress review at midcycle, and element ratings plus a summary rating of record after the cycle closes on March 31. Almost everyone completes it electronically in MyPerformance, which generates the finished form from what you enter. A paper version exists for situations where computer access isn’t available.¹

Where to Access the Form

MyPerformance is the only automated tool authorized for DPMAP, and it produces DD Form 2906 automatically from the data entered throughout the cycle.¹ You reach it through the DCPDS Portal (MyBiz+) with a Common Access Card. First-time users register through the portal’s Smart Card registration option before logging in.²

If you’re in a field or deployed setting without reliable computer access, the paper form is available for download from the DoD Executive Services Directorate.³ The content requirements are identical to the electronic version. Each DoD component sets its own procedures for processing paper appraisals and getting the data into the system of record.

The Three Points When You Fill It Out

The DPMAP cycle runs April 1 through March 31, and the rating of record takes effect June 1.⁴ Three milestones drive when each part of the form gets completed:

Performance plan (within 30 days of April 1): The supervisor establishes and communicates the plan. If you start a new position after the cycle begins, your plan is due within 30 days of that assignment.
Progress review (midcycle): At least one formal documented review is required. Either party can request additional reviews at any time.
Final appraisal (after March 31): The supervisor rates each element and communicates the rating of record.

You must have worked under an approved plan for at least 90 calendar days to receive a rating, and the plan generally should not be changed during the last 90 days of the cycle.¹

Writing Performance Elements and Standards

This is the section supervisors spend the most time on, and it drives everything that follows. Each performance element is an individual job responsibility, and under DPMAP every element is automatically a critical element. That has a specific consequence: an unacceptable rating on any one element makes the entire appraisal unacceptable. A plan must include at least one element and no more than ten, though three to five works for most positions. Elements must describe individual work only, not team performance.⁴¹

Every element needs a written standard describing what “Fully Successful” looks like. DoD guidance calls for the SMART framework:⁴

Specific: what needs to be accomplished, how much, how often.
Measurable: the objective criteria used to gauge success.
Achievable: realistic given resources and time.
Relevant: tied to the organization’s mission.
Timely: expected completion date or recurring frequency.

A vague standard like “provides good customer service” causes problems at rating time because there’s no concrete benchmark. A stronger version specifies a measurable outcome, such as responding to internal requests within two business days with fewer than a set number of errors per quarter.

Documenting the Progress Review

The midcycle progress review section is a written summary, not a rating. The supervisor records the date of the discussion and observations about how performance is tracking. You can submit your own written input on accomplishments, which becomes part of the permanent record.⁴

This is also where problems get flagged early. If performance is heading toward Unacceptable on any element, the progress review creates a documented record that expectations were communicated and feedback was provided before the cycle ended. Treating this step as a formality weakens the entire appraisal, and if the case later moves toward adverse action, documentation gaps are the first thing reviewed.

Assigning Element Ratings and Calculating the Summary

After March 31, the supervisor rates each element on a three-level scale. There is no Level 2 or Level 4.⁴

Level 5, Outstanding: work substantially exceeds the standard. The employee consistently improves work processes, rarely needs revisions, and seeks additional challenging assignments.
Level 3, Fully Successful: work fully meets the requirements. Projects are completed accurately and on time, and routine problems are resolved with minimal supervision.
Level 1, Unacceptable: work products must be continually revised, the employee cannot work reliably without ongoing supervision, and projects are incomplete or unacceptably late.

How the Summary Rating Is Calculated

The rating of record comes from averaging all element ratings and applying these thresholds:¹

Outstanding (5): average of 4.3 or higher, with no element rated Unacceptable.
Fully Successful (3): average below 4.3, with no element rated Unacceptable.
Unacceptable (1): any single element rated Unacceptable.

The math matters more than people expect. With four elements, three Outstanding (5) and one Fully Successful (3) averages to 4.5, which lands at Outstanding. With five elements, three Outstanding and two Fully Successful averages to 4.2, which lands at Fully Successful. Supervisors who want to recommend Outstanding need to plan their element ratings with the 4.3 threshold in mind.

Signatures and Higher-Level Review

All ratings of record must be reviewed, and where required approved, by a higher-level reviewer before the supervisor communicates the final appraisal to the employee. An Unacceptable rating always requires higher-level reviewer approval.⁴ You acknowledge the rating by signing the form or clicking the acknowledgment in MyPerformance. That signature does not mean you agree with the rating, and the rating remains official even if you decline to sign.

If a Rating Is Unacceptable

An Unacceptable rating on any single element triggers a Performance Improvement Plan. The PIP tells you exactly what you must do to demonstrate Fully Successful performance and sets a defined period to do it, along with any training or development resources the supervisor can provide.⁴

If performance remains unacceptable after the improvement period, the supervisor can propose reassignment, demotion, or removal from federal service. An Unacceptable rating also allows the supervisor to delay or deny a Within-Grade Increase. Options narrow considerably once the cycle closes, which is why the progress review is the point where a struggling employee still has room to change the outcome.

1
Department of Defense. DoDI 1400.25, Volume 431 – DoD Civilian Personnel Management System
2
Naval Postgraduate School. DOD Performance Management and Appraisal System (DPMAP)
3
Department of Defense. DD 2906
4
Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service. DPMAP Toolkit