The Association of the U.S. Army’s Institute of Land Warfare has published a new paper looking at ways to improve the Army’s personnel management system.

Written by Maj. Isaac Wisniewski of the Army’s Program Analysis and Evaluation Directorate, “Military Personnel Policy: An Untapped Modernization Opportunity” examines how the Army’s one-size-fits-all approach to personnel management has caused some stagnation in the organization.

“With momentum building in the Army, in Congress and in society at large over the past 10 or more years, a transition from personnel management to talent management seems imminent,” Wisniewski writes.

Wisniewski addresses the limitations of the Army’s current “up or out” system, which was put in place by the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act more than three decades ago. He encourages the Army to do more than fulfill its requirements set by the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, and advocates for policies to reflect changes in today’s workforce.

Changes made by the 2019 law—which Wisniewski calls the first step toward adopting a more modern approach—address career flexibility, promotion board changes, temporary promotion authority and alternative promotion authority.

He recommends the Army use best practices from the civilian sector and find innovative solutions for career progression.

The paper is part of the ILW Spotlight series, and it’s available here: https://www.ausa.org/publications/military-personnel-policy-untapped-modernization-opportunity.