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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Identifying NASAR MSAR Instructors

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: Una Smith <una@lanl.gov>
  • To: Mounted search and rescue <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Identifying NASAR MSAR Instructors
  • Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 08:34:39 -0600

Here we are concerned only with evaluators, not instructors.

Chris wrote:
> I can see the reasoning behind not having a
>member evaluate other members. However that is assuming that the
>evaluator would be somehow either prejudiced in their judgement or able
>to bend the standards to suit their situation. I think this is an insult
>to MSAR members and potential evaluators.

Unfortunately, it is a very real problem. Even someone who
means well and has experience conducting evaluations will have
a hard time resisting the natural urge to give people the
benefit of a doubt (cut them slack). It is especially difficult
when the evaluator knows the rider and horse are having a bad
day. They have been known to do task X, but they fail during
the evaluation. Should they pass anyway, or not?


>I have been evaluated in many professional situations by folks
>that I know and have never found their evaluations to be flawed
>by prejudices.

So have I. And I have also experienced evaluations that were
ridiculously compromised. If an evaluator has experience in
the job, and serves as outside evaluator for others, usually
there is no problem when they evaluate their own teammates too.
But the primary motivation for using a within-team evaluator
is that there is no other evaluator available; in this case,
chances are there is also no other MSAR unit in the area. So
this evaluator evaluates only her own team, hence necessarily
can have only limited experience in that particular evaluation
role.

Also, if the team is not committeed to the evaluation process
but does it only to meet some requirement, the person who is
chosen as evaluator (even if sent off for training and/or
certification) may well treat the evaluation as a pro forma
exercise. In fact, there is even a good chance the person
chosen will be chosen with that outcome in mind. I have seen
this happen more than once; it is such a common group dynamic
that books about leadership skills discuss it at length! And
of course such an outcome defeats the purpose of holding any
evaluation.

Una Smith
Santa Fe County Sheriff's Posse, in New Mexico




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