How important is the case writeup to panel review?
The importance of an accurate, complete case writeup is underscored by the fact that 6 of the 7 panelists reviewing the position will base their tentative evaluation almost entirely on case writeup content. No matter how well the system works, and no matter how conscientious the IDR assigned to your case, it is surely unwise to substitute reliance on a “good IDR” for careful preparation of a quality package. Consider the results of two year-long RPE Staff studies of panel decision making. Findings revealed remarkable consistency. For both years, consensus decisions were the same as the “going in” (tentative) decisions of the panel majority in 86% of cases reviewed. Tentative decisions are, of course, derived largely from the case writeup.
