ITEM 9
Part 1 Open
to the public
Report of:
The Lead member for Customer and Support Services
To the:
Customer and Support Services Scrutiny
Committee
On:
25th April 2004
Title:
Individual Performance Management and Appraisal
Recommendations:
That the Committee note progress in relation to developing appraisal
methodology that meets the future performance management arrangements
of the Council.
That Members comments are included in final revisions to the scheme.
Executive Summary:
The Council is undertaking a major review of its performance management
arrangements. As part of that review it is necessary to review existing
appraisal arrangements to ensure that they meet the need to achieve effective
individual performance management and deliver effective plans for staff
development and training.
This report identifies the progress made to date and asks Members to
comment on the various aspects of the scheme to inform final design.
1
Background
1.1
There are a number of factors that have led to a review of the staff
appraisal and development scheme in operation in the Council. These
are primarily;
 A review instigated by Scrutiny Committee.
 Comments by the Audit Commission that staff appraisal is not
consistent across the Council.
 The need to tailor the appraisal scheme to fit the future
performance management arrangements of the Council,
currently under review.
 The need to include competency and training planning
arrangements so that the Council can meet its obligations to
produce a Workforce Development Plan.
 To support the HR Strategy in terms of recruitment, retention and
succession planning.
1.2
The review has investigated a number of appraisal models inside and
outside local government.
1.3
Current arrangements to review the Council’s performance
management arrangements are delivering a ‘golden thread’ from
Council-wide priorities through service planning arrangements right
down to individual workplans and targets. The new appraisal scheme
needs to incorporate a way of reviewing an individual’s performance
against those targets, and establish targets for the following period.
1.4
To ensure that staff meet the requirements placed upon them it is
necessary to specify required skills for various tasks and identify what
development needs individuals have to achieve the required
performance. The new scheme therefore adopts a competence-based
assessment of the individual’s performance, as a basis for identifying
training needs.
This model also allows for better career planning.
2
Progress to Date
2.1
The revised scheme has, in draft form, been piloted in the Customer
and Support Services Directorate and amendments made from
comments received (see Appendix 2).
The scheme is now presented to this Committee for further comments
before final adjustment and launch.
2.2
The basic design model is to bring together 2 inter-related
assessments;
1. The extent to which the individual has achieved tasks set.
2. The competencies that the individual has demonstrated (or failed
to demonstrate) which have contributed to the achievement of
the tasks set. (see Appendix 1). The adopted method for doing
this is to establish a range of core competencies (see Appendix
3) that list desired behaviours at various levels.
From this assessment flows;
1. A list of skills
2. A list of development needs
3. An evidence-based appraisal of career opportunities and
potential.
3
Further Work
The model presented will provide a robust system for individual
appraisal. However maximising its potential will require the following
additional steps;
1. Recording the outcomes on a database so that training needs
can be collected and acted upon.
2. Modelling the workforce to understand overall skill levels and skill
needs.
3. Locating the appraisal of task achievement within the developing
performance management software
4. Developing an overall ‘performance culture’ within the Council.
Work in these respects is ongoing.
4
Recommendation
THAT progress in this project be noted and that Members contribute to
the consultation on the scheme.