Performance Management and Development System (PMDS)
Annual Evaluation of PMDS – Review of completion rates and ratings
distributions for 2013
Summary
This Department collects data every year on PMDS compliance and the distribution of
performance ratings across the Civil Service for our Annual Evaluation of PMDS.
The data for 2013 is now available and the table attached shows the compliance rate
and ratings distribution for the 37 Departments and Offices that submitted returns for
2013.
In 2013 there was an overall increase in PMDS completion rates to 86%, from 85% in
2012. This increase is small but is still in line with the continuing upward trend in
compliance with PMDS across the system.
Completion rates for PMDS in 2013
The table below sets out the percentage completion rates by grade across the Civil
Service for each of the years 2010 to 2013.
Grade
Assistant Secretary
Principal
Assistant Principal
Administrative Officer
Higher Executive
Officer
Executive Officer
Staff Officer
Clerical Officer
Service Officer
Service Attendant
Other Grades
Total
2010
%
2011
%
2012
%
64
70
64
75
70
82
72
81
77
80
85
86
2013
%
78
87
83
77
89
73
74
77
53
18
54
85
77
81
68
100
60
87
83
87
72
87
83
88
90
87
72
77
85
69
77
85
86
Distribution of PMDS ratings
The table below sets out the distribution of ratings awarded to staff across the Civil
Service for each of the years 2010 to 2013.
Normal Distribution
(General Council
Report 1452)
2010
% of staff
2011
% of staff
2012
% of staff
2013
% of staff
5
4
3
2
1
9
56
34
0.95
0.05
8
56
35
0.90
0.13
6
53
40
0.84
0.08
6
50
43
0.69
0.06
(0%-10%)
(20%-30%)
(40%-60%)
(10%-20%)
(0%-10%)
Although there has been some movement towards alignment with the suggested “normal
distribution” set out in General Council Report 1452, the distribution of ratings continues
to remain significantly out of line with the expected distribution.
Under the expected normal distribution of performance it would be expected that between
20% and 40% of staff being rated as either “high standard” or “exceptional performance”.
However, the average for the Civil Service is 56%, which would seem to indicate that
line managers are not realistically assessing the performance of staff. The continuing very
low percentage of staff across all public bodies falling below the ‘fully acceptable’
standard would also suggest that this might be the case.
Next Steps
Since its introduction in the Civil Service in 2000, the Performance Management and
Development System (PMDS) has been the subject of ongoing change and reform to
improve its effectiveness as a tool for the management of performance. The need to
continue to strengthen performance management in the Civil Service, and to achieving
a more realistic and credible assessment of individual performance, is a key focus of
the Civil Service Task Force on Renewal and Vision.
Ensuring that the Civil Service has the capacity and capability to address existing and
future challenges is a core aim of the work of the Civil Service Renewal Task Force,
and HR reforms, including in relation to performance management, is a key component
of that work. The specific actions that arise in this context are contained in the Civil
Service renewal Plan which is expected to be published very shortly following
consideration by Government.
Departmental compliance rates for 2013 can be found here