Appraisal
Systems and Programs FAQs
Federal agencies are required to establish employee
performance appraisal systems. Some frequently asked
questions about Federal employee appraisal systems and
related appraisal programs include:
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What's
the difference between an appraisal system and an
appraisal program? |
| An appraisal system
describes the general policies and parameters for
the administration of performance appraisal
programs in the agency. An appraisal program is
the specific procedures, methods, and
requirements for planning, monitoring, and rating
performance. To demonstrate the relationship
between a system and a program, an analogy using
the construction of a house might be helpful. The
system could be compared to making the outer
structure of the house (the foundation, outer
walls, and roof), which establishes the
boundaries for the rest of the construction. The
program could be compared to building the rooms
within the house. The rooms have to be within the
boundaries of the outside walls, but there is
some freedom to place the walls and vary room
sizes to fit the needs of the family who will
live there. Programs operate the same way. They
have to be designed within the boundaries of the
system but can be tailored to the needs of the
organization. |
 
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Can
an agency have more than one appraisal system? |
| Yes. Federal
employee appraisal law (section 4302(a) of
title 5, United States Code) requires
Federal agencies to establish one or more
appraisal systems. If an agency finds a need to
describe different general policies and
parameters for different groups of employees who
are not in the Senior Executive Service (SES), it
can develop more than one appraisal system.
However, the Office of Personnel Management
anticipates that most agencies will not find it
necessary to develop more than one set of general
policies and guidelines. If an agency believes it
needs to develop multiple systems, its designated
representative should call the agency's
performance management contact in the Office of
Personnel Management to discuss the agency's
special needs. |
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|
Can
an agency develop more than one appraisal
program? |
| Yes. Agencies can
authorize the development of separate appraisal
programs under the framework of their appraisal
system. This would allow their various
subcomponents or subpopulations to determine how
best to address their needs and cultures and more
effectively manage individual and organizational
performance by tailoring specific appraisal
procedures and requirements to mission and work
technology. |
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What
distinguishes one program from another? |
At a minimum, these
three features must have a single definition for
each program:
- employee coverage,
- appraisal period length, and
- pattern of summary levels for ratings of
record.
If multiple definitions are intended for any
one of these features, separate programs must be
established.
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Can
a program include more than one pattern of
summary levels for ratings of record? |
| No. Each program
must use a single pattern of summary levels. To
use different summary patterns, agencies must
define separate programs and employee coverage to
which a single pattern applies. However, more
than one program can use the same summary
pattern. Within any program, with its single
summary pattern, more than one derivation method
to assign the summary level can be used. Also,
different approaches for using elements to plan
and appraise performance can be accommodated
under the same summary pattern. |
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