New Performance Appraisals Beneficial but Refinements Needed
GGD-83-72
Published: Sep 15, 1983. Publicly Released: Sep 15, 1983.
Skip to Highlights
Highlights
GAO reviewed, on a selected basis, performance appraisal systems for General Schedule employees established by federal agencies under the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA). CSRA directed agencies to develop objective criteria for supervisors to use in rating employees' performance and determining appropriate personnel actions.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Office of Personnel Management | The Director, OPM, should develop and propose an amendment to CSRA clearly stating that denying a within-grade increase is a performance-related action covered under section 4303. |
OPM is not pursing CSRA amendment development, specifying that the denial of a within-grade increase is a performance-related action. Recent OPM performance management system (PMS) regulations included a provision requiring the granting of a within-grade increase to be a performance-related action. Thus, according to OPM, a denial could be interpreted as a performance-related action.
|
| Office of Personnel Management | The Director, OPM, should research the potential value of generic standards for large occupational groups that agencies could use as a basis for developing specific standards for employees in those occupations. |
According to OPM officials, OPM has already developed model standards for specific occupations and is continuing its work in this area, primarily through its assistance to agencies who wish to develop such standards. GAO believes that, by virtue of these activities, OPM acknowledged the value and usefulness of generic standards.
|
| Office of Personnel Management | The Director, OPM, should require a second-level review of employees' performance standards at the beginning of appraisal periods to ensure that those standards contain the desired characteristics of objectivity and measurability. |
OPM PMS regulations included a provision which requires performance elements and standards to be reviewed and approved at the beginning of the appraisal period by a person higher than the appraising officer. GAO believes that this requirement satisfactorily implements this recommendation because it is designed to ensure that employees' standards are objective and measurable.
|
Full Report
Office of Public Affairs
Topics
Evaluation methodsFederal employeesPerformance appraisalPersonnel managementSystems evaluationPerformance measuresAppraisalsMerit compensationPerformance managementPerformance appraisals