Blue-Collar Workers: Appraisal Systems Are in Place, But Basic Refinements Are Needed

Highlights

GAO evaluated how the Air Force, the Army, the Navy, and the Veterans Administration (VA) have implemented performance appraisal systems for federal wage system, or blue-collar, employees.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Department of the Air Force	The Secretaries of the Air Force, Army, and Navy and the Administrator of Veterans Affairs should ensure that local activities conduct evaluations of performance appraisal systems and correct deficiencies. Such evaluations should pay particular attention to the types of deficiencies GAO found, as well as those cited in other evaluations that have been performed.	Closed – Implemented The Air Force published a Civilian Personnel Instruction on performance appraisal evaluations.
Department of the Navy	The Secretaries of the Air Force, Army, and Navy and the Administrator of Veterans Affairs should ensure that local activities conduct evaluations of performance appraisal systems and correct deficiencies. Such evaluations should pay particular attention to the types of deficiencies GAO found, as well as those cited in other evaluations that have been performed.	Closed – Implemented The Navy published a Civilian Personnel Instruction on performance appraisal evaluations.
Department of the Army	The Secretaries of the Air Force, Army, and Navy and the Administrator of Veterans Affairs should ensure that local activities conduct evaluations of performance appraisal systems and correct deficiencies. Such evaluations should pay particular attention to the types of deficiencies GAO found, as well as those cited in other evaluations that have been performed.	Closed – Implemented The Army reported that it emphasizes appraisal system evaluation as part of ongoing personnel management surveys.
Veterans Administration	The Secretaries of the Air Force, Army, and Navy and the Administrator of Veterans Affairs should ensure that local activities conduct evaluations of performance appraisal systems and correct deficiencies. Such evaluations should pay particular attention to the types of deficiencies GAO found, as well as those cited in other evaluations that have been performed.	Closed – Implemented VA is conducting reviews of personnel-related matters.

Full Report

(46 pages)

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National Defense

Civilian employeesPerformance measuresPerformance appraisalMilitary forcesAppraisalsPerformance plansPersonnel managementVeteransGovernment employeesPerformance management