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Performance management user guide
April 2008
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FOREWORD
...04
INTRODUCTION
...05
context for changes ...05
what are the key changes? ...05
corporate planning ...07
timetable for performance management ...10
line manager responsibility ...11
individual responsibility...13
PLANNING
...15
team planning ...15
leadership framework ...19
individual planning – Developing the performance agreement ...21
individual planning – feedback nominations ...25
REVIEWING.PERFORMANCE
...8
review of progress ...28
managing poor performance ...31
moderation ...34
EVALUATION
...7
end of year evaluation ...37
ratings Definitions ...40
strategy for leaders – career Development ...43
SUPPORT.MATERIALS
...46
performance grid ...46
raci team planning matrix ...47
effective Deliverables: the leverage matrix ...48
giving and receiving feedback ...49
coaching ...53
PERFORMANCE.PORTFOLIO
...57
performance agreement ...57 review of progress ...58 performance evaluation ...59FORMS
...60
internal feedback request form ...60
external feedback request form ...61
performance improvement plan ...62
contents
4
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Dear colleague
within this guide you will find the detail on our changed approach to performance management.
these changes are not just about process, they are about us all understanding that providing strong direction in terms of goal setting, managerial feedback and career development has a positive and demonstrable effect on employee effectiveness and motivation. as martin Davidson, our chief executive, wrote to senior managers recently, “the changes aim to support the shift we have to make in
becoming a more commercially aware and delivery focussed organisation, with a clear purpose which all our staff understand and are able to contribute to”.
Your role as a leader, a manager or a member of staff is critical to the success of the organisation.
i am confident that using the principles put forward in the guide will enable you to make the best possible contribution to the organisation and fully deliver on our commitments.
with best wishes,
Anne Wozencraft
Why have We revised the
Performance management
aPProach?
as the British council works in different ways, performance management must adapt to underpin the changes we need to make as an organisation to work effectively and better support the delivery of the business.
the current system has been used since 00. a lot of what we already have is still good practice, but there are some elements that have changed to ensure a better fit for our business.
aims of the revised aPProach
The revised approach will allow us to:
•
hold managers accountable for the effective management of their staff•
align individual/team performance with business objectives and organisational goals•
focus on achieving results as well as on how we behave•
give increased emphasis to individual development•
promote a culture of honest and rigorous appraisal of performance where performance discussions are a continuous process - not a separate once or twice a year task.staff consultation
a major element of the review leading up to the recommended changes was staff consultation. this included a global questionnaire to 800 staff worldwide, focus groups run in london and manchester as well as a number of overseas offices and interviews with senior stakeholders. the aim of the consultation was to gather feedback from colleagues on how the organisation could strengthen performance management to reflect the mandate Hr were given. feedback received contributed in a large way to the revised approach to performance management.
introDuction
the key changes are given in the summary below and are structured around the performance management cycle of planning, reviewing performance and evaluation.
Planning
there will be a shared understanding of what the organisation wants to achieve and each individual must be able to see how their role contributes to meeting British council organisational goals. to help line managers and their teams plan towards a common purpose and to align individual goals with higher level plans the following approaches to planning will be introduced:
•
leaders and managers to promote performance management as an integral business process. clear messages starting around february each year from business leaders on strategic direction and organisational performance will be cascadedthrough the British council. top management will hold their management teams accountable for the effective cascade of corporate targets to inform team and individual plans
•
team planning will be integral to performance management and will promote a collaborative approach. individual planning will not happen in isolation from team planning. Deliverables for individuals will only be agreed if there is a clear line of sight to the delivery goals of a higher plan•
all staff will have a performance portfolio which will replace our existing performance management documents. a performance agreement as part of the portfolio will be drawn up by each individual in march to april each year. it will represent the agreement between the individual and line manager on what they will deliver during the year•
a formalised approach to feedback to encourage a more rounded view of an individual’s performanceContext for changes
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throughout the year will allow for comment on cross team/regional/project based work, where individuals work to, and for, a number of people•
all line managers will have a standard core deliverable in their performance agreements on managing their staff and they will be evaluated on this.revieWing Performance
performance management will be instrumental to the creation of a new relationship between British council and its staff. leaders and managers will be held accountable for achieving results through their teams, and for demonstrating a management style that is open and honest and promotes continuous dialogue. individuals will be responsible for self management of their performance and self development. main changes will be:
•
there will be less onerous form filling (although some will be needed). there will be more dialogue between the line manager and individual.the individual will lead on drawing up their performance agreement and preparing for job discussions using the review of progress part of the performance portfolio
•
discussions on progress against deliverables will be rolling, rather than static and will be amended throughout the year to reflect the changing priorities for the team and business. there will be four job discussions per year; June/July, september/october, December/January and march. the march discussion will include the end of year evaluation and planning will have started for the following year•
regular dialogue on whether or not thedeliverables and standards in the job description are being met will ensure that under performance is identified early. the management of
performance will be a significant part of a line manager’s work and how they handle poor performance will be subject to regular monitoring and support from their line manager through their own job discussions.
•
once the detailed proposals for talentmanagement and talent pools have been agreed within the strategy for leaders (see later section) we will use the new leadership framework as the basis to aid discussions between line manager and individual on career aspirations and development activities.
moderation and evaluation
the end of year evaluation will be a simple summary of discussions held throughout the year and which have been recorded in the review of progress by the individual and agreed by the line manager. the evaluation will draw on feedback given by the agreed feedback providers. the new features are:
•
five rating levels to take effect from the 008/09 evaluation. five levels will better differentiate performance by splitting the successful rating of the present system into three levels. the ratings are: outstanding, exceeds expectations, good performer, improvement/Development required, unsatisfactory•
the evaluation will focus both on results and evidence of the required behaviours, knowledge and skills in the organisational skills profile (osp) which will remain in use until further notice•
individuals will take the lead in providing an assessment of their own professional development for the current role throughout the year•
holding managers accountable for the management of their teams will be a core deliverable and one on which they will be assessed and rated•
to support a more business focused performance management approach, a more robust and structured moderation process will be introduced.Corporate Planning
OvervieW
This.section.outlines.the.Corporate.Planning.process.and.
how.it.links.with.team.and.individual.performance.planning.
LeArning OuTCOmes
By the end of this section you will have covered:
•
.the.corporate.planning.timetable
•
.what.the.corporate.outcomes.are
•
.what.the.corporate.targets.are
•.
.how.corporate.planning.informs.team.and.individual.
performance.planning
resPonsibility
Line managers will:
•
communicate higher level corporate objectives to individuals and teams•
ensure that line managers in their line have communicated higher level objectives to their individuals and teams•
keep up-to-date with changing priorities in higher level plansindividuals will:
•
keep up-to-date with changing priorities in higher level plans and how this will affect their own performance agreement•
where responsible for strategic planning, make sure they complete their plans and ‘contracts’ by the required deadlinesProcess
Why is corporate planning a component of individual performance management?
a major aim of the new approach to performance management will be to ensure that individual performance planning is in line with organisational
performance planning. everyone should understand what the organisation is aiming to achieve and how they contribute to those goals. therefore the organisation’s approach to corporate planning and its outcomes will have a direct impact on individual performance planning.
the process of corporate planning: the principles, the timetable, the outcomes, the targets and how it is communicated will be reflected in the approach to individual performance management.
The Corporate Planning principles
corporate planning will take as its starting point what we are trying to achieve rather than how much we have to spend. it involves clear statements of agreed targets and what will be delivered and these will be cascaded down from high-level strategic plans to individual performance plans. the plans for regions, countries, departments, units and by extension teams and individuals will have the following purpose:
•
to show clearly and unambiguously what each part of the British council is aiming to doHome
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•
to form an agreement between managers – e.g. regional plans are an agreed ‘contract’ between Director operations and each regional Director; country plans are the agreed ‘contract’ between regional and country Directors; similarly a ‘performance agreement’ is the agreement on what will be done during the performance year between line manager and individual•
together they will show how, organisationally, we will meet our corporate targetsCorporate Outcomes
the executive Board has set out three programme areas that we will work to over the next three years – inter-cultural Dialogue, uK creative and Knowledge economy and climate change. already as part of the corporate planning process, corporate outcomes for each of these programme areas have been agreed. the corporate outcomes form the high level objectives for all our operational activities and hence will influence performance management planning throughout the organisation.
inter-cultural dialogue
uK creative and
knowledge economy Climate change
strengthen understanding and levels of trust between people in the uK and other societies strengthen the consensus for rejecting extremism in all its forms
increase the ability of individuals and organisations to contribute to positive social change and the strengthening of civil society
increase the use of english as a tool for international communication and inter-cultural understanding
increase the value to the uK of its share of the market for international education enhance the uK’s reputation as a source of expertise and a partner for skills development, including in the teaching and learning of english
strengthen the international profile and engagement of the uK’s creative sector
increase the uK’s contribution to international co-operation in research and innovation ensure that every teacher and learner of english worldwide has access to quality language services from the uK
increase understanding of the case for tackling climate change
increase support for the achievement and
implementation of international agreements that address the threats of climate change strengthen relationships and networks which lead to action on climate change mitigation and adaptation
corPorate targets
after the outcomes and objectives the organisation wants to achieve have been set, there follows a process of high-level target setting, challenge and negotiation where it is agreed how, and by whom, those targets will be delivered.
setting targets is an iterative process, led by the ambition of the organisation and informed by the practicalities of the environment we operate within, the expectations of our stakeholders and customers and the opportunities for new business.
At present our main corporate targets are:
•
delivery of projects and programmes, with clear numerical output targets•
consistent annual income growth•
increasing our surplus from teaching and exams•
ambitious growth in partnership income•
reducing our platform costs as a proportion of our turnoverthese targets reflect the strategic direction that the Board of trustees and the executive Board has determined for the British council.
in addition there will be many other types of target which will be vital to our success. for example, you may work in an area involving improving stakeholder relationships, providing business support or
implementing a new system. Your targets should reflect these priorities, for example what service levels your team will deliver.
these targets then cascade though the organisation so there is a logical link between all the detailed work we do up to the top level results. targets, outcomes, outputs and deliverables at all levels will be stretching and ambitious and take us in the direction we want to go as an organisation.
Planning Timetable
all parts of the organisation will work to a common set of deadlines for planning and by extension this will also apply to individual performance planning.
in January, the executive Board will make clear what the British council wants to achieve at the highest level, but managers up and down the organisation will need to translate this into meaningful targets that will shape the work of teams and ultimately feed into individual job plans. managers will be accountable for an effective cascade of corporate goals and targets to inform team and individual plans.
team planning meetings held in march and april will allow teams to plan and feed their objectives into individual performance agreements.
resources
click to go to resourcecorporate strategy and performance intranet site http://bcnet.britishcouncil.org/cpp/index.htm
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Timetable for Performance
management
February 2008 regional Directors and uK
business leaders agree high level organisation performance planning
march 2008 regional Directors and uK
business leaders discuss high level planning with senior managers
April/may 2008 individuals agree their deliverables,
measures and feedback providers with line manager
June/July 2008 Quarterly progress review
september/October 2008 Quarterly
progress review
november 2008 consider likely ratings
December 2008/January 2009 Quarterly
progress review
January and February 2009 team and
department moderation
march 2009 evaluation for 008/09 and planning
for 009/10
•
corporate planning and strategy issue templates to regional Directors, country Directors and Heads of uK Departments for high-level planning and success measures.•
regional Directors and uK business leaders discuss achievement of high level plans with senior team leaders who agree how their teams will achieve the organisation performance required. team planning takes place which feeds down to individual level.•
individual prepares for meeting with line manager to ensure deliverables have element of stretch, are linked to the higher-level plan of their department, country or region, determine measures of success and feedback providers.•
first review meeting between line manager and individual, progress against deliverables discussed and development.•
second review meeting, progress against deliverables and feedback discussed. Development discussed also.•
senior managers consider two highest and two lowest ratings and ensure any underperformance is addressed.•
third review meeting between line manager and individual. likely rating discussed.•
team moderation meetings held in January. Departmental and regional moderation meetings held in february.•
evaluation review meeting, which will lead onto planning preparation for following year after team planning. individual prepares and considers achievements in development as detailed on evaluation form. line manager requests any outstanding feedback. rating given.Line manager responsibility
OvervieW
This.section.describes.the.responsibilities.of.line.managers.
in.performance.management.
LeArning OuTCOmes
By the end of this section you will have covered:
•
.what.the.line.manager.is.expected.to.do
resPonsibility
Overall Line manager
•
manage the individual and/or team in accordance with corporate standards•
act as coach/mentor/facilitator to help individual/team to achieve their deliverables•
ensure there is continuous dialogue about performance•
take corrective action when a risk of deliverables not being met•
seek feedback from nominated feedback providers to inform the view of the individual’s performance•
provide honest and continuous feedback•
help the individual to attain their development goals for the current year•
help the individual to look beyond their current role and assist with longer-term planning where appropriate using the organisational skills profile (osp).march/ April/may
•
hold team meetings to discuss priorities for the year and team planning•
hold individual planning meetings to agree deliverables for each member of team•
discuss and agree feedback providers for each deliverableHome
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Throughout performance year•
engage in continuous dialogue throughout the year•
prepare for and hold quarterly meetings with individuals in June/July,september/october, December/January to discuss progress against deliverables and core standards of the job description
•
pass on information on how British council is performing to team(s)•
mutually agree any changes to deliverables set at the beginning of the year•
if an individual is not on track to meet one or more deliverables ensure support put in at the earliest opportunity. Do not miss this action at aquarterly review meeting
•
if an individual still underperforming complete a performance improvement plan to fully support. ensure this discussed with own line manager•
if still no improvement despite full support consider disciplinary action•
be prepared and able to give a snapshot of performance progress for team in september/october•
be prepared for moderation meetings from January•
discuss and support development requirements with individuals.end of year evaluation
•
hold individual end of year evaluation meetings in march with team members – agree what deliverables were met, not met or exceeded and if all standards in the job description have been met•
use feedback to assess whether deliverables met or not and final rating•
discuss development required for the future•
write end of year evaluation form and pass to individual for signature•
provide signed copy of end of year evaluation to Hr services in uK or Hr manager overseas to record rating by end of may.individual responsibility
OvervieW
This.section.describes.the.responsibilities.you.have.as.an.
individual.being.managed.
LeArning OuTCOmes
By the end of this section you will have covered:
•
.what.you.are.expected.to.do
Overall individual
•
be responsible for own areas of performance management•
prepare for meetings•
write up performance agreement and review of progress•
ensure help requested from line manager if there is a risk of deliverable(s) or core standards of job description not being met•
act upon feedback given•
provide honest feedback to line manager•
request help and act upon help in attaining development goals for the current year•
consider longer-term planning using the osp.march/April/ may
•
prepare for team meetings where priorities for the year will be discussed and team planning will take place•
prepare own deliverables after team planning meetings in readiness for individual meeting with line manager•
agree standards in the job description with line manager•
discuss and agree feedback providers for each deliverable•
use osp to aid planning and development discussions.Home
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Throughout performance year•
ask for regular feedback from line manager•
prepare for and have quarterly meetings with line manager in June/July, september/october, December/January•
understand information given on how British council is performing and what that means for team and self•
mutually agree any changes to deliverables set at the beginning of the year•
if not on track to meet one or more deliverables request support at the earliest opportunity. ensure this discussed at the next review meeting•
if a performance improvement plan is necessary to support performance work with line manager to improve performance•
discuss development requirements and progress with line manager.end of year evaluation
•
prepare for end of year evaluation meeting in march•
schedule end of year evaluation meeting with line manager•
listen to and act upon feedback given•
prepare comments on development received during the year and how it helped to fulfil requirements of current role•
discuss development required for the future•
sign end of year evaluation form to state the meeting took place. this should be done in good time for signed copy of end of year evaluation to be sent to Hr services in uK or Hr manager overseas to record rating by end of may.resPonsibility
Line managers will:
•
liaise regularly with their teams for performance management purposes•
ensure that individuals within their line are aware of the teams they are part of and should seek feedback from•
ensure that their own team plan reflects higher level goals•
complete team plans in good time to complete performance agreements by the deadlines•
regularly review team performance.individuals will:
•
contribute to the team planning process in whatever team they are part of•
give constructive feedback upwards to team leaders on the team plan•
regularly review team performance with the rest of the team.Process
Why is team planning important?
as with corporate planning there is an organisational mandate to more effectively align team planning and performance with business objectives and organisational goals.
Team Planning
Corporate.Planning.drives.team.planning..Teams.will.have.
higher.level.objectives.which.help.the.team.in.planning.the.
team.and.individual.deliverables..
OvervieW
This.section.outlines.an.approach.that.will.align.team.
planning,.effort.and.performance.with.corporate.planning.
and.performance.management.
LeArning OuTCOmes
By the end of this section you will have covered:
•
.why.team.planning.is.important
•
.the.definition.of.a.‘team’
•
.the.team.planning.process
•
.how.team.planning.impacts.and.drives.individual.. .
.
. performance.planning.
planning
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although effective team working has always been important to the British council, it has never formally been recognised as an integral part of the approach to performance management. with the growing need to work across traditional boundaries in multi-functional and multi-regional teams, even within ‘partnership’ teams with individuals and managers from outside of the British council, the importance of team planning and performance management is clear:•
to ensure team and individual deliverables are aligned with the organisational objectives•
to take a more open and transparent approach to performance planning where everyone has a common understanding of how they will be impacting the ‘bottom line’•
to identify strengths and weaknesses in teams and to plan team and personal development accordingly•
to make managers accountable for achieving objectives through their teams•
to integrate effective performance management with new ways of working•
to ‘mainstream’ effective team-working throughout the organisation.What is a team?
with the British council increasingly moving towards new ways of working, taking a projectised approach to delivery, with project teams being formed and disbanded according to need, the definition of a team for performance management purposes is perhaps not as distinct as previously.
a team may change several times during a reporting year as individuals become part of one team and stop being part of an old one, or part of several teams at the same time depending on the work they are doing.
in simple terms the definition of a team for an individual may be the department, reporting team and/or the project team in which they work. irrespective of the composition, location and size of the team, what is important is that the team is a group of individuals working towards the same deliverable, which in turn is linked to a higher plan, whether regional, country or departmental.
some individuals may be members of several teams (large and small) at any point in time, some may be part of the same team in the whole of the performance reporting year and some may be part of a much smaller team of two or three. By identifying the main stakeholders for the project/ work undertaken it will become clearer what teams individuals are being deployed to at any one time and who feedback will come from for the performance year.
The link with corporate planning
the timetable for and the process of team planning will be closely aligned to the process of corporate planning.
from January onwards, when the corporate plan is communicated to senior management teams by the executive Board, the process of team planning will start to take place.
in february, senior managers will need to work with their own teams to develop their own strategic plans – their ‘contracts’ with the executive Board. these plans will then be cascaded further down the organisation, so that in march and april of each year, teams across the organisation can meet to agree their own deliverables and targets that will enable the achievement of higher level plans of outputs, outcomes and targets. at the same time, this will allow team members to draw down their own individual deliverables that will contribute to delivering the team plan and hence the organisation should reach a position where team and individual deliverables are aligned with the organisational objectives and everyone has a common
understanding of how they will be impacting the ‘bottom line’.
Project team planning
project team planning has much in common with other forms of team planning and as such project teams will take much the same approach to performance planning. project aims will be linked to higher-level objectives and outcomes. measures of success will contribute towards higher-level targets. the project manager will need to ensure that the whole team are working together towards the aims and objectives of the project, with
individual components, milestones and outputs from the project forming the deliverables within an individual’s performance agreement. as with any other team, the project manager will be held accountable for the effective delivery of the project through their team
the new approach to performance management will require both project team members and project managers to seek feedback from appropriate members of the team and this will be included in the overall performance evaluation.
Team planning guidance
this guidance is devised to help support those team planning meetings that occur in the line, although the general information can be applied to any team at any level.
team leaders should set aside three hours for the first planning meeting. we suggest that they will need to send out the following information in preparation for the meeting so that team members are well aware of the proposed work and can begin to plan how they will contribute:
•
Key performance management messages from the executive Board and global leadership•
regional Directors and uK business leaders outcomes, outputs and targets for the relevant area•
performance information for the team to date•
Key issues team leaders want to highlight (drilling down from regional Directors and uK business leaders objectives)•
own deliverables as team leader•
project aims (relevant to project team planning). the agenda for a team-planning meeting will probably depend somewhat on the nature of the team, but the following items should be covered:•
Purpose of the meeting – to ensure that thework of the team is linked to the objectives of the business and that all staff in the team are working towards what the team needs to achieve to support the business objectives
•
Key priorities for the team – debate what it meansfor the team in terms of when and what work needs to be done (in what quarter of the year), what does the team need to focus on this quarter/year
•
Population of team plan (example given below)Team plan
the following example is based on the raci team matrix approach, which clearly outlines who is responsible, who is accountable, and where appropriate, who needs to be consulted or informed:
•
responsible – these people are the “doers” of the work. they must complete the task or objective or make the decision. several people can be jointly responsible.•
accountable – this person is the “owner” of the work. He or she must sign off or approve when the task, objective or decision is complete. this person must make sure that responsibilities are assigned in the matrix for all related activities. there is only one person accountable, which means “the buck stops there.”•
consulted – these are the people who will be called on for their input before the work can be done and signed-off on. these people are “in the loop” and active participants.•
informed – these people need to be kept “in the picture”. they need updates on progress or decision, but they do not need to be formally consulted, nor do they contribute directly to the task or decision.the plan is designed to allow the team deliverables to be planned for the whole year and shared between the team, ensuring there are no gaps or duplication of work. the plan should be updated whenever necessary.
as each deliverable will be put against an individual as a prime or shared responsibility the team objectives will be cascaded into individual deliverables, which will form the basis of an individual’s performance agreement.
the table will be used to track success, identify where barriers might be if the team are not meeting the deliverables (this will have been highlighted in the quarterly review) and will be a work in progress throughout the year as priorities change.
examples of how to populate a table are given on the next page:
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Team deliverables Link to higher-level plans mgr t1 t t DHr tus How will we measure success? to review the British council’s approach to performance management to act as a corporate change agent, designing and delivering broad Hr interventions to drive organisational change and secure improvements in corporate performance a r r r c c•
project completed to standards and deadlines•
eB satisfaction•
improved staff survey performance management indicators to transfer the ownership of ewc to european management to support rDs in europe in implementing the europe strategya r c
•
european rD satisfaction•
minimal informal or formal industrial action taken on internal issue Deliverable Deliverable 4 Deliverable 5 Team membersmoderation of team Plans
once a team plan is drafted, managers should send it to all team members so that it can be reviewed. this will ensure that there are no gaps in the priorities for the team, that there are enough resources in the team to achieve the work and that all staff have appropriately challenging deliverables to put into their own performance agreement. if there are not enough resources in the team to achieve the deliverables the team leader will escalate this issue to the wider team management to identify options available to meet the requirements. How moderation of team plans and individual performance agreements takes place will be
flexible and regions/countries and uK departments will decide how best to handle this. it is expected however, that management teams in country or in a uK department will peer review team plans within their area of work and teams will review deliverables for the team and individuals with line managers to ensure that they are stretching and appropriate. it is essential to ensure that deliverables are stretching to improve individual and organisational performance.
resources
click to go to resource raci team matrixLeadership Framework
OvervieW
This.section.is.intended.to.familiarise.staff.with.the.
Leadership.Framework.and.related.Career.Pathways.and.
outlines.the.use.we.will.make.of.these.tools.in.the.planning,.
review.and.evaluation.of.staff.performance.in.the.future...
For.the.2008-09.performance.year.staff.will.continue.to.use.
the.existing.tools.such.as.the.Organisational.Skills.Profile.
(OSP).to.support.performance.planning.and.development.
discussions.in.performance.management.
LeArning OuTCOmes
By the end of this section you will:
•
..understand.the.principles,.purpose.and.application.of..
the.Leadership.Framework.and.career.pathways..
in.performance.management
•
..understand.how.we.will.use.these.tools.to.support..
the.planning,.review.and.evaluation.of.performance..
in.the.future.
resPonsibility
Line managers will:
•
familiarise themselves with the leadership framework and relevant career pathways to support planning, review and evaluation discussions within performance management.individuals will:
•
familiarise themselves with the leadership framework and relevant career pathways for individuals to support planning, review and evaluation discussions within performance management.background to the leadershiP
frameWork
the leadership framework and career pathways are being developed as part of a wider strategy for leaders that we will implement in full from april 009. the framework will be introduced during 008/09 to familiarise staff with the tool we will use as the main reference point for documenting evidence on leadership and performance in the future. once it is completed the leadership framework and related career pathways will replace the organisational skills profile (osp) as part of the implementation of the strategy for leaders (see later pages on this).
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frameWork levels
the leadership framework covers all roles in the organisation at one of 6 different levels. at each level, the framework:
•
defines the leadership requirements for a role at a specific level against four ‘key performance areas’: Delivering results; empowerment; innovation; professionalism•
outlines the main behavioural, skill and knowledge requirements for an individual working in a role at a specific level•
in september 008 following further testing of the framework we will provide guidance on how different roles across the organisation can be ‘mapped’ against the framework.career PathWays
a number of career pathways are being developed to provide more detail on the technical skills, knowledge and experience requirements that will support career development discussions within
performance management in the future. the initial set of career pathways being tested for completion by april 008 comprises:
•
finance (financial management and management accounting)•
Human resources•
global information systems•
contract and project management•
programme management•
cultural relations•
english and exams•
communications and marketing (to be confirmed)•
Knowledge and information management (to be confirmed)resources
the leadership framework and career pathways can be accessed via the intranet.
individual Planning – Developing
the Performance Agreement
OvervieW
This.section.outlines.how.to.draw.up.a.performance.
agreement.between.line.manager.and.individual.
LeArning OuTCOmes
By the end of this section you will have covered:
•
..the.outline.of.the.performance.agreement
•
.how.to.develop.a.‘deliverable’
•
.agreeing.feedback.providers
•
..the.difference.between.the.standards.of.the.job.and.
deliverables
•
...how.to.develop.a.performance.development.deliverable.
resPonsibility
Line managers will:
•
have a meeting with each individual they manage to discuss the content of the performance agreement•
ensure that deliverables are ‘smart’, stretching and aligned with higher-level plans•
ensure that deliverables are relevant and achievable in terms of time and resourcing•
ensure that performance agreements are completed by the required deadline•
take measures to ensure that all performance agreements within their line are completed by the required deadline•
regularly review the content of performance agreements in light of changing operational priorities.individuals will:
•
take the lead in drawing up their performance agreement•
make sure their deliverables are smart, stretching and aligned with higher-level plans•
develop performance development deliverables that will better enable them to achieve the deliverables within the performance agreement•
complete the performance agreement by the required deadline•
regularly review the content of performance agreement in light of changing operational priorities.Process
Overview
the performance agreement is a shared understanding between a line manager and an individual. it focuses on what is expected of the individual and the investment the British council will provide for their growth and development during the performance year.
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the ‘contracts’ between managers at thesenior levels of the organisation are effectively performance agreements for senior management. these are then cascaded down through the organisation forming further performance agreements that are all aligned with the high-level strategic plans of the organisation.
as with corporate planning principles, the performance agreement is not a static document – it will need to be constantly reviewed with the changing priorities of the organisation. the performance agreement will guide both line
managers and individuals through their performance discussions throughout the performance year.
Aligning individual deliverables with higher level plans
By and large deliverables will fall out of the ‘team planning’ process outlined above. teams will meet in march/april of the performance year and identify what their deliverables should be for the year. this will be informed by analysis of the team leader’s own performance agreement; project plans; higher-level strategic plans; and the corporate plan for the whole organisation. individuals in a team will then be able to see how they can contribute to the team plan and higher-level plans in terms of their own deliverables for the year.
at the outset individual deliverables should be discussed amongst the team so that they are not made in isolation. the team can then review whether deliverables are relevant and stretching enough. they should also be able to identify whether there are any gaps between individual plans and what the team are trying to achieve.
as with corporate and strategic planning principles, these deliverables shouldn’t be static and should adapt to changing contexts. teams, managers and individuals should continually discuss and review performance throughout the year, checking progress against deliverables and how they are being
achieved, but also whether deliverables are still relevant and aligned with higher-level plans. in the same way entirely new deliverables can be agreed throughout the performance year.
The Performance Agreement
once the deliverables are agreed amongst the team, individuals should then write them up in the performance agreement document. the performance agreement is the central component of the ‘performance portfolio’ – a document that records the main points from performance discussions held throughout the year.
The performance agreement contains the following sections:
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Deliverables to be achieved in the performance year – a smart statement of what will be delivered in the coming year. Depending on the nature of the job, there will probably 4-6 deliverables agreed in any one year•
the higher level plan each deliverable supports – each deliverable should have a demonstrable and documented link to a higher-level plan•
the measures used to demonstrate when a deliverable has been achieved – there will be a mixture of ‘hard’ measures linked to higher level targets and softer feedback-related measures linked to the organisational skills profile•
feedback provider – to recognise that individuals work with a wide range of colleagues and external partners, each deliverable should have at least one agreed feedback provider who can comment on the performance of the individual concerned. feedback providers can be external or internal•
performance development plan – this will focus on any development required to achieve the agreed deliverables – both results and behaviours, referenced to the osp. there should be a clear, demonstrable benefit to the business and the individual in terms of performance.smArT deliverables
the performance agreement is designed in such a way that when writing up the deliverables they should meet the smart criteria:
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specific – deliverables should be clear and•
measurable – measures that demonstrate when adeliverable has been achieved should be defined in the ‘how will i measure’ column
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Agreed – the deliverable is agreed between theline manager and the individual and is achievable
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relevant – all deliverables will include areference to a higher level plan
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Time-bound – deliverables must indicate whenin the performance year they are expected to be achieved.
Planning for Deliverables: impact v influence
when setting deliverables it is useful to think about where best to target our efforts – the most effective deliverables are those that will have the biggest impact on the business and are within the individual’s sphere of control. clearly the most effective and motivational deliverables are those with the highest impact on the business and where the individual has complete control over their achievement or otherwise. the leverage matrix in the support materials section enables both managers and individuals to assess deliverables in this way.
Performance measures
•
when agreeing performance measuresconsideration should be given to how these can also align individual performance planning with that of the organisation. in the same way that high-level plans and deliverables are cascaded down through the organisation, so are the associated targets and measures.
•
within a project management environment, this may simply be the completion of a specific component of the overall project by the requireddeadline to a required standard. within corporate services it might be about making a process more efficient to achieve a reduction in platform costs. overseas it might be about raising a certain level of partnership funding income.
•
another way to align measures and targets will be with the performance scorecard, which covers a range of performance measures, which are linked to the overall performance of the organisation these measures can also be applied at the individual level:•
the impact we make•
customer satisfaction•
reputation•
stakeholder evaluation•
efficiency•
outputs such as audience numbers•
effective leadership.•
fi nally in the area of measures, reference to the osp will support managers and individuals in both setting appropriate deliverables and identifying behavioural indicator measures associated with effective performance.Feedback providers
the process of identifying feedback providers and using feedback in the performance management process is a much-expanded component of the new approach and is considered in a separate section below.
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example of a deliverable Deliverables to be achieved in this performance year (must be smArT)What higher level deliverable does this support?
How will i measure my success?
Who will provide feedback on whether i have achieved this deliverable?
to produce an “a new approach to performance management” report on the review for the Hr project board by December 007. the report should include an outline of the consultancy outcomes and recommendations for a new approach
to review the British council’s approach to performance management (Hr management plan)
•
report finished on time and to the required standards•
positive feedback from project board•
recommendations accepted by project board and Hrmt•
Director Hr•
one project board memberThe role of the job description
Job description duties and standards will still be a part of the performance management process. in many respects, individuals and managers will use the job description to help them structure the deliverables that will be the priority for the coming performance year. it is acknowledged that not all duties and tasks in a job description can be caught in a deliverable but they still have to be carried out for the individual to be effective in their role. the standards of the job description will not be assessed in the same way as the deliverables. However, they must be discussed at the quarterly review meetings and the end of year evaluation. it is important that the line manager comments on how well they were met or where they were not met and if any behavioural competencies or skills in the osp could have been used more effectively.
Line management deliverable
all line managers will have a mandatory deliverable on managing staff.
Adding a deliverable
Deliverables can be added at any part of the year as long as individuals have the capacity to undertake the work.
resources
click to go to resource the performance agreementresPonsibility
Line managers will:
•
discuss and agree feedback providers with the individual at the planning stage of a deliverable•
request feedback at the agreed time, which will be when the work was completed, the milestone reached or before the end of year evaluation•
discuss the feedback when received from the provider with the individual.individuals will:
•
provide line managers with a list of feedback providers for each deliverable at the planning stage•
act upon the feedback.Process
Why use feedback?
there are two main types of feedback in performance management: positive feedback (praise) which tells the individual/line manager what
they did well; and constructive feedback (advice) which tells them what they need to change and how. to be able to improve performance individuals and line managers need to be aware of what they are doing well and where there are areas for improvement.
good use of feedback will underpin a more robust approach to people being responsible for their own achievements. additionally it will be particularly useful in recognising the work individuals do across the British council when they are not working directly to their line manager for a specific project or piece of work.
line managers and individuals are still expected to give and receive feedback during the year and in performance discussion meetings
Agreeing feedback providers
individuals will prepare their deliverables after their team planning meetings. for each deliverable they
individual Planning – Feedback
nominations
OvervieW
This.section.tells.you.why.and.how.we.use.feedback.in.
Performance.Management
LeArning OuTCOmes
By the end of this section you will have covered:
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agreeing.feedback.providers.for.your.deliverables.with...
. your.line.manager.in.your.performance.agreement
•
when.feedback.will.be.sought
•
how.the.feedback.will.support.the.end.of.year..
.
.
6
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will suggest at least one feedback provider to their line manager. once agreed with the line manager, the feedback provider(s) will be listed on the performance agreement for each deliverable. feedback providers will be a balanced range of internal and external (where appropriate) stakeholders, chosen to give a full picture of the individual when the whole of the evaluation is considered. they will be the key people an individual is working with for each deliverable, for example:
•
for a project, feedback providers would be the project manager or person working with the individual most on the project; an external stakeholder and/or internal peer•
for internal or external customer service deliverables, feedback providers will be the contract manager or an important recipient of the service whether internal or external•
for the mandatory deliverable that all line managers will have on managing staff, they will include two direct reports.to ensure feedback providers are not swamped with feedback requests at the end of the performance year (march/april), feedback will be sought at the point of a milestone being reached or a project or piece of work being completed. Dates for collecting feedback must be agreed between the individual and line manager.
the individual will contact the feedback provider, whether they are external or internal to the British council, to let them know that feedback will be sought by the line manager and when.
if a feedback provider wishes to decline giving feedback they must discuss this with the individual and suggest the most appropriate person to give feedback for that deliverable. the individual will then agree the new feedback provider with their line manager, contact the new feedback provider to let them know when the feedback will be sought and update their performance agreement with the name of the new feedback provider.
if and when a new deliverable is added to the performance agreement, new feedback providers will be agreed in the same way as described above.
Collecting feedback
the line manager will contact the feedback provider by email attaching the relevant feedback form, either the external feedback form or the internal feedback form. examples of the forms are given in the support materials of this user guide.
the feedback will be emailed or given directly to the line manager. the line manager will discuss the feedback with the individual either at a quarterly review meeting or when the feedback is received. the feedback provider can copy their feedback to the individual, or the individual can ask their line manager for a copy of it if they wish.
as the feedback provider will usually be in contact with the individual during the time the deliverable is being worked on, particularly if the deliverable is a project or part of a project, there will already have been discussions between the feedback provider and the individual on the deliverable.
if an individual is not on target to meet a
deliverable and the line manager does not manage that area of work, the feedback provider must discuss this with the individual rather than wait until feedback is sought from the line manager at the agreed time. the feedback provider should then discuss the issues with the line manager as the line manager manages the individual, not the feedback provider. an example of how this would work is:
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individual managed by John but working on a project for sarah•
individual does not perform well on the deliverable that sarah is accountable for•
sarah discusses this with individual but also gives feedback to John•
John discusses with the individual and looks to development in skills or behaviour to get the deliverable back on track.if the feedback is negative when it is received, the line manager must discuss it with the individual as soon as possible rather than wait for a quarterly review meeting. this is to help both line manager and individual to work out the difficulties of that deliverable and determine what is required to achieve success, whether this is a change in timings or development in skills and/or behaviours.
where feedback gives evidence of poor
performance action must be taken to improve the performance, e.g. performance improvement plan.
Collating feedback for the evaluation meeting and form
in preparing for the end of year evaluation meeting the line manager will ensure they have all the feedback from the agreed feedback providers. they will use the themes of the feedback and discuss with the individual at the end of year evaluation meeting together with their own observations and working experience of the individual.
the line manager may quote or record key pieces of feedback on the evaluation form.
the feedback will be used to help the line manager come to a decision on each deliverable and therefore an overall rating.
the feedback provider does not provide an assessment of the deliverable in terms of met, exceeded or not met. this is for the line manager to do, based on the feedback given. this means that feedback must be full and comprehensive to enable the line manager to rate the delivery.
resources
click to go to resource internal feedback formexternal feedback form giving and receiving feedback
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review of Progress
OvervieW
This.section.outlines.how.important.continual.dialogue.is.in.
performance.management.and.discusses.how.to.prepare.
and.what.is.done.at.the.quarterly.reviews.of.progress.that.
are.held.between.the.line.manager.and.individual.
LeArning OuTCOmes
By the end of this section you will have covered:
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.the.importance.of.continually.reviewing.progress
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.how.to.prepare.for.a.quarterly.review.discussion
•
..how.to.use.the.Organisational.Skills.Profile.in.review.. .
of.progress.discussions.
•
.what.must.be.done.after.a.review.discussion.
resPonsibility
Line managers will:
•
have continual dialogue with team members•
prepare for each review of progress•
give feedback in review meetings•
collate any evidence required to discuss progress on their deliverables and standards in jobdescription
•
collect any feedback as appropriate, e.g. a deliverable has been met or a milestone reached•
with the individual assess whether deliverables are on track, not on track or have been delivered – or in exceptional circumstances, is no longer required•
with individual assess if core standards of the job description are being met•
if action required discuss what this is and by when for the individual to outline in the review of progress form.individuals will:
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prepare for each review of progress•
if action is needed, ensure that they take the action•
write up very short succinct notes in the review of progress form in accordance with the discussion they have had with their line manager•
check the correct traffic light box•
where feedback is given ensure they act upon the feedback•
give line manager upward feedback.Process
there are four quarterly reviews between the line manager and individual during the performance year. they are set at roughly three monthly intervals after the initial planning meeting in april/may and are expected to be held in June/July, september/ october, December/January and the last will be the end of year evaluation meeting in march. planning
for the following year will take place at or shortly after the evaluation meeting and once the team planning has taken place.
regular reviews between line managers and staff allow for a short but formal update on progress during the year and provide the opportunity to relate any feedback collected since the last meeting. these regular meetings allow for successful work to be praised and applauded as well as any further support to be put into place if deadlines are not being met or there is a danger of a deliverable not being met before too much time has passed by. it is also important to discuss the standards of the job description and development and any further skills needed for an individual to meet their deliverables for the year.
the quarterly reviews do not mean that individuals and line managers should not discuss progress at any other time. the meetings will be used as a tool to underpin continual dialogue.
line managers should always observe and discuss progress and provide individuals with regular informal feedback on how things are going and must be available to discuss and help individuals solve problems and develop themselves.
Formal review of progress meetings
the individual will be responsible for preparing for the review of progress meeting. they will look at each deliverable, where they are on each one and how likely it is that they are on track to achieve the deliverable by the agreed time. they will also consider their progress against the standards of their job description.
the line manager will ensure they have collected feedback for any deliverable when it is due and can discuss the nature of the feedback at the next formal review. this may have already been shared with the individual if the deliverable has already been met. any new feedback received will be discussed at the meeting. there is no requirement for the line manager to repeat the feedback verbatim but the line manager must discuss the feedback with the individual.
line managers and individuals may find it helpful to use a visual aid in their discussions and the performance grid in the support materials can help with this. the grid gives a view of the individual’s overall contribution by results achieved, how they approach the work and how they work with colleagues, customers and or partners. it is particularly important to achieve the right balance between achieving results and the right behaviours to achieve them. Just getting results will not help us to develop effective partnerships and be
effective colleagues.
using the grid can help to encourage rounder and balanced review discussions as the matrix can focus the individual on what they do well and where they need to develop. it should be used in conjunction with the osp for a reference to the behaviours, skills and professionalism we wish to engender in British council. if an individual is not in the top right hand box, the discussions can be used to plan what is required to get them into this ‘high performer’ quadrant.
Traffic Lights
the review of progress form uses a traffic light approach for the deliverables:
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green – Delivered•
Amber – on track•
red – not on track•
Blue – no longer requiredthrough the discussion the line manager and individual will agree the status of each deliverable. as the colour of the traffic light agreed will serve as an indicator, little text is required within the form. if a deliverable is not on track then the line manager must discuss what action is required to get it back on track. this will be recorded by the individual after the meeting in the summary/action box on the review of progress form. the summary/action narrative will be very light in each deliverable box so that it is an overview of the situation at that point in time and builds up to compile a picture for the end of year evaluation without being over burdensome. the individual will write up the summary of progress
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and/or any action required but the line manager and individual must agree what these will be at the meeting before they are recorded by the individual. if it is found that an agreed deliverable is no longer required because for example the project was stopped, or a partnership faltered so the deliverable was no longer viable then it must not be recorded as red – not on track. this would give the impression that the individual had not delivered a piece of work they had signed up to produce. in such instances the blue box for – no longer required must be checked. this will be rare.viewed holistically, and over the course of the year, it will be obvious how the individual has performed. the traffic light system will give a clear overview of performance to date. the light narrative is preparation for the end of year evaluation and replaces the self assessment form so individual and line manager preparation for the end of year evaluation will be lighter. Job description standards to do not use a traffic light approach but they must be discussed at the review meetings and end of year evaluation to ensure they are being met and if any development is required to ensure they are achieved. comments on progress should be made.
Performance Development
performance development is a key part of performance management and essential to
improving performance. it allows members of staff to gain the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to carry out the job effectively and to prepare for future career moves. the development of staff benefits both the individual and the British council. the osp will be drawn on to discuss the individual’s development as well as the appropriate behaviours to achieve success.
performance development can be recorded for every meeting over the course of the year and should not be restricted to quarterly recording. it should be updated as required by the individual following reviews of progress (both formal and informal) in light of discussion with line manager.
