Policy
The human resources self-directed team at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Operations Office has designed its own appraisal process that supports teamwork and is a tool for improving customer service and team performance. The appraisal process measures performance at both the individual and the team level. Elements and standards are directly linked to customer needs and satisfaction.
Individual Performance. All team members have one critical element that addresses the individual's contributions to the team. Members are asked to appraise each other using standards written at the following levels:
Team Performance. The remaining elements in the team's performance plans are non-critical elements that measure the team's performance. To appraise its performance, the team asks its key customers quarterly to complete a one-page Team Report Card, which asks customers to appraise the team on the timeliness and quality of its work and advice as well as overall satisfaction with its services. In addition, the team annually conducts a more indepth survey of its customers. This survey asks specific questions about human resources services provided by the team in staffing, classification, awards, promotions, and other personnel areas. The final appraisal of the team elements is a result of customer feedback from the report card and the survey, the team's rating of itself, and the rating official's review.
Standards for the team elements focus on results and customer satisfaction, as follows:
Appraisal Results. Final summary levels for each team member are developed by the team and forwarded to the rating official, who makes the final determinations. Last year, three members were rated Fully Successful (Level 3) and seven were rated Highly Successful (Level 4).
Originally published on April 1997.
This page can be found on the web at the following url: http://www.opm.gov/perform/articles/078.asp