Redesigning a
Performance Management System

Some organizations use a generic "one size fits all" performance evaluation form which, in practice, many users find dissatisfying because it lacks the scope and specificity to provide meaningful feedback for individual employees and jobs. Although the idea of a performance management system based on position-specific evaluation materials is appealing, such an approach often fails because it is too complex and time consuming to maintain.

Our consulting team assisted a medium-sized Ontario municipality to redevelop its performance management system in a fashion that balanced the competing requirements of simplicity and specificity. To maximize "buy-in" and acceptance, a design team was assembled consisting of representatives from all employee levels and functional areas within the organization. Our consulting team then facilitated a series of design team meetings to determine the specific objectives and system outputs, and to work through a number of key policy and design decisions. The organizational structure was divided into several "job families.” For each job family, a Subject Matter Expert (SME) group drawn from that employee group developed a detailed competency profile from which evaluation forms were produced.

Implementation commenced with the publication of a detailed procedures manual, and the presentation of training workshops for those who would be either evaluated by the new system or using it to conduct evaluations. This provided an opportunity for all those affected by the new process to ask questions and express concerns, contributing significantly to a smooth roll-out and user acceptance. Municipal Human Resources staff participated directly in all of the competency profiling, materials development and training processes so that they were able to take over these functions after implementation rather than relying on consultants for these services.