Government Office Block Wollongong Listening bulletin August 2015 (PDF version)

Background

The Government Sector Employment (GSE) Act (Section 67) requires all NSW public sector departments and agencies to implement performance management systems.

Your union, the PSA, sees the value in agencies basing performance management systems on the prerequisites of the Public Service Commission’s Capability Framework. These would provide members with a common foundation to negotiate performance agreements and engage in performance reviews. However, as not all agencies have introduced new role descriptions based on the Capability Framework, there is potential for unfair and inequitable performance management systems to be created within and across agencies.

The PSA is consulting with members through ‘listenings’ so members can identify their concerns and have input in addressing them.

Members’ listening meeting

The PSA conducted a ‘listening’ with members at the Government Office Block, Wollongong, on 27 July 2015. Three members attended.

Thank you to all those who participated and provided feedback to the following questions:

• How can we ensure learning and development is undertaken in a fair and effective way?

• What does a fair and reasonable performance management system look like?

• To successfully resolve unsatisfactory performance, an employee must have….[finish this sentence].

Outcomes

In summary, members at the ‘listening’ determined that a fair and equitable performance management system must include a number of points:

• Staff must have input into the development within their current or future roles

• Identified learning and development opportunities must be a priority and must be fully funded

• Learning and development opportunities are not a reward and should be available to all

• Learning and development must be delivered in flexible packages to suit the learning needs of the individual

• Learning and development must be relevant or specific to the current capabilities of the role or enable person to gain skills transferrable to another role or agency

• Both managers and staff must have equal rights in the development of the plan

• The processes must be published, clearly defined, transparent and show each step of the process

• Individual development and management of under-performance must be separate processes

• Under-performance issues must be raised promptly, in a timely fashion and properly evidenced and documented
• There should be an independent review and appeals process

• There needs to be regular and timely reviews of expectations and reasonable timeframes

• Clear expectations of the requirements or the role and levels of performance required

• Confidence that the performance is measured objectively and objectives comply with the smart goals principal.

Staff and managers must have a process to provide regular feedback on the performance management system; problems or suggestions for improvement.

The information collected will be used in the development of the PSA’s position paper on the Performance Management Framework. The PSA’s position paper will be provided to all members when it is completed.

For more information about the Capability Framework and the Performance Development Framework, please see the PSA’s website or access the Public Service Commission’s website.