Performance Management Framework Bulletin, Listening meeting at Crown Solicitor’s Office – June 2015

Bulletin to Crown solicitors Office re Performance Management – 25 June 201 (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 PSC’s Capability Framework which 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 descriptors 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 that you can identify concerns and have input into addressing them.
Crown Solicitor’s Office (CSO) – Listening Your union, the PSA, conducted a “listening” with PSA members at the CSO on Tuesday, 23 June 2015.

Thank you to all the participants. Members considered 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 determined that a fair and equitable performance management system must be:

• consistent with the capabilities outlined in role descriptors;
• consistent for all employees;
• expectations should be clearly defined and understood by employees and management, with appropriate training provided to facilitate consistent application;
• training and development opportunities should be equal for everyone with ongoing training obligatory and relevant to role;
• unsatisfactory performance must be managed as it occurs, with clear and specific targets for improvement identified, and addressed with support and any necessary training/retraining;
• feedback should be regular and constructive and acknowledge strengths as well as weaknesses.

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.