London Borough of Hillingdon

Performance and Development Appraisal (PADA)

Guidance

“Putting our residents first”

LONDON BOROUGH OF HILLINGDON

PERFORMANCE AND DEVELOPMENT APPRAISAL (PADA) GUIDANCE

Contents

  1. Why use Performance and Development Appraisals (PADAs)?

1.1 The purpose of the PADA

1.2 The PADA should-

1.3 The PADA should not-

1.4 Benefits to the employee, manager and the Council

  1. The PADA process: what happens when?

2.1 The Annual Review

2.2 The 6-month Review

2.3 Regular 1:1s / Supervision

  1. The different sections of the PADA: explanations and guidance

3.1 The Performance Plan

3.2 The Learning and Development Plan

3.3 The Competencies Review

3.4 The Performance and Development Review

3.5 The Whole Job Rating

  1. How to fill out the PADA form
  1. Next steps: ensuring the PADA makes an impact

Appendices

A: The PADA cycle

B: Staff competency framework

C. Manager competency Framework

D: Senior Officer competency framework (revised 2010)

E: The PADA process for multiple generic / low-hour / part-time staff
1.0 Why use Performance And Development Appraisals (PADAs)?

The PADA is a key element of performance management at LB Hillingdon. It enables the Council to plan, track and review the performance and behaviour of employees at all levels. It also ensures that the work of individual employees connects with the priorities of the Council, as set in the Council Plan, by maintaining a golden thread between, Group, Service, Team and personal targets.

The PADA process clarifies for each employee what they need to achieve in their job, how their skills can be developed in their role and how well they have performed against agreed objectives/targets. It offers an opportunity for regular feedback and provides the basis for managers to recognise excellence and deal with poor performance.

It is the aim of LB Hillingdon to achieve 100% compliance with the PADA system.

All employees of the Council are subject to this scheme and must participate fully in its operation. This includes unattached teachers employed by the Local Authority, however they will also be subject to the Teachers’ standards. Further guidance for undertaking teachers’ PADAs can be found in Appendix F.

Where you have agency workers, it is still importantthat there is clarity in what you are requiring of them and you are monitoring that this is being delivered, in order to ensure the council receives value for money.

Accordingly, standards and targets should be set and appraisals should be undertaken, but this should not be done through the PADA process because agency workers are not council employees.

Employees appointed to new posts should have their PADA for that post set within one month of the start date.

Employees leaving a post should have their current PADA completed up to the leaving date.

Employees on multiple contracts should have a PADA for each contract.

NEW STARTERS

Employees starting new positions should set a PADA with their manager when they are in post - that is, from the very beginning of their work.

Employees who have moved from one post to the other in the Council receive a Whole Job Rating and Competencies Review during the Annual Review that is appropriate to their new position, not their old one. This is the job they are in at the end of the PADA year.

1.1 The purpose of the PADA

The PADA aims to -

  • Improve the quality of services and performance of the Council through proactively managing and regularly reviewing the performance and behaviour of employees and ensuring the Council’s objectives and targets are delivered.
  • Support continuing learning and professional development
  • Enable regular dialogue to positively develop communication and working relationships between management and staff.
  • Provide a framework that can be consistently applied to ensure a fair and equitable approach is taken to managing performance and development.

1.2 The PADA should-

  • Be an opportunity to discuss performance, achievement and development
  • Determine new work targets for the coming period
  • Provide a process for two-way ongoing feedback between employees and managers.
  • Ensure employees understand their role and the part they play in achieving the Council’s objectives
  • Allow potential barriers to the achievement of targets/objectives to be identified and resolved
  • Provide a vehicle for giving recognition for achievement and improvement.
  • Allow employees’ learning or development needs to be identified
  • Enable all learning/development activities to be tailored, planned and prioritised to meet the needs of the organisation in partnership with the employees

1.3 The PADA should not –

  • Be a one-way process, which the manager takes over and the employee is “subjected” to
  • Be an unused form, which is put away after a Review and not picked up again until the next one
  • Be conducted for existing/new Agency workers or consultants

1.4 Benefits to the employee, manager and the Council

The PADA process confers a number of benefits.

The employee benefits from-

  • The opportunity to develop and learn from past performance and new challenges
  • Receiving positive feedback on their performance
  • Developing self appraisal skills and taking responsibility for their own development
  • Having a clear understanding about what is expected of them.
  • A fair and consistent approach in assessing performance
  • Understanding how they contribute to the achievement of the Council’s aims

The manager benefits from-

  • Improved awareness of their staff’s knowledge, skills and attitude
  • Identifying the areas they can help their staff to develop
  • Improved staff relationships which are more open and honest
  • Having better developed and motivated staff
  • Improved performance within the team
  • Improved service provision to customers, both internal and external
  • Improved opportunity to target resources against priority needs
  • A structured process to assist them in effectively dealing with concerns over performance

The Council benefits from-

  • Improved performance and efficiency of people
  • Staff who have a clear understanding of their contribution to the corporate aims
  • Better management of people
  • Motivated staff who have clear aspirations and direction
  • Greater flexibility and improved skills within the workforce
  • Having the competencies embedded and making them a reality
  • An improved service for residents, helping to raise residents’ satisfaction

2.0 The PADA Process – what happens when?

The PADA process is composed of three elements.

The Annual Review: this is held in March/April, at the start of the PADA year, which matches the service and financial planning year. This is the main PADA meeting, in which the manager and employee agree the previous year’s PADA form and the new PADA forms are started.

The 6-month Review: this is held in September/October, six months after the Annual Review.

Regular 1:1s: managers and employees should meet monthly between these two reviews.Recording the 1:1 discussion ensures that both the manager and employee know the outcome of the discussion and can follow up on action points. LB Hillingdon has a recording template that is intended for use by Senior Managers. This recording template is not intended to be used for services where there is a statutory duty and more detailed 1:1 notes are required.

The following sections explain what should happen at each of these meetings. In addition, Appendix A: The PADA Cycle, illustrates this further.

2.1 The Annual Review

What preparation should be done?

Documents both employees and managers will need to refer to are-

  • The relevant new Team Plan
  • Both this year and next year’s PADA forms
  • The staff / manager / senior officer competency framework

Prior to the meeting employees should work through the Review Preparation Checklist, which includes carrying out a self-assessment against the competencies.

This will involve the employee looking again at their current Performance Plan and thinking about the objectives/targets they have achieved and examples that can be given to support this. The employee should also think about examples where they have demonstrated the employee competencies well, and any that can be improved on. The employee should look at the Team Plan for the next year and think about what they believe are the main objectives/targets of their job for the next 12 months and what learning and development may be required to achieve them.

The Process

The Annual Review should take place every year in March/April. During the Review meeting, the following five actions should take place:

The year ending-

  • A competencies Review conducted
  • A Performance and Development Review conducted
  • A Whole Job Rating given

The year ahead-

  • A New Performance Plan set
  • A New Learning and Development Plan set

The PADA meeting should last about an hour and take place in a venue that is private, comfortable and free from interruptions.

What will happen at the meeting?

The manager will explain the format and purpose of the meeting, the expected duration and what will be discussed.

The employee-

  • Will be asked to assess whether they have been able to achieve the objectives and targets agreed at the last Review meeting.
  • Will be asked to discuss their own and their manager’s assessment ratings against the competencies and present any supporting information.
  • Will discuss with their manager future targets/actions and the agreed time period.

Both manager and employee will-

  • Recognise and, where appropriate, record the employee’s achievement and successes.
  • Identify any problems or barriers that have prevented the employee achieving targets agreed at the previous Review meeting.
  • Discuss whether any learning/development is required to help the employee achieve their objectives and targets.
  • Discuss how the employee could develop their skills and potential within their current job and career aspirations.
  • Discuss any health, welfare or other related issues affecting the employee and whether any adjustments to their current role or workplace needs to be carried out to help them achieve their targets.

At the end of the meeting-

  • The form is signed by both employee and manager. Both should retain a copy.
  • Both employee and manager should ensure dates are arranged for regular 1:1s; these should be held on a monthly basis.

After the meeting-

  • The form is passed to the manager’s manager for signature and approval. At this point the manager’s manager may discuss issues or concern and how to deal with them with the manager.

2.2 The 6-month Review

Documents both employees and managers will need to refer to are-

  • The relevant Team Plan
  • The current PADA form
  • The staff / manager / senior officer competency framework

What preparation should be done?

Both parties should review the employee’s current PADA in the run-up to the meeting and to bring a copy to the meeting itself. It is also necessary to refer to the Team Plan if it has changed, as new objectives may have to be set to reflect this.

This will involve the employee looking again at their current Performance Plan and thinking about the objectives/targets they have achieved and examples that can be given to support this. The employee should also think about examples where they have demonstrated the employee competencies well, and any that can be improved on. The employee should look at the Team Plan for the next year and think about what they believe are the main objectives/targets of their job for the next 6 months and what learning and development may be required to achieve them.

The Process

The 6-month Review should take place every year in September/October. In this meeting, the following should be reviewed:

  • The Performance Plan
  • The Learning and Development Plan

Following discussion between manager and employee, the Performance and Learning and Development Plans can be amended (targets added or taken out, new learning actions identified).

In addition, the following should be conducted-

  • A Competencies Review
  • A Performance and Development Review

No Whole Job Rating is given at the 6-month Review.

What will happen at the meeting?

The 6-month Review is much like the Annual Review, but does not involve the development of new Performance and Learning and Development Plans or a Whole Job Rating being given. As with the Annual Review,

The employee-

  • Will be asked to assess whether they have been able to achieve the objectives and targets agreed at the last Review meeting.
  • Will be asked to discuss their own and their manager’s assessment ratings against the competencies and present any supporting information.
  • Will discuss with their manager future targets/actions and the time period.
  • Will be asked to explain what learning has taken place and its impact on work performance

Both manager and employee will-

  • Recognise and, where appropriate, record the employee’s achievement and successes.
  • Identify any problems or barriers that have prevented the employee achieving targets agreed at the previous Review meeting.
  • Discuss whether any learning/development is required to help the employee achieve their objectives and targets.
  • Discuss how the employee could develop their skills and potential within their current job and career aspirations.
  • Discuss any health, welfare or other related issues affecting the employee and whether any adjustments to their current role or workplace needs to be carried out to help them achieve their targets.

2.3 Regular 1:1s / Supervision

1:1s between manager and employeemust take place once a month.

During 1:1s,

  • Progress against targets should be reviewed
  • The impact of learning actions should be discussed
  • General discussions about learning and development, issues and concerns should take place

1:1s are important informal update discussions to ensure that things are on track and to identify any problems, obstacles, health, welfare, safety issues etc. that may be affecting performance or the achievement of objectives.

Recording the 1:1 discussion ensures that both the manager and employee know the outcome of the discussion and can follow up on action points. LB Hillingdon has a recording template that is intended for use by Senior Managers. This recording template is not intended to be used for services where there is a statutory duty and more detailed 1:1 notes are required.

Dates of future 1:1s should be decided at the Annual Review, and, if necessary, at the 6-month Review.

At the end of the year, the completed PADA form should be filed on the employee’s personal file.

3.0 The different sections of the PADA – explanations and guidance

There are three PADA forms at LB Hillingdon- the Staff PADA form, the Manager PADA form and the Senior Officer PADA form. The Senior Officer PADA is for Heads of Service and Service Managers.

Both types of PADA are composed of a-

  • Performance Plan
  • Learning and Development Plan
  • Competencies Review (6-month and Annual)
  • Performance and Development Review (6-month and Annual)
  • Whole Job Rating.

This section explains the purpose of each of these elements, and provides key information for their use. The forms must be filled in and completed electronically. They can be printed off for signature.

3.1 The Performance Plan

Team Objective (extracted from Team Plan)
Personal Objective (SMART) / Target
Date / Learning Action
(Y/N)
Progress Notes
6-month:
12-month:

The Performance Plan is to be filled in at the Annual Performance and Development Review and adjusted if necessary at the 6-month Review.

What is the purpose of the Performance Plan?

The Performance Plan is designed for managers, in conjunction with employees, to set targets and objectives to be achieved during the course of the PADA year. Target setting helps focus the work of the employee, makes success more measurable and helps to ensure that the right work is being done, contributing to the objectives set in the Team Plan.

To enable this, the objectives set in an employee’s PADA will link back to the relevant Team Plan, ensuring that the work of the individual contributes to achieving the aims of the team, the service and the Council by maintaining a “golden thread” between them.

This is demonstrated by tables 1 and 2 below.

Table 1 – How the Community Strategy cascades down to PADAs