The new GAO report, done at the request of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, also once again stressed that agency’s position—stated in past reports, hearing testimony and elsewhere—that effective performance management “is critical for agencies to meet organizational goals” and should not just be an exercise in “checking off boxes.”
“Effective performance management systems are not merely used for once- or twice-yearly individual expectation setting and ratings processes, but are tools to help organizations manage on a day-to-day basis, achieve results, accelerate change, and to facilitate two-way communication about individual and organizational performance,” it said.
GAO cited these as key lessons of its work on the issue:
“The transparency and credibility of the performance management process is enhanced when meaningful performance distinctions are made—it helps ensure that promotion, pay, bonus, staffing, and other rewards and recognition decisions are based on employees’ performance and results.
“A cultural shift might be needed among agencies and employees to acknowledge that a rating of “fully successful” is already a high bar and should be valued and rewarded and that “outstanding” is a difficult level to achieve. In our examination of SES ratings and performance awards, we noted that one of the five case study agencies included in our review communicates the message that a “fully successful” rating is not average or ordinary; it demonstrates a significant level of accomplishment.
“Good supervisors are key to the success of any performance management system. Supervisors provide the day-to-day performance management activities that can help sustain and improve the performance of more talented staff and can help marginal performers to become better. As a result, it will be important for agencies to promote people into supervisory positions because of their supervisory skills (in addition to their technical skills) and ensure that new supervisors receive sufficient training in performance management.”
