A GAO report examining patterns in federal employee performance ratings shows that among those in GS-13 through -15, generally the grades of mid-level managers, 45.7 percent were rated as outstanding and 32.2 percent as exceeding expectations. Another 21.7 percent were rated as fully successful, leaving 0.4 percent rated as performing at the minimally successful or unacceptable levels.
While the ratings at those grades overall were higher than those for GS-9 through -12 (67.4 percent rated at the top two levels) and grades 1-8 (59.9 percent), they fell well below ratings of senior executives.
A report last year from OPM on 2014 ratings of senior execs showed that 9.9 percent were rated as fully successful, 41.8 percent as exceeding expectations and 47.9 percent as outstanding or its equivalent.
A GAO report earlier last year pointed out that the roughly the same pattern had existed over the prior four years, concluding that making meaningful distinctions in SES performance “continues to be a challenge for many agencies” since about nine-tenths of career execs were rated at one of the top two of five levels in each of those years..
