A new report from the IBM Center For The Business of Government identifies "near-term action steps" the federal government could take to improve performance management.
First, agencies need a common definition of performance management that makes it clear that executives and front-line managers are the primary players, and that managers need to be held accountable for actively managing their employees, says "Managing for Better Performance: Enhancing Federal Performance Management Practices."
It said agencies also need to ensure groundwork is in place whereby managers are prepared to make honest decisions about employee performance, and as a corollary, employees should be involved in defining what constitutes successful performance.
Seeming to buck massive rollouts of pay for performance at DHS and DoD, the report also recommends starting small. "Changes that affect careers and working relationships are best addressed at the local level," the report said, adding, "High performance depends on the buy-in of frontline managers and employees — which cannot be mandated or controlled from a distance."
OPM recently recommended that DHS establish a program management office to advance its human capital operational plan — formerly known as MaxHR — something the IBM report echoed, saying performance management should not be treated merely as an HR initiative.
It noted that DoD’s program office for its national security personnel system has "proven its value," and said other agencies should consider following its lead in that regard.
Finally, the report recommends adding incentives for middle managers, "since they have primary responsibility for managing employee performance," adding that cash awards can be "a powerful incentive."
