- The current Performance Management Cycle begins March 1, 2007 and ends February 29, 2008. This is defined by the State of North Carolina.

- Interim Reviews should be conducted between September 17 and October 17, 2007.

- Interim Review documents (if any) need not be submitted to Human Resources upon completion, however, attach any documents to the Annual Appraisal / PCAC form when submitting the Annual Appraisal at the end of the Performance Cycle.

- The Annual Appraisal must be completed and submitted with all appropriate signatures (employee, supervisor, AND reviewer) to Human Resources no later than Friday, April 25, 2008.

Questions regarding the Performance Management Process may be referred to:
Kathy Helvey, Classification and Compensation, x 7-2010
Shirley Greene Jackson, Employee Training and Staff Development, x 7-2636
Cindy Edwards, Employee Relations, x 7-6015

UNC Charlotte's Legal Policy Statement #54 mandates the use of the State's Performance Management system and outlines the process of managing employee performance. "The work performance of all permanent employees subject to the provisions of the State Personnel Act ("classified" or "SPA" employees) will be appraised at least annually by the immediate supervisor of the employee and reviewed by a higher level supervisor, as appropriate. The appraisal of employee performance is to be job related and not influenced by gender, ethnic category, religion, physical or mental handicap, or age (as provided by law)." - Excerpt from first paragraph of PS #54

There are three phases to the Performance Management Process

- Work Planning (Development of Work plan)
- Managing (Interim Review & Interaction Management)
- Appraising (Completion of Appraisal)

1. Work Planning
Developing the Work Plan

Upon hiring an employee into a position, the Performance Management Process begins with the development of an employee's work plan. To begin, download the "Performance Management, Competency Assessment, and Career Development" (PCAC) form from the HR forms website. If the position you supervise is NOT career-banded, complete only the first two columns in Section III. Performance Management Work Plan and Final Results Performance Evaluation.
(Note: Prior to September 15, 2006, this would have been submitted on a "work plan" form. At this time, please use the PCAC form for establishing the work plan and all further performance cycle documentation. We are currently transitioning all employees to this new form for Performance Management.)

If the position you supervise is career-banded, complete the first two columns in Section III and the first two columns in Section IV. Functional Competency Assessment, which establishes expectations to assess the employee's functional competency development. (Section IV is not part of the Perfomance Management Process, however, completion of Section IV coincides with the Performance Management Cycle.)

To complete the first two columns of Section III, review the current job description and transfer each Key Responsibility from the job description onto this form, ranking appropriately. For each Key Responsibility listed, develop expectations / measurable goals for the employee to attain. Do not restate the tasks of the job, develop measurable standards to achieve. The expectations listed should be written at the '3 - good - meets expectations' level of performance. Use S.M.A.R.T. criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results oriented, Time-bound) Consult the following "Guide to developing Performance Expectations" for assistance in setting up Section III.

After setting up Section III and developing performance expectations in conjunction with your employee, discussing the information with him/her, obtain appropriate signatures on the first page of the PCAC form under "Initial Work Planning Discussion" and submit a copy to Human Resources for placement in the employee's personnel file. Be sure to retain your electronic copy of the PCAC form, as it is to be used continually throughout the Performance Management cycle.

2. Managing
Interim Review

The Interim Review is a time for all SPA employees to receive semi-annual interim performance counseling. This counseling opportunity is intended for supervisors to discuss performance with SPA employees and, if necessary, develop plans for correcting problems during the second half of the annual performance cycle, before official performance reviews are to be conducted and finalized at the end of the current Performance Cycle.

The Interim Review is to occur during September and October (6 months into the work cycle). Review the work plan / PCAC with SPA employees and develop an improvement plan if needed. There is an "Interim Review Improvement Plan" on the HR forms webpage if you choose to utilize it. Interim Reviews need not be submitted to Human Resources, as is required with annual Performance Appraisals, however, if an Interim Review Improvement Plan is completed at this time, it must be attached to and submitted with the annual appraisal at the end of the performance cycle.

For Career-Banded positions, the Interim Review time can also be used for discussing the employee’s competency development, to prepare the employee for his/her end of cycle Competency Assessment, which is required in conjunction with the Annual Performance Appraisal.

3. Appraising
Completion of Appraisal

Initiate the annual Appraisal/Review process at the beginning of March by reviewing the employee's PCAC form / work plan. If using a PCAC form, complete your appraisal of the employee by providing justification and a performance rating in the two columns on the right of Section III, "Final Demonstrated Performance Results" and "Final Performance Rating".

In order to finalize an Annual Appraisal, three items are required:
     - The overall performance rating must be scored on the cover (first) page of the PCAC form
     - The supervisor is required to provide comments at the end of Section III in the space provided
     - The Annual Appraisal must contain the employee's, the supervisor's, and the reviewer's signature, otherwise it will be returned

Remember, the performance appraisal covers the entire time period of March 1 - February 28, not just the last few weeks or months before the end of the appraisal period. Changes in management, procedures, responsibilities, etc., may have resulted in a change in the performance expectations. A glowing review during the previous period does not necessarily mean the employee is still performing at that level. In addition, a change from a rating of "4" to a rating of "3" does not necessairly indicate the employee is a poor performer. A rating of "3" means the person is adequately performing their job responsibilities, thus meeting expectations. In considering a higher rating, supervisors need to consider what the employee is doing or contributing that elevates their performance and document how the employee is exceeding expectations.

Provide a copy of the evaluation to the employee, keep a copy for your records, and submit the original to Human Resources.