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SCDC POLICY/PROCEDURE

NUMBER: ADM-11.06

TITLE: EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

ISSUE DATE: OCTOBER 1, 2004

RESPONSIBLE AUTHORITY: DIVISION OF HUMAN RESOURCES

OPERATIONS MANUAL: ADMINISTRATION

SUPERSEDES: ADM-11.06 (September 1, 2002); Change 1 (January 1, 2003)

RELEVANT SCDC FORMS/SUPPLIES: 16-32, 16-37, 16-38, 16-40, 16-41, 16-43, 16-44, 16-45, 16-50, 16-87, 16-88, 16-93, 16-97, 16-99, 16-100, 16-101, 16-102, 16-104, 16-106, 16-107, 16-108

ACA/CAC STANDARDS: 3-ACRS-1C-02, 3-ACRS-1C-16, 3-4048, 3-4057, 3-4062

STATE/FEDERAL STATUTES: State Office of Human Resources Regulations

THE LANGUAGE USED IN THIS POLICY/PROCEDURE DOES NOT CREATE AN EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT BETWEEN THE EMPLOYEE AND THE AGENCY. THIS POLICY/PROCEDURE DOES NOT CREATE ANY CONTRACTUAL RIGHTS OR ENTITLEMENTS.  THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REVISE THE CONTENTS OF THIS POLICY/PROCEDURE, IN WHOLE OR IN PART.  NO PROMISES OR ASSURANCES, WHETHER WRITTEN OR ORAL, WHICH ARE CONTRARY TO OR INCONSISTENT WITH THE TERMS OF THIS PARAGRAPH CREATE ANY CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT.

PURPOSE: To establish a uniform employee performance management system for the South Carolina Department of Corrections in compliance with the State Office of Human Resources Regulations.

POLICY STATEMENT: To uphold the professional standards of the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the Agency will utilize an Employee Performance Management System (EPMS) that will function as an effective management tool within the Agency and provide a sound process for evaluation of the performance and productivity of its employees. (3-ACRS-1C-02, 3-ACRS-1C-16, 3-4048, 3-4057, 3-4062)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION STAGES
2. NOTIFICATION TO CONDUCT EVALUATION STAGE
3. DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS
4. COVERED EMPLOYEES
5. PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES
6. TRIAL STATUS
7. SPECIAL AND ADDITIONAL APPRAISALS
8. SUBSTANDARD PERFORMANCE PROCESS
9. WRITTEN WARNINGS DURING A 365 DAY PERIOD
10. MERIT INCREASES
11. APPRAISAL NOT GRIEVABLE
12. EPMS TRAINING FOR ALL EMPLOYEES
13. DEFINITIONS

SPECIFIC PROCEDURES:

1. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION STAGES: The EPMS process consists of three (3) major stages: the planning stage, on-going communication, and the evaluation stage.

1.1 Planning Stage: This stage should occur no later than 60 days after the beginning of the employee's review period and will be conducted as follows: (3-ACRS-1C-16, 3-4062)

1.1.1 The employee’s rating official will review the general instructions provided on the appropriate EPMS form (see Section 3.1, below).

1.1.2 The rating official will review the employee's Position Description (PD) with the employee to determine if the job duties which are cited accurately describe the duties assigned to the position. The following SCDC Position Description forms are available:

(NOTE: If a current PD is not available or the current PD does not accurately describe the duties, an updated PD must be prepared by the employee’s rating official, approved by the reviewing official, and submitted to the Chief, Classification Branch.)

1.1.3 With the participation of the employee, the rating official will identify those job duties on the PD which are the most important for performing the overall job and discuss them with the employee. These are the specific duties of the position which will be performed by the employee and evaluated by the rating official for the rating period, and will be assessed formally at the completion of the review. Each job duty should include the success criteria that will specify the expected level of performance necessary to obtain a "Meets Performance Requirements" rating. An assigned weight factor must be identified to indicate the percentage of time an employee will spend on each job duty.  The rating official shall be evaluated on the timely completion of each employee's performance appraisal.

1.1.4 After meeting with the employee, the rating official will enter the duties and success criteria identified in Section 1.1.3, above, on the appropriate EPMS form under the section entitled "Job Duties."

1.1.5 An appropriate weight factor with the corresponding job duty must be indicated for each job duty which reflects the approximate percentage of time required to perform that specific job duty as outlined in the employee’s PD. The weight factor for each job duty is added to determine a total weight factor for job duties.

1.1.6 The rating official will then review with the employee the list of "General Performance Characteristics" listed in Appendix #1 of this Procedure. If the employee performs supervisory or managerial responsibilities, the rating official will also review the "Selected Management Characteristics" listed in Appendix #2 of this Procedure. The rating official will identify at least four (4) general characteristics or three (3) managerial characteristics for managers, which are related to the performance of the specific job. This information will be entered in the section entitled "Performance Characteristics" on the EPMS form. If the rating official and the employee believe that a characteristic is relevant, but does not appear on the list, it may be included (a definition must be developed). Employees supervising other employees must be rated on the performance characteristic of "promoting equal opportunity."

1.1.7 An objective(s) may be identified for an employee in a supervisory or non-supervisory position and may be entered in the section entitled "Objectives Section" on the EPMS form. An objective is an identified project (something above and beyond normal duties and responsibilities) to be focused on and accomplished by the employee during the rating period. Success criteria must be developed for each objective. The "Objectives Section" should not have a total weight value that exceeds 25%. It is suggested that all management and supervisory employees have at least one (1) objective.

1.1.8 The number of job duties, performance characteristics, and objectives may vary between supervisors and among employees. Even though the intent of the process is to encourage as much interaction and agreement as possible on the factors to be used in the appraisal, the judgment of the rating official is final in the selection of duties, characteristics, and objectives.

1.1.9 Upon completing the planning stage, the rating official, reviewing official, and concurring official, if applicable, will sign the planning stage before reviewing it with the employee. The reviewing official and rating official must agree on the planning stage. If the rating and reviewing official cannot agree on any specific point, the concurring official will be consulted. The planning stage will be maintained by the rating official until notified to conduct the employee’s evaluation. A copy of the planning stage will be provided to the employee by the rating official, if the employee requests it.

1.1.10 During the evaluation interview, the rating official is required to review the following policies/procedures with the employee: 

1.1.11 An employee beginning a probationary, trial, or new review period, must have a planning stage within 60 days of the beginning of the review period.

1.2 On-Going Communication: The rating official should continue to provide performance feedback to an employee throughout the review period. An unofficial mid-year review is encouraged to facilitate communication between rating official and employee. In addition, various options are available to the rating official in conducting performance management. A rating official may gather feedback to prepare the evaluation document and/or conduct unofficial evaluations more frequently than required by policy.

1.3 Evaluation Stage: (See Section 2 below for information on the notification that is sent to the rating official to conduct the evaluation.) The evaluation stage will occur not more than 90 days prior to the end of the employee’s rating period and will be conducted as follows: (3-ACRS-1C-16, 3-4062)

1.3.1 The rating official will review the general instructions on the appropriate EPMS form. (See Section 3.1, below.)

1.3.2 Rating Criteria: The rating official will evaluate the employee’s performance in each job duty. The following scores will be used to rate the employee’s performance:

1.3.3 The weighted average is calculated by multiplying the weight factor times the performance level to two decimal places.

1.3.4 The rating official will complete the "Performance Characteristics" section by indicating either an "acceptable" or "unacceptable" level of performance as follows:

1.3.5 The "Performance Characteristics" section will not be weighted in the determination of the overall performance rating.

1.3.6 The rating official will complete the "Objectives Section," if applicable, in the same manner as in the completion of the "Job Duties" section as identified in Section 1.3.2, above.

(NOTE: Should extenuating circumstances exist during the rating period which prevent the employee from completing the assigned objective, the objective should either be not rated, or changed to reflect the degree to which it was capable of being completed; likewise, any increase or decrease in the value weight must be reassigned to other objectives or job duties in order to maintain the same value weight total. As soon as the rating official and the employee realize that the objective cannot be completed, the appropriate change should be made on the planning stage document and the change initiated by the rating, reviewing, and concurring officials, if applicable, and the employee.)

1.3.7 The rating official will complete the section entitled "Summary and Improvement Plan." This section should be an analysis of the employee’s major accomplishments, area(s) needing improvement, and steps to improve present and future performance.

1.3.8 The total weighted average for each section ("Job Duties" and "Objectives") will be recorded on the EPMS form. The score on the page indicates where the employee’s performance level is in relation to the overall rating. Specifically, an overall appraisal rating is categorized as follows:

1.3.9 The rating official will be required to justify an overall rating of "Below Performance Requirements" or "Substantially Exceeds Requirements" (that is, an appraisal overall rating below .50 or above 2.49). The justification will be recorded in Section VI of the EPMS form.

1.3.10 After the rating official has completed the EPMS form, but before discussing it with the employee, s/he must discuss the document with the reviewing and concurring official and obtain his/her signature(s) in Section IX of the EPMS form. The reviewing official cannot require that the rating official change the evaluation; however, s/he may give written documentation in any area in which s/he may disagree. The rating and concurring official (when applicable) must be in agreement on the evaluation. The evaluation will not be discussed with the employee until the reviewing and concurring officials have signed the appraisal.

1.3.11 After the EPMS has been reviewed and signed by the reviewing and concurring official, if applicable, the rating official will conduct the evaluation interview with the employee.

1.3.12 The employee will sign Section IX on the EPMS form at the conclusion of the evaluation interview. The employee’s signature signifies that the evaluation has been reviewed with him/her, not approval or concurrence with the ratings or comments. If the employee refuses to sign the EPMS, a written notation on the form should be made of the refusal and witnessed by one (1) signature. The witness must be an employee other than the rating official(s) and will be in a higher classification than the employee being rated. (3-ACRS-1C-16, 3-4062)

1.3.13 The completed evaluation (EPMS) should be forwarded to the designated individual at the employee's work location for keying the overall weighted average into the Automated EPMS System.  Once keyed, the EPMS should be placed in the employee's official personnel file.  Should the evaluation have to be submitted to the Division of Human Resources for keying or filing into the official personnel file, locations should ensure the appropriate label is placed on the evaluation before submitting to the Division of Human Resources. 

2. NOTIFICATION TO CONDUCT EVALUATION STAGE:

2.1 The Division Director of Human Resources or designee is responsible for initiating a system generated notification to designated users on when evaluations for employees, based on their work location, are due for an evaluation.  This notification will be at least 45 days prior to the affected employee's review date.  The designated individual at the employee's work location is responsible for notifying the appropriate supervisor when an evaluation is due.

2.2 An evaluation not completed and keyed into the EPMS Automated System by the employee's review date will be a "presumed meets" by default and assigned a .50% overall weight factor.

2.3 The Division of Human Resources will notify the appropriate member of the Director's staff via mainframe system message of any employee who is "presumed meets" by default.

2.4 Late evaluations must be submitted to the Division of Human Resources for correction.

2.5 Employees are entitled to a fair and objective assessment of their performance. Supervisors will be required to complete and submit the evaluation in a timely manner. Failure to complete these evaluations in a timely manner can result in corrective action taken against the rating official pursuant to SCDC Policy/Procedure ADM-11.04, "Employee Corrective Action." 

3. DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS:

3.1 EPMS Forms: Each employee’s performance appraisal will be documented on one (1) of the following forms:

3.2 Information Required: The performance appraisal form will, at a minimum, provide the following information:

3.2.1 name, position classification, title, work location, date assigned to the current position, and review period for the employee;

3.2.2 space for the employee, rating official, concurring official (if applicable), and reviewing official to sign and date the form for the planning stage and afterwards on the formal appraisal evaluation along with employee's acknowledgment of review of his/her position description;

3.2.3 actual performance and success criteria for the job duties, performance characteristics, and objectives, if applicable;

3.2.4 provisions to allow for the rating of each individual item (job duties and objectives) based on the four (4) levels of performance;

3.2.5 provisions to allow for performance characteristics to be rated as "acceptable" or "unacceptable";

3.2.6 record of the overall performance rating, weight factor, and weighted average for each rating;

3.2.7 requirement that justification be included for any employee with an overall rating of below or substantially exceeds performance requirements (weighted average below .50 and above 2.49);

3.2.8 space for employee comments;

3.2.9 a place where the rating official identifies the employee's major accomplishments, areas needing improvement, and steps to improve present and future performance.

3.3 Employee Copy of Appraisal: All evaluations (EPMS forms) will become a permanent part of the employee's official personnel file. Upon request, the Agency will furnish the employee with a copy of the EPMS and copies of all pertinent attachments, including the form completed at the time of the planning stage and the final appraisal form.

4. COVERED EMPLOYEES:  

4.1 Each employee who has completed the first 12 months of service with a "Meets Performance Requirement" or higher rating in a position will be given an annual appraisal prior to and within 90 days of his/her performance review date. An informal meeting at the midpoint of the review period is strongly recommended to promote open communication between the employee and the rating official. The performance review date marks the beginning of a new performance review period. A covered employee may not be issued an overall "Below Performance Requirements" appraisal at any time during the annual review period without following the procedures listed in Section 8. below.

4.2 An employee's review date will be established one (1) year from the date of hire into state government and will on the same date each subsequent year unless an employee is promoted, demoted, or transfers to a position with a different classification.

4.3 An employee who is promoted, demoted, or accepts reassignment to a position with a different classification will have his/her review date established upon completion of a six (6) months trial period.  

4.4 An employee on approved leave without pay for more than thirty (30) consecutive workdays will have his/her review date advanced once calendar day for each calendar day on leave without pay in excess of the thirty (30) consecutive work days. 

5. PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES:  

5.1 The performance of a probationary employee should be evaluated during the first 12 months of continuous state service, but not more than 90 days prior to the employee's review date.  An employee must be evaluated at least an overall "Meets" at the end of the 12 month probationary period, or s/he must be terminated before obtaining covered status. The rating official  must consult the Employee Relations Branch prior to any termination action. An informal meeting at the midpoint of the review period is strongly recommended to promote open communication between the employee and the rating official. Until an employee has completed a successful probationary period, the employee has no grievance rights under the State Employee Procedure Grievance Act. Rating officials must consult with the Employee Relations Branch for the process that should be used to address substandard performance for probationary employees. (3-4057)

5.2 The performance review date for a probationary employee who is promoted, demoted, reclassified, experiences an unclassified State title change, or is reassigned or accepts reassignment to a new class or unclassified State title will be established with the following:

5.3 Exception - at the discretion of the agency head/designee, up to six (6) months of continuous satisfactory service in the previous class or unclassified State title may be counted toward the probationary period in the new class or unclassified State title which would result in a reduction in the length of the employee's performance review period.

6. TRIAL STATUS:

6.1 Each covered employee given a promotion, demotion, reassignment, or whose position is reclassified will be placed in trial status for six (6) months. A covered employee given a reassignment to a position equal in band but different in classification will also be placed in trial status for six (6) months. Each employee placed in a trial status will be appraised not more than 60 days prior to completion of the six (6) months trial period. The trial review date marks the beginning of a new review period. An employee successfully completing a trial period will gain permanent status in the classification and will retain permanent status in the classification throughout his/her continuous service.

6.2 A covered employee on trial status may have their trial period extended up to 90 days for performance reasons, if approved by the Agency Director. The employee must be notified in writing of the extension prior to the end of the six (6) month trial period. The procedures listed in Section 8., below, are not required to demote a trial employee to the same classification or a classification of equal or higher band from which promoted if the demotion occurs within the trial period. A trial employee may not grieve such demotion since the employee has not attained permanent status in the new classification. The trial employee may not be terminated or demoted to a lower banded class than that from which promoted for performance reasons without following the procedures listed in Section 8., below.

7. SPECIAL AND ADDITIONAL APPRAISALS: Special or additional performance appraisals may be given at any time and will be required at the end of a warning period for overall substandard performance. An informal meeting at the midpoint of the review period is strongly recommended to promote open communication between the employee and the rating official. The gaining rating official of an employee may request an exit appraisal by the losing rating official. The exit appraisal should be conducted within ten (10) days of the effective date of the position movement and forwarded to the gaining rating official.

8. SUBSTANDARD PERFORMANCE PROCESS: When it is determined that deficiencies exist that may impact a covered employee's overall performance, the employee will be notified of the deficiencies in a timely manner using an SCDC Form 16-50, "Employee Corrective Action." The rating official must offer recommendations to the employee that will help the employee improve his/her performance. The procedures will be as follow:

8.1 The rating official will provide the employee with a written warning notice of overall substandard performance at least 30 days and no more than 120 days prior to an employee's overall "Below Performance Requirements" summary rating. The rating official should notify the reviewing and concurring officials of the performance prior to sending the employee a written warning of Substandard Performance. The written warning will be issued on SCDC Form 16-50, "Employee Corrective Action," or by memorandum and will:

8.2 During the substandard warning period, the employee and the rating official will have regularly scheduled meetings where they will discuss the employee's progress or continued deficiencies. These meetings will be documented and included in the employee's official personnel file.

8.3 At the end of the warning period, the employee will be given a performance appraisal.

8.4 If the employee's performance is rated "Meets Performance Requirements" or above at the end of the warning period, employment will continue. If rated "Below Performance Requirements," the employee will be removed from the position immediately, i.e., terminated, reassigned, or demoted. All performance related terminations, demotions, and reassignments (performance related) must be approved by the Employee Relations Branch prior to discussion with the employee.

9. WRITTEN WARNINGS DURING A 365 DAY PERIOD: Any employee whose general overall performance requires more than two (2) substandard written warning notices within 365 days will be removed from the position upon receipt of the third warning notice of overall substandard performance.

10. MERIT INCREASES:  If appropriated in the current fiscal year Appropriations Act, merit increases as the result of the performance evaluation will be effective coincident with or at the beginning of the nearest pay period following the employee's review date unless notified otherwise by the Division Director of Human Resources or designee.

11. APPRAISAL NOT GRIEVABLE: Performance appraisals are not grievable to the Agency or State Employee Grievance Committee.

12. EPMS TRAINING FOR ALL EMPLOYEES: Training will be conducted in Management Development and Pre-supervisory classes at the SCDC Training Academy and the EPMS process will be reviewed in preprocessing orientation by Human Resource Managers/Specialists. All new employees will be briefed on the Employee Performance Management System during orientation at the Training Academy. (3-ACRS-1C-02, 3-4048)

13. DEFINITIONS:

Automated EPMS Notification refers to the method of notifying designated individuals of an employee's review date.  Notification will be made at least 45 days prior to the actual review date.

Concurring Official refers to the designated Central Office person who has input based on Central Office functions. The concurring official and the rating official must agree on the evaluation.

Covered Employee refers to a full-time or part-time employee occupying a part or all of an established full-time equivalent (FTE) position who has completed the probationary period and has a "meets" or higher overall rating on the employee’s performance evaluation and who has grievance rights. Instructional personnel are covered upon the completion of one (1) academic year except for faculty at state technical colleges of not more than two (2) full academic years’ duration. If an employee does not receive an evaluation before the official review date, the employee must be considered to have performed in a satisfactory manner and be a covered employee. This definition does not include employees in positions such as temporary, temporary grant, or time-limited employees who do not have grievance rights.

Employee Performance Management System (EPMS) refers to a management and communication tool utilized to monitor and evaluate employee performance. The components of the EPMS are the planning stage, on-going communication, and the evaluation stage. All three (3) phases are mandatory and must be completed for all covered employees by the rating official.

Evaluation Stage refers to the rating official's formal assessment (documented on the previously used Planning Stage) of the employee’s performance for a prescribed period of time and to the reviewing and (if applicable) the concurring officials’ agreement with the assessment.

Planning Stage refers to development of a specific set of criteria described by the rating official on the appropriate EPMS form upon which the employee will be evaluated.

Position Description refers to a written list of job duties and responsibilities which constitute a single job.

Probationary Period refers to the first 12 months of state service for new employees. Upon completion of the probationary period, the employee must be evaluated and must receive at least a "Meets" for continued employment.

Rating Official refers to the employee’s current immediate supervisor who will be responsible for preparing the planning stage and evaluation; obtaining concurrence and signature of concurring official, if applicable; obtaining signature of reviewing official; and reviewing the planning stage and evaluation with the employee.

Reviewing Official refers to the rating official's immediate supervisor. The reviewing official will be responsible for reviewing the planning stage and evaluation. The reviewing official must sign the planning stage and evaluation before they are reviewed with the employee.

Review/Rating Period refers to a pre-determined period of time over which an employee’s performance is evaluated and formally rated.

Success Criteria refers to the expected level of performance necessary to obtain a "Meets Performance Requirements" rating.

Trial Status refers to the six (6) month evaluation status into which each employee who is demoted, promoted, reclassified, or reassigned to a different classification is placed. An employee successfully completing this trial period will gain permanent status in that position.

SIGNATURE ON FILE

 s/ Jon E. Ozmint, Director

ORIGINAL SIGNED COPY MAINTAINED IN THE DIVISION OF POLICY DEVELOPMENT.

 

 

Appendix 1

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

GENERAL PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS

FOR SECTION II

Functional Qualities

Self-Management - Works with minimal supervision, manages own time effectively, maintains control on all current projects/responsibilities and ensures follow-up.

Technical Competence - Possesses necessary knowledge to effectively perform job and is able to apply what s/he has learned about his/her job.

Job Knowledge - Knows the details of the job and follows all job procedures accurately.

Quantity of Work - Produces an amount of acceptable work in order to meet schedules over which he/she has no control.

Quality of Work - Neatly, thoroughly, and accurately completes job assignments according to established standards of quality.

Problem Analysis - Able to identify problems and relevant issues and breaks problems into components. Sees relationships and alternative solutions and arrives at sound conclusions through logical process.

Accuracy of Work - The degree to which the employee makes mistakes or errors that require correction.

Timekeeping - Employee is prompt in reporting for work and effectively and efficiently uses his/her time to accomplish his/her job task.

Safety - Follows established safety practices and corrects unsafe work practices on the job.

Concentration - Able to put aside distractions and stays with a job until complete.

Responsibility - Asks for work after completing assignments and does not make excuses but addresses problems squarely. Offers action plans to resolve problems and suppresses "self-forgiving" tendencies regarding so-called "uncontrollable elements."

Tenacity - Able to "stick to" assignments and get results in spite of difficulties.

Personal Qualities

Judgment - Able to reason, compare, understand, and think rationally on the job. Makes quality work-related decisions based on sound conclusions. Separates facts from opinion.

Leadership - Employee can be relied upon to guide others to the accomplishment of objectives/responsibilities, develop teamwork, and resolve conflict.

Initiative - Starts assignments without prompting and independently contributes ideas and projects. Sees and acts upon new opportunities. Thinks and acts independently and promptly undertakes problems.

Dependability - Employee can be relied upon to meet work schedules and fulfill job responsibilities and commitment.

Delegation - Clearly assigns responsibility to others and seeks to provide the right tools.

Interpersonal Qualities

Listening Skills - Asks meaningful questions and listens closely and respectfully before offering comments.

Acceptance - Gains confidence of others and earns respect of subordinates, peers, and superiors.

Internal Relations - Degree to which one works effectively and cooperatively with others and other departments in achieving organizational goals. Degree of responsiveness to organizational needs.

Adaptability - Employee can adapt to job or organizational changes.

Communication Ability - Ability of the employee to present accurate information to other employees, peers, and superiors.

 

 

Appendix 2

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

SELECTED MANAGEMENT CHARACTERISTICS

FOR SECTION II

I. Management Functions

Planning and Organizing

- Establishes a course of action for meeting an objective.
- Allocates resources and personnel for best effect within budget limits.
- Develops schedules for activities and projects.
- Sets and observes priorities in order to avoid backlogged work.
- Effectively matches short-term goals to contribute toward longer-range plans.

Controlling

- Monitors and regulates employee’s activities.
- Establishes and maintains effective procedures to monitor and control activities within the employee’s responsibility.
- Monitors the progress and results of delegated assignments and keeps informed of developments in area of responsibility.

Delegating

- Allocates responsibilities to employees to help develop their career potential.
- Uses staff members effectively by allocating decisions and other responsibilities to the appropriate employees.
- Provides clear instructions and leadership so delegated tasks are properly completed.

Motivating

- Creates an organization environment or climate in which employees can perform to the best of their ability.
- Establishes employee motivation by giving employees recognition and feedback for work performed.
- Ensures that employee is aware of the possibility of advancement and growth.
- Develops a sense of trust and responsibility.

Developing

- Develops a learning environment for both employee and supervisor by continuing education and training to stay abreast of the current state of the art in one’s field.
- Makes projections based on current trends.
- Determines learning and training needs.
- Selects appropriate learning activities.

*Promoting Equal Opportunity - Meets agency affirmative action goals in such areas as hiring, promotion, or placement level of personal and organization commitment to equal opportunity; progress toward achieving a fully integrated and representative work force; and contribution toward minority programs and other social economic equal opportunity goals.

*All management/supervisory employees are required to be rated on this characteristic.

II. Management Skills

Sensitivity Inside the Agency

- Knows the impact of decisions and actions on individuals and other parts of the agency.
- Maintains contact with peers in other departments.
- Understands the agency’s organization and methods.
- Knows and accepts agency’s goals and objectives.

Sensitivity Outside the Agency

- Knows and allows for influences outside the agency.
- Stays abreast of events in government that could affect the agency.
- Regularly reads news and business-related publications.

Independence

- Acts on the basis of own thoughts, not the influence of others.
- Works without close supervision.
- Seeks approval and advice in situations outside personal authority and expertise.

Tenacity

- Overcomes obstacles to the attainment of a goal.
- Pursues goals until they are achieved or their attainment is no longer reasonable.

Initiative

- Initiates action.
- Actively attempts to influence events that can affect the attainment of goals.
- Does not readily accept circumstances that interfere with the attainment of goals.
- Regularly originates ideas and activities.

Self Control

- Maintains composure under provocative circumstances.
- Responds constructively to challenges and criticism.
- Maintains professional demeanor while dealing with difficult situations.

Stress Tolerance

- Performs well under pressure.
- Maintains composure, good judgment and adequate performance levels under pressure caused by deadlines, work load, opposition, and other causes.

Versatility

- Well informed about a broad range of job-related interests.
- Keeps informed about other parts of the agency.
- Is aware of changes in the agency.

Creativity

- Adopts innovative, imaginative solutions to work-related problems.
- Regularly generates innovative solutions and ideas.
- Encourages and acknowledges ideas from employees, co-workers, and other sources.

Decisiveness

- Is ready to make decisions, judgments, and commitments.
- Identifies decisions that require research and deliberation.
- Effectively establishes priorities.
- Seeks necessary information and advice.
- When possible, allows ample time for fact-finding and deliberation.
- Makes decisions within the time limits required by the situation.
- Rejects tendencies to make premature decisions.

Judgment

- Makes realistic and rational decisions.
- Bases decisions on logical assumptions and relevant facts.
- Develops and analyzes alternatives courses of action.
- Seeks advice and input of superiors, employees and other appropriate sources.