Objectives, evidence and the appraisal conversation
Performance Appraisal Guide
An appraisal reviews performance against objectives agreed in advance. If objectives were never set, the appraisal cannot be scored fairly: set them now and review at the next cycle. Complete the form before the meeting and use the meeting to discuss it, not to write it.
Part A: employee and period
| Field | Entry |
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| Employee name and post |
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| Department and duty station |
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| Supervisor name and post |
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| Review period from / to |
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| Date objectives were agreed |
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Part B: performance against objectives
| Objective agreed | Measure | Result achieved | Rating 1 to 5 |
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| Objective 1 |
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| Objective 2 |
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| Objective 3 |
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| Objective 4 |
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| Objective 5 |
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Part C: how the work was done
| Behaviour | Rating 1 to 5 | Evidence |
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| Reliability and attendance |
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| Quality and accuracy of work |
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| Initiative and problem solving |
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| Working with colleagues and clients |
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| Compliance with policy and procedure |
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| Supervision of others, where applicable |
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Part D: development and next period
| Field | Entry |
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| Strengths to build on |
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| Areas needing improvement |
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| Training or support required |
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| Objectives for the next period (1) |
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| Objectives for the next period (2) |
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| Objectives for the next period (3) |
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| Overall rating |
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| Employee comments |
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| Employee signature and date |
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| Supervisor signature and date |
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| Countersigning officer and date |
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Conducting the conversation
- Give the employee the completed form at least two days before the meeting so nothing is a surprise.
- Open by asking the employee for their own assessment before giving yours.
- Deal in specifics with dates and examples. A rating without evidence cannot be defended.
- Separate performance from personality. Describe what was done, not what the person is like.
- Agree next period objectives in the meeting and write them down before anyone leaves the room.
- Where performance is below standard, say so plainly, record it, and set a review date. An appraisal that avoids the issue makes later action harder to sustain.
