Writing Effective Performance Standards
Classroom, Virtual
Who Should Attend
This 2-day course is ideal for supervisors, managers, and HR practitioners involved in employee performance management and evaluation, providing them with the tools to develop performance standards that are aligned, clear, and effective for fostering an accountable workforce.
Course Overview
This intermediate-level course is designed to provide federal supervisors, managers, and human resource professionals with comprehensive knowledge and practical skills for developing clear, measurable, and legally defensible performance standards. The course emphasizes the importance of aligning performance expectations with agency strategic goals and adhering to Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidelines.
This course provides participants with an opportunity to engage in hands-on activities, case studies, and group exercises. Participants will acquire a practical understanding of how to craft performance standards that drive accountability, enhance employee performance, and support strategic agency objectives.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants should be able to:
- Understand the Role of Performance Standards: Gain a comprehensive understanding of what performance standards are and their role in the federal performance management system.
- Apply the SMART Framework: Learn how to create performance standards that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound to ensure clarity and objectivity in performance expectations.
- Align Performance Standards with Position Descriptions: Utilize OPM Position Classification Fly Sheets to align performance standards with the duties and responsibilities outlined in position descriptions, ensuring consistency and accuracy.
- Ensure Legal Compliance and Defensibility: Develop performance standards that comply with Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) rulings, are legally sound, and minimize the risk of legal challenges.
- Integrate Agency Strategic Goals: Align individual performance standards with agency strategic plans, ensuring employees contribute effectively to achieving organizational goals in compliance with the Government Performance Results Act – Modernization Act (GPRA-MA).
- Avoid Common Pitfalls: Identify and avoid common pitfalls in performance standard development, such as vagueness, unattainable targets, and inconsistency in application.
- Conduct Effective Performance Planning Discussions: Enhance communication skills for discussing performance standards with employees, ensuring mutual understanding and agreement on expectations.
- Support Evidence-Based Performance Evaluations: Utilize well-defined performance standards as a foundation for conducting objective and evidence-based employee evaluations.
- Enhance Organizational Effectiveness: Develop performance standards that drive accountability, improve employee performance, and enhance the overall effectiveness of the organization.