Writing Performance Standards

1. Writing Performance Standards Penn State ITS

2. Goals for Today • Introduction • Performance management timeline • Process for Job Responsibilities Worksheet (JRW) • Clarification – Competency levels/performance ratings • Benefits of writing performance standards • Criteria for performance standards • Sample performance standards • Exercise – writing performance standards • Linkage to SRDP • Questions and feedback

3. Performance Management Timeline

4. JRW Process • Director, Network Planning/Integration • Duty: Supervise assigned staff, including hiring, coaching, mentoring, professional development and employee relations activities. • Performance Standards: Under development

5. Competency levels vs Performance (SRDP) ratings • Competency levels (1-5) • Describe the amount of discretion in decision-making, in setting direction and/or policy, and in leading units or teams. • Higher levels have a broader impact and require one to exercise greater freedom for independent action, with less guidance or supervision. • Performance (SRDP) ratings (1-5) • Performance ratings describe an employee’s demonstrated ability to accomplish the major job duties of their assigned job. • An employee who is in a job requiring an overall competency level 3 could receive a performance (SRDP) level of Significantly exceeds expectations (5)

6. Competency levels vs Performance (SRDP) ratings Mastery Advanced Proficient Inter-mediate Baseline Does Not Partially Meets Exceeds Significantly Meet Meets Exceeds

7. Definition – Performance Standard • A Performance Standard reflects results that are expected when a job duty is performed satisfactorily. • Performance Standards…. • Describe accomplishments, not activities • Capture What, how, why • Utilize SMART goals where possible • Action word + subject + outcomes • (i.e Maintain audio-visual equipment inventory by ensuring the accuracy of the equipment database through quarterly audit)

8. Benefits of Writing Performance Standards • Enables supervisor to clarify the work results for which individuals are accountable; what should it look like if done satisfactorily. • Eliminates unnecessary confusion and frustration on behalf of the employee; can have a positive impact on motivation. • Makes the supervisor’s job easier in the end. • Enables ITS to be a better performing organization.

9. The Power of Management

10. Criteria for Performance Standards • Standards are: • Based on the position, not the individual • Observable, specific indicators of success • Meaningful, reasonable, and attainable • Describe "fully satisfactory" performance once trained • Expressed in terms of Quantity, Quality, Timeliness, Cost, Safety, or Outcomes • “Exceedable” – employees should know that they can exceed expectations

11. Creating “SMART”Performance Standards

12. SMART Performance Standards Examples • Examples: • Implement update of on-line graduate application program by October 1, 2006 with minimal error ratio. • Reconcile Budget & Expense statements within a week of receipt from Finance Office (ongoing) and resolve discrepancies by end of month. • Reduce telephone expenses by 15% within the first half of the fiscal year by identifying other sources of communication. • Design and implement use of spreadsheet by (date) to track loan of departmental audiovisual resources. Update weekly.

13. Sample Performance Standard for Technical Job Duty • Job Duty – IT Support Specialist • Research, troubleshoot and reply to a wide variety of technical and non-technical questions received by email from faculty, staff, students, parents and general public. • Performance Standard • Respond to customers in a friendly and timely manner that meets the service response time guidelines set by the work unit

14. Sample Performance Standard • Job Duty • Research, troubleshoot and reply to a wide variety of technical and non-technical questions received by email from faculty, staff, students, parents and general public. • Action word + subject + outcomes • Sample: • Summarize + question trends + by tracking and tallying the number of common questions monthly.

15. Sample - Performance Standards • Investigate\debug data and\or program problems; determine sources of problem; take corrective action. • Accurately and clearly document problems and solutions in incident management system using unit format • Share new knowledge that has a group impact by creating and maintaining knowledgebase articles through unit wiki and weekly staff meetings 

16. Exercise with Actual JRW’s • Attendees work in small groups to practice writing performance standards. • Each group will report out examples and critique each other’s performance standards.

17. Resources https://wikispaces.psu.edu/display/itspm/ITS+Performance+Management+training+materials

18. Updates to the SRDP Update 1: Inclusion of documented responsibilities from JRW. Supervisor is to document actual results achieved. Update 2: Inclusion of Competencies for Success. Supervisor is to document employee’s success at demonstrating each competency

19. Questions/Discussion