Performance appraisal for senior and executive leaders which put people at the centre of everything we do.
Improving and recognising Performance through meaningful appraisal.
Overview
We have refreshed performance appraisal systems at senior and executive level within the NHS which put people at the centre of everything we do. The new approach includes three categories of objective including: contribution to the Health & Social Care Delivery Plan; leading and valuing people; and local Board or role specific objectives.
Whilst an essential activity for our executive and senior leadership population, this is an example of activity wherein the Project Lift team takes a supporting role to Scottish Government, NHS Education for Scotland and Boards where this is needed.
Details on our commitments can be found in the sections below and it is noted that data pertaining to Performance Appraisal activity is held in various forms within the organisations mentioned above.
‘Most people partake in a particular bit (of Project Lift) or contribute to various different bits whether that’s leadership development, whether that’s coming through talent management, whether that’s into role progression, whether it’s around how it impacts you in performance appraisal or values based recruitment. We hope that the sum will be greater than the parts that’s the idea, that’s the difference we’re trying to make.’
Dave Caesar, Head of Leadership & Talent Management, Health & Social Care, Scottish Government.
Our plan for the this year
- We will evolve and improve the experience and impact of Performance Appraisal, supporting our senior leaders in embodying the attitudes and behaviours of the Project Lift ethos.
- We will actively link the system and organisational data sources to Executive and Senior Management Appraisal, such as iMatter and Care Opinion (Scotland).
- We will actively link Values Based Recruitment and Performance Appraisal with a holistic approach to Leadership Development.
What have we achieved - the 2020 reality.
- We have contributed to evolving and improving the experience and impact of Performance Appraisal in supporting our senior leaders in embodying the attitudes and behaviours of the Project Lift ethos. We have done this by firstly articulating the ethos and making it accessible for all and widely shared through our engagement tools and activities as can be seen in the engagement section, and by therefore providing a common language between the ethos and the leadership profile for senior leaders to utilise in their performance appraisal both formally in process and informally through conversation and reflective practice.
- We have designed and delivered a Chief Executive development programme that has supported the Values Based Recruitment process and intentions by actively supporting those new to role in their development, building on feedback from the process and using the full cohort development to encourage reflective practice and conversation using the language of the ethos and leadership profile linking.
- Where we have had opportunity, we have supported those involved to link the system and organisational data sources to Executive and Senior Management Appraisal, such as iMatter and Care Opinion (Scotland).
- We have actively linked Values Based Recruitment and Performance Appraisal with a holistic approach to Leadership Development by involving this in formal conversations within the Talent Management process and informally as we walk with the talent and support them in preparing for, and working with the outputs of, interview processes.
What have we found difficult this year and how might we do things differently?
- Our challenge has been how to meaningfully engage with senior leaders around performance appraisal and this has required us to understand more about how Project Lift can bring the holistic process that links values based recruitment and performance appraisal to our specialist activities of talent management and leadership development.
- We have worked to progress our understanding of what the holistic process could look like in the next phase of activity by listening to others across the system which has shown a range of activity depending on a range of factors within Boards and organisations.
2020 and beyond.
- We will continue to revisit how we can support the evolution and improvement of the experience and impact of Performance Appraisal with those across the Health and Care system who are using this while continuing to hold the central responsibility for ensuring it is part of the holistic approach to the career journey from recruitment to development.
- Understanding that the process is an annual cycle we will continue to support our senior leaders in embodying the attitudes and behaviours of the Project Lift ethos through development.
- As the wellbeing agenda continues to come up for colleagues at all levels, we will support the efforts to challenge and support the conversation about what performance really is in relation to the self, team and system framework.
- On a very practical level we will continue to support the understanding and practice of reflecting and understanding performance through our leadership development, and specifically for the Chief Executive population and the senior HR population.