U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

---

---

Background

• 1996: Department of Transportation Appropriations Act:
• " Develop and implement a personnel management system that addresses the unique demands of the agency’s workforce."

• February 1997: Associate Administrator for Research and Acquisitions created Office of Business Management

• Spring 1997: Management Team began strategic planning to define the organization's long-term goals

• September 1997: Performance Plan published
• Included measurable, outcome-oriented performance goals and strategies to accomplish those goals

---

Performance Management Program

Individual Performance Plans

• Developed Collaboratively
• Contain Critical Results Statements
• Include Monitoring and Feedback Strategies

FAA Strategic Goals

• Safety
• Security
• System Efficiency

ARA Performance Plan

• Performance goals/measures
• Strategies and Action Plans
• Annual Performance Targets

A Direct Line A Direct Line-of-Sight

---

The Performance Management Program (PMP)…

“While the new PMP is creative, I think that the implementation was rushed.”

“Implementation of PMP created anxiety and fear in the workforce.”

“As an instructor, participation in PMP was an opportunity to influence others. . .I felt a responsibility to empower and educate employees - teach them not to look at themselves as victims, but partners in the process.”

The new performance appraisal system is good in that I focus on what my real job is!”

“I do not believe that the PMP is a permanent fixture and it will probably go away.”

“Because managers are just highly paid technical people, they lack the people skills necessary to implement the PMP.”

---

Background

Organizational Profile

Mission
“To provide research, development, and acquisition for products and services that enable the FAA to enhance the safety and security of the National Airspace System (NAS) and satisfy current and future operational needs of the U.S. civil aerospace system for national and international operations.”

Employee Profile
At time of implementation (1997):

2,000 engineering, managerial, technical, scientific, and administrative personnel

Located in Washington, D.C. and Atlantic City, NJ

800 members of National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE)
(excluded from program)

---

Changing for Success

• SHARE THE VISION
• DEVELOP TRUST
  
• EMPOWER THE INDIVIDUAL
  
• REWARD PERFORMANCE
  

---

The ARA Performance Management Program How Is It Different?

Traditional Systems	ARA PMP
Lack of high level support.	Initiated by ARA Management Team
Performance plan contains broad statements about tasks and duties.	Performance plan contains specific statements defining individual results.
Subjective measures.	Specific and verifiable measures.
Lack of continuous feedback, coaching, and/or remedial training.	Periodic meetings for feedback, coaching, and/or remedial training.
No documentation, or subjective documentation to support ratings.	Documentation of actual work performance.
Supervisors should spend majority of time performing technical work.	Supervisors should spend majority of time supporting employee success.

 

---

Design Highlights

• Promote exemplary organizational and individual effectiveness based guiding principles :

  Create a High Performance, Learning Organization
  Satisfy Customers
  Build and Sustain Effective Leadership Practices

• Link individual plans to organizational goals

  Organization Performance Plan/Cascading Goals

• 3-Tier [ Exceeds (2) /Meets (1) /Does Not Meet (0)]

• Results statements (standards) focus on outcomes, rather than activities

• Statements must include a monitoring strategy and provision for feedback
  

---

What is “Results-Based”?

Result: An intended product, outcome, accomplishment or objective for which measures are established

Results Statements

(Verb)
(What)

by (How) or (Why)

Measurement Statements
Time (deadlines, dates)
Quantity (how many)
Quality (measures of satisfaction)
Cost (budget constraints, limits)

---

Preparation---

• Identify skill level and design training course
• Cadre of Instructor/Coaches to support program
• Identical training sessions for Managers and Employees
  • 91% of eligible employees received basic skills training

---

Simplification---

• Standardized Performance Plan Template & Model Plans

• Web-based Individual Development Program (IDP)

• Eliminated Narrative Summary

---

Education---

• “Morning, Noon and Night” Awareness Briefings

• Coaching Workshop for Managers and Employees

• Job Aids (Desk Guide/Templates/Learning Support Groups)

---

Evaluations

Criteria

• Results-based
• Linked to larger goal
• Measures
• Stretch goals
• Monitoring and feedback strategies

Use

• Provide feedback to managers
• Identify interventions for improving implementation
• Determine whether organization achieved target
  

---

Tracking our Progress

Year	Results-based
1998	63.4%
	Results-based and linked to goal
1999	88.6%
2000	90.2%
2001	95.3%

 

---

Results

• FAA used as model for new agency-wise system

• National Academy of Public Administration:

“ARA’s experience indicates that linking performance management more clearly to organizational goals, making a special effort to provide feedback and coaching. . .has the potential to improve FAA’s performance.”

• Compensation Evaluation:

  “. . . The workforce and management are having real discussions concerning organizational goals and how those reflect on individual performance. . . The Performance Management Program clearly works.”

---

LESSONS LEARNED

• Leadership, Leadership, Leadership…is key
• Involve employees as partners
• Plan broadly, but implement sequentially
• The impact on managers and supervisors can be significant
• Look for the “golden nugget”
• Don’t underestimate the time & commitment needed