Does an agency have to involve its employees in developing appraisal programs, award programs, and employee performance plans?
Of course, an agency must meet its collective bargaining obligations under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute. Thinking beyond those legal obligations, however, research and experience in performance management have confirmed that employee involvement is an important determinant of whether specific performance management methods, procedures, and requirements will be accepted and work successfully to support performance improvement. Therefore, besides the need to meet collective bargaining obligations, agencies will handicap themselves if they do not involve their employees in the development and implementation of their performance management programs. The Office of Personnel Management is determined to convey to agencies the need for employee involvement in the strongest way permissible within legal authorities. That involvement should normally be via existing partnerships.