DESA's STAFF SPEAK-UP: PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

H. Performance Management (Summary of the issue raised by DESA Staff)

• There is a widespread feeling that the current performance evaluation system is not used constructively or effectively to promote performance and career development. In particular, many feel that the Performance Appraisal System (PAS) exercise is currently conducted in a way that is either irrelevant or used by mangers to punish/sanction staff members they don't like rather than being used to provide guidance and incentives for staff performance. PASs are often not completed on time, jeopardizing staff opportunities to apply for other jobs.

• Some staff complained of receiving little direction and feed-back. In the words of one staff member: "I have gotten very little feedback on my work, which makes it very difficult to learn how to improve. I would be so grateful to have more interaction with my superiors here, so that I could learn more. Instead, I feel that I work mostly in a vacuum with little direction going into the work I get and even less feedback coming to me after it is completed".

• The PAS process is often viewed by managers as useless. There is a widespread dislike of the process, as well as delayed or ex post-facto completion. Overall, the PAS is not used for the career development of staff. In some instances, staff stated that the PAS ratings are not given honestly but instead are given arbitrarily, with the same rating "3" for every one, irrespective of performance. In addition, it was reported that, in some instances, the support provided through the PAS feedback was not adequate to provide guidance to managers on resolving disagreements on PAS ratings between staff members and supervisors.

• In one division, concerns were expressed about: the use of generic, instead of individual work plans, lack of discussion in most cases between staff members and supervisors; lack of mid-cycle review, and consequently lack of opportunity for staff to receive feedback on their performance and take the necessary steps to improve it. Concerns were also expressed about staff members being underrated as compared to UN and DESA curves for PAS, competencies and performance not being rewarded, and PAS being used by managers to penalize staff members by working against their promotions. In some cases, staff felt harassed by programme managers during performance management meetings.