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Appraisal Systems and Programs FAQs

Federal agencies are required to establish employee performance appraisal systems. Some frequently asked questions about Federal employee appraisal systems and related appraisal programs include:

List of Questions

What's the difference between an appraisal system and an appraisal program?
Can an agency have more than one appraisal system?
Can an agency develop more than one appraisal program?
What distinguishes one program from another?
Can a program include more than one pattern of summary levels for ratings of record?

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What's the difference between an appraisal system and an appraisal program?
An appraisal system describes the general policies and parameters for the administration of performance appraisal programs in the agency. An appraisal program is the specific procedures, methods, and requirements for planning, monitoring, and rating performance. To demonstrate the relationship between a system and a program, an analogy using the construction of a house might be helpful. The system could be compared to making the outer structure of the house (the foundation, outer walls, and roof), which establishes the boundaries for the rest of the construction. The program could be compared to building the rooms within the house. The rooms have to be within the boundaries of the outside walls, but there is some freedom to place the walls and vary room sizes to fit the needs of the family who will live there. Programs operate the same way. They have to be designed within the boundaries of the system but can be tailored to the needs of the organization.

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Can an agency have more than one appraisal system?
Yes. Federal employee appraisal law (section 4302(a) of title 5, United States Code) requires Federal agencies to establish one or more appraisal systems. If an agency finds a need to describe different general policies and parameters for different groups of employees who are not in the Senior Executive Service (SES), it can develop more than one appraisal system. However, the Office of Personnel Management anticipates that most agencies will not find it necessary to develop more than one set of general policies and guidelines. If an agency believes it needs to develop multiple systems, its designated representative should call the agency's performance management contact in the Office of Personnel Management to discuss the agency's special needs.

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Can an agency develop more than one appraisal program?
Yes. Agencies can authorize the development of separate appraisal programs under the framework of their appraisal system. This would allow their various subcomponents or subpopulations to determine how best to address their needs and cultures and more effectively manage individual and organizational performance by tailoring specific appraisal procedures and requirements to mission and work technology.

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What distinguishes one program from another?
At a minimum, these three features must have a single definition for each program:
  • employee coverage,
  • appraisal period length, and
  • pattern of summary levels for ratings of record.

If multiple definitions are intended for any one of these features, separate programs must be established.

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Can a program include more than one pattern of summary levels for ratings of record?
No. Each program must use a single pattern of summary levels. To use different summary patterns, agencies must define separate programs and employee coverage to which a single pattern applies. However, more than one program can use the same summary pattern. Within any program, with its single summary pattern, more than one derivation method to assign the summary level can be used. Also, different approaches for using elements to plan and appraise performance can be accommodated under the same summary pattern.

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