Performance Agreements

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• Performance Agreements

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LINKS.

• Clerks Priorities
• The RPP
• The integrated HR and business plan
• Values and Ethics
• Key Leadership Competencies

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LINKS Cascading Commitments
Government Plans and Priorities, Departmental
Mandates, and Services to Canadians
Priorities of the Clerk of the Privy Council
Deputy Head Performance Agreement
Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP)
Accountabilities are assigned through all
branches, sectors, and policy and program areas
Assistant Deputy Head(s) Performance Agreement
(s)
Job descriptions should provide much of the
information for Ongoing Commitments
Executive Performance Agreement (s)
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LINKS Clerks priorities

• Planning integrated HR and business plan
• Recruitment
• Employee development
• Enabling infrastructure
• http//www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/docs/Clerk/ClerksSpeeches
  /20070418-ADM_e.ppt

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LINKS Key Leadership Competencies
From a foundation of Values and Ethics, PS
leaders deliver results through Strategic
Thinking, Engagement and Management Excellence
DELIVERING through Action Management, People
Management, Financial Management
COMPETENCIES
MOBILIZING people, organizations, partners
Management Excellence
INNOVATING through analysis ideas
Engagement
SERVING with integrity and respect
Strategic Thinking
Values Ethics
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Terminology and basic concepts

• Commitment
• What the result will look like when it has been
  achieved
• Performance Measure
• How you know the result has been achieved and to
  what standard

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Terminology and basic concepts contd

• Ongoing Commitments are
• The principal results that the executive is
  expected to accomplish so that the department can
  achieve its business mandate
• Linked to the departmental business plans and/or
  priorities
• Related to core responsibilities of the position
• human resources management
• financial management,
• Policies, programs and services

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Terminology and basic concepts contd

• Key Commitments are
• areas of focus for the performance cycle
• related to change initiatives linked to business
  plans, corporate departmental priorities or
  Public Service priorities
• intended to be challenging but achievable with
  effort.

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Terminology and basic concepts contd

• Performance Measures
• describe how an observer would know that the
  results have been achieved
• define standards for expected level of
  achievement of these results, including timing

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Terminology and basic concepts contd

• Examples of Performance Measures
• Commitment A robust succession plan to address
  projected staff shortages in HR and Finance is
  developed and implemented by March 31, 2XXX
• Performance measure Demographic analysis will
  be completed and submitted to HR by September
  30th 20XX
• Commitment Minister is supported through the
  establishment of the new national advisory
  committee by X
• Performance measure Consultation process on
  advisory committee structure completed with
  stakeholders by June 30th 20XX

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Terminology and basic concepts The Performance
Agreement (PA) Template is a tool to help
executives establish PAs

• The PA template has
• Ongoing Commitments (4 to 7)
• Key Commitments (1 to 3)
• Results Achieved
• A written assessment of results and the Key
  Leadership Competencies demonstrated
• The signatures of the executive and the
  supervisor upon agreement about the commitments
  that are to be achieved
• The PA may also have a section for individual
  development

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Terminology and basic concepts When and how PAs
are developed matters

• PAs should be developed right after business
  planning decisions have been made
• Developing PAs in intact teams
• Promotes clear accountabilities
• Promotes horizontality
• Establishes clarity and a clear cascading of
  commitments
• Supports horizontal planning

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• Terminology and Basic Concepts
• Characteristics of Good Commitments

Specificity Definiteness of the commitment
Simplicity A commitment to one thing
Attainability Within sphere of influence and
control
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Some Examples

• The Good, the Bad, and the UGLY!

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Specificity Definiteness of the Commitment

• A commitment is specific if it is concisely
  expressed and based on a definite theme or topic
• Good An integrated HR and business plan,
  including a succession plan, is developed and
  maintained to address projected staff shortages
  in (branch or function) by September 30 2XXX
• Bad Develop teamwork within the Branch
• Ugly HR excellence or HR Management
  (note neither of
  these is a commitment i.e. What will the result
  look like when it has been achieved?)

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Simplicity commitment to one thing

• Good The consultation and reorganization of the
  regional offices and implement Phase I of the
  Transition Initiative will be concluded by March
  31 2XXX
• Bad I will implement the strategic plan for the
  Branch, ensure that employees feel valued and
  respected, and take steps to build learning plans
  for every employee
• Ugly I will design, coordinate, and implement
  the service delivery component of the PQR
  initiative electronic service delivery targets
  set by departments and for horizontal and
  joined-up services, end results for 2005
  articulated and benchmarking regime designed and
  being implemented, departments report on progress
  and deliver on interim milestones, funding
  allocated via equitable but strategic process

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Attainability within the sphere of influence
or control

• Good Competency profiles and competency-based
  developmental options for the XX group will be
  developed
• Bad Multilateral agreements will be developed
  with 50 countries (Note how do we know the 50
  countries feel the same urgency?)
• Ugly Human resources excellence

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Terminology and basic concepts In the PMP, a
performance measure is a criterion of success.

• Describes how an observer would know that the
  results have been achieved
• Defines standards for the expected level of
  achievement of these results
• Example what does good health look like?

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Performance measures can be qualitative or
quantitative.

• Qualitative Quality of advice and guidance
  provided to commissioners satisfaction with
  advice and guidance as expressed by commissioners
  
• Quantitative Reduction in processing time by ten
  per cent and reduction in backlog by twenty per
  cent

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Performance measures must be congruent
with the commitment
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A final example do these measures show
congruence?
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Performance Measures The Good, the Bad and the
Ugly

• Good Developmental plans for internal members of
  the succession pool will be developed by December
  30, 200X.
• Bad Create developmental plans for internal
  members of the succession pool
• Ugly A pool of potential candidates for
  succession

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Operationalization means..

• That each Executive has clearly defined his or
  her specific contribution in relation to the
  commitment of the next higher level of executive
  within the hierarchical string
• Simply repeating the commitment of the next
  higher level is inadequate to document the
  specific accountabilities of the employee

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Which of these is a better example of
operationalization?

• Boss has a commitment for A, B, C, and D
• Employee 1 Commitment for A, B, C, and D
• Employee 2 Commitment for A, B, C, and D
• Employee 3 Commitment for A, B, C, and D

• Boss has a commitment
  for A, B, C, and D
• Employee 1 Commitment for A and B
• Employee 2 Commitment for C
• Employee 3 Commitment for D

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Challenge your commitments

• Is each commitment
• Aligned with my immediate managers commitment?
• Aligned with the Clerks priorities?
• Specific?
• Simple?
• Attainable?
• Do I have a commitment for Human Resources
  Management? Financial Management?

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Challenge Questions for Performance Measures

• Is this performance measure congruent with the
  commitment?
• Does it describe how an observer would know that
  the results have been achieved?
• Does it define standards for the expected level
  of achievement of these results?
• Ideas to help create performance measures
• Is there a way to surpass? Have a mental picture
  of surpassing it just might happen and you will
  need to be able to recognize it, if and when it
  does!
• What would failure look like?

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Remember - KISS!

• Keep
• It
• Simple
• Sweetheart