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Performance Planning Development and Review Policy

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Section 1 - Overview

The University of New England is committed to enhancing a culture that values and recognises performance. The Performance Planning, Development and Review process (PPDR) is a principal tool in achieving the University's strategic priorities as it links the objectives of UNE, the business units and individual staff. The PPDR is a key strategy to support the development and retention of people at UNE.
The PPDR process will enhance the flexibility and performance of staff in all required skills, while encouraging innovation and diversity, developing and building leadership, management, supervisory and technical skills. The PPDR is one key element of the UNE Performance Management Framework.
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Section 2 - Scope

The Performance Planning, Development and Review process allows managers and staff the opportunity to plan and set agreed performance goals for the forthcoming year, and include a review of the previous year's performance. PPDR is primarily a developmental tool, and should be used to assist staff to ensure that their work goals align with the University's strategic goals.Goals set should be at a level consistent with the staff member's position description and position descriptors/classification standards.
This Policy applies to all staff employed by the University, with the exception of casuals or academic staff on their first year of formal probation.
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Section 3 - Policy

Principles

(1) It is expected that all fixed-term and continuing staff will participate in the Performance Planning, Development and Review process on an annual basis.

(2) The PPDR process will provide effective and fair processes for the assessment of staff performance, including the opportunity to contribute fully to the process and respond to comments and suggestions.

(3) Career path planning is an optional component of the PPDR process and encourages professional growth, skills acquisition, job satisfaction and career planning.

(4) The PPDR process is to ensure performance expectations and workload are reasonable, transparent and appropriate to the staff member's classification level and experience.

(5) The PPDR process provides a mechanism for constructive recognition, support and feedback within a supportive and collegial working environment.

(6) Staff members have the right to table concerns about the supervisor's evaluation in the review process.

(7) The PPDR process will align individual performance with the position, the University's strategic priorities and the objectives of both the staff member and the work unit, and will identify appropriate professional development for staff.

(8) With regular informal feedback during the performance period, the PPDR should not be the first indication of unsatisfactory performance. However, where performance is deemed to be "unsatisfactory", unsatisfactory performance provisions can be implemented in accordance with the appropriate Enterprise Agreement.

Responsibilities

(9) Supervisors need to give regular informal feedback to their staff throughout the 12 month PPDR period. Any issues should be managed as they arise and it is the supervisor's responsibility to manage performance in a timely manner.

(10) Staff are responsible for developing their own work plan, identifying objectives and clarifying role expectations with their supervisor as part of the PPDR process.

(11) All staff members and their supervisors will develop performance and professional development plans and agree on implementation processes.

(12) All staff are required to complete all policy compliance induction processes and the annual refresher courses within the University's Learning Management System (Moodle) as part of the annual PPDR process.

(13) Supervisors are responsible for planning, monitoring and reviewing the performance and development of their staff.

(14) Where there is a disagreement between a staff member and their supervisor about any part of the PPDR process, the matter should be elevated to the Head of Cost Centre or next most senior officer, for resolution.

Access to, and use of, PPDR documentation

(15) All PPDR documentation is stored within the Alesco Web Kiosk.

(16) Access to documentation is restricted to the individual staff member, their immediate supervisor, other relevant direct line managers and the Head of Cost Centre.

(17) People and Culture staff may report on aspects of PPDR such as the compliance rate, and collective data on training needs but, except as in 18 below, will not normally access any individual staff member's PPDR documentation.

(18) People and Culture staff and UNE's legal advisors may access an individual staff member's PPDR documentation on a "need to know" basis where there is a disagreement around the staff member's performance or where there is an industrial dispute relating to the staff member's performance or where access is otherwise required to meet UNE's legal obligations (for example a subpoena).

Compliance

(19) All staff members are required to comply with the PPDR Policy and procedures.

(20) The formal PPDR process occurs on an annual basis. At the end of the performance period a face to face conversation must occur between the supervisor and staff member on the performance levels achieved. Such conversations are normally held between the staff member and their supervisor. However in exceptional circumstances a staff member may bring a support person with them.

(21) The planning phase of the PPDR should be commenced within 3 months of a person's engagement at UNE or where staff are commencing a new role which represents a significant change, with performance and development reviewed on an annual basis as a minimum.

Authorities

(22) Head of Cost Centre have authority to delegate PPDR's where considered appropriate.

(23) The Director People and Culture is authorised to:

  1. administer this policy and to make procedures to apply under this policy. The procedures must be consistent with this policy.
  2. exempt staff, in exceptional circumstances from responsibilities under this policy. All exemptions and reasons must be advised to the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer office.

(24) This is a Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer policy and vested authority is granted for decisions made under this policy to the nominated parties. The Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer retains discretion over decisions made under this policy.

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Section 4 - Definitions

(25) Cost Centre means the relevant School, Directorate or other business unit.

(26) Enterprise Agreements means the UNE Academic and English Language Teaching Staff Enterprise Agreement 2020-2022, the UNE Professional Staff Enterprise Agreement 2019-2022, each as extended or varied from time to time, and is taken to include any agreement that replaces or varies one or more of these documents.

(27) Head of Cost Centre normally means the Head of School or Director (as the case may be) of the relevant School or Directorate. Where it is not appropriate for the Head of School or Director to act, or where the circumstances relate to a position reporting directly to a Senior Executive, the Head of Cost Centre will be taken to mean the relevant Senior Executive. Where the matter relates to a Senior Executive, the Head of Cost Centre will be the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer.

(28) Development Plan documents the professional development, training, industry and/or vocational knowledge development objectives for the PPDR cycle. For each objective, the strategies to achieve the objectives and the resources required are documented.

(29) Objective specifies what needs to be achieved. It is recommended that when defining performance objectives they should be; specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timed (SMART Methodology).

(30) Performance Plan documents the performance objectives with associated tasks to be achieved during the PPDR cycle and the performance indicators and timelines for each objective. Performance plans must be developed within the designated workload of the staff member.

(31) Supervisor means the role to whom a position reports to.

(32) Support person means a person who provides emotional support. A support person is not to act as an advocate and should not speak on behalf of the staff member.

(33) Where the word "normally" is used, it means that it is the default position that must be followed unless exceptional circumstances exist that require a departure from the default position, as determined by the Policy Administrator acting reasonably.