Many members working for West Sussex County Council will know by now that the old Personal Development Review (PDR) annual appraisal system has been phased out.
This year a new appraisal system is being used for the first time which has a wider range of assessment ratings, potentially up to 16 – rather than the old 1-5 scoring system used in PDRs.
UNISON was involved in discussions about the new appraisal system and is comfortable that it is a reasonable one which should improve the experience for staff.
As ever though, we would appreciate receiving your feedback on the new appraisal system: good and bad, and any glitches you think we should be aware of. Contact us on office.unison@westsussex.gov.uk or call 01243 777636.
A main difference of the new system compared to PDRs is that there is no facility for ‘moderation’ of scores by other managers: there is no ability to appeal the score if you think you have been unfairly treated during your appraisal.
This means that ultimately if you want to challenge an appeal score, you need to use the informal or formal grievance process.
Appraisal scores can be important as they can be used to make selection decisions for posts during restructures when staff are at risk of redundancy.
If you’re concerned about an appraisal score and feel it should be challenged, contact your local rep or the branch office.