Summary: GAO reviewed, on a selected basis, performance appraisal systems for General Schedule employees established by federal agencies under the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA). CSRA directed agencies to develop objective criteria for supervisors to use in rating employees' performance and determining appropriate personnel actions.
GAO found that, although there appears to be better communication between employees and supervisors since implementation of the performance appraisal systems, many important aspects require improvements before performance appraisal systems can be used as credible bases for personnel actions. A GAO examination of the standard-setting and appraisal evaluation processes at three agencies revealed that: (1) many employees did not actively participate in setting their performance standards; (2) not all employees were advised of the standards by which their performance would be evaluated at the beginning of their appraisal periods; (3) performance levels and measurable performance standards were not clearly defined; (4) some appraisals were not completed on a timely basis; (5) some agencies' procedures for determining summary ratings were ambiguous or unnecessarily complicated; (6) higher level officials' reviews of ratings were often perfunctory; and (7) procedures for linking performance appraisal results with personnel decisions were often vague. GAO concluded that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) needs to ensure that agencies take appropriate actions to make the necessary refinements to their appraisal systems.
