COURSE OVERVIEW Managing Performance in the Public Service

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1 NSG 2015 Managing Performance in the Public Service Course Overview COURSE OVERVIEW Managing Performance in the Public Service 1 Introduction Welcome to the course! This course is developed for all public servants appointed at occupational levels 9 to 12. If you wish to play your part in the achievement of your organisation s strategic goals for improved service delivery, read on. Purposeful and continuous management of performance within an agreed framework of planned goals, objectives, standards and incentives is a means to improve the results from individuals, teams and ultimately departments. This, in turn, supports the achievement of national strategic outcomes and targets. However, Public Service Commission findings and consultation with stakeholders indicate that performance management is not always correctly applied. The following key challenges are identified: Lack of understanding of the objectives of performance management and development systems to motivate and develop employees, enhance organisational performance and service delivery. Focus on compliance and not necessarily on managing performance with the view to improve service delivery. Performance management is not conducted continuously; poor performance is only brought to employees attention at the end of the performance cycle. Performance standards are not properly defined, agreed on and measurable. Over-emphasis on monetary rewards by employees leads to the lodging of grievances when employees monetary expectations are not met. Subjectivity, unfairness and inconsistency are displayed during the assessment process. The Public Service Commission 1 found that employees, managers and moderating committees are not adequately trained on the implementation of performance management and development systems. Through this intervention it is envisaged that there will be a better understanding of the purpose of performance management and an increased capability in resolving implementation challenges. 2 What will you learn? The course outcomes are linked to the performance cycle, which consists of the following phases: Performance planning and agreement Managing performance (monitoring, review and assessment) Appraising performance Recognising performance outcomes The next diagram presents the broad course outcomes and outlines what you can expect to learn. 1 Report on the Roundtable Discussion on the improper management of the PMDS which leads to grievances in the Public Service (2014). You can find the Public Service Commission Report in the list of course resources.

2 Set performance goals and measures Write performance goals that are measurable, clear, achievable and aligned to organisational objectives. Use your performance agreement with identified and clearly described performance goals and measures as a source for objective and consistent performance appraisal. Formulate development plans Formulate clear development plans that are focused on competencies needed to achieve your goals, which are aligned with those of your component and department. Include specific mutually agreed on actions, time frames and accountabiliy. Monitor and evaluate performance Apply relevant performance assessment techniques on an ongoing basis against agreed on performance goals. Identify gaps in performance and compile a suggested plan of action. Provide constructive feedback to address competence gaps and poor performance. Recognise good performance. Revise performance goals where required. The goal of this course is to develop capacity to manage performance objectively and consistently with a view to help you deal with issues that lead to grievances relating to performance management and development. We have to acknowledge that performance is managed in diverse and complex real-life contexts. Therefore, not all your questions can be answered in one course. However, on successful completion of this course you will have the opportunity to join an online Community of Practice, which provides a space for continuous learning with your peers. Here you will be able to share best practices and resources to collaboratively find solutions to everyday challenges associated with managing performance in the Public Service. 3 How will you learn? The course consists of two sections. The first section prepares you to participate in the course. Thereafter you have to work through four distinct but interrelated units. These units are linked to the four phases in the performance cycle. Each unit begins with the basics. Once you have demonstrated your knowledge and understanding of basic principles, you will be presented with a case study requiring you to apply what you ve learned in a real-life scenario. This course is designed to rapidly reach large numbers of public servants. The aim is to reach a tipping point in terms of junior and middle managers who had an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills to manage their own and team performance. The course design is matched to this purpose: Learning is self-paced and delivered to you in your work place. You are engaged with the learning content. 2

3 You are required to demonstrate, through the completion of automatically assessed activities, that you know and understand the course content and are able to apply your knowledge and skills. When you meet the course completion requirements you can print your certificate of successful completion. This design enables you to take responsibility for your learning from registration to certification. The next diagram provides an overview of the learning process. Step 1 Register Create your user account. Log onto the online learning environment using the username and password you created. Access the course. Step 2 Prepare to participate Learn to navigate the online learning environment. Read the elearning User Guide and Course overview. Do a practice quiz (optional). Read the Employee Performance Management and Development System document. Do the quiz on the Glossary of Terms and Introduction. Step 3 Complete the course activities For each unit: o Read the introduction. o Read the relevant sections in the resources. o Do the knowledge check quiz. o Read the case study and supporting documents. o Do the application check quiz. Step 4 Print your certificate Once you have met the course requirements, you will be able to follow a link to your certificate of successful completion. Click on Get your certificate. Save the certificate to your computer for your records. You can print a copy of your certificate if you wish. Step 5 Join the Online Community of Practice Once you have successfully completed the course, you have access to an online Community of Practice for continuous learning with your peers. The link to the Community of Practice will appear in your list of available courses. 3

4 Once you have enrolled in the course, you can work at your own pace. You can expect to spend approximately one hour per workday to complete the course activities. The following schedule is recommended. Week 1: prepare to participate Week 2: complete Unit 1 Week 3: complete Unit 2 Week 4: complete Unit 3 Week 5: complete Unit 5 and join an online Community of Practice 4 What is expected of you? You are expected to take responsibility for your own learning and complete the course activities. Please work through the materials and activities in the order that they are presented in the online learning environment. You will note you have to meet the requirements of each activity before you can proceed to the next activity. In order to successfully complete the course you have to complete all the quizzes. You are required to obtain a minimum score of 75 % for each quiz before you can proceed to the next activity. You can work on a quiz, save your answers and return when you are ready to proceed. You can change and save your answers up the point when you submit your quiz. When you submit your quiz you immediately receive your score, with feedback per question. You have an unlimited number of tries to score the requisite 75 % for each quiz. It is best to work consistently. Here are some tips to help you succeed in the online learning environment. Read You will be amazed how much easier online learning is when you are familiar with the resources and guidelines we provide. Read this course overview carefully. Read the introduction to each unit. Read the case studies. Read the additional documentation provided with the case studies. Read the introduction to each quiz. Plan This is a critical skill to have. The flexibility of online learning can be a drawback if you tend to put things off until the last minute. Develop a work plan for the course that will fit into your schedule. Stick to your plan by working on the course activities during the times you blocked off. If you find that you fall behind, make a daily to-do list and check things off the list as you complete them. 4

5 Ask Get comfortable Persist We want you to be successful. Please don t hesitate to ask for help when you need it. Go to Where to get help in the next section for contact details. You will have to ask for help when you need it, most often in writing. Be clear and concise in your communication. You will be glad you asked! It will be worth it to make sure you are comfortable when you work on course activities. Find a quiet place to work without distractions. (Put up a notice to indicate that there is learning in progress if you have to.) Sit comfortably and make sure you have enough light to work by. This is perhaps the biggest key to success. Be willing to tolerate and solve occasional technical challenges. Learn how to use the tools you need to participate in online learning. When you experience challenges ask for help; you don t give up. Work and make progress every day. The course content is based on the Employee Performance Management and Development System as published and advocated by the Department of Public Service and Administration. Be mindful that your province and/or department may have adapted the system to suit the context of implementation. However, the principles of performance management and development remain the same, even if the system in which you are operating has been adapted. The aim of this course is to improve performance management practices in the workplace. When you have completed the activities for a unit in the online learning environment, you will be asked to indicate whether you will apply your learning in the workplace 5 Where to find help? Please do not hesitate to ask for help when you need it. For technical assistance, contact the elearning Helpdesk. Phone: (office hours) elearning@thensg.gov.za 5