Guide to Writing Effective Performance Object
ives, Self Accomplishments and Evaluations Addressing Performance Elements
Performance elements are attributes of job performance that are significant to the accomplishment
of individual performance objectives. They describe the manner in which the performance
objectives were achieved by assessing your employee’s work behaviors. For example, an employee
might accomplish the goal of writing a report, but do so without communicating appropriately with
teammates.
Rating performance elements reinforces the notion that accomplishing performance objectives at
any cost is not acceptable. Accomplishment must be within the framework of acceptable and desired
work traits, such as good communication and collaboration.
Performance elements are standardized across the Department and may not be edited or changed.
Standardized descriptors of work behaviors are defined for the different work categories and pay
band levels and are established at the Successful level (3) and Outstanding level (5).
The performance elements are as follows:
Accountability for Results (all employees): Measures the extent to which your employee
takes responsibility for his or her work, sets and meets priorities, and uses time and
resources to achieve desired results.
Communication (all employees): Measures the extent to which your employee is able to
comprehend and convey information with and from others in writing, reading, listening, and
verbal and non-verbal action.
Critical Thinking (all employees): Measures an employee’s ability to use logic, analysis,
synthesis, creativity, judgment, and process approaches to gather, evaluate and use multiple
sources of information to inform decisions.
Engagement and Collaboration (all employees): Measures the extent to which an
employee promotes engagement, collaboration, integration, and the sharing of information
and knowledge.
Personal Leadership and Integrity
(non-supervisor):
Measures the extent to which your
employee is able to demonstrate personal initiative, honesty, openness, and respect in
dealings with coworkers, peers, customers, teams, and collaborative networks across the IC.
Technical Expertise
(non-supervisor):
Measures your employee’s ability to acquire and
apply knowledge, subject matter expertise, tradecraft, and/or technical competency
necessary to achieve results.
Leadership
(supervisors and managers):
Measures the extent to which your employee is
able to demonstrate personal initiative, honesty, openness, and respect in dealings with
coworkers, peers, customers, stakeholders, teams, and collaborative networks across the IC
and to achieve organizational goals and objectives through effective leadership.
Managerial Proficiency
(supervisors and managers):
Measures an employee’s
proficiency of his or her mission area appropriate to his or her role as a supervisor or
manager.
When performance plans are established, employees and rating officials should review the required
performance elements and discuss expectations so that there is a shared understanding at the
25 Fall 2009