Performance Development Review (PDR)

Our performance management framework is designed to support us to develop a high performing culture.

Our Council Plan vision is 'working together to improve lives across Derbyshire', with the following outcomes:

• People - empowered communities where people live safe, happy, healthy and independent lives
• Place - prosperous, green and sustainable places with opportunities for all
• The council - a resident-focused, efficient and effective organisation delivering value for money

To deliver the outlined vision and outcomes for Derbyshire the council has agreed a set of values that will help shape the culture across the council and encourage consistent behaviour:

• Accountable -  we hold ourselves and others to account
• Collaborative - we listen and engage to deliver shared goals
• Innovative - we are curious, embrace change and continuously improve
• Empowered - we support, trust and value each other

Our collective aim is to make sure that we're all clear on how our individual roles contribute to the Council Plan and our strategic objectives. In this way everyone will know what they need to do and, importantly, how they need to do it.

We want all our colleagues to:

• feel supported through regular one-to-one conversations with their line manager - that are open and honest to share feedback and check-in
• understand how they contribute to our success, and the link between their individual goals and the work that they do to our council and service plans
• know what 'great' looks like and what is expected of us: what we need to do and how we need to do it
• understand how performance is measured and what we'll do to support and coach our teams to achieve high performance and address under-performance
• drive their own development, creating a high-performing environment where everyone realises their potential career aspiration

This framework applies to all our employees but doesn't include employees working in schools.

The different approaches to PDR

We're a diverse organisation and it's important to recognise that one approach doesn't fit all job roles, so we're introducing slightly different approaches for different employee groups.

Grade 14 and above senior leaders

Following the success of the PDR pilot, senior leaders will continue to use this tried and tested PDR approach, using the digital PDR tool.

This will define clear goals, behaviour framework aligned to our values, career aspirations, development needs, feedback, and performance and potential ratings which will be reviewed at the annual talent reviews. One-to-one regular conversations will also be an essential part of the PDR approach.

Line manager grade 13 and below

The PDR approach is similar to the senior leaders grade 14+. It includes goal setting, applying a behaviour framework aligned to our values, and discussing career aspirations and development needs. One-to-one regular conversations are an essential part of the PDR approach.

There are 2 main differences for grade 13 and below:

• 'performance and potential' ratings won't be used and therefore won't form part of the talent review process
• this will be an off-line version of the PDR process, as the PDR app doesn't have the capability to scale up to this volume of users - a version of the PDR is attached to this page

All other PDR users

This PDR approach is for anyone who doesn't manage a team. It includes goal setting and discussing career aspirations and development needs. One-to-one regular conversations will also be an essential part of the PDR approach.

There are 3 main differences for all other PDR users:

• 'performance and potential' ratings won't be used and therefore won't form part of the talent review process
• this will be an off-line version of the PDR process, as the PDR app doesn't have the capability to scale up to this volume of users - a version of the PDR is attached to this page
• the behaviour framework is not part of the process

All non-PDR users

Colleagues across the council who don’t use the PDR will continue to have one-to-ones.

This group of people, however, will not be required to follow all the other aspects of the PDR approach. Regular one-to-one meetings throughout the year are an important part of the process and it’s suggested that these take place every month.

The aim is to maintain focus and support for individual wellbeing, discuss work and help needed, while being able to provide feedback on a regular basis.

It's an opportunity to address under-performance in the early days and provide support to improve performance.

The focus should be on the quality of the conversation and a suggested structure includes the following elements:

• wellbeing
• tasks and workload
• any support required including compliance with mandatory learning and other development needs
• actions agreed, and anything else

One-to-one forms will not be saved centrally, but line managers should keep a record for their reference and store them securely and confidentially. The normal protocols should be followed to protect the identification of any individual, for example when discussing casework.

The one-to-one template for non-PDR users is attached to this page.

The PDR cycle

A good performance management approach follows an annual cycle of activity, starting with goal setting, discussing performance on a regular basis, and reviewing what was achieved at the end of the year.

This performance cycle is supported by the essential element of regular one-to-one conversations focused on wellbeing, goal priorities, ongoing development and support required to achieve success.

Start of year review

Planning and goal-setting:

• prepare - review council and department plans and competency framework
• discuss expectations for the new year - leaders to share their own goals to ensure alignment
• agree SMART goals - the 'what'
• agree which behaviours help achieve those goals - the 'how'
• discuss career aspirations
• agree any support needed and create a personal development plan

Mid-year review

Enable and manage individual performance:

• discuss progress of goals ('what' and 'how') and continuing development
• ongoing 2-way feedback - see manager's guide to feedback
• coach to support wellbeing and performance
• address and support under performance

End of year review

Review and recognise individual performance and potential:

• joint review of achievements and feedback see manager's guide to feedback
• discuss career aspirations
• colleague completes the form
• line manager approves

Organisational talent reviews (senior leaders only):

• agree provisional performance and potential ratings
• validating manager has overview
• calibration of performance and potential
• review data against workforce plan
• update succession plans
• understand learning needs and budget
• ratings confirmed to colleague

Summary of PDR approaches