Margaret Weichert, acting director at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, has released a memorandum to guide agencies in the pursuit of performance management and award programs. Weichert said in a letter posted Friday that she advises agencies to only award and highly rate employees who have displayed highest performance levels.
This recommendation encourages agencies to implement strict performance standards to serve as grounds for assessments. Performance plans must help employees understand work objectives and evaluation standards, and supervisors must encourage the involvement of subordinates in the formulation of these plans, the letter noted.
Standards must also define levels of performance to describe an agency’s work expectations.
