Performance Appraisal in the Serbian Civil Service

1. Performance Appraisal in the Serbian Civil Service Dr Aleksandra Rabrenovic

2. Objectives of Performance Appraisal Serbian Civil Service Law recognizes the following performance appraisal objectives: • Identification and remedying shortcomings in civil servants’ performance • Motivating staff for better performance • Creating conditions for decision-making on promotion and pay increments and training needs

3. Who is appraised? • All Civil Servants (in Ministries and other civil service institutions) • Exceptions: • civil servant who is a head of institution • civil servant who worked less than 6 months • civil servant who has a temporary position

4. What is appraised? • Two key categories of criteria: • Work objectives for appraisal period which are agreed between superior and civil servant • Other criteria based on civil servants’ competencies and qualities

5. Work objectives • Objectives should be: • clear, concrete and detailed (with agreed content) • in line with the job description and purpose • challenging • feasible and measurable • with realistic timelines for implementation • not more than 5 for the appraisal period

6. Other criteria (based on competences and qualities) • Scope of work • Independence • Creativity • Initiative • Precision and conscientiousness • Level of Cooperation • Other

7. When is appraisal conducted? • Overall performance appraisal is conducted once a year, by the end of February of the current year for the previous year • However, performance with regard to meeting work objectives is appraised quarterly

8. By whom is appraisal conducted? • Appraisal is conducted by an evaluator: • usually the immediate supervisor of a civil servant (group manager, head of section, division, department, sector etc.) • Important role in the appraisal process is given to ‘Counter Signer’: • person to whom the evaluator reports and who provides a check to the appraisal report and counter singes it if he/she agrees with it

9. Possible types of grades • Unsatisfactory (1) – failed to achieve identified objectives • Satisfactory (2) – achieved objectives with minimum result • Good (3) – achieved objectives with average result • Excellent (4) – achieved objectives with above average result • Exceptional (5) – achieved objectives with the exceptional result

10. Performance appraisal procedure • Agreement on work objectives at the beginning of the appraisal period • Quarterly appraisal of fulfillment of work objectives • Preparation of performance appraisal report by a superior at the end of appraisal period • Superior and employee conduct an interview to discuss the report and include civil servant’s comments • Working objectives and tasks are discussed in the first part • Promotion and development actions in the second part

11. Performance appraisal procedure • Civil Servant’s superior informs his/her superior (counter singer) that appraisal interview was conducted • Counter signer resolves possible disputes and counter singes the report • Copy of results of the report/interview is forwarded to human resource department and head of organization

12. What decisions are made on the basis of performance appraisal? • Proposals for civil servants training and professional development • Decision on promotion • If there is an available post, civil servant who is appraised with grade “Exceptional” for two consecutive years can be promoted to a higher position - If there is an available posts, civil servants who is appraised with grade “Excellent” for four consecutive years can be promoted to a higher positions • Decision on pay increments • civil servant who is appraised with grade "Exceptional" for two consecutive years is promoted by two pay steps; • if appraised as "Exceptional" or ''Excellent'‘ and “Exceptional” for two consecutive years is promoted by one pay step; • if appraised as ''Good'' or as ''Excellent'' and “Good” for three consecutive years is promoted by one pay step.

13. What decisions are made on the basis of performance appraisal? • If quarterly performance appraisal is negative extraordinary appraisal is conducted • Consequences of extraordinary appraisal: - ‘Mild’ consequences: demotion to a lower rank demotion to a lower pay step - ‘Hard’ consequences: • Termination of employment

14. Pay system and performance appraisal consequences

15. Main challenges are problems • How to determine work objectives? • How to change work objectives? • How to avoid subjectivity and inflated appraisals? • How to measure differences between exceptional, excellent, good and satisfactory performance? • Lack of linking organisational and individual performance

16. Solutions which are applied and are considered to be applied • Introduction of effective performance appraisal requires a major programme of work: • extensive training of managers and staff and the commitment of senior management across the civil service; • strengthening of capacities of HR units in civil service institutions. There is a consideration of introduction of ‘quotas’ and introduction of disciplinary responsibility for lack of compliance with performance appraisal provisions

17. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION