Human Resources - Performance Development Review (PDR) protocol (L1740)

2.0 What this Protocol is about

2.1 This protocol provides guidance to individuals and line managers surrounding the organisational process required in relation to the completion of Performance Development Review (PDR). The PDR is a performance review, sometimes known as an appraisal.

2.2 Performance, in relation to this protocol, includes the individual’s attendance in the workplace.

2.3 The Head of HR Resourcing may consider reasonable exceptions to the protocol, where there are exceptional circumstances, on a case-by-case basis.
Compliance with this protocol and any governing policy is mandatory. This protocol is not, nor is it intended to be, contractual.

3.0 Detail the Protocol

3.1 The PDR scheme applies to all police officers and police staff.

3.2 There are three types of performance reviews available within the PDR period:

• The 6-month review is due mid-way through the year and is mandatory
• The end of year review is also mandatory
• One or more additional reviews can be conducted at other times during the year and are optional except in circumstances where officers are due to commence maternity leave or where an individual is seeking to move to a new role in the organisation during a PDR period

3.3 Supervisors/managers have a mandatory obligation to ensure the annual review and a six month interim review are completed on time for all their officers/police staff. The appraiser oversees the timely completion of the PDR, albeit the appraisee and reviewing officer have a duty to ensure their respective parts are completed in a timely manner. The annual PDR must be recorded as complete by the reviewing officer within 60 days of the due date.

3.4 Kent Police and Essex Police review schedule

3.4.1 For Essex police officers up to and including the level of Chief Superintendent, and all police staff employees, the end of year PDR review for an individual (appraisee) is due annually on the anniversary of joining Essex Police.

3.4.2 For Essex police officers above the rank of Chief Superintendent the end of year PDR is due on the 1st April of each year.

3.4.3 For Kent police officers up to and including the level of Chief Inspector, and all police staff employees, the end of year PDR review for an individual (appraisee) is due annually on the anniversary of joining Kent Police.

3.4.4 For Kent police officers above the rank of Chief Inspector the end of year PDR is due on the 1st April of each year.

3.5 Where an individual has re-joined Essex Police / Kent Police, then the most recent re-join date will become the PDR due date.

3.6 The only exemptions to the requirement to complete a PDR are for individuals who are, at the due date of the PDR:

• Student officers within their probationary period.
• Long-term sick (over 28 days);
• On maternity leave;
• Absent due to a career break;
• Suspended from duty;
• Deemed to have exceptional circumstances or wellbeing grounds for non-completion;
• Within their last 6 months of service

3.7 For any individuals who have a PDR due during an exempt period, the PDR must be completed at the earliest opportunity upon their return to the workplace.

3.8 Police officers and police staff who are due to start either a period of maternity leave or career break must complete either an additional review or, if due, a 6-month review prior to commencing maternity leave or career break. Upon their return to work their PDR should be progressed as normal.

3.9 The PDR is open throughout the 12-month PDR period and can be updated/reviewed/commented on at any time by the appraisee (individual), appraiser (line manager) and the reviewing officers (2nd line manager). Appraisees and appraisers have a shared responsibility to gather evidence of performance.

3.10 Appraisees should ensure the details of their appraiser and reviewing officer appear correctly and use the system functionality to update these details, or contact the Business Centre, if necessary.

3.11 The Force may utilise information from the PDR in support of succession planning and talent management activities.

4.0 Conducting a PDR Review

4.1 Information and guidance for how to complete a PDR is available on Professional Development Review internal website.

4.2 Appraisers and appraisees should ensure that the PDR is reviewed regularly during the PDR period and the content of the PDR must be updated throughout the cycle. Both the appraisee and appraiser should ensure that both the training/development and the career preference section is kept up to date at all times.

4.3 Prior to the PDR due date the appraiser must conduct a PDR review meeting with the appraisee to review the individual's performance during the past year. The PDR review meeting should be a two-way dialogue between the appraisee and the appraiser reflecting on past performance, reviewing objectives and setting new objectives for the coming PDR period.

4.4 Any substantiated formal disciplinary or misconduct outcomes that have occurred within the period covered by the PDR will be reflected within the PDR. A suitable development objective will be agreed in order to support the appraisee to improve their performance.

4.5 Any actions taken to address unsatisfactory performance (attendance/performance) through use of Police (Performance) Regulations or Police Staff Capability Procedures which have occurred within the period covered by the PDR will be reflected within the PDR. A suitable development objective(s) will be agreed in order to support the appraisee to improve their performance.

4.6 If an appraisee has come to the attention of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) as part of the monitoring of complaints conducted by the Professional Standards Department then this may be reflected within the PDR. A suitable development objective may be agreed in order to support the individual to improve their performance if this is deemed necessary.

4.7 Appraisees must have a minimum of 2 performance objectives at any time, the maximum number of objectives that can be set is 6. Performance objectives should be:

• Created, commented upon, updated and closed throughout the PDR period;
• SMART and link to Force Objectives.

4.8 Following the PDR meeting the appraiser should record the content of the discussions with the appraisee on the relevant sections of the online PDR process; this appraiser should also rate the overall performance of the appraisee.

4.9 Following the submission of the appraiser's comments the appraisee is required to comment on the overall summary recorded by the appraiser before they submit it to the reviewing officer for completion. It is the expectation that, in the majority of cases, the reviewing officer will, in discussion with the appraisee and the appraiser, resolve any disagreements which may occur. Where this is not possible then the reviewing officer will submit the PDR with the appraisee's comments as to why they disagree with the PDR.

5.0 Moves, transfers and promotions

5.1 Police officers and police staff wishing to move or transfer into a new role within the organisation will only be able to do so if their PDR is up to date.

• If the due date of the PDR is 30 days or less of the date of move or transfer, then the PDR end of year review must be completed by the current appraiser and the PDR signed-off by the reviewing officer prior to transfer.
• If the due date of the PDR is greater than 30 days of the date of move or transfer then either an additional review or the 6-month review, whichever is due, must be completed by the current appraiser prior to move/transfer. (It is not mandatory for the appraisee to comment on either the additional review or the 6-month review, therefore the move/transfer can take place without an appraisee commenting on the review.)

5.2 The move/transfer will only take place if HR Resource Planning are satisfied that one of these two actions in 5.1 has been completed.

5.3 Supervisors wishing to move/transfer must ensure that their subordinate’s PDRs are completed or reviewed, in accordance with the timescales described in section 5.1

5.4 Officers completing their 12-month work-based assessment (to prove competency in their new rank within Step 4 of the National Police Promotions Framework) must have mandatory reviews of their performance at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. All reviews conducted must make reference to the Competency and Values Framework (CVF) and indicate the officer’s competency against the rank specific role requirement. Line managers are responsible for assessing the officer in the workplace and they must set realistic objectives to enable the officer to develop in order to prove competency.

6.0 Equality Impact Assessment

6.1 This protocol has been assessed with regards to its relevance to race and diversity equality. As a result of this assessment the protocol has been graded as having a low potential impact.

7.0 Risk Assessment

7.1 There is no specific risk assessment or health and safety consideration thought relevant to the content of this protocol.

7.2 Officers and members of police staff engaged within the process must remain aware that they must follow the protocol correctly otherwise the risk to the organisation of a possible employment tribunal could be raised. A failure to fully adopt the principles set out in this protocol could have a detrimental effect upon the reputation of the organisation.

8.0 Consultation

8.1 The following have been consulted during the formulation of this document:

• Unison – Essex Police and Kent Police
• Federation – Essex Police and Kent Police
• Equality and Diversity Co-ordinator
• Health & Safety - Essex Police
• Strategic Change Team – Essex Police
• PSD Superintendent - Essex Police and Kent Police
• Policy/Risk – Essex Police
• Superintendents Association – Essex Police and Kent Police
• Performance Improvement Unit – Essex Police and Kent Police
• Learning & Development - Essex Police and Kent Police
• HR
• Legal Services – Kent Police
• College of Policing

9.0 Monitoring and Review

9.1 Monitoring will be undertaken by the Head of Resourcing, with a review being undertaken every two years.

10.0 Governing force policy. Related force policies or related procedures (Essex) / linked standard operating procedures (Kent)

10.1 This HR protocol supports the overarching HR policy L1.

10.2 Essex Police and Kent Police have measures in place to protect the security of your data in accordance with our Information Management Policy – W 1000 Policy – Information Management.

10.3 Essex Police and Kent Police will only hold data for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and in accordance with our HR Disposal schedule in HR policy L1.