Public Sector - PMDS. What are my options after disagreeing with my rating?

LegacyUser

I was surprised by an incredibly low rating on my PMDS annual review a few months ago. I heard our director (NOT the HEOs directly above the person being reviewed) had on one occasion previously made sort of an example of an employee she wasn't happy with by ensuring that employee's HEO gave him a very poor rating in his review. They actually left for another job several months later.

It has been implied to me one on or two occasions in interim reviews for example that HEOs are 'under pressure' from the Director to give or not give a certain rating to employees they (the HEOs) are reviewing with. Something seemed off about that to me, I guess I had the impression it was at the full discretion of the reviewer HEO. Maybe it's just something the HEO says to the employee to shift "blame" to the big bad Director in the event they give the employee a poor rating - I don't know.

It was explained to me that poor records on my clock (some infringements) and some failures to meet quotas (without mention of mitigating factors that interfered)
The missed quotas is fair enough, I'm not trying to push my luck here to get a rating any better than I feel I deserve so I won't argue that to be honest. The infringements thing however - they had not been raised as an issue to me in my interim review meetings.
They had been raised as an issue outside of PMDS meetings but not in the light of my performance review and rating.

I enquired about having the rating appealed to be reviewed by someone else (I haven't signed off on it yet). My HEO was acting as an AP/AD at the time of the first meeting on the annual review and apparently it would have to go before the Director. As I've mentioned above it's already been indicated to me that the whole source of the poor rating being given to me originates from the Director's wishes.

What can happen if I refuse to sign off on the PMDS rating number they're trying to give me?

I'm due to move to a different section basically now but my new AP and new HEO have said that being allowed to move section (which I really want) is dependent on me competing that PMDS annual review.
I want to move but don't want to chain myself to a bad rating for the next whatever length of time it takes to "live down" the bad rating, I feel almost like it's a trap.

Thanks for any advice

golfwallah

First of all, I note that you were surprised to receive what you feel is a bad rating - and, under the description of how the system works from per.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/New-PMDS-20121.pps (found this on Google)‎, there are supposed to be "no surprises".

A quick look at this presentation will show that it is designed as a two way process and one in which people being reviewed should receive regular feedback on performance and how they might improve it. The whole emphasis is on fairness and a joint employee / supervisor interest in improving performance.

This seems to have been happening to some extent from the situation you describe but you didn't seem to have seen how this could impact on your formal performance appraisal. So perhaps you could argue that there were gaps in how the process was being implemented in your case.

From my experience (not in the civil service) but in similar systems to PMDS, the most likely grounds for a successful appeal are that the process was not followed correctly - usually in a very blatant way (either through ignorance, management weakness or design). So you need to familiarise yourself with the process and talk to others who have more experience with it.

Also, if you are in a union and think you have been treated unfairly, your first step should be to look for guidance from your local rep. I'm sure you are not the first person to so do and your local rep should be well versed in the workings of PMDS and be in a position to advise you on how to appeal, if this is what you want.

As regards "hearing" that directives came from above - I'd dismiss that as just hearsay, however tempting it may be to believe it. Stick to the facts, study the process and consult your union about how the process was implemented in your particular case.

pow wow

When you say incredibly low score I assume it's more than one point below what you're expecting? I couldn't speculate re. the scenario with the director influencing the HEO but I do know that if a HEO gave everyone top ratings their decision would come under scrutiny. That doesn't mean they throw people under the bus unnecessarily, but there is an element of pressure to score across the spectrum - i.e. not to have a disproportionate number of highs/lows.

Tbh I don't know if I would be tackling it on a procedural basis and taking issue with the fact that your core time infringements weren't raised at the interim review - if there's an issue with your time/attendance then that isn't negated by the fact that it was only raised in one discussion and not in another. When added to the quota issue, even with mitigating factors it can look like a pattern is forming - a pattern which may lead to a poor review score.

I don't think you have much to lose at this stage by appealing it as that would bring it to a close one way or another and allow you to move. People appeal their scores regularly, sometimes with a positive outcome and sometimes not. You can also speak to your union rep if you're a member, but this may all delay your move and it's up to you which is more important to you.

Claregirl

As far as I know a rating less than 3 will affect any increments due a rating of 3 is required for promotion / upgrade to higher scale - any interviews for promotion will have copies of the last two cycles of ratings / comments.

I'm not 100% certain but I believe the CPSU are in dispute with DPER in relation to forced ratings i.e. rating on stats instead of performance so your union is definitely the best starting point.

As golfwallah said below there should no surprises at the final review problems should be identified / discussed and clearly indicated what is expected by way of improvement.

Also just found this on CPSU website:

PMDS Review Phase 2.
After years of pressure to secure the
right of representation and third party
appeal DPER has recently agreed to
give our members the right to have a
union representative with them if they
take up a new internal appeal option
at Divisional level and also the right
to appeal to an independent external
reviewer if they remain unhappy with
their PMDS ratings.

CryWolf

Just wondering how did you get on with disagreeing with your rating?