Quantum Units Education®

Chapter 1: Performance Management Background and Context

1. Performance management is the systematic process that includes each of the following EXCEPT:

2. Performance elements and standards should be measurable, understandable, verifiable, equitable, and achievable.

3. In an effective organization, ____________ means increasing the capacity to perform through training, giving assignments that introduce new skills or higher levels of responsibility, improving work process, or other methods.

Employee Performance Plans

4. An adverse action is an assignment or responsibility of such importance that unacceptable performance in that area would result in a determination that the employee's overall performance is unacceptable.

Additional Performance Elements

5. The essential difference between a non-critical element and an additional performance element is that non-critical elements do not affect the summary level.

Chapter 2: Distinguishing Activities From Accomplishments

6. Which of the following is NOT a correct statement about activities, accomplishments, and outcomes?

7. Accomplishments can be measured at the employee level and at the work level and can be included in employee performance plans and in the appraisal process.

Using Balanced Measures

8. Traditionally many agencies have measured their organizational performance by focusing on internal or process performance, while private sector businesses usually focus on customer satisfaction as their bottom line.

Categories of Work

9. Cooperating with others falls under which category of work?

Chapter 3: Developing Employee Performance Plans

10. Although performance plans must reflect the type of work described in the employee's position description, the performance plan does not have to mirror it.

11. By developing a performance plan that links accomplishments to organizational goals, the organization can take the opportunity to use the appraisal process to communicate its goals to its employees and to:

Step 1: Look At The Overall Picture

12. The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) requires all agencies to develop a strategic plan that includes performance goals that are:

13. General outcome goals found in an organization's strategic plan are generally more specific and more output-oriented than performance plan goals.

Example of Organizational Goals

14. Examples of strategic goals for a federal agency include maintaining an inclusive work environment that values diversity and allows employees to reach their highest potential, and acting as a model agency through fiscally responsible business practices and a commitment to excellence.

Step 2: Determine Work Unit Accomplishments

15. Work units are generally the smallest organizational group on the organizational chart and usually include between _____ people.

Method A

16. The goal cascading method is used for agencies with clear organizational goals and objectives and will answer each of the following questions EXCEPT:

Method B

17. The customer-focused method works well when there are clear agency goals and when developing a customer information package.

Method C

18. The work flow charting method creates a flow chart that begins with the first step of the work process, maps out each successive step, and ends with the final product or service.

19. When building a flow chart, it is imperative to individually list steps and activities required to produce goods or services.

Step 3: Determine Individual Accomplishments That Support Work Unit Goals

20. A ______________ matrix should be used to identify the results each work unit member must produce to support the unit's accomplishments.

21. A matrix that addresses individual accomplishments can be a valuable management tool to involve employees in the process and to help make everyone's role in the work unit very clear.

Step 4: Convert Expected Accomplishments Into Performance Elements

22. All employees must have at least 2-3 critical elements in their performance plan that will address individual performance only.

Step 5: Determine Work Unit and Individual Measures

23. The four general measures normally used for measuring work unit and employee performance are quality, quantity, cost-effectiveness and:

General Measures

24. Specific cost-effectiveness measures may include such aspects of performance as maintaining or reducing unit costs, reducing the time it takes to produce or provide a product or service, or reducing waste.

Step 6: Develop Work Unit and Individual Standards

25. Performance standards are management approved expressions of the performance thresholds, requirements, or expectations that employees must meet to be appraised at particular levels of performance.

What Should You Avoid When Writing Retention Standards

26. An “absolute” retention standard, one that allows for no errors, is acceptable in most circumstances, and when writing standards, these type of standards should be included to ensure employer and customer satisfaction.

Avoid Backward Standards

27. Standard such as “fails to meet deadlines” or “performs work inaccurately" actually describe negative unacceptable performance and should be avoided.

Step 7: Determine How to Monitor Performance

28. Agency appraisal programs are required to provide ongoing appraisal, which includes, but is not limited to, conducting two or more progress reviews during each appraisal period and informally discussing performance monthly.

29. Which of the following is NOT one of the steps recommended in monitoring performance and providing feedback to employees?

Feedback

30. Basing feedback on the employee's performance against his or her elements and standards is key to providing tangible, objective, and powerful feedback, and giving a specific example of what he or she is doing well can be very effective.

31. Naturally occurring feedback can be classified as carefully planned feedback characterized by automatic, frequent delivery through a measurement system or as:

Step 8: Check the Performance Plan

32. Once a performance plan has been developed, it should be checked to ensure that standards are challenging, fair, attainable, and clear.

Guiding Principles for Performance Measurement

33. Involving employees in the development of the elements and standards included in the performance plan is an excellent way to clarify expectations and measurement terminology.

34. An agency minimum appraisal period,  which generally ranges from _______ days usually provides enough time during the appraisal period for changes in elements and standards.

Quick Reference: The Eight-Step Process

35. If a performance for a critical element is a numeric measure, it must first be determined what the appraiser would see or report that would verify that the performance is fully successful.