End of Appraisal Period

To:       USGS All
cc:       Eleanor G Fisher/OPS/USGS/DOI@USGS
Subject:  End of Appraisal Period




In Response Reply To:                                           August 22, 2000
Mail Stop 601

Note to supervisors, managers, and team leaders:  Please ensure that 
employees without access to e-mail receive a copy of this message.


MEMORANDUM


To:       All U.S. Geological Survey Employees

From:     Robert Hosenfeld      (signed)
           Personnel Officer

Subject:  End of Appraisal Period

The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) current appraisal period for most USGS 
employees ends September 30, 2000.  Finalized annual performance 
appraisals for all employees who are on the rolls as of September 30, 
2000, except those in the Senior Executive Service, are due to the 
servicing personnel office by December 15, 2000.  If an employee is new to 
the USGS, or recently reassigned to a position with significantly 
different duties, the supervisor and employee should ensure a performance 
plan is developed and certified as soon as possible, but no later than the 
end of the rating period.  Employees who have not had a performance plan 
for at least 90 calendar days prior to September 30, 2000, must have the 
rating period extended until they have worked under a performance plan for 
90 calendar days.  Once the employee completes 90 calendar days under the 
performance plan, a performance appraisal must be completed within 60 days 
of the extended rating period. 

Because the USGS reorganization coincides with the end of the appraisal 
period, we ask supervisors to ensure they complete their employees' 
performance appraisals for this rating period in a timely manner. 
Employees affected by the reorganization will receive their 2000 
performance appraisal from their current supervisors.  These employees 
will receive performance plans for the rating year ending September 2001 
from their new supervisors.

When completing the annual performance appraisal, rating officials must 
conduct a performance review discussion with each employee.  This review 
provides an opportunity for the rating official to discuss the employee's 
performance during the past year, to begin discussion of performance 
plans for the coming year, and identify the employee's training and 
developmental needs.  At the end of the performance review, 
the employee signs and dates the rating in Part IV on page 2 of Form 
DI-2002.  If, for any reason, the employee declines to sign the rating, 
the rating official notes on the form that the rating was discussed with 
the employee.  The rating official keeps a copy of the completed appraisal 
form, gives a copy to the employee, and sends the original to the 
servicing personnel office.

A Quality Step Increase (QSI) recognizes employees who demonstrate 
exceptionally high levels of quality performance throughout the year. 
Specific eligibility criteria and processing information can be found on 
the Human Resources website at 
http://www.usgs.gov:8888/ops/hro/perf/awards/money.html. 

An employee failing to achieve one or more critical results must receive a 
"results not achieved" summary rating in Part III on page 2 of Form 
DI-2002.  If a summary rating of "results not achieved" is assigned, the 
rating official must prepare a written narrative describing the specific 
areas in which the employee failed to achieve critical results.  Rating 
officials are strongly encouraged to consult with their servicing employee 
relations specialist before assigning a summary rating of "results not 
achieved" to discuss required remedial action.

An employee who is dissatisfied with a summary rating of Aresults not 
achieved@ may discuss the matter informally with the rating and reviewing 
officials, make written comments on a separate sheet and attach them to 
the rating form, and/or request reconsideration of the rating by an 
official at the next level above the reviewing official who was not 
directly involved in the rating.  The employee's reconsideration request 
must be in writing, state the basis for the 
request, and be submitted to the servicing personnel office within 15 
calendar days following the employee's receipt of the rating.  Employees 
in exclusive bargaining units may have 
reconsideration rights through negotiated grievance procedures, and 
applicable bargaining agreements should be checked in such cases for 
possible coverage.

Additional information on the two-level performance management system is 
available from the updated performance management Q&A's on the Human 
Resources website at http://www.usgs.gov:8888/ops/hro/perf or your 
servicing personnel office.