Phase 4:
Reviewing progress and
improving performance
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Developing Performance Framework — case studies from the pilot program
Phase 4: Reviewing progress and improving performance
Reviewing progress and improving performance involves meeting with your team members to
reflect on what they have learned in undertaking their key work tasks, working toward career
aspirations and through access to support and professional development activities. It also gives
you the opportunity to more formally acknowledge their achievements, discuss their strengths and
identify areas for further development. The performance objectives outlined in a team member’s
Developing Performance agreement should be used to guide these discussions.
In this meeting, you should also present options that the school or work unit has identified for
rewarding and recognising team members’ performance. In determining the types of reward and
recognition available, schools and work units need to ensure that there is equitable access for all
employee groups. Consideration should also be given to the perceptions and preferences of team
members.
If any issues related to performing below expectations have arisen during the work period, it is
important to follow these up by clarifying and agreeing on the steps that the team member will take
to improve performance, as well as the support you will provide in the upcoming work period.
In the unlikely event that these issues result in repeated unsatisfactory performance, it will be
necessary to implement the formal process for managing unsatisfactory performance.
Why is this phase of the process important?
Dedicating a meeting to review progress and discuss how performance can be further developed in
the next work period provides team members with the time and space to reflect on their successes
and discuss in more detail those issues that might have been barriers to success.
This phase brings one Developing Performance agreement to a conclusion and provides the
forum for starting to consider the next steps team members will take to continue to develop their
performance and build on their successes. It offers opportunities for team leaders to consider how
team or systemic processes might be enhanced and to reaffirm the valuable contribution of each
team member to the collective achievements of the work unit or school.
During either this meeting or in a separate meeting, the team leader may move into Phase One
of the Developing Performance process once again, and hence shift focus to the upcoming work
period.
The case studies that follow demonstrate some of the reflections and resulting key actions
team leaders in pilot schools and work units undertook to effectively integrate Phase Four of the
framework.
Case study: Realising potential through developing performance
For one administrative officer from Caboolture Special School, the opportunity to reflect on her
achievements, acknowledge her successes and plan for the future during Phase Four cemented the
importance of the Developing Performance Framework.
As a temporary employee, she had always been reluctant to ask for support, professional
development and the time to discuss her performance developing. Through the Developing
Performance Framework, it became clear that as a valued member of the school team she would
not only have the opportunity to discuss her key work tasks with her team leader, but she would
Developing Performance Framework — case studies from the pilot program
39
also be able to request the support and professional development she felt would help her to meet
her work and career goals. As a result, she was soon taking steps towards acquiring new skills and
knowledge.
At the end of the work period, the administrative officer met with her team leader to review her
progress. At this meeting she acknowledged that, by engaging with the Developing Performance
process, she had actually overcome one of the biggest barriers she perceived in her work — time.
Learning new skills had enabled her to operate with greater efficiency and so create more time.
The administrative officer described this as a ‘snowballing effect’. As a result of her expanded
capability and improved efficiency, she can continue to invest in learning and further develop her
performance.
In addition, the administrative officer’s increased capability and her acknowledgment of
these improvements has increased her confidence. This has positively affected her overall job
satisfaction and she now feels ready to apply for permanent positions within the Department. She
considers her boost in confidence to be her greatest personal achievement, and believes it has
prepared her for further developments to her performance.
She says, ‘As a contract employee, the framework has helped me to feel more supported and know
what I want for my future’.
Case study: Reflecting on performance and acknowledging success
Windaroo State School Principal Dean Murphy believes that stopping at the end of a work period to
reflect on successes and discuss what has been learned opens team members’ minds to consider
further opportunities to be innovative and creative.
Team leaders at Windaroo State School use reflective questioning during the final phase of the
Developing Performance process to encourage individuals to identify their own strengths and
future developmental needs. Dean also provides team leaders and members with Corporate Data
Warehouse information that supports their focus on the objectives for the next work period, with a
view to turning areas for improvement into strengths. This prompts leaders to seek opportunities
for team members to use their newfound skills and knowledge.
As a part of Phase Four, team leaders acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of individuals
and teams through a number of personal and team-based rewards and recognitions. For example,
team members are recognised formally through the presentation of service awards, school
pennants and glasses, and special mentions in newsletters. Less formally, social outings are often
used to bring team members together in order to recognise and reward their contributions. The
school also operates a lunch club, which gives staff the opportunity to share their successes with
colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere. Dean believes that these approaches allow individuals and
teams to share their successes with others, and give leaders the opportunity to let individuals and
teams know that they are valued.
Dean reflects, ‘It is important that we all take the time to acknowledge the contributions of each
member of the school team, by sharing our successes and what we have learned with others and
having this recognised. It builds on our culture of support and valuing one another. It should just
be a part of what we do!’.
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Developing Performance Framework — case studies from the pilot program
Phase 4: Reviewing progress and improving performance
Case study: Talking about performance is now part of our culture
In the Sunshine Coast Human Resources team, the Developing Performance process has reaffirmed
the need for scheduled whole-of-team meetings at regular intervals throughout the year. At
these meetings, team members provide progress updates about their work and career goals and
celebrate key milestones.
To round off the year, their ‘end of work period’ team meeting now focuses on formally reviewing
progress and improving performance. This meeting reflects the team’s belief in ‘developing
performance together’, because each individual is encouraged to take ownership by contributing
agenda items that relate to their work, their successes and their learning. They are also asked to
acknowledge and recognise the work of others in their team, and reflect on how effectively they
have integrated the Developing Performance Framework.
Team members have observed that through using the framework they have an avenue to identify
individual strengths and weaknesses in their current roles by reviewing position descriptions and
undertaking skills audits. This has supported them in articulating their key work tasks.
They also believe that individual career aspirations, whether they be to enhance their capabilities
in their current role or traditional career progression, are more valued and supported.
Team members have commented that without the framework, defining key work tasks and
discussing career aspirations was often overlooked because of competing deadlines and daily
pressures to complete the ‘busy’ work. The Framework has focused them on the ‘important work of
developing people’.
According to Regional HR Manager Steve Cook, ‘The introduction of the Developing Performance
Framework has created an environment in which conversations about performance and
development are seen as being culturally acceptable and expected, and that can only further
support our drive for a high performance culture’.
Developing Performance Framework — case studies from the pilot program
41
The results
Benefits for employees
• Enhanced job satisfaction
• Better understanding of work roles and responsibilities
• Capability growth matched to individualised support and professional development
opportunities
• Career development that provides a map for aspiring employees to see how they could move
laterally or vertically within the Department, enhancing their satisfaction, building motivation,
developing new talents and achieving personal growth
• Relevant and meaningful professional development that leads to a more skilled and confident
workforce
• Increased support to carry out day-to-day tasks and new challenges
• Improvement is planned for
• An environment where staff are rewarded and recognised
Benefits for school or work unit
• A consistent, best practice process for all employee groups, to support the facilitation of
Developing Performance conversations and resultant Developing Performance agreements
• Networks that promote coaching, mentoring and support
• Effectiveness and efficiency improvements for individuals, work teams and Departments
• A work culture/environment that promotes continuous improvement, communication and
lifelong learning
• Evidence regarding continuing professional development and links to capability development,
as required legislatively for continuing teacher registration
Benefits for DET
• An articulated and transparent process through which all employees have equitable access
to conversations about their performance and support and professional development
opportunities
• A line of sight between departmental priorities, work unit and school priorities and individual
employees priorities
• Extended capacity of the Department’s staff through future focused workforce development,
professional development, building leadership and attracting and retaining a high-quality and
professional workforce, as outlined in the strategic plan
• Increased capability and skill levels of targeted employees to respond to current and emerging
business requirements
Benefits for students
Authentic professional development and support for our workforce enhances their professional
capability which leads to:
• Improved student learning outcomes
• Effective teaching and learning strategies to engage learners
• Inclusive learning practices, i.e. catering for individual student needs, abilities, learning styles
and backgrounds
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Developing Performance Framework — case studies from the pilot program
The future — continuing the
journey
The Developing Performance Framework has attracted positive feedback throughout the pilot,
demonstrating the usefulness and validity of the process, tools and resources. Throughout the
pilot, a high percentage of participants consistently agreed with the importance and intent of the
framework and identified the flexibility of the process as strength.
For the framework to be a continued success, it is important for schools and work units to embed
the process into their culture, so it becomes standard practice. The continuous cycle of planning,
implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reflecting throughout each work period will ensure the
process remains in the forefront of employee’s minds, continues to improve and becomes ‘the way
we do things around here’.
To support employees with the integration of the Developing Performance Framework in their
schools and work units, further tools and resources are being developed and tested. These tools
and resources will be uploaded to the website:
www.education.qld.gov.au/staff/development/performance
Developing Performance Framework — case studies from the pilot program
43
Acknowledgments
The Department of Education and Training wishes to thank the following pilot participants*
for sharing their experiences from the schools and work units they were members of during
the pilot period.
Gary Barnes, Assistant Director General of Strategic Human Resources
Office of Higher Education
Performance Monitoring and Reporting Branch
Mark Hewison, Organisational Health
Trish McGregor, School Technologies Branch
Human Resources Team, Sunshine Coast
Steve Cook, Regional Human Resources Manager, Sunshine Coast
Alan Baillie, Mt Isa District Office
Michelle Donn, Principal Education Officer, Mt Isa District Office
Speech Pathologists, Mt Isa
Dale Wolfenden, Principal, Boulia State School
Camooweal State School
Robyn Somerville, Dakabin State High School
Gary Steedman, Acting Head of Health and Physical Education, Dakabin State High School
Deirdre von Guilleaume, Acting Deputy Principal, Strathpine State School
Brian Gray, Principal, Caboolture Special School
Administrative Officer, Caboolture Special School
Shona McKinlay, Principal, Redcliffe State High School
Health and Physical Education Team, Redcliffe State High School
Windaroo Valley State High School
Dean Murphy, Principal, Windaroo State School
Lynn Vine, Deputy Principal, Windaroo State School
Colleen Hope, Principal, Mudgeeraba Special School
Debbie Akerlund, Acting Business Services Manager, Mudgeeraba State School
Mt Isa School of the Air
Tony McDougall, Acting Principal, Mount Samson State School
Kevan McCullock, Janitor/Groundsperson, Flagstone State School
* The positions stated are those held by participants during the pilot.
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Developing Performance Framework — case studies from the pilot program