How can results- based oriented personnel performance be based on Incentives paid in turn ?

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Permalink Reply by Arunaselam Rasappan on October 1, 2008 at 4:45pm

Personnel performance management is so dynamic and riddled with all kinds of complexities but yet we are fully aware that personnel are one of the most important factors that contribute to development results. Financial incentives are certainly needed and often can make a difference in performance but is limited by resource constraints, particularly in developing countries.

The above challenges in fact should prompt us to come up with more innovative ways of encouraging performance without necessarily focusing only on financial gains. In our experience, I found that one factor that can help the situation is the need for individuals to have a clear picture of their contribution to the organization's result areas. This is important as it often gives the individual the sense of belonging, contribution, and ownership. It also leads to better system of appraisals and related actions. This is the reason why the PPS under the IRBM system pays special attention to the individual and his/her work environment and conditions. The PPS also puts the onus of performance of the individual not only on the individual but more so on the organization, management, and the system itself.

There are a few simple principles in this respect which are :

a. Clear understanding of the work unit's and organization's core business and deliverables;
b. Clear understanding of the individual's contribution to the result area of his/her work unit;
c. Detailed and well structured work planning that focuses on the deliverables of the individual within the work unit, either on an individual or work group basis;
d. Clear and systematic work assessment principles that are reasonable, transparent and built on consensus;
e. Meangingful work-related emplacement and provision of required capacity/support systems for the job;
f. Performance assessment based on deliverables that are results-driven and objective;
g. Safeguard against bias and other human factor distortions of performance;
h. System of incentives for performance (both positive and negative).

The PPS addresses all of these concerns through its integrated approach to personnel performance management. However, the reality remains that dealing with the human factor is complex and often subjected to many challenges, however good the personnel system in place - which is why personnel management is a dynamic and evolving field.

Regards.

Aru Rasappan

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Permalink Reply by Sithole Humbe on October 3, 2008 at 2:03am

Dr. Aru.
I appreciate your coaching Dr but the challenges that we face are more to do with the social fabric of the workforce . The Zimbabwean situation in particular and the developing countries in general is the centre of my question due to the misalignment between work output and rewards as a result of economic meltdown. The biggest hurdle Dr is the lack of leadership will where those who perform well above the rest are rewarded either on the same wavelenght with non-performers or even rewarded less than those who dont perform.

The high performers right now are those who leave the public service due to poor incentives given in return if compared to their fellow peers.

My question was then to say, the PPS is supposed to work as a model to reward according to performance on a higher scale as compared to the balanced score card.

Thanks for the simple PPS principles you noted. I will share them with my Zimbabwean peers.
Regards

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Permalink Reply by Arunaselam Rasappan on October 3, 2008 at 8:45pm

Yes, I agree, things are not that simple and am fully conscious of the situation in your country. The issues you raise are substantive and of course real life challenges for PPS. But at the same time, be assured that the issues you raise are the very issues that are being addressed by the PPS...though there is no guarantee that the salaries and other financial incentives will increase, the system of performance planning and appraisals will be more objective and change for the better. With that, we hope that less people would leave the service, though we cannot stop this due to the unique situation.

Aru Rasappan

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