REVIEW OF COMPARATIVE EVALUATION DESCRIPTORS

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP85B01152R000400490012-0
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
K
Document Page Count: 
4
Document Creation Date: 
December 21, 2016
Document Release Date: 
June 2, 2008
Sequence Number: 
12
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
April 12, 1983
Content Type: 
MEMO
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PDF icon CIA-RDP85B01152R000400490012-0.pdf155.19 KB
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Approved For Release 2008/06/02 : CIA-RDP85BO1152R000400490012-0 12 APR 1993 MEMORANDUM FOR: DDA Career Management Officer SUBJECT: Review of Comparative Evaluation Descriptors 1. The Office of Information Services (OIS) reviewed the Comparative Evaluation Descriptors and concluded that there should be five categories. Attached is a copy of our proposed categories. 2. The current categories address a mixture of performance and potential. Several members of the OIS Senior Panel felt that too much emphasis is placed on potential and that experience does not get the attention it should. These same members recognize, however, that experience is an important factor in assessing potential and that a panel cannot assume automatically that an employee with experience has more potential than one without it. It is a matter of work performance and how an employee has used each new situation. 3. Our panels identify careerists who have potential for managerial responsibilities as well as those who have potential for substantive responsibility. Our mid-level positions require managerial responsibility, however, and those employees with managerial potential will have an advantage in a promotion exercise over those who do not. We do not believe that a separate category should be set up for managers, but it would be useful to have Agency-wide guidelines/factors for identifying managers. 4. It should be the responsibility of each Career Service to determine the specific type of career actions or options that are available to those placed in a particular category. The current categories have the right amount of emphasis on career actions and should not be changed. 5. OIS recommends that consideration be given to the establishment of a "limbo" category that may be used when career panels feel that certain employees cannot be evaluated fully. Employees could be in this category because they recently moved from non-supervisory to supervisory or non-managerial to managerial positions without previous experience in their new duties, transferred to a new career field or career service, entered on duty with the Agency, etc. If such a category is established, the guidelines or rules for its use should be restrictive enough to avoid abuse. The Approved For Release 2008/06/02 : CIA-RDP85BO1152R000400490012-0 Approved For Release 2008/06/02 : CIA-RDP85BO1152R000400490012-0 ! i category should not be a catch-all for cases where panels do not want to make decisions. For example, employees should not be placed in the category simply because they recently were promoted. A recent promotion combined with another factor, such as change of position, could be justification, however. One suggestion that might help control misuse would be to require written justification in panel minutes of each employee placed in the category. A suggested name is "Category-Special." 6. Some, but not the majority, of our Panel members felt strongly that Category IV should not state that an employee had realized his/her potential and recommended that consideration also be given to the following: Category IV These employees are performing satisfactorily but their personal attributes and work performance tend to show that they are not able or inclined to contribute the effort required for further advance- ment. Lateral assignments, in some cases, might contribute toward enhancing their talents or their value to the career Sub-Group. Career actions should be considered that would provide for their continued work satisfaction. 7. We appreciate the opportunity to comment on this important matter and hope that our suggestions will be useful in the discussions. STAT Attachment: As stated Approved For Release 2008/06/02 : CIA-RDP85BO1152R000400490012-0 Approved For Release 2008/06/02 : CIA-RDP85BO1152R000400490012-0 4P ? DESCRIPTORS FOR COMPARATIVE EVALUATION (CATEGORIES) Category I These are employees whose personal history and work performance clearly indicate a high degree of potential for rapid career growth into positions of increasingly greater responsibility. Employees in this Category are judged to possess experience, knowledge, and talents which presently are clearly exceptional in comparison with their peers. This evaluation should be reflected in career actions that enhance employees' talents and exploit their potential. Category II These are employees whose personal history and work performance indicate the capability to assume greater responsibilities. Employees in this Category are evaluated as presently displaying above average knowledge, talent, and commitment. Career actions should enhance the employees' skills and further develop their potential. Category III These are employees whose personal history and work performance show that they are performing a valuable service in their present assignments. They may be capable of performing successfully at a higher level of responsibility but their knowledge and skills need to be expanded further in the present assignment or through lateral assignment(s). Career actions should provide the opportunity to receive the needed experience/training. Category IV These employees are performing satisfactorily but are close to realizing or have realized their potential. Many employees in this Category are providing valuable service in their present assignment and lateral assignments may not contribute much toward enhancing their talents or their value to the career Sub-Group. In these cases, career actions should provide for their continued work satisfaction. 1 Approved For Release 2008/06/02 : CIA-RDP85BO1152R000400490012-0 Approved For Release 2008/06/02 : CIA-RDP85BO1152R000400490012-0 0 0 Category V These are employees whose overall work performance reflects a specific deficiency in, or inability to meet, important aspects of work requirements which unduly limits their value in their assignment or current career area. Employees in this Category may have potential for growth, but their deficiencies are such as to interfere with or preclude improved performance in the current assignment or further development in the career area. These employees will be advised of their deficiencies and placement in this Category. Counseling or remedial training is to be provided. Career actions will be taken to establish whether the talents of some of these employees can be utilized or potential realized in another career function or service within the Agency. The deficiencies in work performance or behavior of some employees in this Category may require their reassignment, demotion, or separation. Approved For Release 2008/06/02 : CIA-RDP85BO1152R000400490012-0