Guide to writing smart workplans

FORMULATING PEMS PLANS MAKING WORK PLANS SMART A GUIDE FOR MANAGERS AND STAFF

THIS GUIDE CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: PEMS WORK PLAN •

The elements of a PEMS work plan

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What is SMART?

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Why establish a SMART work plan?

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How do I develop SMART objectives?

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Action verbs for SMART objectives

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Sample PEMS work plan objectives and performance indicators

PEMS DEVELOPMENTAL OBJECTIVES •

What are developmental objectives?

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Why do we have developmental objectives?

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How to create targeted developmental objectives?

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Sample developmental objectives

We hope this guide is helpful, and if you have any questions, please visit the PEMS page on the FAO handbook or contact us at performancemanagement@fao.org.

FAO is grateful to the International Labour Organization (ILO), which has kindly permitted FAO to use and further develop the text from their Guide to Writing SMART Outputs. We would also like to thank colleagues who so generously gave of their time to read the Guide and provide their insights and comments. These were incorporated and served to enhance the final document.

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THE ELEMENTS OF A PEMS WORK PLAN One of the key elements of FAO’s performance evaluation and management system (PEMS) is the establishment of a work plan at the beginning of each performance cycle. The work plan should be defined through consultation between the staff member and the manager.

A work plan consists of: •

3-5 work plan objectives, which describe what you are aiming to achieve. Each objective should represent at least 20% of your time.

Where you contribute to objectives that touch on areas of work that are overseen by another manager(s), the relevant objective(s) or performance indicator(s) should be elaborated in consultation with the additional manager(s).

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A maximum of 3 performance indicators for each objective.

Performance indicators should spell out the evidence of the progress made toward the achievement of the objective, in other words, what you aim to achieve and by when. These indicators will be used to discuss your progress and evaluate your achievements at the end of the year.

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An optional description of the objective. The description should just be a sentence or two to provide additional details on the nature of the objective, if necessary. A detailed list of activities is no longer required, as was in the past. For objective(s) that are being overseen by another manager(s), ensure that the additional manager’s name is inserted in the description.

Note that the work plan and objectives as a whole should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, more on SMART in the following pages). Therefore when we say “SMART Objectives” we are referring to the objective title and performance indicators.

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Important Note: •

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Managers need to include in their PEMS plan one objective related to effective management of staff and financial resources (see example on page 12). For staff P5 and above, you must include a performance indicator in this objective (or another objective) a reference to two communication products you must provide during the year as part of the Senior Officers’ Media Initiative (SOMI). Consult the SOMI website for more information and see examples on pages 12 and 13.

Those staff who are output leaders, delivery team leaders or in another significant strategic objective coordination role must include this as a workplan objective.

In addition to the work plan, 1-3 developmental objectives must be established. Development objectives are established to improve skills, behaviours, or knowledge. More information on developmental objectives can be found on page 13.

WHAT IS SMART? SMART is an acronym which stands for; Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound and indicates the characteristics of meaningful objectives and performance indicators: Specific: State clearly and precisely what is to be delivered.

Measurable: Define quality (how good), quantity (how many) Achievable: Be within staff’s responsibility, resources, skills and control.

Should be challenging but reasonable.

Relevant: Be linked to the unit work plan and be within your job functions.

Could include special assignments and projects.

Time-bound: Have specific deadlines, start and finish dates.

WHY ESTABLISH A SMART WORK PLAN? Establishing SMART objectives and performance indicators is important. It focuses the Organization on delivering results over a period of time and 4 | Formulating PEMS Plans

establishes a clear understanding of what you are expected to achieve. More specifically, establishing SMART objectives and indicators facilitates: • •

Creation of a shared understanding about performance expectations and how the work will be measured and assessed.

More meaningful performance-based conversations between you and your manager.

HOW DO I DEVELOP SMART OBJECTIVES? 1. REVIEW RELEVANT INFORMATION When developing objectives and performance indicators it is important to be clear about what you need to accomplish in the given performance cycle and how this is going to be achieved. Please review the following information as a starting point for developing your work plan: Contribution to Strategic/Functional Objectives - Objectives and indicators should faithfully reflect your individual contribution to your Division’s/Office contribution to the relevant Strategic/Functional Objectives.

Your Job Description - The job description provides an outline of key functions and key results in general terms and can provide some guidance on defining objectives. While your job description can help, your objectives and performance indicators should focus on what you are going to achieve and how rather than a list of tasks or activities. FAO is progressively revising generic job profiles to include key functions and key results.

2. ESTABLISH YOUR OBJECTIVES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS You should set between 3 and a maximum of 5 objectives. The objectives should reflect the priority areas of your work – this may include a mix of new work and ongoing work.

For some staff (particularly when the work is project-based), objectives are often different for each performance cycle. For others (with more routine 5 | Formulating PEMS Plans

duties), objectives may be similar from cycle-to-cycle. In this situation, you should think at the beginning of the performance cycle of what changes or improvements you are going to deliver as part of your regular work (e.g. introducing a new procedure, simplifying a work process, etc.). Your performance indicators should describe (in a SMART way) how you are going to deliver your work/services.

A maximum of 3 performance indicators should be set for each objective.

Indicators provide evidence of the progress made toward the achievement of the objective and success factors. They are established when objectives are set, so it is clear to you and your manager what success will look like during the performance cycle. The performance indicators should be measurable in terms of quantity and/or quality and include references to timeliness.

3. REVIEW THE SMART CRITERIA Below are some questions and information to consider when formulating your objectives and performance indicators:

SPECIFIC Objectives and indicators should specify what you are expected to deliver.

Specific, in this case, does not mean detailed. Rather, objectives and indicators need to be clear and concise, as opposed to generalized or ambiguous. Use action verbs or verbs that imply change to describe what needs to be done and what the results need to be.

Questions to consider: WHAT are the intended results and what actions need to be taken?

WHY is this important to do? Will these objectives lead to the desired result?

WHO is going to do what? Who else needs to be involved?

WHEN does this need to be completed?

HOW will this be delivered?

MEASURABLE Objectives and performance indicators should refer to quality and/or quantity so that you can assess if you achieved them. These references can 6 | Formulating PEMS Plans

be stated as rates (90% accuracy), ranges (+/-50%), or absolute quantities (3 projects). They can also be stated to reflect specific requirements; for example, “to meet written specifications”, “according to project guidelines”, “within the identified budget”. Also, it’s important that the recipients of our work are satisfied so where possible, your indicators you should try to include user/client feedback as a means of assessing client orientation.

Questions to consider: • • • • • •

How will I know when the objective has been delivered?

What is the expected quality of the final product?

What will be the measures?

How much? e.g. resources to be mobilized How many?

Can these measures be obtained?

ACHIEVABLE Objectives and indicators should be challenging but achievable within the performance cycle.

Questions to consider: • • •

Is the objective challenging but still within your responsibility, skills and control? Are the resources available to deliver these objectives?

Can it be delivered in the proposed time frame?

Do you understand the limitations and constraints?

RELEVANT Objectives and indicators should be established in consultation with your manager and add useful value within the context they are being set in – such as being aligned with the unit/office workplan and higher Organizational goals.

Questions to consider: • •

Does this objective relate to what the unit /department/office is trying to achieve?

Has the impact been determined?

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•

What would be the consequence if this objective was not delivered?

TIME-BOUND Objectives and indicators should have specific time frames or deadlines within the performance cycle. If there is a long timeline involved, you may need to identify the key steps you need to take to deliver the overall objective and identify how long each step is likely to take in order to agree on a target date. Time frames can be specific dates (dd/mm/yy), times of the year (by the end of June), tied to significant events (before the launch of a project), or ongoing (daily, weekly).

Questions to consider: • • •

When must the objective be delivered?

Can it be delivered in the proposed time frame?

Do you understand the constraints and limitations?

Below is an example of how to make an objective and indicators SMART. More examples are available on pages 11 and 12: Non-SMART objective and performance indicators: Deliver workshop on Good Emergency Management Practice (GEMP).

Performance Indicators • • •

Workshop format finalized Workshops delivered Guidelines revised

This objective and its indicators are not SMART because they are not specific, measurable, or time bound. Further it only outlines a set of actions. They could be made SMART by specifically indicating the results you want to achieve, the quality of the training, where they will be trained and by when the trainings will be conducted.

SMART objective and performance indicators: Deliver 5 GEMP workshops to government animal health officers and veterinarians from at least 2 FAO target countries by end-October 8 | Formulating PEMS Plans

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS •

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GEMP workshop format finalized by 28 February. Revised guidelines and training materials developed and available in English, French and Spanish by 31 May. A total of 5 workshops delivered in Cambodia and Vietnam for at least 100 participants by 31 October and 90% of participants indicated that workshop met their needs.

GEMP guidelines revised by 31 December based on workshop evaluation feedback.

3. HINTS AND TIPS • •

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Focus on the results you want to achieve – avoid writing objectives and indicators which provide long lists of activities and tasks.

Make your objectives and performance indicators somewhat flexible to allow for possible changes to work priorities, while at the same time “SMART” enough to be meaningful.

Review objectives and performance indicators throughout the performance cycle and frequently discuss progress with your manager and additional manager(s) (if applicable).

Avoid setting objectives that are too difficult or too easy as both can be de-motivating.

Objectives should be achievable within the current performance appraisal period.

Important note: Objectives established at the beginning of a performance cycle may not unfold precisely as planned, especially in a dynamic work environment such as FAO. This may require a redirection of efforts that could lead to changes to the existing objectives or performance indicators.

The Mid-Year Review provides a formal opportunity to record any adjustments. Adjustments (if any) must be made during the Mid-Year, as it is not possible to make adjustments to the work plan during the Year-End Appraisal.

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ACTION VERBS FOR SMART OBJECTIVES Use action verbs and/or verbs that imply change when writing an objective to help your objective be more action-oriented and focused. Action verbs are better able to communicate the intent of what is to be implemented. Here are some examples1: achieve acquire act activate adapt administer advise analyze arrange assemble assess assist audit budget build calculate centralize clarify classify coach collaborate collect communicate compile complete compose compute conceptualize conduct connect consolidate construct consult coordinate counsel define deliver

demonstrate design determine develop diagnose direct discover display distribute document edit eliminate ensure establish estimate evaluate expand expedite experience experiment facilitate finalize finance forecast formulate generate guide handle help identify illustrate implement improve install instruct integrate interpret

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introduce invent investigate judge launch learn lead make maintain manage market monitor motivate navigate negotiate obtain open operate organize originate participate perform plan prepare present prevent process procure produce program propose purchase quantify reconcile reconstruct record recruit

redesign reduce reorganize report represent research resolve restore restructure retrieve review revise schedule secure select solve staff standardize streamline structure supervise supply survey systemize teach test train translate unify

1 - Adapted from: SMART Objectives Checklist, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006.

SAMPLE PEMS WORK PLAN OBJECTIVES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS Below and on the next page are sample work plan objectives and performance indicators. Over time, more samples will be developed.

Sample work plan objective for Professional (Technical Officer) WORK PLAN OBJECTIVE Implement effective policy and programme development for improved forest fire management in the Asia and Pacific region.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS •

A minimum of two partnerships developed which lead to one or more financed project proposals on forest fire management in the region by the end of the year

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Four national workshops held in the Asia and Pacific Region in 2015. Survey carried out to assess whether best practices for policy formulation and implementation in forest fire management are applied.

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Existing gaps in national legislation on forest fire management identified and guidelines to address these gaps developed by December 31

Objective description (Optional): This objective is overseen by Ms Jane Smith, output team leader (example text in case of objective being supervised by an additional supervisor).

Sample work plan objective for Administrative Assistant WORK PLAN OBJECTIVE

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS •

Consolidated quarterly office Travel Plans created for approval by the officer by 30 March, 30 June, 30 September and 30 December. Staff informed with regards to the status of their travel plans.

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Personnel actions (consultancy contracts, Travel Authorizations, security requests, and Travel Expense Claims,) carried out accurately and processed within two working days of the request, when all supporting documentation is provided.

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Answered staff queries regarding administrative matters within 24 hours and regularly conveyed to them any changes in the FAO rules and regulations.

Process financial, personnel and travel administrative actions for the office as per established deadlines Objective description (Optional):

Sample work plan objective for FAO Representative WORK PLAN OBJECTIVE Increase support for the priorities of the Country Programming Framework (CPF).

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS •

CPF Commission is established and two meetings for validation and planning are held in 2015.

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CPF goals, results, and actions presented and discussed in at least 10 public events including those related to World Food Day, International Year of Family Farming, events with civil society, and universities.

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At least two articles or interviews focusing on FAO and the government’s joint priorities, actions, or results published in national media (as part of SOMI initiative).

Objective description: This will be done by identifying opportunities for partnerships and increased advocacy with key stakeholders

Mandatory work plan objective for Supervisors/managers WORK PLAN OBJECTIVE Effectively Manage Staff and Financial Resources Under my Supervision

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS •

Ensured that all staff under my supervision developed appropriate work plans, completed all PEMS activities within established deadlines. Carried out regular performance discussions with staff under my supervision and provided timely feedback and coaching and supported development activities.

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Effectively managed financial resources, and escalated issues and risks for attention. Held regular meetings with staff, implemented, monitored, and adjusted as necessary operational work plans.

Objective description:

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Mandatory work plan objective for Supervisors/managers at P5 level WORK PLAN OBJECTIVE Effectively Manage Staff and Financial Resources Under my Supervision and Communication Objective description:

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PERFORMANCE INDICATORS •

Ensured that all staff under my supervision developed appropriate work plans, completed all PEMS activities within established deadlines. Carried out regular performance discussions with staff under my supervision and provided timely feedback and coaching and supported development activities.

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Effectively managed financial resources, and escalated issues and risks for attention. Held regular meetings with staff, implemented, monitored, and adjusted as necessary operational work plans.

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Produce at least two key communication products (article, open letter, interview, video, or other) during the year (SOMI)

WHAT ARE DEVELOPMENTAL OBJECTIVES? Developmental objectives are established to acquire or improve a particular skill, competency or knowledge by the end of the performance cycle through the completion of learning.

When we contemplate ‘learning’ many of us immediately think of attending workshops or courses. While these are useful ways to learn new skills or refresh our knowledge, there are many types of opportunities for development. Examples are virtual training, coaching, on-the-job training, or other activities.

WHY DO WE HAVE DEVELOPMENTAL OBJECTIVES? Learning is part of our job. FAO works in a changing context, and we deal with complex issues, so we need to stay engaged and ahead of the game. It’s about increasing the value of what we have to offer. Learning and development also allows you to grow professionally, by being more focused and efficient in what you do, taking on new tasks, and broadening your skills and career possibilities.

HOW TO CREATE TARGETED DEVELOPMENTAL OBJECTIVES? It’s best to define clear objectives for learning, along with a way to measure your progress and accomplishments. Start by doing your own needs assessment and analyze what you need to learn. Here’s how: 1. Look at your last performance evaluation for ideas. Ask a trusted colleague to help you see what you can’t recognize in yourself.

2. Look at your work plan objectives and the FAO required skills and behaviours. What are your strengths? Where are the gaps between what you know and what you need to know, what you can do and what you need to be able to do? These are areas you could improve.

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3. Plan what you want to achieve, how you will know you have achieved it, then define the steps that will get you there. There may be several ways – virtual training, on-the-job learning, coaching or mentoring, attending seminars and conferences, networking, etc. List them and choose which will be the most effective and easiest to combine with your job.

4. Be clear about how you will apply what you have learned and how it will enhance your performance.

5. Put your learning into action! This is one of the hardest and least applied steps and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

6.

Discuss your developmental objectives with your manager and refer to them throughout the year. Review and adjust your developmental objectives as necessary during the mid-year review.

SAMPLE DEVELOPMENTAL OBJECTIVES DEVELOPMENTAL OBJECTIVE TITLE

DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES (including on-the-job learning)

Example: Improve Spanish language skills

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Spanish group course (Level B)

Example: Improve communication skills

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Writing for the UN elearning Prepare at least one report applying writing techniques

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