University of Maryland, College Park Policy on the Performance Review and Development Process

1. Consistent with the UMS Policy on the Performance Evaluation Program, all regular, non-faculty employees shall have a formal performance evaluation once each year. This evaluation shall be conducted in a manner consistent with the procedures of the campus' performance management system, the Performance Review and Development (PRD) process.
2. The University's responsibilities in the PRD process shall be carried out by the employee's immediate supervisor, wherever possible. In cases where this is not possible (see footnote), the immediate supervisor shall have considerable input into the PRD process.
3. Supervisors (including faculty who supervise non-faculty employees) shall be held accountable in their own performance evaluations for conducting the PRD process with their employees in a competent and timely manner.
4. Supervisors (including faculty who supervise non-faculty employees) shall not be permitted to carry out their PRD responsibilities until they have successfully completed the performance management training administered by the Personnel Services Department.
5. Employees are expected to actively participate in the PRD process. Their performance management responsibilities include the following:
   1. familiarizing themselves with the performance management profess by attending training and reading the employee PRD manual;
   2. where appropriate, initiating performance discussions with their supervisor and working with their supervisor to resolve performance-related problems; and
   3. updating skills needed to perform their jobs.
6. Performance information collected in the context of the PRD process shall have an important weight in training and development opportunities, and in the allocation of performance-based rewards and outcomes such as merit pay, performance bonuses, formal recognition for high performance, etc.
   
   Performance-based rewards shall not be available to supervisors who have not evaluated the performance of their employees in a timely manner consistent with the PRD process.
7. Existing work units on campus are charged with the responsibility of administering the PRD process for their employees in a fair and consistent manner, including the scheduling of release time for supervisors and employees to attend PRD training, the establishment and communication of performance expectations, and the allocation of performance-based rewards and outcomes. The Personnel Services Department shall monitor units' performance of their PRD responsibilities.

Footnote: The immediate supervisor may not be available to conduct the PRD process for reasons such as extended absence, remote location from the employee, or the transfer of the immediate supervisor to another department.