The 2016 Performance and Development Review (PDR) process is underway for the majority of UofG staff. For the first time, it is being managed online, using the CoreHR system.  Last week the Principal, Professor Anton Muscatelli, wrote to UofG staff thanking them for their help in revising the PDR system.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Colleagues,

As you will be aware, we are now embarking upon our next PDR cycle. PDR offers a significant opportunity for us all to reflect on the preceding year and to consider our collective and individual goals and aspirations for the future.

2015 saw the launch of our new strategic plan, Inspiring People - Changing the World. Our mission is to inspire people to create a world class learning and research environment, empowering staff and students alike to discover and share knowledge that can change the world. Our achievements this year, in line with this mission, have been many. We are ranked top in Scotland and third in the Russell Group in the National Student Survey 2015; have jumped 18 places in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings to 76th place; and have now taken possession of the former Western Infirmary site. We are, I believe, giving life to our vision.

In the light of these achievements, I feel it’s important for us all to acknowledge and celebrate that none of them or our many other successes would have been possible without the skill, diligence and dedication of so many of our colleagues. And so it is vital that our strategy and the PDR process are closely aligned. PDR is, I believe, an essential tool in helping us move forward, with our key values of professionalism, passion and progressiveness providing the impetus to deliver ever greater success.

As the complexities of University life continue to grow, we must continue to ensure the tools we use to support us in delivering our goals remain useful and truly fit for purpose. To that end we have welcomed substantial feedback from across the University and have taken time to reflect on our PDR process. I am pleased to confirm that as a consequence of this review, robust changes have been introduced for 2016, aligning the process more closely with the needs of colleagues across the University.

I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved for their invaluable feedback.

Some of the most frequent comments we received were around the speed and ease of the process, and as a direct outcome of this feedback a number of key changes have been made. Principally, the key changes are:

• Reduction from five to four performance outcomes; giving colleagues greater direction and clarity
• The removal of moderation for Grades 9 and 10 staff; making the process swifter and less onerous
• An increased focus on team objectives
• A re-design and simplification of PDR documentation; a focus on objective setting aligned with strategic priorities at unit level and the development needs of the reviewee.

As before, there are three key elements to the PDR process, which will remain in 2016:

• Planning for relevant professional and career development
• Performance reviews
• Setting of aligned objectives

In addition to the above changes, we are moving to PDR online through our CoreHR system. This is a welcome innovation which will further enhance and streamline the process, complementing the changes outlined above. We believe this will provide an integrated and intuitive approach, and above all, one that is easier and speedier to use.

I do hope you will find the 2016 PDR experience an immensely positive one, particularly in light of the developments that have now been implemented.

Let me finish by offering my personal thanks for your passion, dedication and contribution to the University this year.

Professor Anton Muscatelli
Principal and Vice-Chancellor

First published: 26 July 2016

<< July