Guidance notes for departments - Oxford Learning Institute ...

Oxford Learning Institute
University of Oxford
When will PDR discussions be held
4. The expectation is that PDR discussions are held annually. Departments are free to
decide at which point in the year to schedule discussions:
Some departments conduct PDRs at the same time each year, often during
Trinity Term/the Long Vacation (this means the outcome of the discussions can
be used, with the consent of the individual, as one piece of evidence to inform
merit review: see paragraph 10, below). Other departments hold PDRs
immediately after the merit round, during Michaelmas Term. Holding all
discussions at the same time simplifies the administration and monitoring of PDR
and makes it easier to integrate the process with departmental planning and act
on any outcomes of PDR at departmental level.
Other departments hold PDRs on the anniversary of an individual‟s appointment
to a post, so that discussions are scheduled throughout the year. This spreads
the load for reviewers and reinforces the focus on the individual, but makes it
harder to link PDR with other departmental processes, and more difficult to
collate and act on training and development or other needs at the level of the
department. It also makes the administration and monitoring of the scheme more
complex.
How will the scheme be integrated with departmental planning processes
5. PDR is intended to integrate planning to meet departmental and University objectives
with review of individuals‟ performance and consideration of the support needed to
achieve future objectives. It integrates a review of objectives set the previous year and
the setting of new objectives for the coming year with an opportunity to discuss
individuals‟ development in and beyond the role.
6. Whenever PDR discussions are held within your own department, it is helpful for the
departmental objectives for the next year to be agreed and circulated in advance of
PDRs, so that individuals can take account of higher-level objectives in proposing their
own goals for the coming year; and the department objectives can in turn inform the PDR
discussion.
How will PDR be integrated with existing staff management processes
7. The expectation is that individuals will be reviewed by their line manager or supervisor as
part of a continuing dialogue throughout the year. Before PDR is introduced,
departments will need to consider the following questions:
Does each individual in the Department know who their manager/supervisor is for
the purposes of PDR, and for continuing support throughout the year
Are all managers and supervisors clear about their responsibilities for managing
staff, and the role of PDR in relation to those responsibilities (The PDR
handbook for reviewers of academic-related and support staff provides further
guidance).
Does each individual have an up-to-date job description In the first year of
operation of a scheme, reviewees may not have detailed objectives covering
each area of their work, and they may not have had the opportunity for some time
to review their job description: the current job description provides a useful
starting point for the discussion.
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