Education

Employee Performance and Development Programs
This section describes the department-wide approach to managing performance and the provision of professional learning.
Performance management
The State Service Amendment (Performance) Act 2011, and
Employment Direction No 26: Managing Performance
in the State Service, require all agencies to implement a
performance management system to facilitate the effective
performance of employees.
Throughout 2012, significant work was undertaken to
develop a new performance management framework
to replace the previously diverse range of performance
management systems which had been in operation across
the department since 2010. The new framework has
been designed to ensure a consistency of approach to
performance management throughout the department,
and to ensure a structured and formal approach to
performance management which fulfils all requirements
of the Act and the Employment Direction.
The new framework was established following an
extensive consultation process. Reference groups
incorporating school principals, K–12 teachers, school
executive officers, Polytechnic staff and all non-school
workplaces were conducted around the state.
The Australian Education Union, Community and
Public Sector Union, United Voice and Tasmanian Principals
Association were also consulted throughout
the development of the new arrangements.
In September 2012, the department introduced the
Performance and Development Framework, with formal
implementation commencing in January 2013 following
extensive communication to employees and the provision
of formal training to managers.
The Performance and Development Framework applies to all
permanent employees (teaching and non-teaching) and
all fixed-term non-teaching employees employed for a
period greater than six months. Separate performance
management arrangements apply to fixed-term teaching
staff and probationary employees.
The Performance and Development Framework includes a
formal Policy, Performance and Development Procedure
and Managing Underperformance Procedure. The key
features of the framework include:
• establishment of strong linkages and alignment
between departmental strategic drivers and values,
school and workplace improvement priorities and
individual employee goals
• the requirement for every employee to participate
in formal performance management discussions with
their manager to establish performance improvement
goals, outcomes and measures of success, and
professional development goals
• documentation of the agreed outcomes of these
discussions in the form of a Performance and
Development Plan (PDP)
• formal assessment of performance annually against a
three-tier assessment model
• early intervention and structured management of
underperformance
• alignment with the Australian Professional Standards
for Teachers as the benchmark standard for teacher
performance
• introduction of Capability and Values Profiles and
professional standards as the basis for establishing
improvement goals and assessing performance.
The department's Learners First Strategy provides
the strong foundation for the new Performance and
Development Framework. The key strategic drivers of ‘an
innovative workforce’ and ‘inspired leadership’ provide the
links to the new performance management arrangements,
where the focus is on supporting a culture of effective
performance and continuous improvement.
The new performance management arrangements are
also strongly linked to the department’s values of learning,
excellence, equity, respect and relationships. The values
are an integral part of the performance conversations
and goal setting, and the values are directly reflected in
the Capability and Values Framework and the professional
standards that have been developed to support the new
performance management arrangements.
The performance management arrangements also create a
strong alignment with the State Service Code of Conduct
and State Service Principles. Employee responsibilities in
accordance with these requirements and principles are
an inherent part of the framework, and the Capability and
Values Framework ensuring all employees are aware of, and
assessed against, these responsibilities.
The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers form
the foundation for the establishment of performance
improvement goals and assessment for teaching staff.
The focus of performance management for teachers is on
improving the overall quality of the teaching in Tasmanian
schools and these professional standards describe the core
aspects of quality teaching. The department’s Professional
Learning Institute has a key ongoing role in delivering
on identified professional learning needs to enhance
quality teaching.
For non-teaching staff, a Capability and Values Framework has
been developed. This framework describes the standard
of work and behaviour required at each classification level
and for each type of work, and includes separate profiles
for each Tasmanian State Service award classification band
and for education facility attendants. This framework has
been further expanded to include a range of professional
standards and capability profiles for school psychologists,
speech and language pathologists and social workers, which
describe the standards of professional practice required of
employees in these professional roles.
The introduction of the framework has been supported by
formal structured training for all managers, online training
for employees and significant ongoing implementation
support.
Formal workshops have been delivered for all managers
responsible for leading performance conversations
and developing PDP’s with employees. The workshops
were designed to ensure all managers became familiar
with the new arrangements and to provide them with
the knowledge and skills to effectively undertake their
performance management responsibilities. These
workshops were designed and delivered in conjunction
Required Reporting » Employee Performance and Development Programs
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