Performance Development Review (PDR)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Background Information »
• Roles »
• The PDR process »
• Evidence Gathering »
• Objectives »
• Behavioural Competencies »
• Personal Learning & Development »
• The Future .. »

Behavioural Competencies

• Q. What are Competencies?
  The Behavioural Competencies or ‘Behaviours’ are simply a description of the skills, attitudes and/or knowledge deemed necessary to carry out a particular role effectively.
• Q. Where do they come from?
  Competencies are not new; they have been in use since at least the 1950’s and most big organisations in the public and private sector incorporate them in one form or another in their appraisal processes.
• Q. How were the behavioural competencies selected?
  Following considerable research, they have been selected as the key components influencing individual performance in the Scottish Police Service.  They also reflect contemporary thinking in this field, although they remain comparable with the behaviours assessed in the current system.
• Q. Why are technical competencies not included??
  Technical competencies can be quite complex and time-consuming to administer (as experienced by use of the Integrated Competency Framework (ICF) in England and Wales).  The intention is to keep the process as simple and non-bureaucratic as possible, and technical ability can be commented on or evidenced generally within the ‘Job Knowledge’ section of the PDR.
• Q. Do competencies relate to the individual or the post?
  Competencies have been developed at three different levels: Essential (for non-supervisory staff), Supervisory and Managerial.  Every post is assigned to a particular level. The individual is then assessed against the indicators for that level e.g. an administrator would generally be assessed against the indicators for Essential level, a Sergeant would be assessed against Supervisory indicators and a Chief Inspector would be assessed against the Managerial indicators. 
• Q. Is there a danger that Reviewers will use minimum effort and assess everyone as ‘competent’?
  No. This situation is very unlikely to arise because the PDR is designed to provide more accurate performance reviews, and can be influenced by a number of people in addition to the Reviewer. In particular, by making effective use of the Evidence Gathering facility, a Reviewee can significantly affect the grades they are awarded and others can make important contributions too. The Senior Manager involved will also carry out a quality check on reports to ensure that the competent rating is not over used; this means that Reviewers will themselves be assessed on how effectively they make use of the PDR process. In short, the PDR has been designed to reduce bureaucracy, but not at the expense of accuracy.