The way we manage and support individual performance and development is an ongoing process of communication and feedback between a manager/appraiser and an employee/appraisee that occurs throughout the year.

This provides a means of engaging everyone in the achievement of the University strategy, giving clarity at a personal level on what is expected and how staff are contributing through individually defined objectives.

The University’s Appraisal and Development Conversation (ADC) approach ensures that staff have clarity over their goals and responsibilities and are given an opportunity to reflect on achievements and areas for development, enabling performance to be supported, recognised, and enhanced.

Appraisal and Development Conversations (ADC)

The ADC approach is based on a conversational framework, which aims to facilitate a safe and trusting space for open dialogue, encouraging regular conversations during the year, supported by a minimum of one annual ADC, taking place between May and the end of September.

The ADC ensures that individual staff:

are clear about their expectations and goals and how they will be achieved, both in terms of behaviours and outputs
are provided with feedback on an on-going basis relating to their contribution and performance, to aid ongoing recognition and to support engagement
have development opportunities identified that will benefit them, the team and the University as a whole
have the opportunity to discuss career development and are supported to meet their career aspirations
have the opportunity to discuss any other elements relating to work including any leadership and management aspects, health and safety, wellbeing, work life balance and workload

The following sections provide guidance and learning materials to support managers/appraisers and appraisees to have good quality ADCs.