Performance targets should tell you what standard is expected and how progress will be judged. Vague, shifting or dependency-heavy targets can make a performance process difficult to complete fairly.
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Return to the Civil Service Performance Management Help hub to find guidance for every stage of the process.
What makes a good performance target?
A useful target identifies the required result, the measure, the timeframe and the evidence that will be used. It should reflect the role, sit reasonably within your control and take account of agreed support or adjustments.
- The output or behaviour is specific.
- The quality and volume standard are defined.
- The measurement data and review period are known.
- Dependencies and exclusions are recorded.
- The target is consistent with the role and comparable work.
- Training, access and support are available in time.
- Any relevant adjustment is built into the target or measurement method.
- The consequences of meeting or missing the target are explained.
Common problems with targets
Common problems include phrases such as improve communication or demonstrate more ownership without concrete examples. A target can also be unfair where it depends on another team, includes work added after the review starts, uses data you cannot verify or changes the required standard during the measurement period.
| Problem | Example | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Vague wording | “Show better ownership.” | There is no agreed behaviour or evidence for the review. |
| Moving standard | The expected case volume rises halfway through the plan. | Progress is judged against a standard that did not exist at the start. |
| External dependency | Completion depends on approval from another team. | You can be blamed for time outside your control. |
| Mixed measures | Volume is stated, then quality concerns decide the outcome. | The plan does not define how competing measures are balanced. |
| Selective data | Only the worst week or case type is used. | The result may not represent the full review period. |
| Missing support | The target assumes training or system access that was not delivered. | The opportunity to improve may be incomplete. |
Members can unlock the target challenge method, including a fairness audit, dependency and workload evidence, ways to stop expectations moving during the review period, model wording for unclear or unrealistic targets and a review response structure that forces management to explain its measurement.
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