Can My Manager Add New Targets After My Civil Service Performance Improvement Plan Has Started?
Changing Targets During a Civil Service Performance Improvement Plan
Hello,
I have been placed on a performance improvement plan with a set of targets and a review date. I understood that these were the areas I needed to improve and I have been keeping evidence against each one.
My manager has now raised a different concern that was not included when the plan started. They want to add a new target and have suggested that further targets could be introduced if other issues appear.
I am worried that the process can keep changing until I eventually fail. Some of the original targets have also become harder since the plan began, although the review date has not moved and no additional support has been offered.
Can a manager add or increase targets during a performance improvement plan? If they can, what should I ask them to put in writing so that I am not assessed retrospectively against requirements that were never clear?
Quick Answer
A performance plan can be updated where a genuine new concern arises, but the change should be clearly defined, evidenced and communicated before it is used to assess you. New or harder targets should not be applied retrospectively, and the effect on support, timescales and the final review should be explained.
Read our Civil Service Performance Management Help guide to understand how objectives, evidence, support and review decisions should fit together.
Need help with your own situation? Visit Get Tailored Advice or browse more questions in Advice.
What I Would Do If the Targets Kept Changing During a Performance Plan
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Continue reading to see how I would separate genuine new concerns from moving goalposts, create a written change record and protect the fairness of the final review.
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