[sims] Performance Management Module

[AJWhite1970]

Hi

 

One of our LT is looking at purchasing the above module for SIMS to store our observation and appraisal records centrally.

 

Anyone else using it out there who could give me a quick pro/con summary.

 

Thanks

Andrew

[tombry]

I set this up for us last summer - it's fairly straightfoward, and our SLT/Middle Leaders all love it.

 

Pros - filling in an observation is essentially a series of ticks - all attendance information/SEN/PP is included at the top, taken directly from the register. Staff are able to review/accept the observation, and have the facility to attach evidence against their targets, as well as manage their own CPD entries (in that they can attach certificates and the like for courses they take). It's uniform, in that everyone has the same options to them, so you don't get a slew of different observation form types.

 

Cons - Unless your headteacher is a very hands-on admin type, you will have to designate someone other than them as the top of the chain, or attach someone as an appraiser to every employee in your school - for me, that was the head's PA (who is also our personnel manager). If you make a typo on any of the setups, and someone uses that option, you can't fix it later, but otherwise I haven't had many negative comments about it.

 

Some tips:

 

1. Sit with SLT and get them to identify both school wide goals (should come from your SDP), as well as teacher goals

2. Make sure you have your org structure all in line before you sit down to set it up, as while it is easy, it is time consuming, and you don't really want to do it twice

3. Make sure SLT/Staff are aware that staff have access to attach evidence, and are in charge of making sure that it is done (you certainly don't want to do it!)

4. Make sure you assign the proper rights in user management prior to setting everyone up!

 

Should take you about half a day to fully set up, if you have everything in order.

[Linfit]

We have used this for a year.

Its all about the set up. Get that right, goals, evidence, targets and such, and once its set up staff generally like using it.

Tombry makes a good point about the appraisal chain - it assumes a very hierarchical top-down structure with the Head at the top; the appraisal structure you want may not match your line-management structure so it needs some thought. The user permissions need some careful thought as well, because it is these that define who can see what, who can edit/add things to individual staff appraisals.

 

We had a good paper based system which we were able to transfer without too many issues, so the main time spent was in the initial set up. I think I spent about two days total in set up tasks (but we were starting from scratch working through the manual and training materials) and maybe another half day working with the one of the Deputies beforehand to get the structure we wanted.

[DSapseid]

We had this installed in September and i don't believe we use it at all.

 

In principal its a great idea but trying to set up our structure was a nightmare and it just doesnt work properly. We have lots (about 1/3) of staff who teach in multiple departments and effectively have observations etc from both departments and it didnt like a member of staff being under 2 departments. We also have 3 members of SLT who line manage HOD's who also teach in a department, the HOD's would need to see the records for that member of slt but not everyone below them again.

 

We still just keep paper copies of everything so was wasted money in my book.