Document 2

INDIVIDUAL’S PREPARATION FOR REVIEW MEETINGS – GUIDANCE NOTES FOR COMPLETION OF FORM B

SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
1 REVIEW OF OBJECTIIVES/ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE LAST MEETING
(a) Achievements Think back over the last year. Choose a number of achievements (say 3 or 4) of which you are proud. Think about goals you have met, new tasks, new ideas or other changes which included you or which you made happen.	For each achievement consider: What was the achievement? How did you achieve it? What skills did you use?
(b) Incidents Choose a similar number of incidents where you were not successful in achieving your goal.	For each incident consider: What did you set out to achieve? Why were you unsuccessful? Were there any issues outside of your control which stopped you doing a good job? What skills did you lack? Review the achievements and list the skills appearing more than once. Review the incidents and identify the skills you could have applied to help you succeed. Discuss the lists and identify learning opportunities.
(c) Main purpose of your job What do you see as the main purpose/ responsibilities /tasks of your job? What does your job description and personnel specification say? Do you know what your goals and targets are?	How do you feel your skills match these? Are there areas where carrying out these tasks would be made easier or better for you if you had more knowledge or skills relating to them? What could you do to acquire that knowledge or those skills?
(d) Areas which have gone well In the last year which areas of your work do you feel have gone well? Do you feel you have achieved your goals since your last review?	Be specific and think about why they went well. What skills or knowledge did you use? Could these usefully be maintained, strengthened and developed?
(e) Areas which were difficult In the last year which areas of your work have proved demanding, difficult, disappointing or frustrating?	Why is this? Think of specific instances and try to identify what the obstacles or problems are. How could things go better in the future? Is there anything you could do to change things?
(f) Who is directly affected by you (and vice versa) Who at work is directly affected by the way you perform (and vice versa)?	Is everybody aware of the link? Could performance be improved by learning about or performing aspects of others jobs?
(g) Skills/knowledge not utilised What skills or knowledge do you think you have that are not being fully utilised?	Identify them What could be done to bring the benefit of those skills to the team/unit? How could you ensure you maintain /improve/ share those skills?
(h) Job changes/developments How has your job changed or developed in the last year? How will it change or develop in the next year?	Consider your team plan. What new aspects of the team’s work will you be involved in? What knowledge or skills might you need?
(i) Targets What targets have been identified in the units business plan for the forthcoming year?	How could you become involved? Do you have skills which could contribute to achieving any of those targets? Do they offer an opportunity for you to develop existing or new skills?
(j) Council’s Policies How do the Councils policies affect you?	Do you know about the Council's Equal rights Policy and how it affects your job and the services you give? Do you have any ideas about the way in which workplace stress can be reduced? Are you worried about your safety?

2 REVIEW OF YOUR PERSONAL AND TRAINING PLAN

(a) Agreed training provided Have you had all the training, development and support agreed with your manager at the last review?	If not, what has not happened?
(b) Extra training Have you had any extra training, development or support which was not planned at your last review?	If yes, what was this?
(c) Training helped Has the training, development and support you have had helped with your work and/or personal development?	If yes, in what ways?

3 KEY OBJECTIVES FOR THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS

(a) Identify your key objectives for the next twelve months What do you see as your main tasks, goals and targets for the next twelve months?	For each one, suggest The way in which you think the tasks should be carried out and How you will know when you have successfully completed them Targets should be · Specific · Measurable - easily monitored/reviewed · Agreed - jointly with manager · Realistic - challenging but attainable · Time Bound - define the results to be achieved within a given timescale
(b)Extra equipment Do you need any extra materials or equipment to carry out the tasks identified?	If yes, what do you need and why?

4 PERSONAL TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS

(a) Extra training Do I need any extra training, advice or support to help me carry out the tasks/targets set out in 3 above?	Say what you need and why you need it.
(b) How can I continuously improve? Is there any training, development or support which will help me to	· Do my job better · Improve my job satisfaction · Enhance my career prospects · Prepare me for planned changes

5 ADDITIONAL REMARKS, NOTES, QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS

(a) Workplace stress Do you have any concerns about workplace stress?	If you have any ideas about the ways in which workplace stress could be reduced for you or your colleagues please tell your line manager.
(b) Health and safety at Work Do you have any concerns about safety?	If you are worried about any aspect of your safety or that of your colleagues in the areas that you work please tell your line manager.
(c) Skills/knowledge not used Have you any skills or knowledge not utilised fully in your job?	If you have any skills or knowledge which are not utilised fully in your job tell your line manager what they are and how they could best be used.
(d) Other issues which you would like to raise Are there any issues you would like to raise which have not been covered under any of the other sections?	If you have any other problems, questions, suggestions or comments that you would like to discuss you can include them in this section so that they are not forgotten.

PREPARATION FOR REVIEW MEETING

GUIDANCE NOTE FOR SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE

To help you decide your training and development needs it may be useful to ask yourself the simple question

“What might help me to do my job better, improve my job satisfaction and enhance my career prospects?”

To aid this thought process, competencies/knowledge that will benefit most people are shown below. However, this list is not exhaustive and should not stop people discussing other appropriate skills or knowledge.

Include information on the type of development need eg

· Skill desirable for acceptable performance in current job

· Skill desirable for optimal performance in current job

· Knowledge of new initiatives needed to disseminate information to others

· Training desirable as part of personal development

· Career progression

Individuals should also possess the relevant core technical skills needed to discharge the duties and responsibilities shown in their job description.

Personal Skills

· Assertiveness

· Managing stress

· Problem solving

· Interpersonal skills

· Effective communicator (writing/verbal)

· Leadership

· Result oriented

Management Skills

· Managing diversity and equality

· Managing change

· Managing projects

· Managing quality

· Managing and influencing people

· Presentations

· Managing self

· Political awareness

· Information gathering and handling

Corporate Knowledge

· Officer/member structure and roles

· Understanding of and commitment to Council policies and Financial Services Service Plan

· Financial Services Training and Development Plan

· Relevant Legislation

· Awareness of Bradford Council’s links with the wider world

· Health and Safety

ICT Skills

· See Financial Service’s ICT skills matrix

Core Technical Skills (taken from the individual’s job description)

WAYS TO MEET DEVELOPMENT NEEDS

The best way of learning a job is to do it. This creates the opportunity to understand, observe, discuss, review and practice and to get feedback. The emphasis of our PADS is identify opportunities in the workplace which allow each of us to do things differently so that we can learn from the experience and practice new skills.

Here are a few examples of how opportunities can be created:

· Become a member of a working group (within, Financial Services, within the Finance Department or cross-department)

· Become involved in a project which takes you into new areas of experience

· Give a presentation

· Take responsibility for a new starter

· Become involved in work for your professional body

· Organise something

· Help someone with their training needs

· Look for job enrichment and possible role swap

Ø Work with someone whose job impinges on yours

Ø Provide cover for colleagues

Ø Swap tasks or roles

· Take “time out” to research issues or to practice skills

· Work with specialists within Financial Services