Annual Systematic Assessment of Employees at the Expanded Rectorate

Article 1 Introductory Provisions

1. Introduction of the annual systematic assessment follows the priority declared in the Strategic Plan 2021-2025, namely “The best people form the best university”; the objective is to improve the working conditions not only for academics and researchers, but also for administrative and other employees of Charles University (the University).

2. The aim of regular systematic assessment of employees is to provide bidirectional feedback and to improve the quality of work of individuals and their motivation, which should result in increasing the quality of the functioning of the whole so called Expanded Rectorate. For the purposes of the Directive herein, the Expanded Rectorate includes the Rectorate and units of the University under Articles 2 to 4 of Appendix N. 1 of the Constitution of Charles University.¹

3. The systematic assessment is to support the work with objectives and to interlink individual aims with priorities and needs of the University as a whole and the Expanded Rectorate. The systematic assessment is to provide an overview of the performance and its quality regarding individual employees and to enable the measuring of results achieved at their work respectively. It is to create the environment for communication between superiors and subordinates and to facilitate regular bidirectional feedback. The systematic assessment is to allow for the development and training of employees, and to enhance their motivations and shared responsibility. It enables to identify the potential of employees with respect to their career development. The systematic assessment is to establish the linkage between work results and respective remuneration and to make the system of wages more transparent.

Article 2 Planned Schedule

The annual systematic assessment is to be held in the beginning of a calendar year (usually between January and March). The period under assessment is the previous calendar year. Inter-assessment can be held during the year should a superior or an employee so request. Inter-assessment can serve to set new objectives of work if its content has changed, or to assess the ongoing fulfilment of the aims set. Feedback between a superior and an employee should be held continuously during the whole year.

Article 3 Parties Involved

1. The systematic assessment of the members of technical and economic staff (TES) applies to those units of the Expanded Rectorate that are subordinated to the Bursar of Charles University regarding employment issues of their employees, namely the Rectorate, the Institute of History of Charles University and Archives of Charles University, the Centre for Theoretical Study, the Environment Centre, the Computer Science Centre, the Centre for Transfer of Knowledge and Technology, the Central Library of Charles University, the Agency of the Council of Higher Education Institutions, Karolinum Press, Dormitories and Refectories, Premises and Facilities Administration and the Krystal Centre.

2. The participation in the systematic assessment of the Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies, and the Centre for Economic Research and Graduate Education is to be decided by the directors of the respective units. They should notify of their respective decisions the Human Resources Department of the Rectorate no later than on 31st October. Should they fail to do so the procedure of their annual assessment cannot be incorporated in the online application.

3. Annual systematic assessment applies to all employees of the Expanded Rectorate other than academics, researchers and lecturers. Only employees under a contract of employment, and not those working under an agreement to perform a particular job or an agreement to perform particular activities, are subject to the assessment. Employees with a contract of employment for FTE lower than 20 hours a week need not be assessed; however, if they expressly request an assessment, their superior is to carry out one. The same rule applies to those employees whose employment at the University is to terminate during the following six months, particularly those employees with a fixed-term contract. Every employee is assessed regarding all their tasks performed within their employment load for the Expanded Rectorate. The superior is obliged, in advance, to get (from superiors of an employee who has more than one workload) relevant information that is necessary in order to accomplish the assessment. Employees engaged only in projects under a fixed-term contract of employment can be excluded from the assessment, but they must be informed of the fact in due time. However, if such employees show an interest in being assessed their superior should hold the assessment.

4. The formal direct superior of an employee acts always as the assessor. The head of a unit/department or the director of a unit can delegate the whole assessment procedure to subordinate heads of sections and lower units, and/or project principals. An employee must not be deprived of an opportunity to have an assessment interview with their formally direct superior (e.g. head of the whole department or director of the unit) should they show an interest.

Article 4 Assessment Procedure

1. Annual systematic assessment is implemented via an online application. First, an employee fills in a form composed of three parts: self-assessment, setting work objectives for the next assessment period, and the Plan of Personal Development. The form is automatically forwarded to their superior. The superior invites the employee for an assessment interview. The interview is intended for the superior to evaluate the employee as to their fulfilments of goals and competences. Next, the superior considers and agrees on the goals set by the employee for the next assessment period and the Plan of Personal Development. The form is then automatically forwarded back to the employee who is to confirm that they have read the assessment by the superior and agree with it. Should there be a conflict between the self-assessment by the employee and the assessment by the superior, the objections against the result or procedure of the assessment can be considered by the Bursar or the director of a unit.

2. Assessment of employees classified as manual workers, servicepersons and operations workers is also carried out via an online application. The assessment is implemented through a simplified form to be filled in solely by the superior officer.

Article 5 Assessment Interview

The usual and recommended form of an assessment interview is 1:1 (a subordinate and their immediate superior). Where more workloads of one individual are at issue or the work is commissioned by a person other than the immediate superior (e.g., in the case of participation of the employee in projects) the superior of the employee’s main workload holds the responsibility for the assessment, but all other superiors can take part in the interview or provide relevant documents in advance. The interview can be in the form 2:1 (immediate superior and section/project head on the one part and the employee on the other; however, even in such case the interview format 1:1 is recommended (the superior and the employee). Both formats of interview can be held during one session. The immediate superior is always responsible for the assessment and filling of the forms in the online module. The interview can be attended by a vice-rector or a member of the Rector´s Board or other persons from the management of the University or its unit whose agenda includes the work of the employee. Those persons can be asked in advance to have access to the assessment of the employee.

Article 6 Assessment Results

1. A four-point scale is used for the assessment.

2. The assessment of goals should be tied to a special financial bonus if the economic situation of the University and its respective unit allows for it. The assessment of competencies is not tied to a special financial bonus but it becomes part of the basis for constituting or modifying the employee´s regular personal bonus and the Plan of Personal Development.

3. Upon the completion of the assessment period, every head of a department and director of a unit is to prepare a summarizing report on the process of assessment in their departments and units respectively, including also suggestions by the employees. The report is intended to reach the Bursar, Rectrix and other members of the University Management. The Human Resources Department of the Rectorate is to compile a comprehensive report covering the whole Expanded Rectorate; the report along with the suggestions by employees and their possible solutions will be considered by the Rectrix´s Board.

4. All information obtained during the assessment procedure is confidential. Only the management of the University, Human Resources Department of the Rectorate and the human resources department of a respective unit will be authorized to access it within the process of personnel management of the organization. Further processing (such as archiving) must be subject to the rules of personal data protection.²

Article 7 Assessment of Employees in Managerial Positions

1. Assessment of employees in managerial positions is implemented by the Rector, Bursar or the Director of a unit, possibly in cooperation with a member of the University management whose agenda includes the work of the manager under assessment. Employees in managerial positions are assessed, in addition to their work goals and competencies, also for their fulfilment of objectives intended for managerial positions and for their managerial competencies.

2. Employees in managerial positions are usually assessed in the following areas:

   a) Transforming the goals of the University into the goals of the Expanded Rectorate, workplace and individuals;

   b) Transferring information between the University management and subordinate employees;

   c) Cooperation with other workplaces;

   d) Managerial leadership and development of the workplace, working teams and individuals, including regular feedback and assessment of subordinates as well as their professional and qualification development.

3. In addition, heads of departments and directors of units are assessed via 360° feedback (360). This form is held once every three years. Heads of sections/workplaces can opt for that type of assessment on a voluntary basis. If the assessment indicates substantial deficiencies in the work of the employee in a managerial position, the 360 system can be repeated the following year. The superior of an employee or a member of the University Management or a unit management whose agenda includes the responsibilities of the superior, is to decide to repeat the assessment. The list of employees to be assessed in the current year is set by the Bursar upon proposal of the Human Resources Department of the Rectorate in consideration of the related administrative load (to emerge particularly on the part of the superiors of employees to be assessed) or any other circumstances deserving special attention. The 360 system of assessment means that the feedback is to be obtained via an anonymous questionnaire returned by subordinates, superiors and colleagues at the same level. The results of 360 assessment along with methodology of how to work with the results are to be provided only to the employee under assessment, who should consult the results with their superior in the course of their assessment interview within the annual systematic assessment. The University Management can request that the Human Resources Department provide the results of 360 system.

Article 8 Assessment of New Employees

The first assessment of new employees is to be held before the expiry of their trial period. Where a new employee commences their employment in the second half of a calendar year the regular annual assessment can be omitted in the following year. However, it must be ensured in such a case that the assessment before the expiry of the trial period include the setting of working goals for the following period under assessment as well as the Plan of Personal Development in the online module. Assessment during the trial period can be done in paper form. Archiving documents by human resources departments of respective units must be implemented subject to the rules of personal data protection.

Article 9 Supporting Materials

1. Methodological support for the process of assessment will include regular training workshops. In addition, the Manual for Assessors and the Manual for Employees Assessed have been drafted. Both manuals are retrievable from the sharepoint folder Assessment of Employees. The folder also contains for example instructional videos for using the online module, a brief description of the assessment procedure, FAQ section, etc.

2. Employees can send their questions by e-mail to:

Article 10 Transitional Provision

In 2021, the period under Article 3 (2) is extended until 30 November 2021.

Article 11

This Directive becomes effective on 15 November 2021.

The Consolidated Version becomes effective on 1 February 2023.