The new Appraisal and Development Conversations (ADC) process will supersede PDPR from 1 August 2019. Full guidance and templates for staff are now published on the HR website.

The ADC has been developed in partnership with staff, following contributions from more than 450 colleagues across the University via focus groups and with Trade Union colleagues.

The ADC should better support a year-round conversation to support performance, wellbeing and objectives. Details of an entirely separate process to reward staff, the Nottingham Reward scheme, have also been confirmed.

The Appraisal and Development Conversation will:

• align to the University year, with a framework that encourages regular discussion across the year, concluding with an annual review.
• better clarify the link between University goals and individual objectives, as well as provide a focus for discussions around staff development, wellbeing, workload, and work-life balance.
• not have a rating outcome, unlike the previous PDPR, and therefore no direct link to performance-related reward.
• run from August-July with the annual ADC conversation taking place from April to the end of July.

Objectives set for the 2019/20 academic year should be transferred to the new ADC forms once introduced in August, with the annual Appraisal and Development Conversations to take place between May and July 2020.

PDPR 2018/19 outcomes and any associated performance related reward (Rating 1 and Rating 1PBs) identified in the most recent cycle will be paid as normal in August 2019.

Training and Support

A series of one-hour briefings have been organised on a number of campuses in July and September, with further dates in October to follow. Staff can book onto these sessions on the Central Short Courses website.

These briefing sessions will cover how the ADC has been created; key elements and structure; and what you can expect from the new process; alongside opportunities to ask questions and find out more.

Additional training sessions to help prepare for their ADC and courses to support line managers will be available shortly.