Chapter 43 of title 5, United States Code, provides for performance management for the Senior Executive Service (SES), the establishment of SES performance appraisal systems, and appraisal of senior executive performance. Agencies establish performance management systems that hold senior executives accountable for their individual and organizational performance in order to improve the overall performance of Government by:

1. Encouraging excellence in senior executive performance;
2. Aligning executive performance plans with results-oriented goals required by the Government Performance and Results Act Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA) or other strategic planning initiatives;
3. Setting and communicating individual organizational goals and expectations that clearly fall within the executive’s area of responsibility and control;
4. Reporting on the success of meeting organizational goals (including any factors that may have impacted success);
5. Systematically appraising senior executive performance using measures that balance organizational results with customer and employee perspectives, and other perspectives as appropriate; and
6. Using performance results as a basis for pay, awards, development, retention, removal and other personnel decisions.

Agencies develop performance management systems subject to OPM regulations and approval.

The supervisor establishes performance elements and requirements in consultation with the executive and consistent with the goals and performance expectations in the agency's strategic planning initiatives. The supervisor proposes the initial summary rating, based on both individual and organizational performance, and taking into account customer satisfaction and employee perspective.

The executive's initial summary rating is reviewed by a Performance Review Board (PRB). The agency head (or his/her designee) determines the executive's annual summary rating.

Performance Planning/Assessing

Agencies develop performance management systems subject to OPM regulations and approval. Agency systems must contain 5 summary performance levels as follows:

• Outstanding
• Exceeds Fully
• Fully Successful
• Minimally Satisfactory
• Unsatisfactory

The supervisor establishes performance elements and requirements in consultation with the executive and consistent with the goals and performance expectations in the agency's strategic planning initiatives. The supervisor proposes the initial summary rating, based on both individual and organizational performance, and taking into account customer satisfaction and employee perspective.

The executive's initial summary rating is reviewed by a Performance Review Board (PRB). The agency head (or his/her designee) determines the executive's annual summary rating.

OPM - in coordination with OMB - has issued a Governmentwide SES performance appraisal system, designed through the collaboration of an interagency workgroup. The SES appraisal system meets the SES performance management needs of agencies and their SES members - providing a consistent and uniform framework for agencies to communicate expectations and evaluate the performance of SES members, particularly centering on the role and responsibility of SES members to provide executive leadership. Specifically, the SES appraisal system promotes greater consistency, clarity, transferability, and equity in performance standards, the derivation of ratings, and the link to compensation. The SES appraisal system also provides the necessary flexibility and capability for appropriate agency customization.