Research is abundant when considering how performance evaluations impact organizations on multiple levels in the private and public sector. However, human service organizations which benefit individuals with developmental disabilities have not been analyzed. Therefore, as a result of these constraints, human service organizations and their staff are unaware of the ability and benefits of implementing said performance evaluation systems. Performance Management (PM) is a practice focused on precisely the issue of evaluation systems and their impacts on organizations. Simply taking these practices and implementing them in non-profit human service organizations will result in numerous positive multilevel outcomes. Therefore, a case study into the integration of PM practices will provide evidence for the use of performance evaluation systems within an organization benefitting those with developmental disabilities.
40 staff members were divided into 4 groups to test the introduction of a performance evaluation system within the organization. This intervention program was divided into two phases, one comprising training for the new system, the subsequent other focused on review and reinforcement (R&R) meetings. The principal concentration for the integration of this system was to advocate the increase of goals set forth and achieved by staff members between developmental R&R meetings. As the staff became more familiarized with the process and its practices, a gradual and consistent increase in such quantitative goals and accomplishment should be actualized. The results were then presented by each staff member and analyzed over the following 50 sessions.
As these integrations progressed, staff members measurably increased the amount and complexity of their goals presented and achieved. Although the exact impact of this program is not entirely measurable as the sole cause for this increase, the results still lend to their merit in producing quantitative and qualitative increases in productivity and performance. Headed by administration within the organization, these changes were observably consistent and effective in improving the care given to clients. Furthermore, an apparent increase in the motivation and clinical knowledge was observed for staff. However, this program has limitations in its costs and time constraints, so further research into the use of these programs is needed to make it more generalizable across multiple organizations.
The proper integration and consistent application of PM practices can be an integral intervention program for any organization. When considering non-profit human service organizations aiding those with developmental disabilities, the need for efficiency and productivity is important for the lives of their clients. Therefore, the evidence presented in this particular case study definitively lends itself to the successful implementation of such programs in any organization. When staff are consistently evaluated and put in a position of increased autonomy and expectation, they will flourish. Although these practices may be costly and time consuming, especially for a non-profit organization with very strict budgeting, the potential results are ultimately advantageous. Such an investment in the human capital of these organizations will produce an increase in the productivity of staff and care for clients.
- Pollack, M. J., Fleming, R. K., & Suizer-Azaroff, B. (1994). ENHANCING PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE THROUGH ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE. Behavioral Interventions, 9(1), 27-42.
