2010 APPRAISAL AND PROMOTION EXERCISE
Reference period: 1 January to 31 December
2009
This administrative notice explains the different aspects of the
appraisal and promotion system and sets out the context for the 2010
exercise. You will find relevant information on promotion thresholds for
2010, the calendar and deadlines for the different actors, appraisal tools,
basic principles, as well as the conditions for participating in the
exercise.
The appraisal exercise aims at assessing the yearly individual performances,
through a substantial dialogue with the jobholder, setting objectives and
effective work planning. This exercise is complementary to the ongoing
feedback given during the year and has to contribute to the optimisation of
the performances and to the future development of the jobholders' careers.
The award of promotion points is directly related to the appraisal of the
performance that has been demonstrated during the reference period.
The 2010 exercise has been launched on the basis of the general provisions
for implementing
Article 43 and
Article 45 of the Staff Regulations (DGE), adopted on 18 June 2008.
Nevertheless, DG HR drew on experience from the 2009 appraisal and promotion
exercise and took due note of the comments submitted by the various
stakeholders.
DG HR is thus currently considering to modify these provisions still in 2010
with regards to certain procedural aspects in order to facilitate and
shorten the exercise. These provisions will be implemented in accordance
with the principles of legal certainty, legitimate expectations and the
principle that an amended Commission decision may not have any retroactive
effect for the future. Staff shall shortly be duly informed about the
changes envisaged and the evolution of the proposal. The revised provisions
shall be adopted and enter into force in the course of the exercise. For the
time being, it is likely that the appeal phase will be governed by these
revised procedural rules.
More substantial modifications of the DGE are likely to be introduced for
the future exercises, in close cooperation with the social partners and
stakeholders.
- GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF APPRAISAL
The performance of Commission staff is evaluated every year. This evaluation
is the subject of an individual report – the appraisal report – which is produced
using the Sysper2 computer application.
1.1 Who has to be appraised?
All officials and temporary staff (jobholders) who were in active employment
(1)
or on secondment in the interests of the service for a continuous period of
at least one month in 2009 have to be appraised. Contract staff are appraised
under separate rules.
Exceptions:
- A report does not have to be drafted for jobholders who left the Community
institutions in 2009 or who are going to leave in 2010, unless they request
one from their reporting officer in writing.
- This annual exercise does not affect those holding posts of Director-General
or equivalent, or Director or equivalent; they will be assessed according
to special rules.
1.2 Tools for the appraisal
1.2.1 Objectives and assessment criteria
The reporting officers must make sure that objectives are set for each
official and member of the temporary staff, because these serve as the basis
for assessing their efficiency. The objectives must be consistent with the
work programme of the DG and the unit and the jobholder's job description.
They must be accompanied by criteria for assessing the results and an explanation
of when they will be considered to have been met.
1.2.2 Common appraisal standards
The common appraisal standards which must be applied in all Commission
departments were published in Administrative Notice No
IA No 22-2008 and have
been used from the 2009 appraisal exercise onwards.
The standards will be used to assess efficiency, abilities and conduct in
the service. Their aim is to harmonise staff appraisals within a DG, to facilitate
the dialogue between the reporting officer and the jobholder and to ensure
that appraisals are comparable across all DGs. With the agreement of DG HR,
DGs may, if necessary, supplement the standards at the beginning of the reference
period in order to cover specific aspects related to their work. In that case
they must be published for the staff of that DG at the beginning of the reference
period.
1.3 What period does the appraisal exercise cover?
The reference period runs from 1 January to 31 December 2009.
If the jobholder or reporting officer moves during the reference period, the
reporting officer will write a contribution to the appraisal in Sysper2, which
will be taken into account by the reporting officer responsible for the annual
report.
1.4 The appraisal report and the five performance levels
The appraisal report (2) brings together the information relating to the jobholder's
individual performance during the reference period.
There is a section for the jobholder to insert a self-assessment.
The report itself is divided into three sections, in which the reporting officer
comments on:
- Efficiency: assessed in the light of the individual objectives and assessment
criteria set for each jobholder at the beginning of the reference period.
To what extent has the jobholder attained the objectives, taking into account
the work situation? The common appraisal standards for organising, planning
and performing work and ensuring quality must also be used.
- Abilities: assessed on the basis of the common appraisal standards relating
to communication, negotiation skills, analysing problems and applying solutions
and awareness of the working environment. In the case of jobholders in management
positions, their skills in leadership, people management and financial resources
management must also be appraised.
- Conduct in the service describes the jobholder's behaviour in the working
environment. The common appraisal standards cover aspects such as the ability
to work in a team, service culture, commitment to the job, personal development
and leadership.
The comments are summarised by one of the five performance levels below:
IA |
®The jobholder's performance constantly exceeded expectations*. |
IB |
®The jobholder's performance frequently exceeded expectations*. |
II |
®The jobholder's performance fully met expectations*. |
III |
®The jobholder's performance partly met expectations*. |
IV |
®The jobholder's performance failed to meet expectations*. |
* in terms of efficiency, abilities and conduct in the service.
Maximum percentages apply to each DG for performance level IA (8% of officials
in each grade) and IB (22% of officials in each grade). The result of applying
these percentages is systematically rounded up to the nearest whole number,
so a second check is carried out at the level of each function group to ensure
that the percentages are adhered to.
1.5 Assessing the demonstration of potential for the purpose of the certification
procedure
When completing their self-assessment, AST function-group officials with
no career restriction who wish to apply for the certification procedure must
ask their reporting officer to fill in the section marked "Potential".
The "potential" section of the appraisal report only has to be filled in if
the jobholder explicitly requests it in his self-assessment.
Using a drop-down menu, the reporting officer indicates what administrator
level tasks the jobholder took on in the course of 2009 (see guidelines on
the website "certification, exercise 2009"). Where appropriate, the reporting
officer will indicate any occasions on which the jobholder has shown the potential
to become a good administrator through his efficiency, ability or conduct
in the service.
It will be up to the countersigning officer to decide, on the basis of the
reporting officer’s comments, whether or not the jobholder has shown the potential
to become a good administrator.
1.6 What are the implementing rules?
The general provisions for implementing Article 43 of the Staff Regulations,
adopted by the Commission on 18 June 2008, will apply to the annual appraisal
reports covering the year 2009 for officials and temporary staff paid from
both the administrative budget and the research budget of the Commission.
For personnel assigned to the external service of the Commission, the decision
of the Commission of 19 December 2008 regarding appraisal and promotion modalities
applies.
- GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF PROMOTION
A promotion exercise is organised each year. It entails awarding promotion
points and drawing up a list of the officials promoted.
2.1 Who takes part in the promotion exercise?
The promotion exercise applies to all officials paid from appropriations in
the general budget, with the exception of grades AST11, AST7/C and AST5/D,
and officials in grades higher than AD13.
There is no promotion exercise for temporary staff or for contract staff (special
rules apply to the reclassification exercise for contract staff).
2.2 Promotion points and criteria for awarding them
Officials may be awarded:
- 10, 11 or 12 promotion points if their performance corresponds to performance
level IA;
- 7, 8 or 9 promotion points if their performance corresponds to performance
level IB;
- 4, 5 or 6 promotion points if their performance corresponds to performance
level II;
- 1, 2 or 3 promotion points if their performance corresponds to performance
level III;
- no promotion points if their performance corresponds to performance
level IV.
The following are eligible for promotion points:
- officials who, in the year before the promotion exercise, were in active
employment (this includes sick leave, maternity, parental or family leave,
leave for military service) or seconded in the interests of the service;
- probationary officials whose probation period ended no later than 31
December 2009.
At the beginning of each year the Director-General, having consulted the
Directors and Heads of Unit, draws up the list of criteria for awarding promotion
points. These criteria take account of four elements:
- the qualitative appraisal covering the year preceding the promotion
exercise;
- the official's use, in the course of his work, of languages other than
the one for which he produced evidence of a thorough knowledge at the time
of his recruitment;
- the level of responsibilities during the reference period;
- the tasks performed in the interests of the institution, in so far as
these are not part of the official's normal activities; these tasks no longer
give rise to the allocation of PPII, but they are among the criteria to
be taken into consideration for awarding promotion points.
These tasks are:
- chair/member of a competition selection board or joint committee for
the selection of temporary staff,
- advisor to a selection board,
- marker of competition papers,
- chair/member of a joint committee.
Each DG will inform its staff of the detailed criteria for awarding promotion
points.
Information about the use of languages and level of responsibilities will
be included in the appraisal report for each official. In the case of tasks
performed in the interests of the institution, the information will be collected
centrally by DG HR from EPSO, from the chair of the joint committees and from
the DGs. The list of officials who have carried out the tasks referred to
above will be published in an administrative notice.
2.3 Promotion thresholds
2.3.1 All grades, except end-of-career grades (AD12, AST10, AST6/C
and AST4/D)
The general provisions for implementing Article 45 of the Staff Regulations
provide for a convergence plan for the period 2008-2011. This specifies the
pace at which the transition will be made from the "historic" promotion speeds
in the period 2000-2004 to the speeds resulting from the multiplication rates
set out in Annex IB to the Staff Regulations.
For each year, the convergence plan gives the average waiting time in each
grade before promotion. The waiting time is the basis for calculating the
promotion threshold using the following formula:
Average waiting time x average number of promotion points
awarded per official
= promotion threshold.
The advantage of such an approach is that it makes it possible to calculate
the promotion threshold in advance.
All officials with a number of points higher than or equal to the promotion
threshold and who fulfil the conditions specified under point 2.6 will be
promoted.
|
2010 promotion thresholds |
AD13 |
30 |
AD11 |
27 |
AD10 |
24 |
AD09 |
24 |
AD08 |
18 |
AD07 |
18 |
AD06 |
18 |
AD05 |
18 |
AST09 |
30 |
AST08 |
28 |
AST07 |
24 |
AST06 |
24 |
AST05 |
24 |
AST04 |
18 |
AST03 |
18 |
AST02 |
18 |
AST01 |
18 |
AST05.C |
31 |
AST04.C |
27 |
AST03.C |
24 |
AST02.C |
24 |
AST03.D |
27 |
2.3.2 End-of-career grades (AD12, AST10, AST6/C and AST4/D)
There is no historic average waiting time for end-of-career grades. The
annual thresholds for these grades will be announced at the official launch
of the exercise, but will remain indicative until the end of the promotion
exercise. By promoting the specified number of officials, the definitive threshold
will be determined by the number of points obtained by the last official promoted.
If budgetary constraints make it impossible to promote all the officials who
have accumulated exactly the same number of points as the threshold, the Joint
Appraisal and Promotion Committee will suggest which of them can be promoted,
by referring to subsidiary criteria such as seniority in the grade and considerations
related to equal opportunities or the nature of the tasks performed.
However, the Staff Regulations do provide for a gradual increase in the annual
promotion rates for the end-of-career grades until 2011, which means that
the number of promotions increases further during this period.
|
Indicative promotion thresholds 2010 |
AD12 |
45 |
AST10 |
53 |
AST06.C |
41 |
AST04.D |
54 |
2.4 Accumulation of points in the rucksack
The promotion points (between 1 and 12) awarded each year on the basis
of the official's appraisal report and of the criteria for awarding promotion
points laid down by the Director-General are collected in a rucksack.
After promotion, the number of points corresponding to the promotion threshold
is deducted from the total number of points accumulated. The balance, if any,
is carried over to the next promotion exercise.
2.5 Quotas of promotion points by performance level, grade and DG
The total number of promotion points available for each DG for each grade
and performance level is as follows:
Performance level |
Promotion points available by performance level
|
IA |
10.5 points per official in level IA |
IB |
7.5 points per official in level IB |
II |
5.1 points per official in level II |
III |
2 points per official in level III |
IV |
0 points |
The points are calculated by grade only; points cannot be transferred from
one grade to another. The results are rounded up to the nearest whole number.
If the quota of points available for a performance level in certain grades
is not enough to allow at least one official to be awarded the highest number
of possible promotion points for the performance level in question, the Director-General
may request a derogation from the Joint Appraisal and Promotion Committee.
2.6 Who will be promoted?
An official may be promoted if:
- he has accumulated a number of points in the rucksack which is higher
than or equal to the promotion threshold in the current grade;
- by 31 December of the year of the promotion exercise, at the latest,
he has achieved the minimum seniority in the grade required by the Staff
Regulation (two years);
- he has demonstrated his ability to work in a third language and if it
is the first promotion after recruitment;
- he is in active employment (this includes sick leave, maternity, parental
or family leave and military service) or seconded in the interests of the
service on the date of adoption of the promotion decisions by the appointing
authority;
- his performance has not been rated at level IV (underperformance).
Any decision on the promotion of an official who is the subject of disciplinary
proceedings will be suspended until the results of those proceedings are known.
2.7 When does the promotion take effect?
Promotions will take effect on 1 January of the year of the promotion exercise.
If the official does not have the required minimum seniority on that date,
the promotion will take effect on the first day of the month following that
in which he attains the seniority required.
2.8 Demonstrating the capacity to work in a third language
All officials whose first promotion after recruitment takes effect after 30
April 2006 are required to demonstrate the ability to work in a third language.
With effect from the 2009 exercise, the minimum requirement is level 6 of
an interinstitutional language course (equivalent to level B2 of the Common
European Framework of Reference (CEF) of the Council of Europe).
The demonstration of this ability can be made in three main ways: successfully
passing a language course, passing a test organised by EPSO or having a language
certificate which is recognised by the appropriate assessment committee of
EPSO.
For further details an additional Administrative Notice will be published
in January 2010.
2.9 What are the implementing rules?
The general provisions for implementing Article 45 of the Staff Regulations,
adopted by the Commission on 18 June 2008, apply to the promotion of officials
paid from either the administrative budget or the research budget.
With the exception of Article 9(3), these general provisions do not apply
to promotions resulting from an appointment following the publication of a
vacancy notice under Article 29(1)(a)(iii) of the Staff Regulations (management
posts).
- THE APPRAISAL AND PROMOTION EXERCISE
The appraisal and promotion processes will take place at the same time.
The exercise will be launched on 15 January 2010. Generally speaking the annual
appraisal reports should be finalised by 12 May.
The appraisal and promotion procedure is managed using the secure IT application
Sysper2. Every official has an appraisal file and a promotion file, which
form an integral part of the official’s personal file. An official has access
to the system via a personal, secret password. The appraisal file comprises
all the appraisal reports entered in Sysper2, and the promotion file shows
the number of promotion points awarded in the course of the current exercise
and the total number of points accumulated. Jobholders who know they will
be unable to access Sysper2 over a long period can communicate in writing
through other channels.
3.1 Actors
Title |
Person(s) concerned |
Jobholder |
The person to be appraised |
Reporting officer |
The jobholder’s line manager (usually the Head of
Unit) at the end of the period covered by the report (31 December) |
Countersigning officer |
The reporting officer’s immediate superior
(usually the Director); the person who is to be countersigning officer
is determined at the time the countersigning officer appears in the
appraisal report. |
Appeal assessor |
In most cases this will be the Director General; the
appeal assessor is likewise determined at the time at which he first appears
in the process |
Joint Appraisal and Promotion
Committee |
A joint committee for each function group (one for
ADs and one for ASTs); each committee has seven joint working parties
(one per group of DGs or services) |
Director |
In the context of the promotion exercise, the Director
is determined at the time he first appears in the promotion process |
Director-General |
For the purposes of the promotion exercise, the Director
General establishes his formal intentions for the award of promotion points |
Appointing authority(promotion)
|
For the purposes of the promotion exercise, the appointing
authority is the Director-General of DG HR. |
3.2 What are the steps in the procedure?
3.2.1 Self-assessment
The reporting officer asks the jobholder to write a self-assessment; the
jobholder has eight working days in which to do so. The jobholder should make
use of the common appraisal standards. With an eye to the promotion procedure,
the jobholder is also asked to comment on his level of responsibility and
to list the languages he actually uses in the execution of his duties in response
to the requirements of the service.
If the jobholder has been elected or designated to represent staff, he should
mention the fact in his self-assessment. In that case the self assessment
should be divided in two, so that the reporting officer can consult the ad
hoc group regarding the work the jobholder has done as a staff representative.
That consultation takes place outside Sysper2.
Specific rules for officials who are absented on a full time or half time
basis to work for the staff representation are set out in the general provisions
for implementing Article 43 and Article 45.
Days of justified absence (for missions, leave, illness, …) are to be deducted
from the time-limits given to job holders during the procedure.
3.2.2 Dialogue
After receiving the self assessment, the reporting officer holds a
dialogue with the jobholder. The dialogue constitutes one of the reporting
officer’s basic management duties (art 7.4 of the General Provisions of
article 43 of Staff Regulations). It is also an essential opportunity for
the jobholder to obtain a constructive feedback on his performances during
the reference period and to discuss his future objectives and career
development. The dialogue must be transparent, substantial, and well
prepared both by the reporting officer and by the jobholder.
The reporting officer and the jobholder discuss in particular the
appraisal of the jobholder’s performance in 2009, the objectives to be set
for 2010, and an updating of training needs for 2010 and perhaps beyond.
The objectives must be measurable and consistent with the work programme
of the DG and the unit.
If the self assessment refers to staff representation work for which the
jobholder has been elected or designated, the reporting officer must have
consulted the ad hoc group. He must have received the opinion of the ad
hoc group before the dialogue can take place.
3.2.3 The reporting officer draws up the qualitative report
In the ten working days following the dialogue the reporting officer
drafts a qualitative report. This personalised report has to reflect the
real performance of the jobholder during the reference period.
The reporting officer has an obligation to state reasons in the report in
a sufficient and detailed way, thus allowing the jobholder to grasp an
informed understanding of his evaluation.
As input for drafting the report, the reporting officer has the
self-assessment, the discussion at the dialogue, the objectives for the
reference period, and the common appraisal standards. He should take
account of any contributions made by other reporting officers in the
course of 2009, and of the opinion of the ad hoc group if any was called
for.
3.2.4 The countersigning officer examines the report and the jobholder’s comments
The countersigning officer examines the comments in the report and checks
that the standards have been applied; he then confirms or supplements the
qualitative appraisal, and sends it to the jobholder, who has five working
days in which to respond. Any comments by the jobholder are sent back to the
countersigning officer.
3.2.5 The countersigning officer proposes a performance level, and the Director
proposes promotion points
On the basis of the suggestions of reporting officers and the content
of the qualitative appraisals, the countersigning officer proposes a performance
level for each official and member of the temporary staff.
The Director proposes promotion points for each official on the basis of the
performance level indicated by the countersigning officers.
3.2.6 Coordination
The Director-General, acting in consultation with senior management, identifies
the officials in each grade whose performance corresponds to levels IA and
IB, and draws up his provisional formal intentions for the promotion points
to be awarded. These are entered in the Sysper2 module. This coordination
stage identifies any grades where the quota of points available for a performance
level does not allow the highest number of promotion points laid down for
that performance level to be awarded to at least one official. A request for
exemption may be submitted to the Joint Appraisal and Promotion Committee
to allow the quotas of promotion points to be increased in the problem grades.
3.2.7 Consultation of the Joint Appraisal and Promotion Committee
The Joint Appraisal and Promotion Committees will meet within five working
days of the transmission by DG HR of a statistical analysis of the proposals
made by the DGs. The Committees have eight working days in which to send any
recommendations they wish to make to the DGs. These recommendations are brought
to the notice of staff by means of an administrative notice.
The Joint Committees will also consider any requests for exemption submitted
by the DGs. If the Committee agrees, the quotas of promotion points are adjusted
accordingly in Sysper2.
3.2.8 Appraisal reports and promotion points finalised
Following the recommendations of the Joint Appraisal and Promotion Committee,
the Director-General may confirm or amend the list of officials in performance
levels IA and IB, and confirm or amend his formal intentions for the award
of promotion points.
DG HR will then check that the maximum percentages laid down for levels IA
and IB and the quotas of promotion points available have been complied with.
Once DG HR has given its agreement, the countersigning officers countersign
all the appraisal reports by function group. This sends the reports to the
jobholders.
The Director-General countersigns the promotion lists at the same time, and
makes them accessible to the jobholders.
3.2.9 The jobholder accepts or refuses the report and the promotion points
The jobholder has eight working days to accept his appraisal report, with
or without comments, and the promotion points, or to refuse either or both.
Acceptance closes the report; refusal moves the report to appeal.
3.2.10 Specific provisions for the External Service
Each jobholder has two countersigning officers who jointly assume this
role. In cases of disagreement between the first and the second countersigning
officer, the final decision shall rest with the second countersigning officer.
The External Service Steering Committee shall, upon proposal by the Director-General
for External Relations on the basis of the individual qualitative appraisals,
identify for all jobholders those whose performance during the reporting period
corresponds to performance level IA and IB. It equally approves the provisional
formal intentions regarding the allocation of promotion points.
3.3 Timetable for the general exercise
Actors |
Action |
Deadline |
Timetable 2010 |
HR |
Launches exercise by
means of an administrative notice |
|
15 January |
Director-General +
management |
Discussion of
performances within the DG, in each grade, over the reference period |
|
no later than
18 January |
Director-General |
Publishes common
appraisal standards and any standards specific to the DG for the following
year |
|
no later than end of
February |
Announces the criteria
for awarding promotion points |
Reporting officer or
human resources manager |
Creates reports in
Sysper2 |
|
from 15 January |
Jobholder |
Self-assessment |
8 working days |
no later than 31
January |
Jobholder + reporting
officer |
Dialogue: assessment of
the jobholder’s performance over the reference period; setting of objectives
for the year; updating of training needs |
|
no later than 19
February |
Reporting officer |
Drafts report on
quality of performance (no indication of performance level); reviews and
validates objectives |
Dialogue + 10 working
days |
no later than
5 March |
Countersigning officer |
Checks that common
standards have been applied; compares merits; confirms or amends comments;
sends the qualitative report to the jobholder, with no indication of the
performance level |
|
no later than 12 March |
Jobholder |
Sends any comments to
the countersigning officer, or returns the report to the countersigning
officer without comment |
5 working days |
no later than 19 March |
Countersigning officer |
Following comments from
the jobholder, confirms, makes additions to or corrects the report
Proposes performance
levels via a list in Sysper2 |
|
no later than 24 March |
Directors + Deputy
Directors‑General |
Propose formal
intentions for the award of promotion points |
|
no later than 24 March |
Coordination
-Director-General + countersigning officers |
Grade‑by‑grade
identification of performance levels IA (8%) and IB (22%) |
|
no later than 31 March |
Director-General +
Directors |
Provisional formal
intentions for the award of promotion points in the promotion files, via a
list in Sysper2 |
|
no later than 31 March |
Directors‑General |
Submission of proposals
for levels and points in Sysper2 |
|
7 April |
HR |
Sends statistics to the
Joint Committees |
|
no later than 14 April |
AD Joint Appraisal and
Promotion Committee |
Checks that the
exercise has been properly conducted in respect of AD officials; may make
recommendations to the Director-General and to DG HR; sends its analysis to
the staff |
8 working days |
22 April |
AST Joint Appraisal and
Promotion Committee |
Checks that the
exercise has been properly conducted in respect of AST officials; may make
recommendations to the Director-General and to DG HR; sends its analysis to
the staff |
23 April |
Director-General +
countersigning officers |
If required, further
coordination on the basis of the recommendations from the Joint Appraisal
and Promotion Committee |
|
26 – 29 April |
Director-General |
Confirms or modifies
performance levels IA and IB
Confirms or modifies lists of promotion points in the promotion files, via a
list in Sysper2 |
|
no later than 4 May |
HR |
Checks compliance of
percentages and points with the points available by grade and by performance
level; gives approval for the finalisation of reports by countersigning
officers, and of lists of points by Directors‑General |
|
no later than 7 May |
Countersigning officer |
Validates reports and
performance levels, and sends the report to the jobholder |
|
no later than 12 May |
Director-General |
Validates lists of
points in promotion files, and sends the promotion file to the jobholder |
|
no later than 12 May |
Jobholder |
Accepts the report,
with or without comments = report closed |
Rejects the report and
lodges an appeal with the Joint Appraisal and Promotion Committee |
8 working days |
no later than 28 May |
Accepts the promotion
points awarded |
Rejects the number of
points and lodges an appeal with the Joint Appraisal and Promotion Committee |
3.4 Possibility to appeal to the Joint Appraisal and Promotion Committee
The jobholder may contest the appraisal report, the performance level, or
the promotion points awarded to him. In this case, he must lodge an appeal
to the Joint Appraisal and Promotion Committee which analyses the appeal and
delivers an opinion. The appeal is closed by the final decision of the Appointing
Authority (Appraisal and/or Promotion).
Further details on the appeal phase will be published in an additional Administrative
Notice in May 2010.
_________
Footnotes
(1) Periods of sick leave, maternity
leave, family or parental leave or military service are regarded as periods
of active employment.
(2) The term “appraisal report”
replaces the former term “career development report” (CDR).
|