Recommendations of the Joint Appraisal and Promotion Committee for the AD function group

This administrative notice serves to communicate the recommendations and observations of the Joint Appraisal and Promotion Committee to the Directorates-General and DG HR regarding the allocation of performance levels and promotion points to officials of the AD function group. ¹

These recommendations are based on an analysis of the statistics of the appraisal and promotion exercise. The Committee's recommendations and observations are the following:

1. Irregularities

• The Committee observed that Directorates-General had not made errors in the calculation of the allocation of the levels of performance and the promotion points;

2. Treatment of beginning of career grades

• The Committee observed that the reduction foreseen by the relevant rules² has not been to the detriment of the officials in the beginning of career grades (AD5 and AD6);

3. Treatment of end of career grades

• The Committee observed that the allocation of performance levels IA and IB is, in general, significantly lower than 8% and 22% in the cases of officials of grade AD14; the Committee took note of the absence of impact of the allocation for this grade in terms of promotion and for which a promotion in accordance with Article 45 of the Staff Regulations is not possible;
   
• The Committee invites DG HR to take into account this element when assessing the appraisal exercise as foreseen by Article 10 of the general provisions for implementing Article 43 of the Staff Regulations, and in all potential future reviews of this exercise;

4. Use of performance level III

• The Committee observes some differences in the appraisal of the performances at level III. 30 Directorates-General have not used performance level III, others have used it. Nevertheless, the number of people concerned remains very low (reduced from 1% in 2009 to 0.4% in 2010);

5. Use of 4 points in performance level II

• The Committee observes differences between Directorates-General in the percentage of officials who are allocated 4 promotion points within performance level II;
   
• The Committee invites the Directorates-General to make sure that the comparative examination of the merits which have lead to the allocation of the points has been well carried out;

6. Non-use of points quotas

• The Committee observes that, in certain Directorates-General, the quota of points available per performance level, has not been exhausted. The remaining number of points is, nevertheless, very low (fewer than 50 points) as regards the total number of points allocated during the exercise (more that 67 000 points);
   
• The Committee observes that the non-use of these points has to do with a decision related to the merit of the jobholders concerned;

7. Treatment of promoted jobholders

• The Committee observes that in certain Directorates-General the number of officials promoted during the 2009 exercise and who could be allocated performance level II in 2010 is higher (more than 90%) than that which would normally be expected (70%);
   
• The Committee invites the Secretariat-General and DGs ECFIN, TAXUD and TRADE to pay special attention to the appraisal of the performance of officials promoted in 2009 and to ensure that the performance level allocated is the result of an actual appraisal of the performance demonstrated during the previous exercise and the comparison of merits within the grade in question;

8. Rotation rate

• The Committee observes that the rate of rotation in the allocation of the different performance levels enables the average promotion objectives set in the relevant rules³ to be reached;

9. Treatment of jobholders in Brussels and in Luxembourg

• The Committee notes that there is neither a significant statistical nor structural difference between officials working in Brussels and those in Luxembourg.

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Footnotes

⁽¹⁾ In line with article 7(8) of the general provisions for implementing Article 43 of the Staff Regulations, and article 5(3) of the general provisions for implementing article 45 of the Staff Regulations
⁽²⁾ Article 6(4) of the general provisions for implementing Article 43 of the Staff Regulations
⁽³⁾ Article 10 of the general provisions for implementing Article 45 of the Staff Regulations