Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 98 Part 3.djvu/843

 PUBLIC LAW 98-615—NOV. 8, 1984

98 STAT. 3215

successful level for each such element which will, to the maximum extent feasible, permit accurate evaluation of job performance on the basis of objective criteria related to the job in question; "(3) communicating, at the beginning of each appraisal period and in writing, to each employee who is covered by chapter 54 of this title the performance standards and critical elements of the ^«^^' P 3207. employee's position; "(4) evaluating each such employee during the appraisal period on the basis of such standards; "(5) assisting any such employee in improving performance rated at a level below the fully successful level; and "(6) reassigning, reducing in grade, or removing any employee who continues to perform at the level which is 2 levels below the fully successful level, after such employee has been provided with written notice of such employee's rating and afforded reasonable opportunity to raise such employee's level of performance to the fully successful level or higher. "(c)(1) Appraisals of performance under this section— "(A) shall take into account individual performance and may take into account organizational accomplishment; "(B) shall be based on factors such as— "(i) any improvement in efficiency, productivity, and quality of work or service, including any significant reduction in paperwork; "(ii) cost efficiency; "(iii) timeliness of performance; "(iv) other indications of the effectiveness, productivity, and quality of performance of the employees for whom the employee is responsible; and "(v) meeting affirmative action goals and achievement of equal employment opportunity requirements; "(C) may be reviewed by an employee of the agency in accordance with procedures established by the Office of Personnel Management; "(D) shall, on request of the employee whose performance is appraised, by reconsidered by an employee of the agency in accordance with procedures established by the Office; and "(E) may not be appealed outside the agency. "(2) Reconsideration of an appraisal under paragraph (1)(D) of this subsection may be made only by an employee who is in a higher position in the agency than each employee who made, reviewed, or approved the appraisal. "(d)(1) In order to promote the purposes of this section, there shall Performance be established within each agency a performance standards review standards review boards, board (hereinafter in this subsection referred to as the 'board'), establishment. consisting of at least six members, all of whom shall be chosen by the agency head from individuals employed in or under such agency. Of the members, at least one-half shall be employees who are covered by chapter 54 of this title and who are in the competitive service. A board shall be chaired by the member of the board designated for that purpose by the agency head. "(2) It shall be the function of each board— "(A) to assess, by the use of representative sampling techniques, the appropriateness of performance standards developed and used by the agency under this section;

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