Performance & Development Review (P&DR) update

19 Jan 2024

Improving P&DR through conversations highlighting continuous professional development

Dear colleagues, 

Over the last year, we’ve been exploring new ways to support better P&DR conversations at the University.  

In the 2022 Staff Survey, 67% of colleagues said they valued their P&DR, and many colleagues said that they would like to see reform in the way P&DR is conducted. Colleagues in Learning and Organisational Development have focussed on retaining the elements colleagues value – focusing on feedback, planning and professional development, and making improvements where needed.   

In 2023, we piloted a revised approach to P&DRs that moved the focus away from form-filling and ticking boxes and towards a more natural, individual and meaningful conversation about the development of our colleagues. 

This work confirmed that conversation-led P&DRs are a much more engaging way for colleagues and managers to have meaningful discussions about goals, challenges and opportunities for growth.  

As we look to year ahead, we will work with colleagues across the organisation to spread this more-simple but people-focused approach to P&DRs. The emphasis will be on the quality of the discussion supported by a small range of prompt questions provided to help reviewers and reviewees structure the conversation, removing the reliance of the prescriptive form. The prompts will be adaptable and role-relevant, mindful of the different requirements colleagues have.  

As part of the new approach, reviewers and reviewees will keep aide memoirs of the conversation to keep for reflection and discussion throughout the academic year. As this is the intended approach, if colleagues want to record development conversations locally now, they can stop using the current P&DR online system. 

We will be sharing more insights from colleagues later in the year who have been part of pilot along with case studies, guidance materials and real-time support to help colleagues over the next few months.  

If you have any questions in the meantime, please get in touch with gavin.deadman@manchester.ac.uk.  

Helen Ashley 

Director of Learning and Organisational Development