Too much paper work. 

No automation. Inefficiency. Wasted time and lost productivity.

A managerial, employee and executive nightmare.

The above statements summarize the state of federal performance management for too many agencies.

And these specific issues lead to a cycle of high-level problems, from poor employee engagement to low morale to neglected career development.

Fixing these problems is necessary in order to build and retain a productive, high performing federal workforce – a factor that’s increasingly imperative to an agency’s success in meeting its mission. But with shrinking budgets and outdated technologies, how can government attain this important goal?

One place to start: replacing outdated pen-and-paper processes with modern, agile technology that can automate workflow and capture and analyze data.

In particular, a data-driven performance management solution can foster engagement by helping agencies align employee objectives with the mission of the agency, measure performance and identify strengths and opportunities. This is the cornerstone for productivity and talent retention.

A modern performance management solution moves beyond online forms hosted on legacy systems. Employees can see the value of their work, making them more engaged in their jobs, enthusiastic about their duties and committed to the agency mission. On top of this, agencies can make better use of valuable human resources and plan orderly transitions as older workers retire and are replaced with younger employees.

Implementing a full performance management solution all at once, however, would be challenging. But it’s not necessary; agencies can take the process one step at a time, beginning with simple steps that can generate quick results. This lets agencies assess impact, identify best practices and reduce the risk of disruptions before rolling out an agency wide solution.

To discuss the value of performance management technology, tailored for the federal environment, and best practices for implementing the solution no matter an agency’s status, GovLoop sat down with Mike Giuffrida, the CEO of Acendre, a leader in performance management.

The result of this conversation is detailed in a new GovLoop Industry Perspective, which describes a step-by-step approach and path to improved federal performance management. There will be long-term benefits of a transition to performance management, but short-term wins along the way can provide immediate returns and generate rank-and-file support for the process. Automating manual processes and/or moving them to the cloud can improve performance and cut costs in the short run.

And that is a great place to start.

“Replacing pen-and-paper processes is a journey, not a quick change,” Giuffrida said. Trying to implement a large program all at once can be a high-risk undertaking, prone to cost overruns. The key is implementing the solution in small steps. Giuffrida recommended the following key steps for incrementally bringing data-driven performance management to the federal government.

You can download the entire Industry Perspective here.