Completing your APD Self-Evaluation
Your self-evaluation is an opportunity to reflect on your performance and progress against your goals, record your achievements, consider how you might like to develop and grow in the future and plan for the year ahead. It is a critical component in helping you prepare for your APD conversation and get the most from the APD process. We suggest that you give yourself time to reflect and complete your self-assessment.
Review tips below on each of the sections of the APD Self-Evaluation.
Year in Review
One of the benefits of the APD process is the opportunity for self-reflection. In your APD template you have the opportunity to reflect on each of your goals (and the Criteria for Academic Performance for Academic Staff) showing how you made progress against them.
- Try to be as specific as possible, if possible using data to demonstrate results and impact. For example
“Over [insert time period], I have been able to [describe your accomplishment or goal you’ve met] by [insert data if available]. By [explain what you did to achieve this goal], [explain how it has affected how you do your work].
- Think back on the previous year and note any accomplishments or achievements you’re proud of. You can either highlight these against the relevant goal or in the ‘Employee Comments’ section at the bottom of the Goal/s sections.
Top tip: Save emails in an Outlook folder or keep a list of accomplishments throughout the year so you can review these when completing your self-evaluation.
- Reflect on the feedback you have received this year and how you have leveraged this.
- Be honest, if you encountered challenges explain how you either overcame or learnt from them. This is also an opportunity to seek guidance from your leader when making improvements.
After reflecting on my performance, I recognised that [insert challenge / area for improvement]. [Explain why this is important or the background behind it]. By [explain what you will do differently], I will work to [insert SMART goal].”
- Be concise, noting you will have the opportunity to discuss further in the APD conversation.
- Update the status of each goal (e.g. in progress, partially completed, completed or no longer required).
Career Aspirations and Development
The APD Process provides you with an opportunity to reflect on, and plan for, your career and development, and define an action plan to help you work towards these goals.
- In what ways can you become even more effective in your current role?
- What roles or responsibilities might you want to take on in one - five years?
- Consider what skills, knowledge or experiences might help you on your career journey.
- Think of your personal goals for your career development and how they may align with UQ’s goals and values.
- When translating your career aspirations into specific development goals use the 70:20:10 model to help you structure your development experience.
Goal Setting - Year-Ahead Planning
Collaborative goal setting can help provide clarity and ensure that our attention and effort is directly toward impactful activities. This section is intended to capture key outcomes for the year ahead.
- For goal planning consider the question, ‘What do I need to accomplish this year to ensure it is a success?’
- Consider how your individual goals align with the strategic plan of UQ – how can I ensure I am focussed on work that will create the most value?
- Use the SMART goal framework to improve goal quality.
- In circumstances where your goals aren’t able to be 100% confirmed prior to submission of your self-evaluation, it is recommended that you draft these as best you can and update them as needed during the APD conversation.
Goals are intended to be agile. They can be updated at any point outside of the APD process using the ‘My Individual Goals’ task.
- Any goals that were marked as ‘not started’ or ‘in progress’ from the year in review section/s, will need to be re-entered in this section.
- As a guide, it is recommended that you set between 5 – 10 goals each year.
- Stretch goals can be set when appropriate to support development
- For goal inspiration, visit the relevant goal library
Preparing for the APD conversation
To get the most out of the APD experience for both staff members and leaders it helps to prepare and plan ahead of the APD conversation.
- Prepare any questions you might have during the APD conversation. For example questions on strategic planning for the team, clarifying expectations, access to resources, possibilities for career growth, support required, flexible work arrangements.
- This is a collaborative conversation, be ready to lead the conversation when needed. This is your APD.
- Consider what feedback you have for your leader (positive or constructive) that could improve how you work together.