Equality in Performance Review

Tamkin P, Cummings J, Hooker H |   | Cabinet Office | May 2001

This report looks at factors affecting performance marks across the Civil Service and was carried out by Capita and IES. Some 180,000 personal records were analysed and 500 people interviewed. The key findings are that:

  • there were small but statistically significant differences between performance marks in relation to gender, ethnicity and disability, although women do better than men
  • performance review systems are not the underlying cause of the differences in performance marks. The main issues were how people were managed, valued and developed
  • in some cases, negative attitudes and beliefs might have influenced both actual performance and marks.

Six government departments participated in the research: the Cabinet Office; Department of Health; Inland Revenue; and the former Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions; Department of Social Security and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.