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Q6 review guidelines

Purpose

To enhance personal advancement and contribution through improved dialogue between managers (Reviewers) and staff (Reviewees). To provide a regular opportunity for colleagues to discuss their strengths, concerns and aspirations and identify relevant training and other development requirements.

Principles

• Review meetings should be held on an annual cycle.
• The cycle of Review meetings will be set by the Head of Unit/School to fit with other Unit/School rhythms.¹ HR should be advised of the cycle to be used by the Unit/School.
• Q6 Review has been designed for use at individual level, but can be adapted for team-level reviews if agreed locally. In the case of team-level reviews, Reviewees will also have the additional opportunity to request an individual review. It must be expected that some Reviewees will wish to use the Q6 dialogue to raise career advancement issues, but neither the Q6 process nor the agreed summary from the discussion should be used to directly inform pay and promotion processes.
• Schools and Units will use the core questions on the Q6 form, but Heads may add additional questions to meet the needs of their particular Unit/School. In this way, the supplied Q6 Review template can be used flexibly.

Roles and responsibilities

Head of Unit / School

• The Head should oversee the Q6 Review process in her/his unit.
• The Head should ensure that they follow the Procedures and Guidelines on the Academic Probation Scheme from HR in respect of Academic Probationers. The Probation form is now part of the Q6 package.
• The Head should identify a list of trained Reviewers and agree with Reviewees who is to review whom.²
• The Head should assist the Reviewers in communicating the Unit/School or team goals so that they can be used effectively within the Q6 Review discussions.
• The Head should ensure that all Reviewees:
  • Have, at the end of the review process, appropriate objectives agreed by the Reviewee, the Reviewer and the Head recorded on the form.
  • Receive the support and encouragement which they need in order to help them meet these objectives by, for instance, arranging for training needs to be addressed by CAPOD and/or any other appropriate body.
• The Head should keep the completed, signed documentation for two years. The only exception to this is the Probation Form which should be returned to HR in line with The Procedures and Guidelines on the Academic Probation Scheme.
• The Head should ensure that matters raised in this process, unless it is agreed otherwise, are regarded as confidential to the Reviewer, the Reviewee and the Head of unit/school.
• The Head should ensure that informal discussions take place with Reviewees throughout the period in support of this process with, if it would be helpful, a more formal interaction after six months.
• The Head should put in place appropriate arrangements to ensure continuity in the event of his/her leaving or being about to leave office.

Reviewer

• The Reviewer should schedule the interview, which is expected to last for about one hour, to the satisfaction of the Reviewee.
• Prior to the meeting, thoroughly review the previous Q6 form, particularly responses to questions 4-6 and required actions which were noted. This review will inform the discussion of the responses to questions 1-3 on the new Q6 form.
• The Reviewer should provide a brief summary of the current Unit/School or team goals as they affect the Reviewee, if necessary in consultation with the Head, and ensure this is inserted into the blank Q6 Review template before the Reviewee prepares his/her self-evaluation responses to the six questions.
• If the Reviewee is an Academic member of staff, then the discussion could include research plans, but alternatively these may be completed outside the Q6 process.
• The Reviewer should ensure that the interview is conducted in a positive fashion so that it meets the needs of both the Reviewee and his/her unit/school and allows the Reviewee to evidence any relevant user feedback.
• The Reviewer should, after the interview, pass the completed, agreed form to the Head of Unit/School.

Reviewee

• The Reviewee should look back over the previous (if any) Q6 form, focusing on the agreed objectives (questions 4-6) and required actions. This will form the basis of discussions in the first part of the next Q6 meeting.
• The Reviewee should complete the pre-interview sections of the form and hand it to the Reviewer four days before the interview.
• When setting future development objectives (Q4-Q6), the Reviewee should use the Brief Summary of Unit/School/team goals as the context to her/his own individual role and career aspirations.
• The Reviewee and the Reviewer should fill in the comments / actions and feedback before the end of the interview so that the Reviewer can pass the agreed form, with any unresolved issues clearly noted, to the Head of Unit/School.
• In the periods between reviews, the Reviewee should raise any difficulties (s)he has in meeting agreed objectives with her/his Head of Unit/School at the earliest opportunity.

Note: In some cases, the Head of Unit/School will be the Reviewer. These guidelines have, however, for ease of reference, been written as if three individuals are involved in the process.

¹ For example, the Review cycle may coincide with the Academic Year for Schools; conversely, it may follow the Operational Planning dates within Units.

² Usual practice would be for the Reviewer/Reviewee allocation to mirror the line management structure within the Unit/School. Exceptions may be made (e.g. if Reviewer is very new), but these should be agreed with the Head first.