Applicable To: All Employees

Approval Authority:  Chief Richard J. Pennington

Signature:  Signed by RJP

Date Signed:  7/24/06

 1.        PURPOSE  PAGEREF _Toc134508756 \h 1

2.        POLICY   PAGEREF _Toc134508757 \h 1

3.        RESPONSIBILITIES  PAGEREF _Toc134508758 \h 1

4.        ACTION  PAGEREF _Toc134508759 \h 2

4.1      Program Eligibility  PAGEREF _Toc134508760 \h 2

4.2      Performance Categories  PAGEREF _Toc134508761 \h 2

4.3      Selection Process  PAGEREF _Toc134508762 \h 3

4.4      Committee Responsibilities  PAGEREF _Toc134508763 \h 3

4.5      Awards and Award Payments  PAGEREF _Toc134508764 \h 4

5.        DEFINITIONS  PAGEREF _Toc134508765 \h 5

6.        CANCELLATIONS  PAGEREF _Toc134508766 \h 5

7.        REFERENCES  PAGEREF _Toc134508767 \h 5

1.               PURPOSE

The intent of this directive is to establish policy and procedure for the 2006 Performance Payment Program.

2.               POLICY

The Atlanta Police Department will reward exceptional performance that moves the Department toward a “Best in Class” customer service organization.  This program will encourage supervisors to identify high performing employees, provide supervisors with a proven method for rewarding performance on the job, recognize exceptional performance that exemplifies the values of the Department, and authorize a one-time performance payment for achievements in quality performance, exemplary customer service, or service improvements.

3.               RESPONSIBILITIES

3.1              The Chief of Police will award performance payments to employees based on the recommendations of the Performance Payment Program Committee, subject to the availability of funds and consistent with criteria established by the City of Atlanta, and appoint a member of the Commendations Review Board to the Performance Payment Program Committee.

3.2              The Assistant Chief of Police or his or her designee will chair the Performance Payment Program Committee, ensuring that committee members meet as necessary, and providing the Chief of Police with the recommendations of the Performance Payment Program Committee no later than September 15, 2006.

3.3              The Criminal Investigations Division commander or his or her designee will represent CID on the Performance Payment Program Committee, reviewing and rating nominations, and making recommendations to the Chief and Assistant Chief of Police.

3.4              The Field Operations Division commander or his or her designee will represent FOD on the Performance Payment Program Committee, reviewing and rating nominations, and making recommendations to the Chief and Assistant Chief of Police.

3.5              The Support Services Division commander or his or her designee will represent SSD on the Performance Payment Program Committee, reviewing and rating nominations, and making recommendations to the Chief and Assistant Chief of Police.  The SSD commander will appoint a committee to screen the nominations.

3.6              The Chief of Staff or his or her designee will serve on the Performance Payment Program Committee, reviewing and rating nominations, and making recommendations to the Chief and Assistant Chief of Police.  He or she will coordinate the actions of the Performance Payment Program Committee with the Commendations Review Board.

3.7              The Personnel Services Unit commander or his or her designee will place copies of the approved award nomination forms in the respective employee’s personnel file.

3.8              All supervisors are responsible for identifying and recognizing high performing employees and making recommendations to the Performance Payment Program Committee as appropriate.

3.9              All employees are responsible for identifying and recognizing high performing employees and making nominations to the Performance Payment Program Committee as appropriate and adhering to the requirements of this directive.   Employees may nominate themselves or any other employee of the City of Atlanta.          

4.               ACTION

4.1              Program Eligibility

4.1.1           Employees must have at least six months of service as of June 30, 2006, and must be a City employee on that date.

4.1.2           Employees must have an effective or higher performance rating on a current performance evaluation.

4.1.3           Employees must exhibit a professional workplace attitude, be cooperative with fellow employees, and have no sustained adverse disciplinary action greater than three days suspension within the recognition year.

4.1.4           Employees at pay grades 35 and above, or equivalent, are excluded from the performance payment program.

4.2              Performance Categories

4.2.1           The Performance Payment Program will reward employees and teams that exceed expectations in any of the three performance categories listed below.  Subcategories are listed to provide examples of the types of behaviors that will be rewarded.

4.2.2           Quality Performance Category, which includes:  Initiative and Leadership; Heroic Achievements; Exceptional Service Delivery; Exemplary Completion of Assignments; Educational Achievements; Perfect Attendance.  Examples may include:

1.    Received professional degree, certification, and/or licensing in an area related to job performance.

2.    Achieved a significant goal or completed a major project on time and/or under budget.
 

3.    Implemented an idea that resulted in significant value added to the Department.
 

4.    Reduced the number of sick leave hours used in a year.
 

5.    Performed in a manner that brought recognition to the City or Department, such as increasing public trust or enhancing the City’s or Department’s image.

4.2.3           Exemplary Customer Service Category, which includes:  Quality Service Delivery; Putting Customers First; Good Samaritan Acts; Taking Ownership of Customer Needs.  Examples include:

1.    Exceeded normal turnaround time on a work task so a customer could achieve a critical need.
 

2.    Followed through with a customer request that was outside the normal scope of job duties.
 

3.    Solved a significant customer service problem.

4.2.4           Service Improvements Category, which includes:  Establishing Process Improvements; Procedural Enhancement; Reduction in Work Place Accidents; Innovations Resulting in Significant Cost Savings.  Examples include:

1.    Improved methods and procedures that increased efficiency, cost savings, or reduced waste to the City.
 

2.    Created systems that significantly reduced exposure to industrial injuries and vehicular accidents.
 

3.    Developed a program or process that resulted in the reporting of more accurate results and more efficient task completion.

4.2.5           The subcategory examples should not be viewed as exhaustive, and other subcategories of performance can be added.

4.3              Selection Process

4.3.1           Eligible employees may be nominated by completing the Award Nomination Form (Form APD 208) and submitting it directly to the Personnel Services Unit.

4.3.2           All required and supporting documentation must accompany the “Accomplishment Record Form” at the time of submission.

4.3.3           The Personnel Services Unit will forward nominations to the Chief of Staff.

4.4              Committee Responsibilities

4.4.1           The Performance Payment Program Committee will review all nominations.

4.4.2           Prior to meeting as a committee, individual members will independently review and rate the nominees in accordance with criteria and guidelines established by the City of Atlanta and the Chief of Police.

4.4.3           As directed by the chairperson, committee members will meet and discuss employee nominations.  The chairperson will then forward any recommendations through the Office of The Chief of Staff to the Chief of Police.  The Chief of Police is the final approving authority.

4.4.4           Committee members will ensure that awards are based on the merits of the employee’s accomplishments and verify that adequate documentation exists and is accurate for potential award recipients.

4.4.5           The Chief of Staff will review nomination forms for consideration for Departmental Awards as outlined in APD.SOP.2030 “Awards”.

4.5              Awards and Award Payments

4.5.1           Awards may be paid to an individual or a team in any of the three categories.  The maximum payment to an individual, regardless of the number of awards received, is $2,000 per year.

4.5.2           The payment for an individual performance bonus will determined as follows:

4.5.3           All team awards will be $500 for each team member.  A team is defined as between two and twenty persons working together to deliver a service or complete a project.

4.5.4           Examples of other awards include: perfect attendance (when sick leave bonus is not in effect), $100; obtaining a G.E.D., $1000; obtaining national job-related certifications, $500; obtaining professional accreditations or licenses, $1000; and obtaining a graduate degree, $1500. 

4.6              The Personnel Services Unit will place a copy of the approved nomination form in the respective employee’s personnel file and forward nominations to the Chief of Staff.

4.7              In the event that Department policy conflicts with the City wide policy established by the City of Atlanta Department of Human Resources, the City wide policy established by the City of Atlanta Department of Human Resources will take precedence.

4.8              The Award List is due to the City of Atlanta Department of Human Resources no later than October 1, 2006.

5.               DEFINITIONS

                  Recognition year:  July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006.

6.               CANCELLATION

APD.SOP.2031 “Performance Payment Program” Issued October 10, 2005     

7.               REFERENCES

HR 5.05 Employee Performance Payment Program