The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE Public Service Commission was “not impressed” by recent Bahamas Department of Corrections’ performance appraisals, according to a national security official who advised department heads not to let their feelings sway the process.

Eugene Poitier, permanent secretary at the Ministry of National Security, referred to the commission returning an “inordinate amount” of appraisals from the department which he believes were not properly filled out. He said he has also seen officers’ performance appraisals being negatively affected by supervisors who don’t like them.

“It’s a totally objective process,” he said at the BDCS’s performance management workshop. “It has nothing to do with your feelings – it’s not a witch hunt to get back at officers who you don’t like. I’ve seen it too often.

“What I’m also seeing from the Department of Corrections since I’ve arrived is officers’ performance appraisal not correlating with their behaviour. You don’t give an officer above average when in fact their performance is average or below average.

“I’ve also seen officers being subjected to what is called the ‘recency effect’. What that is, is just before the performance appraisal an officer does something (to) you and so that particular incident it colours the entire process.

“So, whatever the officer’s performance would have been for that entire period that doesn’t matter. That one particular incident determines how he’s graded.”

Prison Commissioner Charles Murphy did not shy away from the permanent secretary’s criticism, but instead admitted the issue at the department.

“Well there are times when they need to be frank. The facts speaks for themselves. The ACR, they weren’t done properly and so we seek to improve the way the officers go in about executing that part of their duty,” Commissioner Murphy said.

The two week Performance Management Training workshop is one of the initiatives of the Ministry of National Security to encourage stronger correctional approach in management.

Currently, there are 750 staff members at the BDCS — including officers and civilians.