FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions for Supervisors- What is this action and when is it due?
- Q: What do I have to do to complete this action and what's the deadline?
- How do I access the system?
- Q: What browser should I use to access the CMS?
- Q: What is the url for the CMS?
- Q: How do I log into the system?
- What do I do in the system?
- Q: How do I find my employees in the system?
- Q: What do I do if I can’t see my employees or I see the wrong employees?
- Q: Do I have to validate all the competencies for each employee?
- Q: How do I put in my validation?
- Q: Once I put my validation in can I revise it? If so, which version will my employee see?
- Q: What are those Tier definitions again?
- Q: What’s the Position Level and do I have to fill it in?
- What do I do if I disagree with the employee’s self-rating?
- Q: What if I don’t agree with my employee’s self-rating?
- Q: Where do I look to find “evidence” that the employee has provided to support their self-rating?
- Q: Where do I put in an explanation for why I am rating my employee differently than they rate themselves?
- Q: Does my rating over-write my employee’s self-rating?
- Q: Can the employee see my comments?
- Q: Who initiates discussions on proficiency rating discrepancies?
- Guidance for non-simple cases
- Q: What do I do if my employee hasn’t completed the self-rating?
- Q: What if I don’t know enough about the employee or the competency to rate my employee in a given competency?
- Q: What if my employee’s list of competencies are wrong/outdated?
- Help in discussing competencies with the employee
- Q: Where can I point my employee for help in developing further in a competency?
- Q: Where can I get help for employee performance management issues?
- Where can I get more help?
- Q: What if I still have questions?
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What is this action and when is it due?
- Log in to the CMS and review the portfolios for each of their assigned employees.
- Verify they have access to the appropriate employee records.
- Validate (under New Validation column) all competencies in the employees portfolio with an employee selected proficiency (under Self-Rated Level) of 3 or 4.
- Validate (under "New Validation" column) all competencies in the employee's portfolio with a non-rating (under "Self-Rated Level") of 0. This would be the case if the employee has not rated themselves.
- Coordinate with their employees to discuss any questions or concerns.
- Document discrepencies/opportunities under the "Rationale/General Comments" text box in the system.
Q: What do I have to do to complete this action and what’s the deadline?
A: Supervisors need to
The deadline to complete this action was October 31, 2006 for all NASA supervisors.
- Q: What browser should I use to access the CMS?
- Q: What is the url for the CMS?
- Q: How do I log into the system?
A: CMS can be accessed by PC using Microsoft Internet Explorer. CMS can be accessed by Mac using Mozilla Firefox or Apple Safari.
A: You must be logged in to the HR Portal in order to access CMS. If you go to the CMS url and click on the LOGON TO CMS box in the upper left part of the screen and you are not already logged in to the HR Portal, it will redirect you to the HR Portal log in.
- Q: How do I find my employees in the system?
- Q: What do I do if I can’t see my employees or I see the wrong employees?
- Q: Do I have to validate all the competencies for each employee?
- Q: How do I put in my validation?
- Q: Once I put my validation in can I revise it? If so, which version will my employee see?
- Q: What are those Tier definitions again?
A:
Tier 1 : Basic knowledge
An individual has a basic knowledge of the subject matter and shows an awareness of how this competency relates to their job.Tier 2 : Working knowledge
An individual has a working knowledge of the subject matter such that they are able to effectively apply that in their job.Tier 3 : Proficient
Through the experience of applying their knowledge on the job, or other related activities, an individual has developed a thorough understanding of the subject matter AND is highly proficient in being able to apply that knowledge in their work environment.Tier 4 : Subject matter expert
Through years of experience, or advanced study, an individual has developed a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter and its interactions with other disciplines/competencies. The individual has advanced their set of skills to be able to apply their expertise to a multitude of projects and situations. The individual utilizes their in-depth knowledge to communicate and collaborate with peers within their normal work environment and outside to other professional business or technical communities. - Q: What’s the Position Level and do I have to fill it in?
A: On the “Welcome” screen that appears after you have logged in to the system, select “manager” in the “your CMS roles” drop down menu (above the welcome message) and click the “Change Roles” button. Once you have done this, click on the “Employees” tab. The first page that will be displayed is a status that shows a listing of employees that either:
(A) have not completed their own review, or
(B) they require the supervisor to validate one or more of their competencies.
The employee names will appear as links. If you click on the link, it will bring up the employee's portfolio.
To revisit a portfolio, when you first enter under Manager’s view, click on the “Employees” tab at the top left of the screen. Select the organization your employees are in from the “Filter” drop down menu (some supervisors have multiple organizations) and click the “Change List” button. Once you have done this you should be able to select employee portfolios one at a time in the “Employees” drop down list (to the right of the “Change List” button.)
A: Contact the CMS Center Manager at 301.286.5757 or the OHCM Hotline at 301.286.7918. The OHCM Hotline is checked several times daily and your call will be answered within 24 business hours by an OHCM representative.
A: The current required action is to validate any competency with a rating of 3 or 4 or a non-rating of 0. Supervisors can validate all competencies if they choose to.
A: If you agree with the employee’s self-rating on the first competency you are validating, you can enter your validation in the box on the far right under “New Validation” and then click the “Validate” button. Then do the same for each additional competency you are validating, making sure to click “Validate” after each entry. See FAQ section entitled “What do I do if I disagree with the self-rating?” if you don’t agree with your employee’s self-rating.
A: Yes! You can update your validation. The system is open to both employees and supervisors to view and revise information. Updates should be done as the information changes. The employee or supervisor will see the latest information in the system. They can also view the Competency History to see a log of changes.
A: The “Position Level” refers to desired proficiency level for a given competency related to the specific position. This has been set up for future use. Currently this is an optional field.
What do I do if I disagree with the self-rating?
- Q: What if I don’t agree with my employee’s self-rating?
- Q: Where do I look to find the “evidence” that the employee has provided to support their self-rating?
- Q: Where do I put in an explanation for why I am rating my employee differently than they rate themselves?
- Q: Does my rating over-write my employee’s self-rating?
- Q: Can the employee see my comments?
- Q: Who initiates discussions on proficiency rating discrepancies?
A: Review the “Competency Evidences” to see if the employee has submitted information—this will be indicated as a highlighted “yes” under “has info” to the right of the competency. Clicking on the competency that has a “yes” under “has info” will bring up the page with evidences. If you still disagree with the assessment, have a discussion with the employee prior to submitting a rating. Listen to the employee’s rationale and ask the employee for additional evidence, as needed. Allow the employee to provide evidence of professional work history via SF50s, resumes, performance reports, training records, or other documentation which substantiates proficiency information.
You can also seek input from peers in the employees professional community.
If after seeking resolution on an agreed upon proficiency level there remains disparity, supervisors and employees are encouraged to document the disagreement in the free text block in the CMS Tool. The notes would outline the disparity, including rationale, but would also identify the opportunity to review the issue at a reasonable point in the future. The note by the supervisor should also indicate developmental opportunities to gain the higher proficiency rating in any competency required for the employees current position. Opportunities to include: training, detail to another assignment, shadowing a Subject Matter Expert, etc.
A: Click on the competency to bring up both the competency definition and any “Competency Evidences” that the employee may have entered.
A: On the same page as the Competency Evidences is a button labeled “Perform New Validation.” Click this button. Within the outlined box titled “Evaluation of Employee Expertise”, enter your new validation by selecting the rating in the pull down menu labeled “Your rating of the employee’s level of expertise:” then add your explanation in the text box labeled “Rationale/General Comments.” Once you have completed both steps click the button labeled “Submit Validation.”
A: No. Both ratings are kept in the system.
A: Yes.
A: Either the employee or the supervisor can initiate a discussion but it is recommended that the supervisor do so during this action as they will likely be the last one putting in a rating and the employee may not realize there is a discrepancy.
- Q: What do I do if my employee hasn’t completed the self-rating?
- Q: What if I don’t know enough about the employee or the competency to rate my employee in a given competency?
- Q: What if my employee’s list of competencies are wrong/outdated?
A: The supervisor should encourage the employee to complete their self-rating if they are able to do so. If the employee can not or will not complete their self-rating, the onus is on the supervisor to still provide their rating. In this case the supervisor must validate all of the employee’s listed competencies.
A: Review the “Competency Evidences” to see if the employee has submitted information. If you still don’t have enough information to do the assessment, have a discussion with the employee prior to submitting a rating. Listen to the employee’s rationale and ask the employee for additional evidence, as needed. Allow the employee to provide evidence of professional work history via SF50s, resumes, performance reports, training records, or other documentation which substantiates proficiency information.
You can also seek input from peers in the employees professional community.
If after seeking resolution on an agreed upon proficiency level there remains disparity, supervisors and employees are encouraged to document the disagreement in the free text block in the CMS Tool. The notes would outline the disparity, including rationale, but would also identify the opportunity to review the issue at a reasonable point in the future. The note by the supervisor should also indicate developmental opportunities to gain the higher proficiency rating in any competency required for the employees current position. Opportunities to include: training, detail to another assignment, shadowing a Subject Matter Expert, etc.
A: If the competencies are wrong for the position, this can be updated on the “Positions” tab. If the employee is no longer in this position, contact your Human Capital Expert (HCE). A list of HCEs with contact information can be found on the web.
Help in discussing competencies with the employee
- Q: Where can I point my employee for help in developing further in a competency?
- Q: Where can I get help for employee performance management issues?
A: Contact the Center CMS Manager at 301.286.5757.
A: Contact the Performance & Work-Life Dynamics Office at 301.286.9218.
- Q: What if I still have questions?
A: Contact the Center CMS Manager at 301.286.5757.
