360-degree appraisal
Also called: Multi-source feedback · Topic: Civil Services: Role, Accountability and Reforms · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
A 360-degree appraisal is a way of judging an officer's work by asking many people around them, not just the boss. Feedback comes from seniors, peers (officers at the same level) and juniors. In India, the Centre has used it since the mid-2010s when it decides which senior officers to empanel (put on an approved list) for top posts. It matters because it is meant to give a fuller picture of how an officer actually behaves and works.
Example
When the Centre empanels officers for Joint Secretary posts and above, it may consider 360-degree feedback along with the officer's yearly reports. Critics say the process is opaque: officers do not know who said what, and they cannot challenge it.
Don't confuse with
- Annual Performance Appraisal Report (APAR): the APAR is a formal yearly report written mainly by the officer's superiors, and every entry must be shown to the officer. 360-degree feedback is gathered from many sources and is not openly shared.
Related concepts
- Annual Performance Appraisal Report
- Results Framework Document
- Premature retirement
- Sanction for prosecution of public servants
- Red tapism