A second way of developing categories omits a formal self-assessment and begins instead with direct negotiation between the employee and her supervisor. The portfolio categories might be based on responsibilities listed in a formal job description or on the employee’s list of performance objectives for the coming year. The employee and supervisor might instead want to focus on specific skills, knowledge or aptitudes that the employee will need to perform his job in the near future.
This assessment of needed competencies can be coupled with the assessments that are performed in establishing or updating a Human Resource Bank (see previous essay) in the organization. A third way of establishing categories is administrative; categories are commonly defined for an entire department, division and even institution. If common categories are adopted the committee may wish to consider refining them further. In the next step, common categories make the weighting of each essential if the portfolio is to reflect the unique abilities and achievements of each employee.
Four modes of categorization are often considered in setting up a portfolio: long-range goals, short-range objectives, specific competencies or assigned functions. Any specific portfolio might contain categories representing each of these types; however, the employee and his committee may wish to consider developing the categories for the portfolio around a single type. The first of these four modes, long-range goals, seems appropriate when an individual has major responsibility for a large-scale project and when the successful completion of this project can be identified with some clarity. A goal-based categorization might include the various components of this project or it might be composed of those overall goals in the organization that specifically relate to this employee’s operations.
The second mode of categorization is based on the daily activities of the employee who is being evaluated. An objectives-based portfolio might include such categories as the preparation of a particular proposal, the implementation of a specific program innovation, or the publication of a certain book or article. The third mode of categorization concerns an employee’s competencies. This mode is often used if the portfolio process is linked to a developmental plan for the employee (see previous essays in this series).
