Making connections between the appraisal, performance management and professional development of dentists and teachers: ‘right, what are the problems we’ve got and how could we sort this out?’

Abstract

Evaluating the connections between the appraisal, or performance management, of different professional groups, and their subsequent uptake of continuing professional development (CPD), is valuable for both employees and managers. The linking of appraisal systems with professional/personal development plans amongst health professionals is now fairly commonplace, although less so amongst dental practitioners. Within teaching, shifts away from appraisal towards performance management have changed the ways in which teachers now regard their professional development. This paper focuses on the introduction of a pilot appraisal scheme for general dental practitioners (GDPs) (n = 20) in a West Midlands Primary Care Trust, comparing findings with existing practices of professional review amongst teachers (n = 28) in the same region. It is apparent that for many professional groups the outcomes of appraisal/performance management meetings now have significant implications, not least through their connection to CPD and subsequent career progression. GDPs experience CPD as a formal component of their ongoing professional regulation and revalidation, whilst teachers (as yet) do not. The voluntary nature of participation in the GDP appraisals reported here encouraged appraisers and appraisees to form cooperative pairings. However, there was cautiousness amongst both GDPs and teachers about the gathering and use of appraisal information, particularly when it was assumed that this would be for managerial purposes. By pursuing a comparative analysis of these professional groups, the connections between appraisal and CPD become clearer – particularly when situated within a theoretical framework that helps to identify the controlling influence of CPD content and mode.

Keywords:

• appraisal
• performance management
• general dental practitioners
• teachers
• personal development plans
• comparative analysis

Acknowledgements

Professor Alison Bullock, who was previously based at the Centre for Research in Medical and Dental Education, is acknowledged as the originator of this project in 2008. The project has been funded by the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority.