Some agencies have expressed an interest in, and others are experimenting with, multi-rater assessments, a method for gathering information about employee performance from a variety of sources. Traditionally, supervisors have assessed employee performance with, perhaps, some employee input.
Different agencies use different methods for operating multi-rater appraisal programs.
Some programs are designed so that the supervisor receives the collective information, consolidates it, and shares the tabulated scores and the comments with the employee, while other programs provide feedback directly to the employee. In most cases, multi-rater appraisals rely on anonymous input, so programs usually include a means to disassociate assessments and comments from the identified raters. While agencies may institute and practice a policy of anonymity, two major statutes that establish the requirements and limitations about releasing Government-held information may preclude guaranteed anonymity. Under the provisions of FOIA, agencies must release to a requester all agency-held information on the requested subject unless it is protected by one of several specified exemptions. With respect to requests for information dealing with the performance of other employees , one such FOIA exemption prohibits agencies from releasing such information.