An appraisal system describes the general policies and parameters for the administration of performance appraisal programs in the agency. An appraisal program is the specific procedures, methods, and requirements for planning, monitoring, and rating performance. To demonstrate the relationship between a system and a program, an analogy using the construction of a house might be helpful. The program could be compared to building the rooms within the house. The rooms have to be within the boundaries of the outside walls, but there is some freedom to place the walls and vary room sizes to fit the needs of the family who will live there.
Programs operate the same way.
However, the Office of Personnel Management anticipates that most agencies will not find it necessary to develop more than one set of general policies and guidelines. Agencies can authorize the development of separate appraisal programs under the framework of their appraisal system. Each program must use a single pattern of summary levels. To use different summary patterns, agencies must define separate programs and employee coverage to which a single pattern applies. However, more than one program can use the same summary pattern.