Knowledge, Understanding and Satisfaction with the Implementation of the Performance Management System at a District Hospital in the Madibeng Subdistrict, South Africa

The Performance Management and Development System (PMDS) is an essential asset in aligning the strategic objectives of both the National and Provincial departments of health with the individual targets and Key Responsibility Areas (KRAs) of the individual employees working in these departments. The system is not without challenges. The sources of contention can be with the rewards mechanism of the system, bias in the application of the system and the incorrect use of the system for punitive measures. The objective of this study was to determine the perceived knowledge, understanding and satisfaction levels of employees at Brits District Hospital regarding the PMDS. Another objective was to provide an intervention targeting the knowledge and understanding of the key concepts of the system. A quantitative cross-sectional and longitudinal action research method was applied by tracking the responses of 64 healthcare workers three times, firstly in a questionnaire and then in an intervention checklist. The respondents were selected via proportionate stratified sampling. Data were analysed via STATA statistical software package 13.0. The respondents had a poor knowledge and understanding of how to score the PMDS. The respondents where highly dissatisfied with the development of their weaknesses and the recognition of their strengths. Training needs to be prioritized on both the PMDS and the employees’ areas of weakness affecting their performance toward their assigned Key Responsibility Areas. Employees need to be recognised for areas in which they show strength.