Posted By John Hi everyone, I wonder if you can help with this request. My boss has given me what I think is an unreasonable request. I've been asked to give him an appraisal of someone who works in the factory as a Tool Setter who has recently passed his Nebosh certificate. My boss sees him as my temporary, maybe permanent stand in whenever I am away from the office. Although I have told my boss this guy may not have the making of a future EHS co-ordinator, he has said my decision must be backed up with some data. I don't want to be too hard on this guy, if he applies himself and works hard and is allowed to make mistakes he might eventually be ok. At the moment he can't operate a computer although he has signed up for a PC course. I've compiled a check sheet of sorts but it's difficult to estimate how someone is going to work out in the future, especially as he doesn't work for me full time at the moment. My question is, has anyone else been put into this impossible position and if you have, did you use some sort of form to help you come to a rating?

Posted By Kieran J Duignan Your question suggests that you see your boss may be manipulating you rather than using a 'transparent' and objective process of assessment. For you don't refer to competencies or KPIs that are already in place, or to the part that HR commonly play in appraisal, as guardians of company values. If you don't have an agreed system of competencies or KPIs for H & S management, preface any appraisal IN VERY, VERY LARGE CAPITALS with this clear qualification and copy your reply to either HR (if there is a HR role) or to the relevant line director. Otherwise, whatever you may well find that your words are used out of context as a criticism of your judgment, whatever the level of performance of the person you appraise: to the extent that he is better of worse than you indicate, you risk being interpreted as lacking in judgment - an hoary old ploy of the manipulative brigade! On the other hand, if you do have a competency system, your appraisal can be developmental - indicating how the guy can progress from his present level of competencies to those required in your role, and how/to what extent you can help with such development.

Posted By John Thanks guys for your help so far. Unfortunately, the site manager chose this guy as a possible stand in without asking my impressions. He did this just after appointing me to my EHS role. Because I am not the Tool Setters line manager I wouldn't normally be asked to carry out any appraisal on someone not working for me, this would be more easily be carried out by the unit manager who can assess his capabilities to do the job he is currently doing.ie Tool setting. You see my predicament. I can only assess him on how I 'think' he will do my job, but as he isn't doing any of it at the moment, how can I accurately assess how he will cope in the future.

Posted By Mark Talbot Tell the manager that a reasonable assessment of his skill set would need to include you shadowing him completing your duties as though you were absent from the post. Set a couple of scenarios, one of the important ones is a serious accident, and see how he is able to deal. Who knows? You might actually be pleasantly suprised - or not. If you get resistance, turn it on its head and ask the manager how he would assess your abilities as a fitter.

Posted By Mark Talbot "My boss sees him as my temporary, maybe permanent stand in whenever I am away from the office" It would appear we are talking about someone acting as a stop-gap, not a full time professional. That is why I suggest a practical approach - and given the opportunity to do the same to prospective candidates at his level, I would do the same. Lumpy's questions are also valid, but I feel it would be unfair to exclude the person from a stand-in role on the basis that he was not as au fait as those in a full time role. It would be your responsibility to keep him up to date with significant changes to your procedures or the law. After all, you would not expect him to be setting new policy while you are on a week's leave, would you?