DHHS: Workplan Guide > STAR Tool

NC Department of Health and Human Services

Managing Employee Workplans

S.T.A.R.
Performance Tracking Tool

General Information: Use the STAR tool to track your employees' behaviors, skills, and competencies during the year. Completing and saving STARs on your employees as performance milestones occur will help you recall important accomplishments (or problems) when it is time to complete each employee's Performance Appraisal. You may also complete STARs on employees outside your work unit to praise accomplishments. Be sure to give a copy to the employee's supervisor for their records. There are two versions of the tool with the basic components illustrated below. The first one is the basic S.T.A.R outline:
	S = Situation T = Task A = Action R = Result
After observing an employee in a work circumstance that you would like to note and discuss with the employee, you can use the S.T.A.R. tool to record and define the: Situation that was occurring; Task the employee was to perform; Action the employee took or did not take; and Result or the impact on the work setting or others. Positive Example: Barbara, a Developmental Tech, is responsible for assisting residents in an MR facility with their day-to-day needs, i.e. dressing, bathing, feeding tasks (T=Task). The unit is currently understaffed due to vacancies. One of the residents became very agitated because his family had not visited in a long time (S=Situation). Barbara offered to work overtime and work with the client so that the other staff could feed the other clients on time (A=Action). Her efforts with the agitated client helped the staff keep the normal routine for the other MR clients and reduced the chance that others would become upset as well (R=Result). Jot down documentation like the above example on a 3 x 5 card or on a STAR Form (HTML version or Word version, PDF Version) and file in Barbara's Performance Management file for later reference. Use the second version of the STAR tool when you observe an employee who needs to improve in a particular task. (This is to be used for specific incidents rather than larger performance problems that might require an Improvement Plan covered elsewhere in this Guide.) The second version is outlined below:
	S = Situation T = Task A = Action R = Result + AR = Alternative Results
Improvement Example: Jane is a processing assistant for an adult admissions psychiatric unit (S=Situation). She is responsible for entering data accurately following an established format (T=Task). Her supervisor has noticed that for two days she has made mistakes entering the social security number of recently admitted clients (A=Action). Without the social security numbers of the clients, there could be a mistake in a patient's medical records if there were two patients with the same name. It also impacts Medicaid reimbursement for the clients (R=Result). When coaching Jane about her errors, the supervisor learns that Jane's computer screen does not show all of the intake form. Her supervisor suggests that Jane reduce the screen view to 75% so that she can see the whole form and avoid missing blocks like the social security number (AR=Alternative Result). Jot down documentation like the above example on a 3 x 5 card or on an Improvement STAR Form (HTML version, Word version, PDF Version) and file in Jane's Performance Management file for later reference. By completing STAR forms on employees over the entire workcycle, you can look for several STARs to help you determine ratings on the employees' Dimensions when completing their Performance Appraisals.

You are currently in the section highlighted below. Click on another title listed to go to the next step or section you want to read.
Print Version of the guide.
Overview	Original Workplan	Interim Review	Improvement Plan	Development Plan	Performance Appraisal	References
	Step 1: Identify KRRs	Step 1: Preparation	Step 1: Planning	Step 1: Asessment	Step 1: Preparation	Workplan Form [Word Template] or [PDF Format]
	Step 2: Results Expectations	Step 2: Data Review	Step 2: Documentation	Step 2: Planning	Step 2: Rating KRRs	DHHS Performance Management Policy (Formerly DHHS Directive 34) HTML or PDF Performance Rating Dispute Process (DHHS Directive Number III-9, formerly DHHS Directive 33a) HTML or PDF
	Step 3: Selecting Dimensions	Step 3: Interim Review	Step 3: 30-Day Review	Step 3: Documentation	Step 3: Combine Ratings	Rating Scale and State Policy Manual
	Step 4: Writing Behavioral Expectations	Step 4: Documentation			Step 4: Summary Rating	STAR Tool
	Step 5: Tracking Performance				Step 5: Signatures & Dispute Rights	Dictionary of Dimensions
	Step 6: Workplan Review				Step 6: Submit Ratings	Standard Workplan Guidelines
Return to Workplan Guide Start Page / Return to HR Home Page