It is important that all campuses adhere to the policy and procedures set forth in this IRM to ensure MEPS is administrated consistently at all sites.

An IRM deviation request must be submitted in writing following instructions in IRM 1.11.2.2., Internal Management Documents System - Internal Revenue Manual (IRM) Process, IRM Standards, and elevated through appropriate channels for executive approval.

IRM 3.43.405, Measured Employees Performance System (MEPS) for Managers of Measured Employees, contains instructions, procedures and additional information required for establishing, maintaining and processing employee performance data for the Measured Employees Performance System. In addition, it covers Release/Recall for all areas where employees are subject to periodic release and recall.

MEPS includes: measured performance plans, learning curve, employee performance standards (setting, revising, and deleting base points) quality performance data (including individual performance review and high quality work review), and efficiency performance data (including individual performance report adjustments).

Reports generate from the MEPS data and are stored on Control-D. The primary Control-D folder for MEPS reports is the 37MEP folder. Access to this folder is limited to Site MEPS Coordinators. Many of the MEPS reports are sorted into the individual organization management folder based on Organization Code (12MAN, 31MAN, 32MAN, 34MAN, 35MAN, 36MAN or 37MAN).

A listing of the MEPS reports with the applicable Control-D Job Name follows:

All MEPS reports can be printed from Control-D. The following reports are scheduled to print via normal Campus Distribution per the Service Level Agreement (SLA):

IRM 3.43.405, provides managers with the information required to evaluate MEPS reports.

MEPS weekly, monthly and quarterly reports run systemically after the appropriate period ending processing on a server located at the Memphis Computing Center (MCC). After the runs are complete, the output reports are accessible to each applicable campus via Control-D.

IRM 3.30.30, Work Planning And Control - Embedded Quality for Submission Processing, provides users of the Embedded Quality for Submission Processing (EQSP) system with instructions on how to use the system. This IRM includes all information regarding EQSP from setting up employee profiles through completing quality reviews on employees.

IRM 6.430.2 Performance Management - Performance Management Program for Evaluating Bargaining Unit and Non Bargaining Unit Employees Assigned to Critical Job Elements (CJE), sets forth policy and guidance for the performance management program covering bargaining (BU) and non-bargaining (NBU) unit employees evaluated by CJEs. This section describes the manner in which these employees are evaluated and the steps of the performance appraisal process.

The iManage, Your Managers' Resource Center, provides managers of all levels with useful information and helpful hints on how to successfully manage employees in the workplace; a Performance Category is included. See url:https://portal.ds.irsnet.gov/sites/iManage/ME/SitePages/Home.aspx

Tax Production Enforcement records are not used to establish individual measured performance standards for Tax Enforcement personnel.

All MEPS record retention adheres to Document 12990.

MEPS employee performance data is maintained on the Embedded Quality for Submission Processing (EQSP) system for eight quarters plus the current quarter; this includes all quality reviews input to the EQSP system.

MEPS reports are available on Control-D for at least five years from the report run date.

MEPS reports run at a predetermined time each day, week, or quarter with the exception of the Ad Hoc IPR and the Release Recall Reports.

It is important that sites complete required input by cut off times to ensure MEPS reports are accurate and complete prior to the scheduled run times.

MEPS Control-D Report Name with Control-D Job Name and scheduled run follows:

Acronyms used throughout IRM 3.43.405 are:

3 Coded - A numeric code generated and stored in HR Connect that identifies a former employee of the Internal Revenue Service.

40 or 25 Rule - An employee who has met the measurable work criteria must have spent at least 40% of their direct time on measured work or at least 25% of their total time on measured work.

Accuracy Percent - The total number of correct documents divided by the total number of documents reviewed multiplied by 100.

Adjusted Accuracy Score - The accuracy percent plus the precision margin (never exceeds 100.0).

Base Point (Quality) - Represents the accuracy rate of work processed. Quality base points are set nationwide (for all sites) at the Operation Function (OF) level using the accuracy rates from the same quarter prior year. No quality base point is lower than 67.0 percent.

Base Point (Efficiency) - Represents the median production rate of work processed. Efficiency base points are set at each site at the Operation, Function, Program (OFP) level using the median production rate from the same quarter, prior year.

Confidence Level - The degree of trust in the results of the sampling process.

Critical Job Element (CJE) - A work assignment or responsibility that details a number of critical actions, objectives, and results an employee is expected to accomplish during an annual appraisal year.

Direct Time - The total of all hours worked exclusive of overhead hours. Direct hours include all 880 functions.

National Ranges (Quality and Efficiency) - A set of values which, when applied to a Base Point, produce the Numerical Performance Standards.

Employee Index (Quality) - A measure of an employee's effectiveness for Quality computed for Function as 100 * [1+(.5 * (Adjusted Percent Accurate - Base Point) / (100 - Base Point))].

Employee Effectiveness (Efficiency) - A measure of the employee's effectiveness for Efficiency computed as 100 multiplied by the employee's Documents Per Hour divided by the Base Point. This is calculated for each OFP with Numerical Performance Standards.

Employee Performance File (EPF) - An Employee Performance File (EPF) is a record of performance-related information and documentation maintained for an employee by the employee's manager.

High Quality Standard (HQS) - The minimum acceptable accuracy rate of High Quality Work. The High Quality Standard is 97.0%.

High Quality Function (HQF) - Functions within an operation that historically have an average accuracy rate equal to or greater than the HQS. OF review is performed to determine if the work will be HQF in the same quarter of the subsequent year. The employees working programs within the HQF will systemically receive the minimum employee effectiveness score required to achieve the five (5) rating for that OF.

High Quality Work - Functions with a historical accuracy rate of 97.0% or higher. These functions are referred to as High Quality Functions.

IRS EOD - The date an employee entered on duty with IRS, modified to include any prior IRS service. The IRS EOD date is not adjusted for time spent in Federal Service outside of IRS.

Learning Curve - A specified number of samples containing a specified number of documents within each sample to ensure employees receive quality review feedback on each OFP(parent) worked. Work processed on the OFP(parent) is not be part of any evaluative data until the learning curve has been met.

Low Hour Restriction - Data is excluded from the calculated base point if an employee works an OFP fewer than ten hours unless on average the employee works more than two hours per week on that OFP. This restriction applies to efficiency only.

Measurable Work, Quality - Work is considered measurable when it is performed by an employee assigned to a measured performance plan for quality, the OF has Numerical Performance Standards, the employee completed learning curve requirements for the OFP(parent),quality review results are reported, and volume is reported for the OFP reviewed.

Measurable Work, Efficiency - Work is considered measurable when it is performed by an employee assigned to a measured performance plan for efficiency, the OFP has Numerical Performance Standards, volume is reported, and the employee has completed the Learning Curve for the OFP(parent) (if measured in quality).

Measured Employees Performance System (MEPS) - An automated system designed to provide measured ratings for Quality and/or Efficiency for GS-08 and below employees who are assigned to a Measured Performance Plan in one or both of the measurable critical elements (quality and/or efficiency). Employees are measured based on comparing actual performance to Numerical Performance Standards which are provided to employees before the work is performed.

Median - If calculating an odd number of historical rates by OFP, it is the middle production rate. If calculating an even number of historical rates by OFP, it is the average of the two middle rates.

Numerical Performance Standard - A value against which employee performance is measured. It is expressed as the mean (average) Percent Accurate (Quality) or as the median number of Documents Per Hour (Efficiency).

OFP Consistency File - A file that contains valid OFP information used to validate OFP codes used in Production Control and Accounting (PCA) runs that regulates and defines Organization/Function/Program combinations against Generalized Mainline Framework (GMF) and Master File; an OFP must be valid on the OFP Consistency File before a MEPS efficiency base point can be set.

Overhead Hours - The time spent on function code 990.

Percent Accurate - A percentage for each OFP computed as the number of documents correct divided by the total number of documents reviewed.

Performance Reports - Reports that provide the most recent information about each program worked by an employee.

Precision Margin - A value added to an employee's accuracy rate to reach a 90% confidence level.

Quarter - A three month period of time. The beginning month set for the quarters are January, April, July and October.

Ratable Employee (Quality and/or Efficiency) - An employee who has met the measurable work criteria requirements of 40% measurable to direct time or 25% measurable to total time.

Release/Recall - A listing used to determine the release or recall of all Internal Revenue Service employees subject to periodic release and recall.

Rule of six (6) - At a minimum, at least six employees on a measured performance plan in efficiency must have completed the learning curve and reported time and volume to a specific/established OFP in a quarter with numerical performance standards to be measurable. They must also meet the low hour restriction.

SEID - Standard Employee Identifier is the five digit code that uniquely ties employees to their data without using their Social Security Number.

Sixty Day Annual CJE Counter - The period of time an employee on a measured performance plan must be on measured CJEs (quality and/or efficiency) during their rating period before they can receive a measured rating. Time in non-work status and time assigned to an unmeasured performance plan are not counted towards meeting the annual 60 day requirement. Work performed during the annual CJE counter is considered measurable.

Skill Codes - An alpha/numeric code assigned to an employee upon successful completion of training and/or learning curve for use on Release Recall reports.

Time/Weight - The measurable hours worked for each OFP or OF divided by the total measurable hours.

Total Time - The total of all hours worked including function 990.

Each Submission Processing Center determines the level of management responsible for establishing and monitoring the system.

Functional responsibility for creating and maintaining an employee’s EQSP profile is at the employee's team manager level.

Functional responsibility for assigning and updating an employee's performance plan on the EQSP profile is at the employee's team manager level.

Functional responsibility for assigning and maintaining an employee’s manage programs for quality review is at the employee's team manager level.

Functional responsibility for monitoring an employee’s learning curve sampling requirements is at the employee’s team manager level.

Functional responsibility for providing an employee’s sample pull request to the quality team manager is at the employee’s team manager level.

Functional responsibility for input of efficiency adjustments (IPR Adjustments) is at the employee’s team manager level.

Functional responsibility for input of Quality adjustments is at the quality manager level within the Quality Team of the operation where the review is performed.

Efficiency base points are to be input at the operation level by the Operation MEPS Coordinator, the Operation Manager, or the Site MEPS Coordinator.

Release Recall information is to be input by the team managers for the employees within their team.

Release Recall Listings are to be requested for the Operation at the Operation MEPS Coordinator, Operation Manager, Department Manager, or Site MEPS Coordinator level.

Each Submission Processing Center will have a Site MEPS Coordinator responsible for over site of the MEPS program.

Systemic or procedural problems of sufficient complexity and/or scope requiring Headquarters attention should be channeled through the Site MEPS Coordinator.

The Unmeasured Performance Plan provides the guidelines for evaluating employees performing unmeasured work.

Unmeasured Performance Plans are assigned to employees when all CJEs are considered unmeasurable; neither volume reported (efficiency) nor work reviewed (quality) are considered measurable.

Few Submission Processing employees are unmeasured in MEPS because most employees can be measured in at least one CJE – Quality.

For Performance Management System (PMS) purposes, employees covered by MEPS are assigned to performance plans that describe the CJEs and the performance expectations for those elements. The Measured Performance Plan provides the guidelines for evaluating employees performing measured work.

Measured Performance Plans include CJEs that can be measured against set performance standards. These CJEs are:

Under MEPS, an employee can be measured in one or both of the measurable CJEs - Quality and/or Efficiency. For example, some employees in the Accounting Operation could be measured in quality and unmeasured in efficiency.

All GS-08 and below Submission Processing employees have the potential of being measured in MEPS in at least one critical element – Quality. This includes Quality Reviewers and Team Leads because employees in these positions often spend a portion of their time completing work subject to quality review.

Under MEPS, if work in a function can receive quality review, the function should be measured.

Annual measured ratings for quality and/or efficiency calculate only for employees who have been under critical job elements for sixty days during each annual rating period.

Use Form 6774, Receipt of Critical Job Elements and Fair and Equitable Treatment of Taxpayer Retention Standard, to inform employees of their assigned position description, CJEs, and performance plan. The Form must be signed by the employee and the manager following a discussion of the CJEs; provide one copy to the employee and place one copy in the Employee Performance File (EPF).

The employee's position description (PD) does not determine the type of performance plan an employee is on. Numerous employees can be on the same PD, some will be measured on a CJE, others will be unmeasured based on the type of work they are processing:

An employee profile must be available in the EQSP system to designate the type of performance plan an employee is assigned. It is the gaining manager's responsibility to ensure each employee is assigned the correct performance plan.

When an employee’s profile is created, the employee is placed on a performance plan for quality and efficiency and the performance plan becomes effective.

The Performance Plan Section of the "Add Employee Profile" screen contains fields for:

The performance plan start date is determined by the date selected in the Plan Date field and will therefore always be either the current week's Sunday date or the subsequent week's Sunday date. (A performance plan always begins on a Sunday - the first day of the processing week.)

The Quality Plan and Plan Date and the Efficiency Plan and Plan Date must be kept current to ensure the employee’s performance plan is correct. If at any time a measured employee becomes unmeasured in quality and/or efficiency, the performance plan(s) must be changed to unmeasured.

Performance Plan and Plan Date changes are completed on the "Manage Employee Performance Plans" screen that generates when "Manage Plans" is selected on the Employee Profile Screen.

When the plan is updated (changed from Measured to Unmeasured or from Unmeasured to Measured), the Performance Plan End Date sets to the current week's Saturday date and the Start date for the new Plan sets to the next Sunday date. The Manage Employee Plan Performance screen retains and displays a history of the Performance Plans with all Start Dates and End Dates.

Quality base points represent the accuracy rate of work processed nationally (across all sites); they are set at the Operation, Function (OF) level. Headquarters MEPS Coordinators are responsible for establishing Quality Base Point/Numerical Performance Standards.

Efficiency base points represent the number of documents processed per hour at each individual site; they are set at the Operation, Function, Program (OFP) level. Each site determines the level of management responsible for establishing Efficiency Base Point/Numerical Performance Standards but the responsibility for a final Efficiency Base Point/Numerical Performance Standards review should not be delegated below the Operation MEPS Coordinator level.

Numerical Performance Standards are required to determine levels of employee performance.

MEPS quality base points and efficiency base points are used to determine Quality Numerical Performance Standards and Efficiency Numerical Performance Standards for ratings levels 2-5 as follows:

The Quality Calculated Base Point Report and the Efficiency Calculated base Base Point Report run on the third Monday of the first month of the quarter prior to the quarter they are effective. This ensures there is ample time to review the reports and set the base points for the upcoming quarter correctly.

The quality report lists all OFs (parent) by operation worked by employees measured in quality who met the learning curve for the OFP (parent) and had Individual Performance Review performed and recorded in the EQSP system.

The efficiency report lists all OFP's by operation worked by employees measured in efficiency who reported time and volume for the OFP in SETR.

The Calculated Base Point for Quality Report and the Calculated Base Point for Efficiency Report are available on Control-D. The Control-D Report Names and Job Names are:

These reports serve as tools for management to record changes to the base points. Management must review and validate each base point. The calculated base point is used to compute the employee performance standard unless revisions are made to establish a more accurate base point.

If an efficiency base point needs to be changed, deleted (lowered to zero) or added, management must make the necessary annotations on the report and submit to the designated person for input.

Input of any revisions, deletions, or additions must be completed prior to fourteen days before the beginning of the quarter they are effective.

The Site MEPS Coordinator should review all Efficiency Base Points. The base points are revised in MEPS through the EQSP system by the Site MEPS Coordinator, Operation Manager, or Operation MEPS Advisor.

The Employee Performance Standards Report generates 14 days before the standards are effective and thereafter any time a base point is changed.

Management must provide a copy of the Performance Standards to employees in formal meetings prior to their proposed implementation date (refer to the 2016 National Agreement II, Article 8, for further information on formal meetings).

An acknowledgement of receipt statement appears on the report that must be signed, dated, and placed in the employee’s Employee Performance File (EPF). The statement indicates the employee has been given a copy of the "Employee Performance Standards Report" for the period covered on the report and indicates their manager discussed these standards in a team meeting.

Employees must also receive a copy of the Performance Standards anytime a base point that pertains to the work an employee performs is changed; the employee signs the statement acknowledging receipt of the revised standards and the report is placed in the EPF.

The Employee Performance Standards Report generates by Operation and lists all measured Quality OF base points and standards and/or measured Efficiency OFPs for the operation at the applicable site. It is available on Control-D; the Control-D Report Name is "PERF STANDARDS RPT" and the Control-D Job Name is MEPEPS.

Base Points/Numerical Performance Standards cannot be added after the beginning of a quarter they are effective. Implemented Base Point/Numerical Performance Standards (base points set and effective at the beginning of the quarter they cover) cannot be raised after the quarter begins. All revisions (lowered or deleted base points) are retroactive to the beginning of the quarter.

Quality base points are monitored closely by headquarters; revisions are made only by headquarters because the base points are set nationally at the OF (parent) level.

MEPS systemically reviews and revises added and raised efficiency base points after the last weekly processing of the quarter based on the following criteria:

MEPS systemically reviews and deletes any efficiency base point if less than six employees worked the OFP during the quarter (Less Than 6 Rule).

MEPS also systemically deletes any efficiency base point if less than 6 employees worked the OFP less than 10 hours, unless the employee worked the OFP more than an average of 2 hours per week (Low Hour Restriction).

Management is provided a time frame after the systemic revisions and prior to the run date of the Annual and the Monthly Individual Performance Reports to lower efficiency base points.

Management should revise efficiency base points only if issues prevented the employee from achieving the set rate and not solely because the rate was not met.

Efficiency base point revisions must be input through the EQSP system on the MEPS Menu by the Site MEPS Coordinator or the Operation MEPS Coordinator.

The quality level of the Operation, Function (OF) for the quarter determines the amount of learning curve the employee receives for each OFP (parent) as follows:

If a sample is pulled that does not contain the number of required documents, the sample is considered a learning curve review type and is not included in evaluative data but it does not count towards the learning curve requirement.

Learning curve sampling requirements are programmed into MEPS, eliminating the need for management to notify the Quality Team when the employee has met the learning curve on a particular OFP (parent).

Once the employee meets learning curve for an OFP (parent), the learning curve requirement is met regardless of any future changes to the quality level for that OF.

If the learning curve is not met during the quarter the employee is placed on learning curve for an OFP (parent), the requirements change if the quality level of the OF changes in the following quarter; any sample that met the learning curve sample size in one quarter is counted as a required sample in the following quarter even if the documents per sample increases in the following quarter.

Managers must monitor learning curve status and ensure employees receive learning curve reviews and meet learning curve requirements for assigned OFPs (parent).

Learning curve monitoring tools available are:

Management is required to provide written notification to the employee when the learning curve is met for each OFP (parent).

A notice generates on the “Single Event Sample Pull Report” that indicates when quality review sample pulls are applied to learning curve; the notice reads: “This sample is under Learning Curve and will not be used in evaluative data.”

A notice also generates on the “Single Event Sample Pull Report” when the employee receives their last learning curve review for the specific OFP (parent); the notice reads: "This is your last review while under Learning Curve. All future individual reviews may be used in evaluative data."

The Single Event Sample Pull Report must be provided to the employee and serves as the official written notification that learning curve is met for the OFP (parent).

The employee should initial and date any Single Event Sample Pull Report indicating "This is your last review while under Learning Curve...." and the manager should retain a copy of the initialed report; this serves as an acknowledgment that the employee received the learning curve notification.

After the learning curve requirement is met for an OFP (parent), the review results are included in the MEPS measured database and the work performed on the OFP becomes measurable for quality and/or efficiency.

Managers must actively review and distribute IPRs timely.

Managers must verify all employees on a measured performance plan for quality and/or efficiency receive an IPR; if an IPR does not generate for a measured employee, the manager must determine the reason(s) and take corrective action to resolve the issue. Common issues are:

Managers must verify the entity, performance plan, quality, and efficiency data:

Managers should review the Learning Curve during Period Covered and utilize the data as a tool to ensure learning curves are met.

Managers should discuss the performance data with employees and utilize the data to identify changes needed to performance goals, a need for action plans, and tracking employee performance improvement.

Managers must ensure employees have a clear understanding of data on the IPRs and provide training as needed. Managers should also encourage employee’s to regularly review the reports for accuracy.

Weekly Individual Performance Reports generate weekly, Monthly Individual Performance Reports generate monthly, and Annual Individual Performance Reports generate annually (15 days after the end of the quarter) for employees based on their annual rating period. Ad Hoc Individual Performance Reports are requested for specific time periods.

The employees performance data is displayed on the report by Assigned Organization Code and then in employee last name order within each assigned Org.

The section formatting on each IPR is alike; the differences are in the data contained within the sections and depend upon the period covered by each report. The sections of the Monthly, Weekly, Annual and Ad Hoc IPR are listed below.

Heading: The Weekly, Monthly, Annual, and Ad Hoc IPR include information identifying the report as follows:

Entity: The Weekly, Monthly, Annual, and Ad Hoc IPR includes information identifying the employee as follows:

Performance Plan: The Weekly, Monthly, Annual, and Ad Hoc IPR includes information identifying the employee’s measured performance plan as follows:

Report Dates: The Weekly, Monthly, Annual, and Ad Hoc IPR includes information identifying the report dates as follows:

Quality Rating Details - Includes all measured OFs with the total documents reviewed and total documents in error for the period covered.

Learning Curve During Period Covered - Details any learning curve quality review performed during the period covered.

Efficiency Rating Details - Includes hours worked on all direct OFPs with time and volume (if applicable) reported for the period covered (includes Function 880).

Total Overhead Hours -Includes time reported for any overhead OFPs for the period covered (Function 990).

Total Direct Hours - All direct time reported during the period covered (exclude Function 990).

Total Hours for the Period - The total of all hours reported during the period covered (overhead hours and direct hours).

Adjustments Made During the Period Covered - Reflects IPR Adjustments made during the "From Date" and "To Date" to reported time (direct or overhead) and/or volume.

A Weekly Individual Performance Report generates for any GS-08 and below employee measured in quality and/or efficiency who submitted Form 3081 for the week ending and/or received quality reviews for the week ending of the report.

A weekly IPR will generate even if a quality review input for the week is deleted prior to the run date of the IPR. The quality section will indicate there is no quality data for the time frame requested and the efficiency section will indicate there is no efficiency data for the time frame requested.

If the last day of the June 30, September 30, and/or December 31 quarter ends on a Monday through Thursday, employees are required to submit two Forms 3081 for the calendar week; this is referred to as split week processing. As a result, two weekly IPRs generate for the split week processing; one for the final days in the last week of the ending quarter and one for the first days in the week of the new quarter.

The Weekly IPR heading indicates Reporting Period: Weekly; the report includes:

The weekly IPR does not include a quality rating or an efficiency rating; fields used to compute the ratings appear as blank.

A Monthly Individual Performance Report (IPR) generates for any GS-08 and below employee measured in quality and/or efficiency who submitted Form 3081 during their rating period and/or received quality reviews during their rating period. A monthly IPR also generates if an unmeasured employee had measured data during the month (submitted Form 3081 and/or had measured quality review results entered in EQSP system).

The Monthly IPR includes data from the beginning date of the employees rating period through the last week of the month covered on the report.

The beginning date of an employee's rating period is determined by the last digit of the employee’s Social Security Number. Rating period beginning date and ending date are:

The Monthly IPR heading indicates Reporting Period: Monthly; the report includes the following:

A rating generates and appears on the Monthly IPR if the employee:

The Monthly IPR is not always indicative of the employee’s performance. Base points are often revised after the quarter ends; the precision margin and adjusted accuracy often decrease as the number of documents reviewed and time spent working the program increase.

Annual IPRs generate quarterly based on employees’ rating periods. An annual IPR generates for any GS-08 and below employee who was measured at any time during their rating period and who submitted Form 3081 and/or received quality reviews at any time during their rating period. A measured rating appears on the IPR if:

The Annual IPR heading indicates "Reporting Period: Annual" ; the report includes the following:

The Annual IPR generates after the quarterly runs are complete. Management should complete the following prior to the run date of the report to ensure rating calculations on the reports are correct:

Annual IPRs are provided to assist management with preparation of the employee’s annual evaluation. Performance summaries are not, in and of themselves, performance appraisals; they are evaluative recordations (refer to 2016 National Agreement, Article 12, Section 15.)

An Ad Hoc IPR can be requested by management to cover any amount of time within an employee's rating period.

The Ad Hoc IPR may be requested for various reasons. Example are:

The Ad Hoc IPR heading indicates Reporting Period: Ad Hoc and includes entity information, performance plan information, and report information with the From Date as the beginning date requested and the To Date as the ending date requested.

The Ad Hoc IPR contains all individual performance data for the employee and includes a rating if the rating criteria has been met.

The Ad Hoc is requested through the EQSP MEPS Menu and is available to Management based on the Manager’s span of control; the span of control is the assigned Site and Operation/Department/Team located on the Manager’s EQSP profile and the Employee’s EQSP profile.

To request an Ad Hoc IPR through the EQSP system:

The Quality Rating Details section of the IPR contains all data required to determine a quality rating.

Individual Performance Review results for the period covered on the IPR displays based on the OF (parent) and quarter the review occurred. A rating is determined as follows:

If a Function is considered high quality, the Total Documents Reviewed, Total Documents in Error, Accuracy, Precision Margin, and Adjusted Accuracy display as N/A. The Base Point displays as 97.0 and the Employee Index is always 140.000 (representing a "5" rating on the National Ranges).

If an employee works only HQF, the rating will be a “5”. If HQF and other OFs are worked, the employee must achieve the minimum Employee Time Weighted Score of 140.000 for an overall “5” rating in all functions worked during the rating period.

The Efficiency Rating Details section of the IPR contains all data required to determine an efficiency rating.

Direct time reported on employee's Form 3081 displays for the Organization, Function, Program and quarter the OFP was worked. A rating is determined as follows:

Form 14243, "MEPS IPR Adjustments" is available to record adjustments required in MEPS when incorrect performance data is identified on a Weekly IPR. The information on Form 14243 is then entered into MEPS through the EQSP System.

Form 14243 is available on the Electronic Publishing Website and can be completed online. Complete the blocks provided on Form 14243 as follows:

Form 14243 should be attached to the Weekly IPR and to Form 3081 or to a SETR print for the week the adjustment is correcting. It is recommended that the Team Manager input the adjustment directly into the EQSP System. If a designated Operation MEPS Coordinator inputs the correction, a copy of the Weekly IPR and Form 3081 or SETR print must be attached to Form 14243 and forwarded to the Coordinator.

IPR adjustments for MEPS are input through an adjustment screen accessed from the MEPS Menu in the EQSP system based on span of Control.

To access the IPR Adjustment Search Results screen and view the OFPs and time and volume reported on an employee’s Weekly IPR:

To access the "IPR Adjustment - Add Record" screen and add data that should appear on the Weekly IPR for the week ending date:

To access the "IPR Adjustment – Edit Record" screen and correct data previously reported in SETR that appears incorrectly on the Weekly IPR for the week ending date (or correct data previously added on the IPR Adjustment – Add Record screen):

The MEPS process analyzes efficiency hours and volume in conjunction with performance plan, quality learning curve, and efficiency base point data to determine the Efficiency Measure Code. The Efficiency Measure Code Values for an OFP are:

The OFP hours and or volume are analyzed any time efficiency data is changed and recalculation occurs as required. For example: Measure Code recalculates from "N" to "M" or "T" if volume is added to an OFP with base points after hours only were reported. Likewise, the measure code recalculates from "M" to "U" if a base point systemically deletes after the quarter ends.

A "Recalculate Measure Codes" function is available on the IPR Adjustment Search Results screen; it allows a user (based on span of control) to request the system to recalculate the Efficiency Measure Code(s) for the selected week ending.

When "Recalculate Measure Codes" is clicked, the system analyzes each OFP listed based on the Measure Code Values and determines the correct Measure Code. The user receives a message indicating the Measure Codes were updated successfully.

Examples of when to manually recalculate the Efficiency Measure Code Values include:

Efficiency Measure Code recalculation is not considered an IPR Adjustment and therefore does not appear in the "Adjustments Made During the Period Covered" section of any IPR.

Any time quality review performed for an OF produces an accuracy rate equal to or greater than the High Quality Standard (HQS) of 97.0%, the OF is considered High Quality Function (HQF) and is reviewed as High Quality Work during the same quarter of the subsequent year.

If a quality base point calculates at 97.0% accurate or higher for any OF, product review is performed for all programs within the HQF for that quarter. If an OF is HQW, it remains HQW for the entire quarter regardless of the OF quality review results.

Employees receive learning curve for any OFP (parent) the employee works that falls within a HQF (HQW sampling requirement is 2 sample pulls with a minimum of 3 documents per sample).

Quality Reviewers input HQF review results into the EQSP System as Individual Review with the employee’s SEID. If learning curve is met for the OFP (parent), the review is HQW; if learning curve is not met for the OFP (parent) the review is Learning Curve.

A 97.0% or above accuracy rate indicates the performance standard base point is 97.0 and the level of performance rate is 5, designating outstanding performance.

An employee working OFPs within a HQF automatically receives the minimum employee effectiveness score of 140.0 required to achieve a “5” rating for all time spent working programs in that OF.

HQW does not guarantee a “5” rating in quality. The employee must also:

Because an employee is required to receive notification of all quality review performed and input under their SEID, the employee is therefore required to receive the Single Event Sample Pull Report for HQW reviewed and input into EQSP. The Review Type indicates High Quality Work.

Individual Quality Review is performed on an employee's work if:

Individual Quality Review process is designed to randomly sample an employee's completed work for the purpose of providing feedback to the employee and to provide the basis for evaluation of the employee's performance on the measured CJE Business Results – Quality. Individual Review results determine the employee's accuracy rate and the evaluative rating level 2 through 5.

Quality reviewers are responsible for completing Individual Quality Review on a designated sample of an employee’s work to determine how well the employee has followed established procedures and guidelines.

A defect is defined as any error condition(s) identified on a document/case within the sample. Defects and the number of correct documents/cases within the sample are recorded.

The Recommended Annual Sample (RAS) is the recommended number of reviews required for each OF the employee works during the employee’s annual rating period, regardless of the number of programs worked or the length of the season.

The RAS provides the sample size required during an annual rating period to achieve a 90% confidence level within a plus or minus 2% sampling error.

The RAS for each OF is 260 documents per employee.

A value is added to the employee's accuracy rate to ensure a 90% confidence level is obtained based on the documents reviewed; the value is identified as the "Precision Margin" on Monthly IPRs and on Annual IPRs.

The total documents reviewed should never be lower than the RAS of 260 documents; additional documents can be sampled, but the annual sample should remain as close as possible to the RAS.

If the RAS is reached prior to the end of an employee’s rating period, sampling must continue.

The team manager is responsible to establish weekly sample sizes for each employee.

A Sampling Report generates in MEPS and should be utilized by Team Managers to monitor and adjust employee sample sizes to ensure the RAS is being met for each employee. Team Managers should provide the Sampling Report to the Quality Team Manager as a guide for clerks to utilize while pulling samples for review.

MEPS relies on correct sampling to ensure the sample adequately represents an employee's actual performance. Sampling requirements include the following criteria:

Sampled work must be counted as specified in the 5995a database (located on the Operation, Function, Program (OFP) Code Resource Center Online.

To determine sample size, the manager estimates the number of weeks an employees is expected to work programs within an OF. The following should be considered:

MEPS suggested sample size is programmed based on permanent employees working 48 weeks during their annual rating period and seasonal and term employees working 24 weeks during their annual rating period. The manager needs to plan for any difference in weeks worked when determining the weekly reviews required during the employee’s rating period.

The sample size should generally remain constant throughout the weeks of the employee’s annual rating period. Changes to the weekly sample size can occur if a change to any condition affects the number of weeks an employee works the OF, such as:

The sample size must not be increased based on an employee’s accuracy rate. If an employee is not achieving a fully successful rating, options include:

The Sampling Report generates weekly for each Site; it is used as:

The sampling report contains data for employees who met all of the following criteria:

The Sampling Report is sorted by:

The Sampling Report contains the following information:

The Sampling Report must be provided to the Quality Review Team Manager anytime the employee's sample size changes; it is not necessary if the weekly sample remains constant.

The employee’s team manager should ensure that the OF sampled and the documents sampled are consistent with the information requested on the Sampling Report.

The quality team manager should contact the employee's team manager for a sample size on any OF worked by the employee if a sample size has not been requested.

The Sampling Report is available on Control-D after weekly processing. The Control-D Report Name is "SAMPLING RPT" ; the Control-D Job Name is MEPSAR.

A sampling log/pull sheet must be maintained as a record for each employee’s individual quality review (will include learning curve sampling). The log serves as an audit trail for research purposes. The sampling log must contain the following:

Local forms that contain the required elements may be used to record the sampling statistical data.

Retain sample log/pull sheets for 4 quarters plus the current quarter; authorized disposition is 1 year after the end of the current quarter (per Document 12990).

The Mid-Quarter/Quarterly Efficiency Report generates for each site. The efficiency data is listed in Operation, Function, and Program order for every measured OFP at the applicable site. The report includes:

An asterisk appears by the line(s) used to determine the median on the end of quarter efficiency report. An asterisk appears by the median if an odd number of employees worked the OFP; an asterisk appears by the 2 lines used to determine the median if the OFP is worked by an even number of employees. (The DPH for the 2 middle lines are added together and divided by 2 to determine the median.)

The Mid-Quarter/Quarterly Quality Report generates for each site. The quality data is listed in Operation and Function order for every measured OF at the applicable site. The report includes:

The Operation Report provides a summary of data for measured employees with measured ratings 1–5 at the specified Site in each Operation by Team. The data is captured from the Annual IPR's for Quality and for Efficiency.

The Report compiles the data for each team within an Operation and provides the Operation totals for quality and the Operation totals for efficiency for the total number of employees who received a rating of 1 through 5, the total number of employees who were due a rating, the total number and percentage of employees who received a rating, and the number of employees with less than 60 days on measured CJEs during their rating period for quality and/or efficiency.

A discrepancy between the number of employees receiving a rating and the number on a measured plan indicates a need for management within the Operation to determine the cause of the discrepancy and take corrective action.

The Operation Rating Statistics by Team Report must be posted for employees assigned within the Operation to view until the next quarterly processing when a new report generates.

The Operation Rating Statistics Report by Team is available on Control-D after the quarter end processing is complete (15th day of the month following the end of the quarter). The Control-D Report Name is "STATISTICS FOR OPER" ; the Control-D Job Name is MEPSOP.

The Operation Report provides a summary of data for measured employees with measured ratings 1–5 at the specified Site by Operation. The quality and efficiency data is captured from the Operation Rating Statistics by Team Report.

The report provides information by Operation for the current period covered and for the same period covered, prior year. It also provides the Service Center total for the current period covered and for the same period covered, prior year. This affords ease in recognizing areas of improvement or decline when comparing current year to previous year rating statistics.

The discrepancy between the number of employees receiving a rating and the number on a measured plan due a rating indicates a need for management within the Site to determine the cause of the discrepancy and take corrective action.

The Service Center Rating Statistics Report by Operation is available on Control-D after the quarter end processing is complete (15th day of the month following the end of the quarter). The Control-D Report Name is "STATISTICS FOR SC" ; the Control-D Job Name is MEPSSC.

The National Report provides a summary of data for measured employees with measured ratings 1–5 for the Nation by Site. The quality and efficiency data is captured from the Service Center Rating Statistics by Operation Report. The National Rating Statistics by Service Center Report provides a summary of measured Ratings 1 through 5 for all measured employees at each Submission Processing Center.

The report provides information by Site for the current period covered and for the same period covered, prior year. It also provides the National total for the current period covered and for the same period covered, prior year.

The report is compiled for Headquarters use only. The Control-D Report Name is "STATISTICS FOR NATION" ; the Control-D Job Name is MEPSNA.

The Weekly No Volume OFP Report provides a weekly listing of measured employees with time but no volume reported for any measured OFP.

Management should review the report weekly and determine if volume should have been reported for any OFP listed on the report. Determine if the omission of volume was intentional or if the employee intended to report volume. Compare the employee’s Form 3081 (if employee is required to submit) with SETR and verify the correct data was input. If discrepancies are identified, MEPS IPR adjustments are required to correct the data.

The EMF 3-Coded Employees Report provides a weekly listing of employees 3-coded by Personnel.

An employee is 3-coded when they are no longer employed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); the employee may have retired, resigned, been terminated, or is deceased.

Management should review the report weekly to ensure employees listed on the report have not been incorrectly coded. If discrepancies are identified, contact Personnel to have the employee's record corrected.

Employees remain on the Employee Master File (EMF) Production and Control (PCA) for nine months and therefore appear on the MEPS EMF 3-Coded Employees Report for nine months after leaving IRS.

The Grade Mismatch Listing provides a weekly report of employees listed at one grade on the Employee Masterfile (EMF), but at a different grade on Employee Performance File (IMS05).

Management should review the report weekly and work with their Headquarters Report Team to resolve the grade discrepancy. The listing generates for an employee each week until the issue is resolved.

The Missing Employees Report provides a listing of employees with records on the Employee Master File but without profiles established in the EQSP System.

Management should review the report weekly to determine if employees listed on the report should be profiled in EQSP and, if so, take action to create the profile. (See IRM 3.30.30, Embedded Quality for Submission Processing (EQSP) System, for creating employee profile instructions.)

The Minimally Successful and Below Employees by Operation Report provides a quarterly listing of all employees within each Operation at each Site with a rating of a "2" or below in either quality and/or efficiency on their Monthly IPR through the quarter ending on the report.

Management should utilize the report as a tool to identify employees who need additional assistance to achieve a fully successful rating in quality and/or efficiency.

Seasonal and term employees are ranked according to performance (based on annual appraisals) and seniority (based on Enter on Duty (EOD) date).

Employees receive an overall performance rating based on their most recent annual performance appraisal for their Critical Job Elements (CJE).

A new employee who has not received an annual evaluation may receive an ad-hoc evaluation for release/recall purposes if the employee has been on their CJE’s for at least 60 days.

Seasonal Employees and Term Employees are placed in categories and in ranking order based on their category as follows:

Intermittent employees are ranked for release/recall according to oldest EOD order.

Tied scores (identical EODs) are broken based on SCD and then by the last four digits of the SSN.

Skills are determined by management and are assigned to an employee based on a listing management establishes for each organizational level at each site; skill codes may differ from Operation to Operation.

An employee can be assigned up to 15 alpha/numeric/special characters (skill codes) indicating the skills of the employee.

When release is necessitated due to decreased work volumes, the employees with skill codes assigned applicable to the decreased work are subject to release. When recall is implemented, those employees assigned the skill codes needed are recalled first. (Release and Recall are based on the ranking order and skills needed).

An employee does not have to be fully successful in order to receive a skill code.

Skill Code information is found in 2016 National Agreement, Article 14, Section 2 ,D and includes the following:

Skills codes are retained or lost for release/recall purposes as follows:

Release Recall Listings are generated through the EQSP System, Release Recall Menu; they are created based on data loaded onto the Release Recall EMF Screen from PCA Files and TIMIS Files and from information managers enter into the system on employees’ Release Recall Records.

Three reports that generate for Release Recall are:

"2016 National Agreement" outlines specific procedures for management to follow when releasing or recalling employees.

Release procedures are:

To determine which employees to released:

Recall Procedures are:

Recall the employees based on ranking order as follows:

The assigned role and permissions within the EQSP System determine which actions management can complete and which employees management has access to when completing the release/recall on screens located in the EQSP system. The span of control is based on the role and on the assigned organization code entered in the Manager’s EQSP Profile “Assigned Org” field.

Becoming familiar with the Release/Recall Screens is essential to completing the process. Click Release Recall on the EQSP home page to access the Release Recall Main Menu. The Main Menu includes: