Influence of Performance Appraisal on Performance of Civil Servants in Kenya

This article is part of a doctoral project entitled “Results-Based Management and Performance of Civil Servants in Kenya”. The purpose of the article is to determine the influence of performance appraisal on performance of civil servants. During the last three decades performance appraisal has become a popular instrument in public sector reform agenda under the New Public Management which is results-driven. Its application has since become an important human resource management practice in the public sector performance management systems. The underlying aim is to foster organizational and individual efficiency and effectiveness in the public sector. Applying both descriptive survey and case study designs with a mixed research strategy, the study found that performance appraisal has a significant positive influence on performance of civil servants in Kenya. This means that, when performance appraisal process is effective, civil servants learn about themselves; gaining sense of personal worth, become more knowledgeable about their tasks, and more imperatively they learn about what are mostly valued by the employer. The study recommends for pragmatic use of performance appraisal since has significantly and positively influenced the performance of civil servants in Kenya.