## Notes from 04 August 2025 [[2025-08-03|← Previous note]] ┃ [[2025-08-05|Next note →]] After concluding a [desk review for República.org](https://republica.org/emdados/conteudo/benchmark-internacional-de-gestao-do-desempenho/) on performance management across six systems (in Chile, Uruguay, Portugal, Germany, the UK and the US), I had the pleasure of discussing the work with Folha de S.Paulo. I’m grateful for the conversation and would encourage anyone who is interested to [read the article](https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/mercado/2025/10/demissao-de-servidor-por-mau-desempenho-e-pouco-usada-em-outros-paises-aponta-estudo.shtml). The report itself is descriptive by design. What follows are two personal takeaways that emerged for me after working on it: 1) **Employment arrangements matter**. When roles involve flexible or time-limited contracts, managers may feel less pressure to follow formal separation procedures, and non-renewal becomes an everyday workforce decision rather than a disciplinary measure. This does not settle the debate, but it does change where management attention goes. 2) **Management first; law as scaffolding**. Goal-setting, feedback, support, and documentation are managerial muscles. The legal framework should make that work predictable and fair - and, crucially, create an information architecture that produces comparable, anonymized data. This enables the comparison of the rigor of appraisal policies across government bodies, allowing for public oversight without exposing individuals.