Skip to main content

Part of Job evaluation audit and KPI data collection technical guidance

Annex 2: Phase 3 - Agenda for Change workforce

Volume of job evaluation activity

This section of the return collects information on completed job evaluation activity across the organisation. The data requested includes the number job matching and job evaluation panels that have run (excluding consistency checking panels) and the number of jobs banded at those panels over the last 3 months. Information is also required on the reason for the job description has been through the panel process; and whether this relates to a new job, a changed job, or a review request.

Volume of job evaluation (JE) activity Number
Total number of JE panels convened  
Total number of jobs banded  
Of which: new jobs  
Of which: changed jobs  
Of which: reviews of previous panel outcomes  

Instructions:

  • total number of JE panels convened: provide the number of panels (matching and/or evaluation panels) that have taken place in the relevant reporting period (past 3 months). Please note, this does not include consistency checking panels, which are excluded
  • total number of jobs banded: provide the total number of jobs that have been through a matching and/or evaluation panel in the relevant reporting period (past 3 months). For example, there may have been 7 panels that have considered 20 jobs

The following questions ask about the reason for jobs being considered by the panel.

  • of which, new jobs: Of the total number of jobs banded during the relevant reporting period (past 3 months), state how many were new jobs
  • of which, changed jobs: Of the total number of jobs banded during the relevant reporting period (past 3 months), state how many were changed jobs
  • of which, review request of a previous panel outcomes: Of the total number of jobs banded during the relevant reporting period (past 3 months), state how many were reviews of a previous panel outcome
Definition
  • “Panel” means job matching or job evaluation panel; it does not include consistency checking panels
  • “Job” means the role considered by the panel; whether by matching a job description to a profile or by evaluating a Job Analysis Questionnaire (JAQ).  Panels may complete a number of jobs in any one sitting
  • “New job” means a job where recruitment has not yet taken place and there is no role holder
  • “Changed job” means a job that has been agreed as having significantly changed and a revised job description has been agreed since its last job evaluation outcome
  • “Review request” means a job that has been through a panel, but where the banding outcome is disputed by the role holder
Data validation rules:
  • all values must be whole numbers (greater than or equal to 0)
  • the value for “Total number of jobs banded” must be equal to or greater than the value given for “Total number of JE panels convened”
  • the values for new jobs, changed jobs and review requests must not exceed the total number of jobs banded

Quality and governance of job evaluation activity

This section of the return collects information on the quality, governance and delivery of job evaluation activity across the organisation. The data requested includes the way in which job evaluation panels are convened (including the involvement of staff side panellists, use of external or private providers, and panel cancellations) and the quality assurance/consistency of panel outcomes. It also collects information on the number of panel outcomes that are disputed by the role holders affected by them.

Quality and governance of JE activity Number
Number of JE panels that included staff side panellists  
Number of jobs sent to external/private providers for evaluation  
Number of JE panels cancelled (for example due to lack of panellist availability)  
Number of panel outcomes consistency checked  
Number of outcomes disputed by means of review request  

Instructions:

  • number of JE panels that included staff side panellists:  provide the number of panels that have been convened where there was at least one staff side panellist in attendance during the relevant reporting period (past 3 months).
  • number of jobs sent to external/private providers for evaluation: provide the number of jobs that have been evaluated (banded) by another organisation during the relevant reporting period (past 3 months)
  • number of JE panels cancelled (for example due to lack of panellist availability): provide the number of panels that were arranged but subsequently cancelled before taking place during the relevant reporting period (past 3 months)
  • number of panel outcomes consistency checked: provide the number of panel outcomes that underwent consistency checking (to confirm the panel outcome) during the relevant reporting period (past 3 months). Consistency checking usually takes place immediately after the panel meets but may occur later; therefore, some consistency checking activity may relate to panels held before the relevant reporting period and should still be counted
  • number of outcomes disputed by means of review request: provide the number of panel outcomes that have been formally disputed through submission of a review request. The number provided should reflect review requests received in the relevant reporting period (past 3 months), regardless of when the disputed panel outcome was confirmed
Data validation rules: 
  • all values must be whole numbers (greater than or equal to 0)
  • individual values for “Number of JE panels that included staff side panellists” and “Number of JE panels cancelled” must not exceed the value of “Total number of JE panels convened”

Volume of job evaluation activity and outcomes

This section of the return collects information on the volume and outcomes of job evaluation activity across the organisation. The data requested includes the total number of staff impacted by a changed job or review panel outcome within the last 3 months (reported by band grouping), and whether those panel outcomes resulted in a new job description at a higher pay band, a lower pay band, or no change to pay band.

                                                                                     

Band Total number of staff impacted by a changed job or review panel outcome within the last 3 months

Has this resulted in (state number) a new job description at: 

A higher pay band

Has this resulted in (state number) a new job description at: 

A lower pay band

Has this resulted in (state number) a new job description at: 

No change to pay band 

Bands 2- 4         
Bands 5 -7         
Bands 8a and above         

Instructions:

  • total number of staff impacted by a changed job or review panel outcome within the last 3 months: provide total the number of staff employed in jobs that have gone through a changed job or review process (this may include matching, evaluation, review, and consistency checking panels) in the relevant reporting period (past 3 months). Report staff within the band grouping applicable to the final outcome, not their previous band

For example, for Bands 2-4, this would include staff where the outcome was Band 2, Band 3 or Band 4; for Bands 5-7, where the outcome was Band 5, Band 6 or Band 7; and for Bands 8a and above, where the outcome was Band 8a or higher.

  • higher pay band, lower pay band, no change to pay band: Break “The total number of staff impacted” down into the number of staff who are now (as a result of that job evaluation outcome) at a higher pay band, a lower pay band or the same pay band compared to the band they were paid on before the job evaluation process

For example, for Bands 2-4, there may have been 2500 staff impacted, of whom 1200 are now on a higher pay band, 0 are now on a lower pay band, and 1300 experienced no change to their pay band.

  • in instances where the outcome of a job evaluation panel changes the band of the job to a different band grouping, count the job in the band grouping relevant to the outcome, not its original band. For example, if the job was originally band 4 but the job evaluation outcome is band 5, this job would be counted within Band 5-7
Definitions:
  • higher pay band: means higher than the previous banding for the role
  • lower pay band: means lower than the previous banding for the role
  • no change to pay band: means the same as the previous banding for the role
Data validation rules:
  • all values must be whole numbers (greater than or equal to 0)
  • for each band grouping, the values for “higher pay band”, “lower pay band” and “no change to pay band”, when totalled together, must not exceed the value given for “Total number of staff impacted by a changed job or review panel outcome within the last 3 months”

Timeliness of job evaluation reporting

This section of the return collects information on the timeliness of job evaluation reporting. The data requested includes the average (mean) time taken in working days to achieve a job evaluation outcome once all paperwork has been confirmed, together with the shortest and longest time recorded during the reporting period.

Only include cases where the final job evaluation outcome was communicated to the role holder during the relevant reporting period (past 3 months). Cases should be included regardless of when the finalised paperwork was received, when the panel met, or when consistency checking took place.

Organisations will need to track the length of time for each job that has been banded and communication of the final outcome in the relevant period. These values should then be used to calculate the mean, shortest and longest times reported in this section.

Timeliness measures Number of working days  
Mean time from receipt of finalised JE paperwork to outcome communication  
Shortest time recorded (within data range)  
Longest time recorded (within data range)  

Instructions:

  • Mean time from receipt of finalised JE paperwork to outcome communication:  provide the mean length of time, in working days, from receipt of finalised JE paperwork to communication of the final outcome for all cases within the reporting range

For example, the finalised paperwork was submitted on Wednesday 1 July 2026. The panel meet on Friday 24 July (17 working days later), consistency checking is completed on Tuesday 28 July (2 working days later) and the final outcome is communicated to the role holder on Friday 31 July (3 working days later).  The total time recorded for this case would be 22 working days.

  • shortest time recorded: provide the shortest recorded time, in working days, within the data range
  • longest time recorded: provide the longest recorded time, in working days, in the data range
Definitions:
  • working day: a weekday (Monday to Friday) excluding bank holidays and public holidays
  • the mean (average): is calculated by adding all recorded values together and dividing by the total number of values
Data validation rules:
  • mean time from receipt of finalised JE paperwork to outcome communication may be recorded to 1 decimal place (greater than or equal to 0) ​​​​​​
  • shortest time and longest time values must be whole numbers (greater than or equal to 0)
  • the value reported for shortest time recorded must be less than or equal to the value reported for mean time from receipt of finalised JE paperwork to outcome communication
  • the value reported for longest time recorded must be greater than or equal to the value reported for mean time from receipt of finalised JE paperwork to outcome communication

Submission notes:

  • ensure the same banding definitions and reporting periods are used across all sub-sections

Support: 

  • If you have a query about the data definitions used by the collection, or a business or policy query, please contact us by emailing: [email protected]
  • For all other queries including technical queries, adding or removing users, problems logging in and password resets, please contact us by creating a ticket on our customer portal: Data Collections Framework (DCF) customer support

Last edited: 25 August 2026 11:06 am