Performance Improvement Plan

Sekietha Davis

Capella University PSYC4016 – Introduction to Organizational Behavior Management

Professor: Dr. Reynolds

March 3, 2026
 The setting for this performance improvement plan is a community-based mental health facility

that serves children and adolescents with developmental and behavioral needs. The organization includes

behavior technicians, supervisors, administrative staff, and program managers who work together to

support clients receiving behavioral services. Technicians are responsible for implementing treatment

plans, collecting behavioral data, and completing documentation after each session. Services are typically

delivered through structured behavioral programming based on applied behavior analysis (ABA).

Supervisors monitor technician performance and provide feedback during supervision meetings and

observations. During the Performance Diagnostic Checklist–Human Services (PDC-HS) assessment, a

common performance issue identified was inconsistent completion of session documentation by

technicians. In several cases, technicians either delayed documentation or submitted incomplete notes,

which created challenges for supervision, billing, and treatment integrity.

Pinpointing is a behavior analytic method used to define performance behaviors in clear

and observable terms. A pinpoint describes behavior using an action verb and a specific

outcome, which makes it easier to measure and evaluate performance. Unlike traditional

operational definitions, which often describe behavior in broad descriptive terms, pinpoints focus

on behaviors that can be counted, timed, or otherwise measured objectively. Pinpointing also

emphasizes behaviors that are directly related to performance improvement goals. For example,

rather than defining the behavior as “completing paperwork correctly,” a pinpoint would be

“submits completed session note within 30 minutes of session end.” This format helps

supervisors track progress and determine whether interventions are effective.

As part of the PDC-HS assessment, several pinpoints were developed to identify specific

performance behaviors related to documentation. The primary pinpoint was “technician submits

completed session note within 30 minutes after the session ends.” A second pinpoint was

“technician includes all required data fields in the electronic documentation system.” These
behaviors were selected because they are observable, measurable, and directly linked to service

quality and administrative requirements.

The PDC-HS assessment suggested that the performance problem was not related to a

lack of skill or knowledge. Most technicians had been trained on the documentation system and

demonstrated the ability to complete notes correctly when prompted. Instead, the assessment

indicated deficits in the consequences and feedback systems. Technicians rarely received

immediate feedback about their documentation performance, and reinforcement for timely

documentation was minimal. In some cases, technicians prioritized other tasks because those

behaviors produced more immediate reinforcement.

Another finding from the assessment was that the expectations for documentation

timelines were not consistently emphasized. Although staff were informed that notes should be

completed promptly, the exact expectation and its importance were not consistently reinforced.

This lack of clarity contributed to variation in technician performance. To measure the identified

pinpoints, a data collection system will be implemented using the electronic documentation

platform already used by the organization. The system automatically records the time a session

ends and the time the note is submitted, allowing supervisors to calculate the latency between the

session end and documentation completion. In addition, supervisors will use a checklist to

review whether required data fields are completed accurately.

Data will be collected daily and aggregated weekly. Supervisors will visually inspect the

data using simple line graphs that show the percentage of notes completed within the 30-minute

timeframe. Graphing the data will allow supervisors to monitor trends and determine whether the

intervention is improving performance.

involve performance feedback combined with positive reinforcement. Research in organizational

behavior management has shown that performance feedback is an effective method for

improving employee performance when it is delivered clearly and consistently (Daniels &

Bailey, 2014). The implementation process will begin with a brief meeting with all technicians to

review the performance expectations and explain the new monitoring system. During this

meeting, supervisors will clearly describe the pinpointed behaviors, explain how performance

will be measured, and answer any questions from staff. Technicians will also be informed about

the feedback and recognition components of the program.

Next, baseline data will be collected for one week to determine the current level of

performance. During this period, supervisors will not implement the intervention but will track

documentation completion times to establish a comparison point. After baseline data are

collected, the feedback system will be introduced. Supervisors will review the data each week

and provide technicians with visual graphs of their performance. During supervision meetings,

supervisors will discuss the results and provide positive feedback for improvement or consistent

performance.

Finally, supervisors will provide reinforcement for technicians who meet or exceed the

performance goal. This reinforcement may include public recognition during staff meetings or

individualized praise from supervisors. Data will continue to be collected and reviewed weekly

to determine whether performance improves over time.

Compassion will be incorporated into this performance improvement plan by involving

technicians in the goal-setting process and ensuring that feedback is supportive rather than

punitive. Supervisors will ask technicians about potential barriers to completing documentation
and collaborate with them to identify solutions. In addition, supervisors will emphasize

encouragement and recognition when technicians demonstrate improvement. This approach

promotes a supportive work environment and aligns with compassionate supervisory practices in

behavior analysis.

To ensure the reliability of the measurement system, supervisors will periodically

conduct interobserver agreement (IOA) checks on documentation reviews. Two supervisors will

independently review a sample of session notes and determine whether they meet the criteria for

completeness. Agreement will be calculated by dividing the number of agreements by the total

number of observations and multiplying by 100. Conducting these reliability checks will help

ensure that the data collected accurately represent technician performance.

This performance improvement plan used the PDC-HS to identify factors contributing to

inconsistent documentation performance among technicians in a human services setting. By

pinpointing specific behaviors, implementing a clear measurement system, and introducing

feedback and reinforcement strategies, the organization can improve documentation timeliness

and accuracy. The plan also incorporates compassionate supervision practices and reliability

checks to ensure the system is fair and effective. With consistent implementation and

monitoring, these strategies are expected to improve staff performance and support the overall

quality of services provided to clients.

Austin, J., & Carr, J. E. (2000). Handbook of applied behavior analysis. Context Press.

Daniels, A. C., & Bailey, J. S. (2014). Performance management: Changing behavior that drives
organizational effectiveness (5th ed.). Aubrey Daniels International.