Appraisals at UCL are evolving

Starting in January 2025, we will launch MyAppraisal – a modern, digital tool for staff appraisals.  

My Appraisal is part of a wider digital platform called Thrive, that we will be introducing to transform how we support career development at UCL. Thrive has been designed to enhance how we approach appraisal conversations, identify learning opportunities, and support colleagues to progress in their careers. Find out more at one of our information sessions.   

Donna Dalrymple, Chief People Officer and Project Sponsor, shared her thoughts on this exciting new development:

“I am excited about the planned launch of MyAppraisal to our professional services, academic, teaching, research, and technical staff in January 2025. MyAppraisal is a major step toward modernising our appraisal process, moving us away from paper-based methods to a dynamic and user-friendly approach that empowers our staff to take an active role in their appraisals and career plans.

MyAppraisal will operate within our new Thrive platform, a crucial advancement in how we nurture and grow talent at UCL. This evolution marks the beginning of a more holistic approach to support our colleagues' development, ensuring their growth and success are closely aligned with UCL’s mission and values. Over the next 18 months we will develop Thrive to draw together in one convenient place all staff's learning and development activities (such as appraisals, development plans and learning records).  We’re excited to see the positive impact Thrive will bring to each of us and to our community as a whole.” 

Appraisals are an essential part of how we develop our colleagues at UCL, empowering them to thrive and grow in their careers. MyAppraisal has already replaced the Professorial Appraisal Review (PAR) system for professors and from January 2025, introduces a more streamlined, user-friendly process for other staff groups.  

Based on staff feedback, MyAppraisal features updated forms that encourage regular appraisals, support meaningful conversations, and reduce the associated administrative burden. It also provides custom appraisal pathways tailored to your role, ensuring the process is both relevant and engaging.  

Who can use MyAppraisal?  

Beginning in January 2025, MyAppraisal will be available for the following staff groups:  

• Professorial staff (Non-Clinical Professors, Professors (Teaching), & Professorial Research Fellows)  
• Academic, Research, and Teaching staff  
• Professional Services staff, including manual and craft staff  
• Technical professionals  

For this first year, all those on clinical staff codes will follow the Academic, Research, and Teaching pathway. This does not include Consultant Clinical Academics who should continue using current processes whilst further discovery work is ongoing to better understand their needs for appraisals.  

Attend an information session  

We are running 30-minute information sessions ahead of the launch to offer an opportunity for colleagues to find out more about the system and ask any questions they may have. Sign up to attend one of the sessions.    

We will provide more information in due course about the future features of Thrive, including tools for career development and learning, which will be rolled out in phases from 2025.  

To learn more, visit the appraisals SharePoint.