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Multnomah County unveils plan for countywide 360 manager reviews, staff emphasize development over discipline
Summary
County staff proposed a countywide 360-degree evaluation program for managers that will be developmental, confidential and phased in with executive pilots, training and coaching; commissioners sought assurances about anonymity, rollout timing and safeguards against punitive use.
Multnomah County leaders on Thursday outlined a plan to launch countywide 360-degree reviews of managers intended to strengthen leadership, improve employee experience and support retention.
The central human-resources team, the office of diversity and equity and the Department of County Management presented the proposal as a professional-development tool rather than a disciplinary instrument. “Our focus was to build leadership capacity — not discipline, not performance scoring, and certainly not compensation decisions,” Chief Diversity and Equity Officer Laura Shepard told the Board of Commissioners.
Staff proposed using an existing Multnomah Leadership 360 (ML360) tool that the Department of County Management developed in 2022 and refined after a 2023 pilot. The instrument asks 30 Likert-style questions tied to the county27s 10 core competencies. Departments could use the tool as-is for consistency across the county or add limited, department-specific questions.
The rollout would begin with an executive pilot and expand in waves by manager level, with a long-term goal of completing reviews every 24 months (alternating with the countywide employee survey). Presenters emphasized three pillars for success: comprehensive confidential feedback from supervisors, peers and direct reports; structured self-reflection by managers; and embedded coaching and actionable development resources.
Commissioners repeatedly pressed staff on safeguards. Several asked how the program would preserve anonymity for small teams and prevent the tool from being "weaponized" against managers. Staff said the evaluation and research unit will administer the tool centrally, enforce minimum group-size thresholds before individual comments are surfaced, and provide coaching to managers who receive feedback. Jillian Gerard, who administers the DCM pilot, described thresholds and report designs intended to minimize identifiability of respondents.
The board also discussed timeline questions: staff confirmed an anticipated countywide implementation target of late 2027 into January 2028, with an executive pilot phase timed to refine procedures before broader deployment.
Supporters said the program could improve institutional consistency and strengthen the pipeline of future leaders if implemented with fidelity. "Strong supported managers produce better outcomes for both employees and the people we serve," Laura Shepard said.
Next steps: staff will form an implementation work group with cross-department representation — including equity managers and union partners — to finalize reviewer-selection rules, training, coaching capacity, reporting practices and a pilot schedule.
