According to Section 92 of the North Rhine-Westphalia Civil Servants Act, civil servants should be appraised at regular intervals (regular appraisal). According to Section 8 of the Career Ordinance (Laufbahnverordnung - LVO), the interval is generally three years. In addition, there are appraisals for special reasons and appraisals during the probationary period. The appraisals are included in the personnel file after the civil servant has been notified. Paderborn University has issued appraisal guidelines that regulate the appraisal procedure for administration and library staff.

Purpose of the appraisal:
The performance of civil servants should be assessed in a graded and comparable manner. In addition, a picture of aptitude and suitability should be gained. The purpose of appraisals is to enable Paderborn University to base decisions about civil servants' areas of responsibility and their career progression, in particular promotion, on the principle of selecting the best candidates.