Which of the following describes feedback in performance management?

• A. Feedback is formative and ongoing to improve performance; evaluation is summative and used for official assessments.
• B. Evaluation is ongoing; feedback is final.
• C. Feedback is only for top performers.
• D. Both are identical in purpose.

Answer: (D)

Feedback and evaluation serve different roles in performance management. Feedback is formative and ongoing, provided during work to help someone improve, adjust actions, and develop skills. Evaluation is summative and used for official assessments—it's a formal judgment of performance at a specific time, used for decisions like promotions, pay, or retention. Because of these different purposes, they are not identical. Feedback isn’t limited to top performers; it should be given to everyone to support growth. Saying evaluation is ongoing and feedback is final doesn’t fit how these practices work. The best description is that feedback is ongoing and formative to aid improvement, while evaluation is a formal, summative assessment for official outcomes.