Final answer:
Human resources is responsible for providing forms, instructions, schedules, and reminders to keep the employee performance appraisal process moving. They may also help ensure appraisal ratings are consistent, but they do not dictate specific ratings.
Step-by-step explanation:
Concerning the appraisal of employee performance, it is the role of human resources to provide forms, instructions, schedules, and reminders throughout the process, effectively keeping it moving (Option A). This responsibility includes ensuring that performance appraisals are documented accurately and conducted in a manner consistent with the original job analysis and any set goals.
Human resources may also play a role in ensuring consistency in appraisal ratings (Option B), although this task can often fall directly to supervisors or managers who are more familiar with the day-to-day performance of their employees. Nevertheless, HR might establish guidelines or offer training to promote fair and uniform assessments across the organization.
While HR's role goes beyond merely announcing the appraisal cycle and sending out forms and instructions (Option C), it certainly does not include deciding who should receive what ratings (Option D). Those decisions are typically made by the immediate supervisors, who are in the best position to evaluate their employees' performance directly.