Educational qualification for CSS to be enhanced to 16 years, age limit by two years

Ahsan Iqbal says ACRs system for promotions to be replaced by KPIs

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to enhance educational qualification from 14 to 16 years and subsequently age limit by two years for appearing into Central Superior Services (CSS) exams from 2017 under the much-ambitious civil service reforms, Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal said.

However, the government has dropped a proposal to establish National Executive Service for lateral entry into civil services.

The existing mechanism of analysing performance on the basis of Annual Confidential Report (ACRs) has been abandoned and new forms have been designed to evaluate performance on the basis of key performance indicators (KPIs) starting from grade 17 and 18.

“We have finalised a comprehensive package for civil service reforms which will be forwarded to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for final approval and implementation will be started from 2016,” Ahsan Iqbal said while addressing second Governance Forum organised by Planning Commission at auditorium of International Islamic University (IIU) on Thursday.

The minister said the government has also decided to establish specialist groups into civil service while general groups would also continue to exist. The government, he said, would launch crash programme to impart training to 1,000 senior officers while training for ex cadre servants would be provided through online programmes by National School of Public Policy (NSPP).

Different ministries/divisions and attached departments displayed stalls at Governance Forum to apprise about their achievements and performance during last two and half year period.

Secretary Establishment Nadeem Hassan Asif said on the occasion that they also decided to link higher compensation for civil servants with responsibility and performance.

Out of 39 ministries/divisions, 26 ministries have identified key positions for providing higher compensation packages under short term plan while they would also recommend for establishing pay commission for reviewing packages of all government servants.

He said that the civil servants would have to earn promotions and new system for granting promotion for grade 17 and 18 with quantifiable targets would be in place from January 1, 2016. While for higher grades, it would be implemented in phased manner.

Ahsan Iqbal said that 11 ministries have been selected for signing performance contracts with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to design new job description on the basis of KPIs in order to improve governance structure and service delivery.

‘’Reforms are ongoing process and would continue. These reforms are being done in consultation with the all stakeholders for creating ownership. Status quo is the most daunting task. But present government is fully committed to carry out its agenda of reforms to ensure modernisation of public sector and to improve the public delivery system,” said the minister.

Ahsan Iqbal informed the participants about various initiatives taken by the current government in lieu of the reform agenda and pointed out that first time performance contract of ministries have been devised by virtue of which the selected 11 ministries and divisions would sign with prime minister about their deliverables in one year. These would be translated into their KPIs. The minister announced one billion rupees performance management fund has been created to award and incentivise those ministries who would perform better in their delivery and achieving the desired results. The minister also announced that government is starting a citizen satisfaction survey to compile Citizen Satisfaction Index about the public sector institutions’ performance through their inputs. He said the government is also setting up an Excellence & Innovation Fund to encourage innovative ideas in governance. Similarly, he said, Rs10 million grants would be extended to those ministries and departments who bring forth innovative ideas to improve governance and public delivery system.

Ahsan Iqbal said that for performance evaluation of civil servants, the present ACR system has become obsolete and a new ACR system is being introduced by evaluating them on the basis of attributes of leadership and soft skills. For this purpose, new performa is being designed that aims to evaluate performance using scientific techniques. The minister said that e-governance is being recognised as an effective mean to modernise the public sector and improve governance.

In the first phase, the Establishment Division and FPSC have been directed to switch their day to day operations from manual to the automated one and provide integrated environment.

Establishment Division is being renamed as Human Resource and Organisational Development Division. He said Islamabad Model city initiative is being materialised and would be launched soon.