Govt considers modification of appraisal system; lists out global best practices

Performance, Incentives

ON CIVIL services day last Sunday, cabinet secretary Ajit K Seth said that the government was seriously considering modification of numerical annual appraisal system. As senior bureaucrats gathered in New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan for the occasion, a background paper that was distributed among them highlighted how performance of civil servants in Singapore, South Korea, UK and Australia is judged. Here are some excerpts:

a) In Singapore, citizen feedback on how civil servants responded to their queries and needs is an important input to judging the performance of civil servants.
b) In Australia, secretaries and agency heads are eligible for annual performance bonuses up to 15 percent of their remuneration, depending on their performance assessment.
c) Korea has moved to implement 360 degree feedback schemes in some government agencies.
d) The annual within-grade increment received by high-level civil servants in the UK can be higher or lower depending on the rating they receive in an objectives-based performance appraisal. To encourage innovation, creativity, and performance, some government agencies offer one-off cash bonuses to employees whose recommendations lead to substantial cost-savings. The public recognition which individuals and teams receive is often just as important as the financial award itself.
The promotion in Singapore Civil Service (SCS) depends on two factors: helicopter and whole person qualities. Helicopter quality is the ability and drive to look at a problem from a higher vantage point with simultaneous attention to relevant details. The whole person qualities give an overall view of the officer taking into account the intellectual qualities, result orientation and leadership qualities, the background papers for panel discussions on Civil Services Day said.