In yesterday’s National Assembly session, a majority of MPs voiced strong disapproval over the Royal Civil Service Commission’s or RCSC’s continued use of the forced ranking system for evaluating civil servants. The prime minister declined to reintroduce the issue in the next session, stating that he had done all he could regarding the matter.
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay presented the Action Taken Report on the resolution to review the MaX System and the removal of the bell-curve methodology for assessing the performance of civil servants. The RCSC once again defended the system aimed at building a high-performance culture.
The Prime Minister said, “The RCSC guides agencies to recognise the challenges faced by civil servants who are rated as Partially Meeting Expectation and to provide the necessary support to help them improve their performance.”
To this, MPs reiterated their concerns regarding the Partially Meeting Expectation or PME category in the system.
“The MaX moderation system has been in place for seven years and has now become a mature system. Even a government’s term lasts only five years, so it is high time to improve the system,” said Naiten Wangchuk, MP, Monggar.
Khamdang-Ramjar MP Namgay Dorji said, “After recommendations for change and all the research carried out by the house, if the RCSC claims to be an autonomous body and does not acknowledge them, then how can development and positive changes take place in the country?”
Wamrong MP Lam Dorji said, “If removing the PME category is not feasible for the system, then why not make it more flexible? And if the power and accountability lie with the head of the agency, then the house may be okay with it, and it might not significantly affect the system.”
According to the Action Taken Report, more than 500 civil servants were placed under Partially Meeting Expectation in 2022–2023 Financial Year. The figure rose to 540 in this financial Year due to issues such as delays in service delivery, underperformance, a complacent mindset, and poor teamwork.
Meanwhile, the prime minister said it is now in the hands of the commission.
“If I order the RCSC to make changes, it might improve the civil service, but it is also risky. Exercising such authority by the prime minister could set a precedent in resizing the number of civil servants, granting promotions, and endorsing transfers through the prime minister’s office, which could create further problems.”
Following this, the speaker asked the Good Governance Committee to present the report again in next year’s summer session.
Kinzang Lhadon
Edited by Kipchu
