Conversation on Public Sector Management Reforms

LAHORE: The Afkar-e-Taza ThinkFest Conversations Online held a talk on “Public Sector Management Reforms”.

According to a press release, speaking at the event, former governor State Bank of Pakistan Tariq Bajwa said the whole accountability mechanism for civil servants is wrong. “Doing nothing is actually rewarded in Pakistan,” the former career civil servant of 38 years noted. He said: We must dispel with the notion of seniority if performance has to be paramount. Till BS 19, seniority is the only criteria, we need to end that for performance to take precedence.” Explaining the reforms undertaken by the present government, Special Advisor to PM on Establishment Shehzad Arbab, who himself is a retired civil servant, noted that their reforms are finally bearing fruit. “We started in 2019-20 with Performance Agreements in 11 Divisions,” he noted. “Now we have expanded the programme to all 41 Divisions, and the prime minster holds to task the ministers and secretaries who do not deliver on their own proposed ideas.” This mechanism, he said, has begun to give dividends and that divisions are now taking measures to meet goals. “But we also need to incentive them. Soon we are going to announce financial incentives for ministries which meet their goals,” he said.

Bringing in her international experience, the head of development at UK High Commission in Pakistan, Annabel Gerry, underscored the need for continual reform. She highlighted that the focus should be on deliverables and outcomes. “Often we look at the process alone and not what is the end product,” she said.

Agreeing with Ms Gerry, Shehzad Arbab said the government also wants a shift from processes to outcomes. “We need to end the silos the bureaucracy has been working in,’ he exclaimed. Ms Gerry also emphasized that governments need to start reform early so that results begin to come in by the end of their terms. This way, she noted, governments can monitor and improve their reforms. She said the data-driven reform is critical and that she has seen dramatic changes in governments which utilize it to the full.

Pointing out other issues with the service, Tariq Bajwa stated that in the civil service, about 94% of annual appraisals are either of “very good” or “excellent”.

“We cannot have ‘very good’ be the average score of a civil servant, since that’s just not true. Real evaluation by peers is critical for honest performance management in any system,” he said. Discounting any political influence in the process, he said that even at the Central Selection Board for the promotion of senior civil servants, there is very little political interference, and so the real issue is of the internal processes of the civil service. Bajwa, however, pointed out that politically-based transfers and postings are a real problem, especially in the provinces.

“I hear that people pay millions now for a posting,” he exclaimed. Concluding the conversation, Gulalai Khan, the moderator of the session, emphasised the critical nature of public sector reforms in the development of any country.

“Our country’s growth depends on a civil service which is motivated, paid a good salary, is empowered, and is properly assessed on its work. Only then we will be able to focus on delivering services to the citizens,’ she concluded.