Yearender/RCSC: It was yet again another year of reforms in the civil service in the year that just went by.

The organizational development exercise that was conducted last year continued this year as well. Improving the performance management system is one of the five reforms the commission has initiated. With the new Performance Management System (PMS) pilot tested in all government agencies the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) has begun the process of differentiating performing and non-performing civil servants.

The PMS will be pilot-tested until June and RCSC will implement the system from July. For the pilot testing, the commission has asked all civil servants below P1 level to develop an Individual Work Plan (IWP) and Core Competencies (CC) for July 2015-June 2016.

Following the OD exercise, at least three posts of administrative, revenue and budget officers from all dzongkhag administrations were removed. OD exercise found the positions to have no clear roles and responsibilities and workloads for these positions had greatly reduced. These positions are either found to have become defunct or assumed by other officers.

One of the tools used for conducting OD exercise was the Daily Log of Activities to analyze their nature of work and alignment to dzongkhag’s core objectives and workload.

Much to the appreciation of those associated with political parties, the RCSC also reduced the cooling-off period to one year from three.

In what could help attract, retain and motivate medical doctors in the profession, RCSC also reformed their career path with an amendment of four sections of the Bhutan Civil Service Rules 2012.

RCSC has also found solutions for extraordinarily creative civil servants.  A temporary post for Innovative and Creativity Officer is created in the Performance and Management category.

Toward the end of the year, the Civil Servants’ Welfare Scheme (CSWS), which ensures financial support to civil servants and their direct dependents in times of need was also launched. A self-help programme ‘of, by and for’ the civil servants, the CSWS is an insurance scheme expected to take care of civil servants while in service and after they superannuate.

RCSC is committed to overhauling the civil service system with changes that will reduce corruption and reward performing civil servants with promotions. One such reform will be the hiring of retired civil servants as mentors to young civil servants. This will be implemented with the launch of a mentoring framework, which is yet to be done.

Meanwhile, the much-awaited news for civil servant mothers is yet to come. Although the government has endorsed the six months maternity leave and six month flexi time RCSC is yet to decide on a date to implement it.

The RCSC also couldn’t find appropriate post to employ the three government secretaries on “Authorized absence’. One retired while on the leave.

 Nirmala Pokhrel

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