The move is expected to allow the commission to focus on its core mandates

RCSC: Come July, promotions from O4 to P2 will not have to come to the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC).

This, the RCSC says will reduce administrative burden on the commission as human resource (HR) committees of government agencies will be empowered to endorse the promotions. The HR committees of agencies are chaired by the head of the agency.

Though such a provision already existed in the Bhutan Civil Service Rules (BCSR) and the Civil Service Act, its implementation is still due today. Currently, promotions at all levels have to come to the RCSC.

An RCSC official, who requested anonymity, said the decision will save the commission a significant amount of time which can be dedicated to “important mandates” of the commission. “We should be focusing on the bigger mandates such as creating a professional civil service committed to promoting good governance,” said the official.

The official added that the decision was implemented for the smooth transition and to achieve the effective decentralisation of the authority for such promotion within broad banded positions.

“We want to entrust more authority to agencies,” the official said, adding that it will reduce a lot of work load for the RCSC. There are more than 20,500 civil servants from level O to P2.

As per the existing practice, the final verification and endorsement of promotions from level O4 to EX1 rests with the RCSC. This is already prescribed in the BCSR and the civil service Act but not implemented entirely.

“The decision was just about fulfilling the requirement of the BCSR with respect to promotion of civil service within branded positions,” the official said. This, the official added, is expected to make the civil service more efficient.

However, promotion of P1 is carried out by the RCSC through open competition, according to the BCSR 2012. The RCSC will also retain meritorious promotions and fast-track promotions at all levels.

To avoid favoritism in the promotion process, the RCSC will conduct HR audit of the promotions every year. The HR audit will verify if the promotions have been granted to meritorious civil servants.

The HR committees and HR officers of the ministries and agencies will be accountable for all such promotions endorsed. The RCSC issued a notification to this effect on April 14.

Promotion shall normally be approved with effect from either January 1 or July 1. The official said promotions cannot be claimed as right. “Civil servants have to prove that they deserve promotion.”

The RCSC Act states that agencies shall, in accordance with the BCSR, make recruitment, selection and appointment against a vacant position in all categories, except for executive (EX) and specialist (ES) positions.

According to the RCSC Act, except for executive (EX) and specialist (ES) positions, all regular promotions, in keeping with the BCSR, shall be administered by respective agencies through human resource committees.

In case of Constitutional offices, except for (EX1) and (ES1) positions, all regular promotions, in keeping with the BCSR, shall be administered by respective constitutional offices through human resource committees or councils with due notification to the RCSC. All promotions to executive positions must include proven leadership and positive feedbacks.

By MB Subba