…the issue of assessments and due recognition has been at the heart of many RCSC reforms

Dechen Dolkar

The Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) has announced plans to revamp and introduce the Performance Dashboard (PD) as a tool for assessing the performance of individual civil servants.

As per RCSC, the PD serves as a personalised work plan for individual civil servants; it is designed to align closely with organisational objectives, key results, key performance indicators, and performance standards.

Introduced alongside the Managing for Excellence framework in 2017, the PD has since been refined to encompass essential areas for objective performance assessment.

An official from RCSC said that within the PD, there was a section for individuals to regularly update their performance that could be reviewed by supervisors.

Supervisors can provide further directives and updates.

“As its name suggests, the PD functions as a transparent dashboard outlining what an individual is expected to achieve within the fiscal year or academic year, facilitating monitoring and engagement between supervisors and supervisees,” the official said.

The official also said that PD played a crucial role in helping supervisors track organisational result areas and make necessary adjustments throughout the year.

PD is integral to the performance evaluation process, encompassing target setting, continuous monitoring, and year-end evaluation, the RCSC official said. “It forms the basis for performance moderation, taking into account the competencies of civil servants at different position levels.”

The official said that efforts have been made to enhance the PD to increase objectivity and reduce subjectivity in performance assessment, which has often been the bone of contention during the moderation process.

“It is important for supervisors to utilise the PD effectively to fully realise its benefits within the organisational system,” the official said.

According to the recently published consolidated report by the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC), the commission has decided to conduct a review of performance management within the health and education sectors.

The review meeting concerning performance management for health professionals took place from January 30 to February 2, 2024. The task force overseeing this review comprised members from the National Medical Services (NMS), RCSC, and health experts from Singapore.

The Commission has decided to adopt the PD changes and continue to improve the current PDs for all heads of departments for health professionals.

The Commission also plans to roll out new PMS features for school leaders and staff, including the standard performance dashboard and moderation mechanics.