Filenews 18 January 2022
A disincentive for employees who stand out and offer to the fullest extent the way civil servants are carried out.
According to a circular of the Department of Public Administration and Personnel regarding the annual reports on the evaluation of civil servants for the year 2022, reference is made to the long-standing problem of the evaluation of civil servants, which acts as a disincentive for employees who stand out and offer to the maximum extent, while it is a hindrance to the improvement of the efficiency and effectiveness of the public service.
According to the circular, the levelling assessment as noted in the public reports of the EDY creates particular problems when filling promotion posts. Based on the criteria established in the existing legislation for the filling of these positions, i.e. the merit, qualifications and seniority of the candidates, as well as the relevant case law, the EDY is committed to selecting those who are presented as the best in these criteria based on the data of their official files. Given that candidates for promotion usually have equivalent qualifications, the levelling assessment in the service reports neutralises the important criterion of merit and results in the selection of promotion ending up being made on the basis of the candidates' seniority, which is often judged on the basis of their age.
The main purpose of the evaluation of officials is to establish the suitability of the officials who are tested for establishment in the public service, to establish, assess and determine the degree of suitability of officials for promotion and to assist in the development of the skills and advancement of officials and the proper functioning of the public service. In accordance with Regulation 11, in order to make the assessment of officials fair and more objective as possible, it is necessary to:
- The supervising employees operate to note during the year the excellent performance of behavioural skills and the results of the work of the evaluated employees as well as any omissions/deficiencies in them, with regard to the existing evaluation criteria.
- In case of detection of omissions/deficiencies, which have been given to adversely affect their evaluation, the attention of the evaluated employees should be drawn to them, at the time observed, so that they are dealt with and corrected in a timely manner.
- Keep in mind that the official has not only skills but also shortcomings, which is why the report must reflect reality clearly and objectively.
- Officers to complete the service reports with seriousness, responsibility and thought, quoting relevant comments if they consider it appropriate.
Finally, the officials who make up the evaluation teams are encouraged to, when completing the service reports in the first quarter of the year 2023 for the evaluation of the employees for the year 2022, they grade the evaluation of the performance of the evaluated employees, based on the defined evaluation criteria and the evaluation levels of the criterion with the ultimate goal that the evaluation corresponds to the level of performance of each employee. To this end, they are encouraged to take notes by recording reports of specific outstanding efforts/performance or deficiencies/omissions of their employees for the purpose of documenting their evaluation. Also, considering that evaluation is a continuous process based on communication between superiors and subordinates, direct supervisors are encouraged to hold regular meetings with their existing employees during the year in which to provide feedback on performance.
