Race to grade 19: Officers contest changes to promotion policy
Over two dozen move court against changes; selection board meeting postponed till December 2
Over two dozen move court against changes; selection board meeting postponed till December 2. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
A meeting to decide the promotions of civil servants has been pushed to next month, as some officers under consideration have expressed their concerns over recent changes to the promotion policy, while some have also taken the matter to court.
The departmental selection board (DSB) of the Establishment Division (ED), which was scheduled to meet on November 26 to recommend promotions under the recently-amended Revised Promotion Policy 2007, will now meet on December 2.
ED officials say the new policy consider promotions on the basis of their eligibility, qualification and performance. They said it would also help eliminate the menace of hand-picked promotions.
Officials at the division, however, feared that these recent changes in the promotion policy may increase litigation against the move. Of the 300 officers under consideration, 26 have already filed appeals in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), and ED officials fear this number may increase in the coming days.
Under the changes introduced to policy in on October 2 this year, basic scale (BS) 19 posts have been moved back to the category of “selection posts”, meaning promotions to BS-19 will not be made according to seniority or performance evaluation reports (PERs), like promotions from BS-17 to 18. Under the previous 2007 policy, promotions from BS-17 to BS-18 and from BS-18 to BS-19 were made on the basis of seniority and 100 per cent performance evaluation reports (PERs).
Minimum threshold marks for promotion to BS-19 has also been increased to 65 from the precious 60. In addition, the “outstanding” rating column has been removed from the PERs.
Further, changes have also been made to the “objective assessment criteria” for officers under consideration by the departmental selection board (DSB). The assessment attributes affected include: output of work, quality of work, professional expertise, personality profile, conduct, discipline, behaviour, functional ability, leadership, management potential, integrity, reputation, and perception. After assessment and evaluation, the DSB may place an officer in any of the following categories, and assign appropriate marks: category-A (11 to 15 marks); category-B (6 to 10 marks) and category-C (00 to 5 marks).
Some cadre officers have expressed reservations on the changes to the revised promotion policy. They say ‘output of work’ and ‘quality of work’ can only be judged by reporting officers (ROs) and a counter signing officer (CSOs), not the DSB. In their view, appointments are made on the basis of professional qualifications and experience. The under consideration officers are anxious at the thought of having their professional expertise judged once more by the board.
After the policy changes this year, 10 marks have been allocated each for the parameters of conduct, discipline and behaviour. These will also be reviewed by the DSB on the basis of observations made by ROs and CSOs in the last five years, or as known to the board members.
The departmental board has also given five marks for the integrity, general reputation and perception evaluation. An officer under consideration with less than three out of the five may be deferred or superseded by the DSB at their discretion with written explanation.
Officers have expressed concern over the board evaluating their leadership, integrity, reputation, perception and management potential, as they believe these metrics are covered by the PERs.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 24th, 2015.
A meeting to decide the promotions of civil servants has been pushed to next month, as some officers under consideration have expressed their concerns over recent changes to the promotion policy, while some have also taken the matter to court.
The departmental selection board (DSB) of the Establishment Division (ED), which was scheduled to meet on November 26 to recommend promotions under the recently-amended Revised Promotion Policy 2007, will now meet on December 2.
ED officials say the new policy consider promotions on the basis of their eligibility, qualification and performance. They said it would also help eliminate the menace of hand-picked promotions.
Officials at the division, however, feared that these recent changes in the promotion policy may increase litigation against the move. Of the 300 officers under consideration, 26 have already filed appeals in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), and ED officials fear this number may increase in the coming days.
Under the changes introduced to policy in on October 2 this year, basic scale (BS) 19 posts have been moved back to the category of “selection posts”, meaning promotions to BS-19 will not be made according to seniority or performance evaluation reports (PERs), like promotions from BS-17 to 18. Under the previous 2007 policy, promotions from BS-17 to BS-18 and from BS-18 to BS-19 were made on the basis of seniority and 100 per cent performance evaluation reports (PERs).
Minimum threshold marks for promotion to BS-19 has also been increased to 65 from the precious 60. In addition, the “outstanding” rating column has been removed from the PERs.
Further, changes have also been made to the “objective assessment criteria” for officers under consideration by the departmental selection board (DSB). The assessment attributes affected include: output of work, quality of work, professional expertise, personality profile, conduct, discipline, behaviour, functional ability, leadership, management potential, integrity, reputation, and perception. After assessment and evaluation, the DSB may place an officer in any of the following categories, and assign appropriate marks: category-A (11 to 15 marks); category-B (6 to 10 marks) and category-C (00 to 5 marks).
Some cadre officers have expressed reservations on the changes to the revised promotion policy. They say ‘output of work’ and ‘quality of work’ can only be judged by reporting officers (ROs) and a counter signing officer (CSOs), not the DSB. In their view, appointments are made on the basis of professional qualifications and experience. The under consideration officers are anxious at the thought of having their professional expertise judged once more by the board.
After the policy changes this year, 10 marks have been allocated each for the parameters of conduct, discipline and behaviour. These will also be reviewed by the DSB on the basis of observations made by ROs and CSOs in the last five years, or as known to the board members.
The departmental board has also given five marks for the integrity, general reputation and perception evaluation. An officer under consideration with less than three out of the five may be deferred or superseded by the DSB at their discretion with written explanation.
Officers have expressed concern over the board evaluating their leadership, integrity, reputation, perception and management potential, as they believe these metrics are covered by the PERs.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 24th, 2015.