Govt finalises plan for specialised recruitment under civil service reforms

• Reforms propose Urdu/English option for compulsory CSS papers.
• Govt proposes fully digitising the CSS examination process.
• Govt proposes six-month cycle for civil service recruitment.
  

Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday led a multi-party consultative process on the long-awaited civil service reforms, with the government finalising a plan for specialised recruitment through either cluster-based examinations or separate tests for each occupational group.

Under the proposed reforms, the CSS examination will continue, while candidates will have the option to take the exam in either English or Urdu.

It proposes an Urdu/English optional medium for compulsory CSS papers; all-Urdu attempt option, fully digitising the CSS exam process; a 6-month recruitment cycle; scholarships for top-25 university admits for executive leadership training abroad for senior officers; establishing the National University of Public Administration (NUPA); merging NIMs/training institutes; revising performance evaluation reports (PERs) outcomes, attributes, competency, integrity; adding a grading system and several others.

It also proposes National Executive Service (NES) for Post-Based Specialised Recruitment for Grade 20 and above positions of all services at the federal level (excluding Police and Foreign Service) through an open and contract-based appointment against pre-determined KPIs for a period of five years.

The Special Professional Pay Scale may be offered to NES. All candidates from the private sector, academia, and government will be eligible to compete. The percentage of existing positions for NES will be decided by the Prime Minister. A screening test by FPSC will be followed by a Competency Based Assessment including an interview. The remaining positions will be filled through promotion on the basis of performance in training and work. Officers who are superseded twice will be retired at the service of 25 years with all entitled perks.

The existing passing threshold in CSS exams may be increased from 33% to 40% without negative marking and may include GRE/SAT styled question to assess analytical and logical reasoning skills. The unfilled quota seats for Balochistan, Sindh, minorities, and women through affirmative action, e.g., additional attempts, may be allowed.

The selection for MCMC/SMC/NMC candidates should be through an exam-based competitive process with up to three attempts to qualify. Officers who do not qualify after three attempts may be given the option of early retirement. Training methodology, quality of instructors and curriculum may be enhanced.

As much as 50% duration of training reserved for domain-specific knowledge. In each Grade from BS-17 to BS-20, officers may be required to complete two domain-specific short courses developed by their respective Specialised Training Institutes.

Two committees constituted by the prime minister have recommended a complete overhaul of how federal civil servants are recruited, trained, evaluated, promoted and paid. Consensus was reached on 43 of the 46 recommendations.

Ahsan Iqbal said the committee had studied civil service systems in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and the United Kingdom, particularly countries with Commonwealth traditions and parliamentary systems. He said these comparisons demonstrated that modern public administrations had become considerably more open, specialised and merit-driven.