Transient assessment, avoiding the factor of being small-scale
The assessment of civil servants based on work results and output instead of feelings and forms is one of the important changes set out in the Draft Law on Cadres and Civil Servants (amended) that the Government has just submitted to the National Assembly. This content shows the orientation of a modern management approach, in line with the requirements of the apparatus after staff streamlining, where each job position must have "someone and that person must do the job".
Civil servants will be evaluated based on three main criteria: Results, products according to job position; level of meeting work requirements and public ethics. Key Performance indicator - KPI is identified as a tool to measure work outcomes through quantity, quality and work progress. This is an important basis for arranging, using, appointing appropriate civil servants and screening those who do not meet the requirements.
Speaking with Lao Dong, Mr. Nguyen Quang Dung - Director of the Department of Civil Servants and Public Employees (Ministry of Home Affairs) - affirmed: "Evaluation based on results is not only for classification, but also an important basis for personnel decisions such as appointment, employment, or removal from employment if not meeting public service tasks".
According to Mr. Dung, the essence of KPI is the qualitation of work - that is, scoring clearly and objectively instead of relying on emotional evaluation. To avoid misunderstandings and implement the form, he said that it is necessary to clarify the correct approach to KPI in the public sector, while applying information technology to increase transparency and reduce the "respect for the budget" factor.
In fact, in some localities such as Khanh Hoa and Hau Giang, the application of KPI has initially brought positive results. In Khanh Hoa, 100% of agencies and units under the government have deployed the KPI system to all civil servants and public employees. Each job position, depending on the complexity, will be associated with a specific assessment level. The assessment software is used to convert KPI scores to task completion assessment scores, contributing to the fairness of the internal assessment process.
Linking KPI with the benefits of workers
Associate Professor, Dr. Phan Chi Anh - Director of the Institute of Business Administration (Hanoi National University) - assessed the policy of bringing KPI into the public sector as "very correct and very accurate", especially in the context of the public administrative system needing to be closely linked to output efficiency. However, according to him, for KPI to have a real impact, it is necessary to ensure two principles: "From top to bottom" and "from bottom to top".
"If only the target is imposed from top to bottom, civil servants will deal with it. On the contrary, if the subordinates are left to build things themselves, it will not meet the organizational goals. Workers must participate in the process of designing and concretizing KPI, because they are the ones who understand the job best" - he analyzed.
He also emphasized that KPI must be measurable, concretized in numbers and have an accompanying assessment system. But more importantly, KPI cannot stand alone, it must be associated with benefits: Salary, bonus, promotion opportunity.
If workers do not see the benefits, they will not do it, or deal with it. When I see KPI closely linked to my rights, I don't need to remind them to take the initiative," said Mr. Phan Chi Anh.
From the practical implementation at Hanoi National University, he said that KPI needs to be integrated with both criteria for assessing party members, party cell resolutions, and mass organizations, so that the political system can operate consistently and effectively.
