Civil servants’ work to be monitored

Civil servants’ performance is to be subjected to greater scrutiny to establish whether they have earned their annual salary increment.

The Government had come under intense criticism after it had emerged civil servants only had to achieve two marks out of five — a grade which the Government admitted meant the civil servant was under-performing — in order to move up the salary scale.

Only 30 of the total 30,000 were not awarded an increment last year as they did not get enough points.

However, last night Public Service Reform Minister Brendan Howlin announced that agreement had been reached between civil service management and staff unions on a reform of the performance management and development system (PMDS), the system which benchmarks performance.

From 2013, staff will have to achieve at least a three out of five — to be “fully achieving expectations” — in their PMDS review to receive an increment.

That will be assessed on a revised ratings scale which will have better descriptions of performance and the competency evaluation used.

The department said there will be “grade-based competencies” which will ensure people paid the same salary “will be assessed against a set of behaviours and will be expected to reach a similar standard of performance in relation to ‘how’ they do their job”.

“The changes that have been agreed under the Croke Park Agreement mean that managers in the civil service will have a more effective tool to manage performance,” said Mr Howlin.

The system will be introduced on a phased basis, starting with grades above assistant principal.