Get Ready For Cluster-based CSS Examination
 

In a set of reforms likely to have far-reaching consequences, the government on Monday unveiled its ambitious three-year plan to overhaul the Civil Service of Pakistan, aimed at replacing the British-era structure with a system more in line with the modern economy.

The draft of the civil service reform strategy was made public at Bhurban by the planning ministry. At its core, the plan calls for a drastic overhaul of how the civil service conducts recruitment, and the manner in which bureaucrats are assigned career tracks and granted promotions.

Under the existing system, university graduates from all over Pakistan take a single entrance examination and on the basis of their grades, provincial quotas, and personal preferences, they are granted a slot in one of 12 service tracks. Selection does not take into consideration previous education. For instance, it is not necessary to have an accounting education to be inducted into the audit and accounts service.



The new system would seek to create a selection structure that would allow the government to hire specialised cadres, who would be recruited by sitting for separate, cluster-based exams for each service group. And taking into consideration increasing life expectancy, the government wants to increase the retirement age from 60.

The government also wants to end the ban on lateral entry into the civil service, allowing people in private industry to join senior government positions. “The present civil service structure has outlived its life. People’s aspirations have gone global and no government can match them with the present structure,” said Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal.

To allow the government to recruit top talent, as well as crack down on corruption, the ministry proposes offering higher salaries for civil service positions. “Extremely low salary packages are the reason for misuse of public resources,” said Iqbal. As a start, the government has allocated Rs1 billion in this year’s budget for performance-based pay for bureaucrats.

The government also wants to end seniority-based promotions and instead make them contingent on performance. “Promotion should not be a right, it should be earned through performance,” said Iqbal.

The government will create key performance indicators for each bureaucrat and at least 11 ministries have already agreed to make their employees sign new contracts where they agree to those terms.

In order to depoliticise the civil service and give civil servants time to implement the policies they initiate, the government also wants to appoint Secretaries (the highest ranking civil servant in a ministry or department) who have at least five years left until retirement.

“The final set of recommendations and the implementation timelines will be put forward for the approval of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif within this week,” said Iqbal. He said after the premier’s approval, the package will be taken to federal cabinet, with an aim to implement it from next month. The proposed recruitment plan will be implemented as early as February 2017.

In February this year, the prime minister had asked the planning ministry to come up with civil service reforms after being frequently frustrated with the pace at which bureaucrats implemented what the PM considered essential reforms.



Original Article: [url]http://tribune.com.pk/story/956950/modernising-bureaucracy-ahsan-iqbal-unveils-ambitious-civil-service-reform-plan/[/url]

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15th, 2015.


[B]Regards,[/B]

Cluster based Examination procedures are clearly unfair.
These reforms will separate the applicants on the basis of their specialized subjects like an MBA can be given a seat in Audit and excise which is funny and what about the most talented , hard-working and highly acknowledged people like doctors and engineers? Insane

Indeed ,owing to this cluster based examination, Axe has been fallen on engineers and doctors..finance, accounts and economics students would greatly benefit from this type exam.i appreciate that a step,to overhaul the existing structure of bureaucracy, has been taken, still it's not unbiased altogether..

Even lawyers will fare well, not just those with a social sciences background...still, its quiet premature to pass off judgments until a detailed summary of the reforms is released..there are also rumours about candidates required to have an M.Phil/Masters for particular cadres as well as relevant job experiences (with mongerers hinting at PAS)....but we shall know in good time.

Engineers and doctors can easily get MBA degree within one and half year just to appear in this exam. But I don't think so it will totally eliminate doctors and engineers from appearing css exams.I think there will be only few groups which may need expertise in Finance, economics and accounting like account and edit group. Foreign service goup may benefit political science and international relations students. But still there are other groups which don't require any certain educational background. Cluster based examination will make this exams more competitive. Lets see what does it will have implications on our power hungry bureaucracy.

[QUOTE=redmax;862964]

“The final set of recommendations and the implementation timelines will be put forward for the approval of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif within this week,” said Iqbal. He said after the premier’s approval, the package will be taken to federal cabinet, with an aim to implement it from next month. The [B]proposed recruitment plan will be implemented as early as February 2017.[/B]

[B]Regards,[/B][/QUOTE]

Means CSS 2016 exams would be based on current recruitment system?

And what about screening test, qualification?

[QUOTE=Mehria;862977]Cluster based Examination procedures are clearly unfair.
These reforms will separate the applicants on the basis of their specialized subjects like an MBA can be given a seat in Audit and excise which is funny and what about the most talented , hard-working and highly acknowledged people like doctors and engineers? Insane[/QUOTE]

It may seem irrelevant and No offence to anyone but i can't understand why large number of doctors want to join civil service when it is not related to their profession and aims in any sense...... I mean i can somehow find some strong or weak logic for other degree holders to join civil service but medical field is totally different from CSS point of view then why? After such hard work and struggle to become a doctor, how doctors then get ready to say bye bye to their career....?

[QUOTE=Daisy;863000]Means CSS 2016 exams would be based on current recruitment system? [/QUOTE]

Yes.
[QUOTE=Daisy;863000]
And what about screening test, qualification?[/QUOTE]

Public Notice inviting application will be issued in the last week of September containing all details regarding qualification & screening test (if any).

[B]Regards,[/B]

[QUOTE=Daisy;863008]It may seem irrelevant and No offence to anyone but i can't understand why large number of doctors want to join civil service when it is not related to their profession and aims in any sense...... I mean i can somehow find some strong or weak logic for other degree holders to join civil service but medical field is totally different from CSS point of view then why? After such hard work and struggle to become a doctor, how doctors then get ready to say bye bye to their career....?[/QUOTE]
Because for becoming a successful doctor or engineer, it needs a lot of time and study so by just appearing in a competitive exam one can easily get the prestigious life and authority he dreamed off. But, its the wastage of seat, if one changes its mind from it parent education. However, none can be exempted from appearing in Competitive exams its open challenge for everyone, so let it be.

[QUOTE=redmax;863013]Yes.


Public Notice inviting application will be issued in the last week of September containing all details regarding qualification & screening test (if any).

[B]Regards,[/B][/QUOTE]

Sorry i had to ask about CE-2017 exams? Is it going to be implemented for those too?

[QUOTE=Daisy;863008]It may seem irrelevant and No offence to anyone but i can't understand why large number of doctors want to join civil service when it is not related to their profession and aims in any sense...... I mean i can somehow find some strong or weak logic for other degree holders to join civil service but medical field is totally different from CSS point of view then why? After such hard work and struggle to become a doctor, how doctors then get ready to say bye bye to their career....?[/QUOTE]

Do you think it is diffcult for doctors and engineers to get accounts and economics degree? They can easily get MBA degree within 1.5 years, if they really want to appear in css exam.