Difficult Time for High Ranking Government Officials

Changes are taking place in the relationship between high ranking government officials and low-level officials with the active promotion of the Multi-Dimensional Evaluation System，which takes into account evaluations from colleagues or low ranking officials in appointing government officials. In particular, high ranking officials these days are paying attention to responses from lower level officials because of the evaluation system．

“Be a good boss to staff”

Before the launch of the participatory government, high ranking government officials seen berating and blasting their staff was a usual occurrence. Officials of 3 highest levels in the administration, the main subjects for the evaluation, are paying keener attention to their staff. This shows a warming attitude towards them.

“I don`t think there any high ranking officials anymore who unreasonably push their staff to the limits,” said a director with the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs (MOGAHA), talking about changes among public officials. “The attitude of high ranking officials changed very much when they heard that one high ranking official barely passed the Multi-Dimensional Evaluation System,＂ said an official with the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development.

With the right given to evaluate high ranking officials, low level officials began to voice their opinions．When high ranking officials came to the office on Sunday or on holidays, their staff also had to come to work just to show their presence there．But this hardly happens these days．Officials with MOGAHA asked Kim Doo-kwan, Minister of MOGAHA, to tell high ranking officials to take it easy at home on holidays so that low level officials could enjoy their own holidays．

Another change is high ranking officials` friendlier attitude towards low level officials．High ranking officials are now trying to get closer to officials even in other departments or divisions.

“Building a relationship with officials in various departments is important as there are few ways to evaluate high ranking officials whom officials have not worked with,” said an official with MOGAHA.

Mixed opinions

Government officials are welcoming the introduction of the Multi-Dimensional Evaluation System and the resulting change of culture in their organizations. In a survey by Civil Service Commission on 930 government officials in 31 central government organizations, 69.2% answered that the system had a positive impact on improving fairness in the evaluation process.

“Promotion of the Multi-Dimensional Evaluation System will create a democratic atmosphere in government agencies. The relationship between high ranking and low level officials will also change from the top-down command style to more cooperation,” said Lee Sang-kwon, director of human resources at MOGAHA．There is also criticism that the system can undermine efficiency at work.

“Poor performance in work should be corrected. But the Multi-Dimensional Evaluation System made this difficult to do. I think other aspects should be taken into account when appointing high ranking officials,” said a high ranking official with MOGAHA.

Asked to what extent the result of the system should be considered in the appointment process, 79.2 percent answered only part of the result should be taken into account while a mere 18.8 percent answered that the total results of the evaluation system should be considered.

The use of Multi-Dimensional Evaluation System

According to Civil Service Commission, 48 out of 54 central government institutions are using the Multi-Dimensional Evaluation System to evaluate officials. Among them 43 institutions reflect results from the evaluation system in the promotion of officials．14 institutions are using the results in assigning work to officials and 39 are using the results to reward performance.

Hyun-Doo Lee ruchi@donga.com