Gov`t Evaluation of High-ranking Officials to Get Tougher

Work assessments of ranking public officials will get stronger to deter complacency and create a culture where competent staff are respected, a high-ranking government official said yesterday.

The number of officials earning higher grades in evaluations will be limited and each ministry will be required to release assessment results.

Vice Minister Kim Young-ho of the Public Administration and Security Ministry said yesterday, “To improve the work assessment for top-level officials, which has been loosely conducted so far, we will cap the share of officials getting higher grades at 50 percent.”

The ministry made the change in the wake of criticism that the assessment system is largely flawed. Started last year after the introduction of the senior civil service system in July 2006, the assessment rated 80 percent of the officials “very excellent” and “excellent,” and only three were labeled incompetent.

“The assessment results of each ministry will be released at a Cabinet or vice ministers’ meeting,” Kim said.

For an objective and stringent implementation of the assessment system, the ministry will distribute detailed guidelines to each ministry.

On the call to scrap the senior civil service system by certain ruling party lawmakers, Kim said, “The system is an advanced personnel management method used by developed countries. It’s not easy to scrap a system introduced after much thought and preparation.”

“Continuous improvement will follow down the road.”

In a policy briefing to President Lee Myung-bak Monday, the ministry said it will adopt a “two-strike” system under which a high-ranking official who receives the lowest grade twice will face dismissal.

ssoo@donga.com