LAHORE – The Pakistan civil service reforms plan has moved closer to implementation after the government reached consensus on 43 of 46 recommendations covering recruitment, training, performance evaluation, promotions and compensation for federal civil servants.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal led a multiparty consultation on the proposed reforms on Thursday. The recommendations have been developed through committees formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as part of a broader effort to restructure the federal civil service.
The reforms have been under discussion for nearly two years. Earlier committee work also examined institutional restructuring, remuneration and performance management.
Pakistan Civil Service Reforms Target Recruitment
One of the major changes involves the recruitment of specialized professionals.
The proposal would introduce cluster-based examinations or separate examinations for individual occupational groups. The existing CSS examination would continue under the proposed framework.
Candidates could also be given the option of attempting compulsory CSS papers in English or Urdu.
The government plans to digitize the CSS examination process and aims to reduce the recruitment cycle to six months.
The proposed reforms would also change the CSS assessment structure. The passing threshold could rise from 33 per cent to 40 per cent, while negative marking would not be introduced.
The examination could include GRE- or SAT-style questions to assess analytical and logical reasoning skills.
Additional attempts could also be permitted in cases where quota seats for Balochistan, Sindh, minorities and women remain unfilled.
National Executive Service Proposed
Another major proposal is the creation of a National Executive Service (NES) for specialized recruitment to federal Grade 20 and above positions.
Under the proposed system, selected positions would be filled through open and contract-based appointments for five years against predetermined key performance indicators.
The Police and Foreign Service would be excluded from the proposed arrangement.
Candidates from the private sector, academia and government would be eligible to compete. A Federal Public Service Commission screening test would be followed by competency-based assessment and interviews.
The proposal also includes the possibility of a Special Professional Pay Scale for officers appointed through the NES.
The remaining senior positions would be filled through promotion based on performance in training and service.
The proposal says officers superseded twice could be retired after completing 25 years of service, with their entitled benefits.
Training System To Be Overhauled
The Pakistan civil service reforms package also proposes major changes to training.
Candidates for the Mid Career Management Course, Senior Management Course and National Management Course could be selected through competitive examinations.
Officers would receive up to three attempts to qualify. Those who fail after three attempts could be given the option of early retirement.
Training programmes would also place greater emphasis on specialized knowledge.
Up to 50 per cent of training could be reserved for domain-specific subjects. Officers from Grade 17 to Grade 20 may also be required to complete two specialized short courses developed by their respective training institutes.
New Public Administration University Proposed
The government has also proposed establishing a National University of Public Administration.
Under the plan, existing National Institutes of Management and other training institutions could be merged as part of a restructuring of the civil service training system.
The proposed changes would also update Performance Evaluation Reports.
The new system would place greater emphasis on outcomes, competencies and integrity. A grading system for performance evaluations has also been proposed.
Scholarships For Senior Officers
The reform package includes measures aimed at strengthening executive leadership training.
The government proposes scholarships and overseas executive leadership opportunities for high-performing senior officers.
The proposals also include support for officers who gain admission to leading international universities, with the aim of improving exposure to modern public administration and management practices.
Reforms Draw On International Models
Ahsan Iqbal said the committees examined civil service systems in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and the United Kingdom.
The review focused particularly on countries with Commonwealth traditions and parliamentary systems.
According to Iqbal, the comparison showed that modern public administrations have increasingly adopted specialized recruitment, performance-based systems and more open career structures.
The Planning Ministry has previously said the reform process is intended to modernise recruitment, training and performance management while improving the alignment between officers’ skills and their responsibilities.
What Happens Next
Although consensus has been reached on 43 recommendations, the reform package still requires the relevant government approvals and implementation steps.
Earlier reporting identified disagreements over several major proposals, including specialized recruitment, the use of Urdu in CSS examinations and the proposed National Executive Service.
The latest consultation represents the government’s latest step towards putting the Pakistan civil service reforms package into practice.
If approved and implemented, the proposed changes would affect how federal civil servants enter government service, receive training, compete for senior positions and are assessed for career progression.
Key Points :
- The government reached consensus on 43 of 46 civil service reform recommendations.
- The proposals cover recruitment, CSS exams, training, promotions, performance evaluation and pay.
- CSS candidates could receive an English or Urdu option for compulsory papers.
- The CSS recruitment process could be fully digitized and reduced to six months.
- The passing threshold could rise from 33 per cent to 40 per cent.
- A National Executive Service has been proposed for selected Grade 20 and above positions.
- Training could include up to 50 per cent domain-specific content.
- A National University of Public Administration has also been proposed.
- Ahsan Iqbal said the committees studied civil service systems in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and the UK.
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