The Chairperson of the Good Governance Committee (GGC), member from Sergithang-Tsirangtoed constituency, moved the motion to review the Managing for Excellence (MaX) System in Civil Service in the House today.

The motion was seconded by the Dy. Chairperson of the Good Governance Committee, member from Khamdang Ramjar constituency.

Moving the motion, the Chairperson submitted that the MaX moderation system has resulted in low morale and motivation among civil servants, evidenced by a 35.49% attrition rate in the Ministry of Education and Skills Development and about 8,146 resignations of civil servants within the past two and half years (2022 till April 2024). He raised his concerns regarding the high attrition attributable to MaX moderation, poor leadership, limited career advancement, poor working conditions, and heavy workloads.

Additionally, the Member noted that the Managing for Excellence (MaX) system, especially its Forced Ranking into Exceeding Expectation, Meeting Expectation and Partially Meets Expectations categories exacerbates issues by undermining trust and fostering a negative work environment. Civil servants report significant insecurity, stress, and tension, which affect both institutional health and national well-being. Furthermore, challenges in the education sector include heavy teacher workloads, inadequate leadership, and prolonged rural assignments, all contributing to a weakened educational system.

The Minister for Education and Skills Development (MoESD) stated that the Bell-Curve model of PMS has become outdated and highlighted that the PME Forced Ranking system has generated disputes and unhealthy competition among civil servants. 

The Members submitted that, while there is need of MaX moderation and Individual Work Progress (IWP), the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) could look into making changes in the PME Forced Ranking system which is the main source for the demotivation and resignation amongst the civil servants. 

The House endorsed the three recommendations with 40 Yes, 1 Abstain and 0 No Votes out of 41 Members present and voting. The House directed the Committee to reformulate the three recommendations into one broad recommendation. The motion adopted by the House will be transmitted to the Prime Minister’s Office for implementation. The motion recommendation was reformulated as “Prime Minister in consultation with the Royal Civil Service Commission to review the MaX System of the Civil Service and do away with the Bell-Curve methodology for evaluating performance ratings of civil servants.”