BACKGROUND ON THE NEW

PERFORMANCE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR
THE GHANA CIVIL SERVICE

BY
 OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION
2

 Introduction
 Annual Confidential Reporting System (ACRS)
 Performance Evaluation System (PES)
 Performance Agreement System
 Challenges of the Performance Management
System (PMS)
 Rationale for the PMS

 From Traditional Appraisal to the New PMS

 Stages of the PMS

 Guidelines and Principles of the PMS

 Conclusion 24/07/2020
 Introduction
3

 Several administrative reforms were designed

in the Public Sector/Civil Service, mainly to
improve the efficiency and effectiveness of
service delivery to enhance productivity

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 Annual Confidential Reporting System (ACRS)
4

 In view of the objective to enhance

productivity in the Service, the Annual
Confidential Reporting System was
reviewed in 1974 basically to;
 Allow appraisees the right to read and
comment on their performance appraisal
reports but still do not contribute to target
setting
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 Performance Evaluation System (PES)
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 To further improve the appraisal system, a PES

was introduced in the Public Service/Civil Service
in 1992 under the Civil Service Reform
Programme (1987-1993).
 The PES was an interactive process between a
manager and a member of his/her staff and
was administered for the category of Deputy
Directors / analogous grades and below.

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 Performance Agreement System (PAS)
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 Introduced in January 1997 and lasted till 2008.

 Provided an objective means of assessing the
performance of Senior Managers - Chief
Directors (CDs) in the Ministries and the Regional
Co-ordinating Councils (RCCs), who were not
catered for in the previous appraisal systems.
 Challenge - the system had no feedback
mechanism.

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 Challenges of the existing PMS
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 The Performance Management System was beset

with many challenges. Among which are;
 Attitudinal– lack of commitment, absence of rigour
 Objective setting

 Staff do not know who to appraise who

 Objectivity in evaluation

 Effective monitoring

 Non-linkage of the process to an enforceable Reward

and Sanction Mechanism.
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 Rationale for the New PMS
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The need for an improved assessment system

also stemmed out of the ff:
 Effective need to measure productivity

 Change poor perception of the output of

public servants
 Justify the need for pay increase considering

the backlash from the public on the poor

performance
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 From Traditional Appraisal to the
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New PMS
In recognition of these challenges, the Public Services
Commission in collaboration with the Office of the
Head of Civil Service and other key stakeholders
considered it prudent to develop a New
Performance Management Policy Framework. This
among others is to -
 Ensure an objective and transparent scheme of

assessment of performance is in place, and by so

doing;

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 From Traditional Appraisal to a New
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PMS cont’.
 Create a clear direction for employees by ensuring that work is
aligned with the strategic effort and direction of the Civil
Service
 Assist employees to improve performance by providing them
with training and development relevant to individual
performance areas, career aspirations and longer term
organizational needs
 Provide an equitable and transparent framework for regular
and constructive discussions between supervisors and
employees for future organizational developments
 Develop mechanisms for rewarding high performance and
managing unsatisfactory performance
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What is Performance Management?

“Performance Management is an integral part of the public service

delivery mechanism. It is a process by which an organisation can
assess whether it is delivering the right services according to its
mission and objectives in the right amount, at the right cost, at the
right time and to the right people”.
The core assumption in performance management is that managers
and policy-makers learn from performance information and make
better decisions in the future based on empirical evidence. Hence,
performance management is intended to improve rational decision
making in management (Hilligan, 2008)
 Performance Management. Is a mechanism that
underpins and integrates other management practices.

 Performance Management is a tool that can be used

to prioritize activities and manage employee
expectations.
 each
alignment individual
between should be able
individual, to identify how
department/ their work
section and helps the
organisation
al objectives organisation
and achieve its
government overall
objectives. objectives.
 Relevant Performance agreements in place

Targeted feedback on performance

Access to training – improved skill in designing performance

agreements and providing feedback

Guidance to manager on how to set goals and provide feedback on

performance

Improved use of probation period

Support employee participation in decision making, planning

and setting accountability measures

Ensure organisational goals are clearly understood and the importance of

those goals is made relevant to each employee
Policy Goals
Key Principles

Policy Statements/Guidelines

Key Phases

Process
Performance policy goals
This policy establishes methods and processes for motivating and
assessing staff and institutional performance in the Public Service in an
effective manner. The goals of this Performance Management Policy
are to:
 achieve institutional performance plans/goals and linking individual and team
performance objectives to the institutional performance goals.
 provide a balanced approach for measuring performance results and
competencies
 develop core competencies that reflect the values and skills that are
necessary for individual and government success
 develop people through regular constructive coaching and dialogue

 promote job satisfaction in a motivating environment and recognize and

reward good performance; manage & sanction non-performance in the Public
Service.
The Performance Management
System is based on the principles of:
Accountability

Transparency

Equity

Ownership
Accountability:
Transparency
 Equity
.
Ownership
 Policy
Statements/Guidelines
 Policy statements / guidelines
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Performance Management (PM) shall be -

 a management tool for meeting organisational goals.

used to create a shared understanding of what is to

be achieved and how it is achieved.

viewed both as an approach and a system for

managing people and other organisational resources.

used to promote the health and long-term growth of

the institution
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Policy statements / guidelines cont’d
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Performance Management (PM) shall (be) –

 driven by competencies and measurement standards

to achieve desired results.

 driven through clear, consistent, visible and active

involvement of the governing bodies, senior executives
and managers.

 adopt effective and open communication systems

at all levels.

 linked to performance planning and assessment.

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 Cont’d
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Performance Management (PM) shall (be) –

 link incentives, rewards, recognition and sanctions

to performance.

 openly share/communicate results with

employees, customers and stakeholders.

 used to effect continuous change and

improvement.

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Model
Key Phases
 Conclusions
28

In conceptualizing the New Performance

Management Policy Framework, four key
principles were adapted;
 accountability,

 transparency,
 equity and

 ownership,

These are considered as the building constructs to

guide the development of the policy statements,
the PMS, as well as the assessment instruments and
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tools.
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Thank YOU

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