Superior Executive Service exam proposed to reduce inter-cadre disparity in public admin
Commission to propose over 100 recommendations to chief adviser
Highlights:
- Creation of Superior Executive Service to reduce disparity
- Separate service commissions for specialised cadres
- Formation of Dhaka, Ctg, Khulna, Rajshahi as provinces
- Reduction of ministries and divisions from 55 to 30
The Public Administration Reform Commission will propose over 100 recommendations today (5 February), aimed at a comprehensive overhaul of the public administration system.
Since independence, more than a dozen reform commissions have been formed for public administration. However, their recommendations have largely remained unimplemented.
"All our recommendations are feasible but implementing them will ultimately depend on the government," commission chief Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury told the media at the Secretariat yesterday.
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One of the key recommendations involves the creation of a new service cadre – Superior Executive Service (SES) – to reduce inter-cadre disparity, according to some commission members and ministry officials.
The SES will include officers from deputy secretary to additional secretary levels, with appointments to cabinet secretary, principal secretary and secretarial positions coming from this cadre.
All cadre officers will be eligible to apply for the SES through a competitive examination. The selection process will ensure that 50% of the recruits come from the administration cadre, while the remaining 50% come from other cadres.
The report had been due for submission last month, but was delayed to allow for fieldwork, district and upazila-level discussions and online feedback collection, said Muyeed Chowdhury.
"Based on these inputs, it was finalised and signed today," he added.
Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Md Mokhlesur Rahman said the report would be made public after submission and will be available online.
The report will be submitted to the chief adviser at around 12:30pm today. Prior to submission, the commission has refrained from disclosing specific details about the recommendations included in it.
Key recommendations
At present, 75% of deputy secretary-level positions are allocated to administration cadre officers, with the remaining 25% filled by other cadres. The commission initially proposed reducing the administration cadre quota to 50%, but due to inter-cadre conflicts, it has instead recommended an examination-based system.
The commission also proposes that the position of divisional commissioner remain the highest rank within the administration cadre. It also recommends merging the cooperative and food cadres with the administration cadre.
Furthermore, the commission recommends the establishment of separate service commissions for such specialised cadres as education, health and agriculture.
It also suggests the formation of an engineering service for technical cadres and distinct services for specialised fields.
The commission proposes that all recruitment within the health and education sectors, including both cadre and non-cadre positions, be handled by separate health and education service commissions.
In terms of employment policies, the commission suggests lowering the required service period for voluntary retirement with pension benefits from 25 years to 15 years.
Reforming local govt
The commission proposes the creation of four provinces - Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna and Rajshahi - and the formation of two new administrative divisions, Cumilla and Faridpur, in addition to the existing eight divisions.
Additionally, it will propose reducing the number of ministries and divisions from the current 55 to 30. The commission suggests prohibiting officials from being deputed to institutions outside their parent organisations.
The commission also recommends the dissolution of district councils to empower Upazila Parishads. Sources indicate that due to a lack of cooperation and coordination between deputy commissioners' offices and district councils, the commission is advocating for this structural change.
With the submission of the Public Administration Reform Commission's report, all five major commissions will have submitted their recommendations to the government, setting the stage for potential widespread reforms.
After receiving reports from key reform commissions, including the Constitutional, Electoral System, Anti-Corruption, and Police Reform Commissions, the chief adviser is expected to form a National Consensus Commission. This body will engage with political parties and stakeholders to identify key areas of agreement for implementation.
