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Performance Management Reform in Macao 531

In accordance with Article 17, self-assessment is optional and will not be included in the official assessment. Assessors, however, should take self-assessment results, if available, into consideration before determining the final performance ratings. The optional arrangement limits the effectiveness of using self-assessment to cross-examine assessment results for improving communication and objectivity. However, there are also logical reasons to question the validity of selfassessment results.

Article 20 provides a process for employees to dispute their performance ratings. It requires the assessment consultation committee of the concerned department to give opinions on the dispute, which must be considered in seeking resolutions. Article 23 provides an additional grievance procedure for employees to appeal their performance assessment results.

According to Circular no. 060317001/DT, the government had organized a large number of activities and provided venues for civil servants to get information on the new performance assessment scheme, including one forum, nine workshops, and sixty-five Q&A sessions. All government departments were provided with a practitioner manual for performance assessment (Manual Prático da Avaliação do Desempenho) and an information Q&A website was set up to answer queries (http://www.safp.gov.mo/desmpenho).

Although the new system addresses many concerns, it had been criticized for not covering the executives and for offering differential treatment to executives and managers. Article 5 of Law no. 8/2004 states that the performance assessment results of those in managerial positions (chefia) will not affect their rank or level promotion in their original career tracks. This clause undermines the consequential effect of performance assessment. Chapter 1 Article 1 of Administrative Regulation 31/2004 also indicates that all civil servants in government departments and public bodies, including those in the judicial system, are bounded by the new law, except those in executive (direcção) or equivalent positions, those in the chief executive’s office and secretariats, consultants to the police and customs, and temporary fi xed-term positions. However, in the chief executive’s policy address for 2003 (p. 22), it is mentioned that the assessment scheme should be expanded to cover the executives. In a consultation document prepared by SAFP and Gabinete para a Reforma Jurídica (2007: 12), the government addressed this issue and recommended setting up an assessment scheme for executives. Furthermore, in July 2003, the government announced a new scheme for employees to give anonymous assessments of their superiors. However, the assessment results are not to be used, but should logically be considered, in the official assessment of the superiors.45

In July 2009, the Legislative Council passed new general regulations on civil service managers and executives. The new regulations cover rules on the following aspects: accountability, job transfer, performance assessment, and a restriction on business affairs after termination of employment. The new regulations stipulate that civil service executives and managers can be publicly reprimanded for misconduct.46 The new regulations help to eliminate the concern of differential treatment for high-ranking civil servants. However, there were still worries that the lack of transparency would compromise executive accountability.47

25.7 Results and Problems

Very rarely would new initiatives be totally successful. The performance pledge and the revamped employee assessment system are no exceptions, as indicated below.

45Ibid., July 23, 2007, p. B1.

46See Macao Daily News, July 24, 2009, p. B5.

47See Macao Daily News, August 10, 2009, p. B6.

© 2011 by Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

532 Public Administration in Southeast Asia

25.7.1 Performance Pledge

As of June 2007, 44 government departments and agencies had participated in the performance pledge plan and published 975 pledges.48 Among them, 963 of the pledges are for external services. Among 963 pledges, 454 have been implemented. In addition, as of April 2007, ten government departments and agencies out of the 44 had obtained ISO certification.49 By the end of 2008, with the exception of newly formed agencies and the University of Macau, which obtained exemption because of its ISO9000 certification, all government departments and agencies, fortythree in total, had successfully passed the performance pledge system assessment and obtained certification.

Despite the apparent success, a study had observed evidence of government officials making easy-to-meet pledges only and avoiding challenging but needed pledges, leading to the pledges lacking relevance, comprehensiveness, and meaningfulness in some cases (Lin, 2004:44–54). Government officials were aware of the problems, but emphasized encouragement in the initial stage rather than substantial improvement.50 This point was also heavily emphasized by the Comissão De Avaliaçao Dos Serviços Públicos in briefing the media on the results of the performance pledge assessment. While this cautious approach is justifiable, there is ambiguity on the consequences of non-compliance, failure to meet targets, or, conversely, excellent performance. Without clear consequences, success would obviously be limited and even short lived.

25.7.2 Employee Performance Assessment

Although the new employee performance assessment scheme had been generally accepted as the right move, concerns were expressed about the pressure on civil servants,51 potential increase in internal bickering and office politics,52 abusive use of the anonymous assessment of superiors,53 and employees not daring to be truthful in assessing superiors or, worse still, using this to gain favors from superiors.54 Considering the conservative culture of the Macao civil service, especially the problem of small-group politics, these concerns are legitimate despite the lack of solid evidence.

In a study (Chen, 2007: 65–84), the following concerns were documented from interviewing civil servants: (1) doubts expressed on the effectiveness of self-assessment and anonymous assessment of superiors, (2) lacking clear criteria for determining “excellent” performance, (3) lacking an effective performance-based reward and disciplinary scheme, (4) lacking sufficient independent authority for assessment consultation committees to serve effectively as a monitoring body,

(5) lacking an overall monitoring authority to prevent departments from misinterpreting system details or applying rules and criteria inconsistently, (6) doubts about accuracy and validity of assessment results if the assessors were not the immediate supervisors, and (7) concerns about inadequate support for the system from managers and employees.

These concerns highlight the difficulties of ensuring proper implementation of the new scheme, obviously with challenges to overcome in the years to come.

48See http://www.informac.gov.mo/ppledge/chin/status/status.asp?portal=1.

49See http://app.safp.gov.mo/qs/iso_status

50This information was obtained from discussions with civil service executives.

51See Macau Daily News, March 24, 2002, p. A7.

52See Journal Va Kio, March 31, 2002, p. 1.

53See Macau Daily News, August 13, 2003, p. B10.

54Ibid., August 3, 2003, p. B6.

© 2011 by Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

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