ISLAMABAD, 20 SEP (DNA) — Amid concerns over declining standards and lack of specialisation in the bureaucracy, the federal government has finalised a sweeping restructuring of the civil service, proposing 11 new professional cadres, a complete overhaul of the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination and senior-level promotions and linking officials’ performance to financial rewards.

The proposed reforms, estimated to cost Rs11 billion to implement, seek to reshape recruitment, training, career progression, performance evaluation and the institutional structure of the federal bureaucracy. The package was unveiled at a consultative session on civil service reforms chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday.

The session was attended by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Federal Minister Aleem Khan, former PTI federal minister Asad Umar, senior policymakers, sector specialists and other stakeholders. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had constituted two committees on civil service reforms, which have held 18 meetings since September 2024 and reached consensus on 43 of 46 recommendations.

The proposed new professional cadres include HR, Law, Engine¬ering, Science and Technology, IT and Telecom, Energy, Climate, Agriculture and Forestry, Education and Health groups. The Establishment Division wou¬ld be converted into a Human Reso¬urce and Organisation Development Division, while federal decision-making would be reduced from five tiers to three.

Under the proposed National Executive Service (NES) structure, posts in BS-20 and above would be filled through open competition on five-year contracts against published performance targets, with serving officers, private-sector professionals and academics competing on equal terms. The Police Service and Foreign Service would remain outside the NES.

It also proposes piloting performance-linked pay in the federal secretariat and a retirement package comprising a Rs5 million lump sum funded through monthly deductions, along with subsidised health insurance. The new policy also draws on Pakistan Army human resource practices, proposing replacement of the one-day viva voce with a multi-day competency-based assessment on the pattern of ISSB.

The model emphasises psychometric, emotional intelligence and leadership assessments at recruitment, placement on the principle of the “right person for the right job”, specialised training and multi-tier performance evaluation.

It also draws on the army’s structured promotion system, under which progression becomes increasingly selective at senior ranks and promotion decisions are made collectively by boards on prescribed criteria rather than individual discretion. A key shift under the proposed system is recruitment according to specialisation, ending the existing arrangement under which officers can be allocated to fields they have never studied. — DNA