Civil servants laud tweaks to Currently Estimated Potential system, hope for more holistic and transparent assessment

• The system has been a bone of contention among some civil servants over the years
• Civil servants interviewed said the refinements could provide greater incentives to prove themselves, and level the field among scholars and non-scholars
• While they hoped the changes would be implemented across the Civil Service soon, they recognised that the Government has more pressing issues to deal with amid the Covid-19 crisis

SINGAPORE — Civil servants interviewed by TODAY welcomed the refinements to the system used to gauge their leadership potential, as they hoped that these will usher in a more holistic and transparent assessment to help them move up the ladder.

The Currently Estimated Potential (CEP) system — which has been a bone of contention among some civil servants over the years — is expressed in terms of the largest job responsibility level an officer is assessed to be capable of undertaking in his or her career in the Public Service.

The system was likened to a “blackbox” by the civil servants who spoke to TODAY on condition of anonymity because their employment clauses disallow them to speak to the media without authorisation. 

They added that they hoped the changes would mean greater incentives for civil servants to prove themselves, and level the field among scholars and non-scholars.

An assistant director in the Civil Service, who is in her 30s, said for example that those with higher CEPs — such as scholars — are often given more opportunities to shine.

“I have seen instances of underperforming scholars given greater opportunities, by virtue of the fact that they have higher CEP, compared to those who are not scholars that have performed well,” she said.

While the CEPs are “not set in stone”, she added that it is “actually quite difficult for the CEP to change”.

In recent years, the system has been the subject of several parliamentary questions filed by Members of Parliament (MPs). 

On Tuesday (Oct 6), Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing disclosed that the CEP system will be refined following a review last year. He said this in a written answer to a parliamentary question filed by Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency MP Louis Ng. 

Some of the revisions will refine what qualifies as “leadership potential” and place more emphasis on helping civil servants "identify their potential and career goals" in the short to medium term. Also, a civil servant’s CEP will “no longer be the single most important determinant” of his or her career development and progression.

While the CEP system remains a means to identify those with leadership potential early, it will be used “more lightly” in human resources decisions relating to career development and progression, Mr Chan had said.

He added: “We will place greater weight on assessing officers’ demonstrated skills and competencies as part of performance management, progression, and talent identification and management.”

This was lauded by the civil servants interviewed, including a senior teacher at a secondary school, who has worked in the Civil Service for 20 years. He told TODAY that he believed he has already reached the “glass ceiling” in his career, as dictated by the CEP.

“Many students tell me: 'Sir, you can be a principal one day'," said the 50-year-old. “But with the CEP, I know that’s unlikely… It’s like the caste system.” 

In his written parliamentary reply, Mr Chan said that the leadership qualities which the Civil Service will look at include the ability to build systems for the future, lead people well and have a good sense of the ground. Such qualities may be monitored through job rotations and new channels such as “360 feedback” — a feedback process involving supervisors and peers.

A 29-year-old civil servant, who has been working in his ministry for four years, noted that these changes “take into account criteria that are important”.

He added that assessment of such qualities should not lie solely in the hands of those “higher up the food chain”. He said: “How do those who are further from the ground decide who knows the ground best?”

TODAY understands that the CEP system is currently adopted in the Civil Service but not in the wider Public Service which includes government statutory boards. Nevertheless, the statutory boards may have similar concepts to guide the potential assessment of officers for career planning and talent management purposes.

A public servant who has been working at a statutory board for three years said that as a result of the tweaks to the CEP system, he hopes for more “360 degree interaction” in the public sector.

“This includes staff members giving bosses comments as well,” the 28-year-old said.

The civil servants interviewed said they hoped the changes would be implemented across the Civil Service soon.

The assistant director in her 30s noted that this could possibly be achieved within one to two years but she recognised that the Government has more pressing issues to deal with, such as generating jobs amid the Covid-19 crisis.