Will APA serve any meaningful purpose?

With a view to evaluating the performance of the civil servants in various ministries and to make them accountable for their responsibilities, the cabinet division signed Annual Performance Agreements (APAs) with ten ministries/divisions on February 25, 2015 as per the Government Performance Management System (GPMS). The cabinet secretary said the government introduced GPMS following the recommendations of the Public Administration Reforms Report 2000 and the National Integrity Policy 2012.

It took long 15 years to implement the recommendations of the Public Administration Reform Report 2000. Before discussing the APA issue, let us ponder on the existing system of bureaucracy in implementing development projects of the government. The ministerial network of the government consists of more than fifty divisions apart from other important agencies like the Election Commission (EC), Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Public Service Commission (PSC) etc. These agencies enjoy full autonomy. Every division of the ministry may have a full cabinet minister if the Prime Minister so desires. The list of the divisions has been very comprehensive so that all social, economic and infrastructure activities get due recognition. The railway department was under the Ministry of Communication, but at the instruction of the Prime Minister, railway is now a separate ministry.

Every division/ministry has a planning cell which prepares the development projects.  In case of field departments, proposals are sent by those departments/offices. All the projects are coordinated and included either in the Five Year Plan or in the annual budget by the Planning Commission and the Ministry of Finance. Private sector activities are also reflected in the annual development plan (ADP). Respective ministry/division is to implement the projects as decided by the government.

There is a division known as the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) whose function is to properly monitor the performance and progress of the projects under implementation. Then again, there is the parliamentary standing committee for each division or ministry.  These committees review the activities of the concerned division and suggest remedies and sometimes reprimand the delinquents. Finally, it is Parliament where everything comes up for discussion.

If the government wants to ensure good governance and timely implementation of projects, these institutions are to be streamlined and defaulters must be punished.

Now let us discuss the APA issue. The cabinet secretary said that under terms of the agreements, the ministries would ascertain the vision, mission and strategic goals in accordance with the development priorities of the government's long-term Perspective Plan, Five Year Plan as well as of the key policy matters. The question is: what practice is being followed now? Are all ministries planning and implementing projects in a free for all manner? If not, what is the justification of having this kind of agreement under the plea of making senior bureaucrats accountable?

The cabinet secretary has stated that every government has a political vision and it is the responsibility of the government officials to realise the vision in an effective manner. The present government has adopted Vision 2021.

Development is a continuous process and governments exist in perpetuity.  But for the government to function properly, political commitment is critically important. There are some national institutions which cannot work properly even if efficient manpower is placed there. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and Election Commission fall within this category.

It need not be reiterated that sense of accountability originates from the efficiency and sense of responsibility of the officials. Annual Confidential Reports (ACR) are maintained from the very day a bureaucrat joins his service. But his efficiency will not increase and sense of responsibility will not rise unless he works in a free and proper environment. By free and proper environment, this scribe means an atmosphere not disturbed by political favour or undue interference.

It is difficult to fathom how APA will ensure the accountability of a bureaucrat. APA has been termed as an internal arrangement. The incumbent secretary is to sign the contract to make him accountable for ensuring performance. A bureaucrat's job is transferable. In this case, will the concerned secretary stay in a ministry for a fixed period? If this does not happen, then what is the use of this kind of internal agreement? Civil servants' performance evaluation procedure is followed in many countries including some in the South Asia. Not all countries could ensure good governance and thus following the practice does not ensure positive results. The key issue is -- if a bureaucrat is not given specific responsibility for timely completion of a project, then this kind of APA will become redundant.

 rezaulparvaz@live.com