Govt plans to induct experts into ministries, likely to ruffle feathers

[Pakhtoon yum]

Dictators come with danda power.

Can I have that too?

 

[HAIDER]

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to induct highly qualified professionals of relevant fields in top positions into federal ministries, on the pattern of under secretaries in the United States, to improve efficiency and output of the government.

They would be officially called ‘technical advisers’ and paid according to market conditions in the private sector for a fixed term. They would be placed above the federal secretaries and below the ministers in terms of policy advice and expert opinion.

They would be hired in Management Pay (MP) scale or Special Professional Pay Scales (SPPS), but practically would be grade-23 officers, since a federal secretary had grade-22, an official said.

“This will be a replica of the US administration where presidents bring in their own teams of technical experts of all fields to deliver on government visions and targets. And those experts remain in office mostly until the presidential term,” said a senior official.

He said those running the government believed that the existing lot of the senior bureaucracy was one of the key stumbling blocks to smooth functioning of the government.

Resistance expected
However, the proposals are likely to face resistance from within the bureaucracy as some of the top officers privately contest the need for hiring what they call “young super bureaucrats” and suggest there is no room for such positions under the existing legal scheme of things and rules of business.

When contacted, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms and Austerity, Dr Ishrat Hussain, explained that the government had prioritised 15 federal ministries where ‘technical advisers’ would be placed in the first phase. He confirmed that these advisers would be above the secretaries and below the rank of federal ministers.

A number of cases and proposals come before the government from various quarters including through the federal secretaries, but get stuck and pass through the process without the quality input based on best market practices because the secretary is not necessarily an expert in the field. At the same time, ministers are seldom experts of the relevant field as they come through the political process. Therefore, the technical adviser will process proposals floated by the secretary or the line ministry to guide the minister and ultimately help the cabinet reach informed decisions.

Dr Hussain said the pay scales of management positions (MP-1) were being improved to attract quality experts. An MP-I adviser would now be getting more than Rs700,000 per month.

He said the government had already hired a technical adviser — a highly qualified professional — in the ministry of education through a competitive process and would soon follow suit in other 15 selective ministries.

A summary submitted to the prime minister by the Establishment Division has identified 15 ministers for “Creation of 15 Posts of Technical Advisors”. These ministries and divisions are: Science and Technology, Finance, Power, Petroleum, Water Resources, Commerce, Aviation, National Food Security, Industries and Production, Information Technology and Telecommunication, Climate Change, Maritime Affairs, Textile Industry and National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination.

“As these ministries/divisions lack the requisite technical expertise, therefore, their optimal performance is hampered,” the summary noted and argued that “as an immediate measure to boost their performance, there is a need to hire the services of requisite technical expertise on market based salaries” i.e. one each for these ministries “with the specific job to look after and supervise the affairs of technical wings of these ministries and divisions”.

The process of recruitment against the proposed posts of the advisers with post-wise specific terms of reference will be processed by respective administrative ministers in the light of the criteria for hiring of technical advisors on contract basis in consultation with the ministry of finance and management service wing of the Establishment division.

The Establishment division has reported to the prime minister that the Finance Division has already prepared Special Professional Pay Scales (SPPS-I, II & III). Separately, the pay package of MP-I, II and III have also been upgraded. “Therefore, these technical experts can be hired from market” either on SPPS or MPS.

An official said the Finance Division had separately hired a group of qualified professionals for the Public Private Partnership Authority through a competitive selection process on SPPS with a monthly salary tag of Rs2.5 to Rs3 million.

He said a group of top officers were set to challenge the placement of technical adviser in the ministries and were, instead, proposing to create a pool of technical experts for independent expert opinion, instead of creating another tier in the hierarchy.

“This is a revolutionary idea but needs amendments to the rules of business. The technical adviser and secretary who also holds the position of principal accounting officer in each division would remain entangled in turf wars,” said a former federal secretary.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1516342

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Glad to see these steps being taken. IDK if this will be another case of "jobs for the boys" or not, we'll have to see the output of these ministries in due time.

Actually , its because our MNA's or MPA's are not capable enough to comprehend foreign trade rules or even basic understanding and concepts of modern day dealings. When MNA is jahil then it's very easy for these old school bureaucrats to exploit them . Look at recent Turkish Kerkey case, LNG and many other international contracts.

 

[Genghis khan1]

Good, fire all these useless political, bureaucratic turds and hire more duty expert professionals.

 

[The Accountant]

Are these salaries per yer or per month?

Per month before joining FBR as managing partner of PWC

 

[Mav3rick]

Pakistanis in the west search and prefer Pakistani products, while Pakistanis in Pakistan search and prefer imported maal. This is fact and a person who denies it is either lying or living in his own world.

You are correct. However, that it because of stringent quality controls in the Western World. Whatever they import from Pakistan is of the highest quality whereas what we get here is generally of the lowest quality, sub-standard and unhygienic. This is why some of us prefer imported products.

This can be fixed, by ensuring strict compliance with international standards, quality controls and consumer protection departments. From a basic necessity such as milk to industrial equipment.

What is a grade-22 salary? Are these accurate? https://www.careermidway.com/blog/what-is-salary-of-government-employees-in-pakistan-46

Honestly looking at that table i can understand why there is so much corruption. Those salaries should be doubled. Having said that - nobody is forcing anyone to do these jobs - if it doesn't make you enough money, go sell bun kebabs of biryani.

The salaries look accurate. Ofcourse the take home is more than double that but still, consider a Grade-22 federal secretary taking home 150,000 - 180,000 (after taxes and deductions). This is a position which should have a take home salary 3-4 times of that amount otherwise integrity and quality is compromised.

If we are to take your suggestion and nobody takes the CSS exams preferring rather to sell 'bun kebab or biryani' as you said; in that case we will have no bureaucrats and the system just collapses, it does NOT fix itself. The way to fix it is to make salaries, perks and benefits so enticing and so attractive that it attracts the top minds of the country. Do the same for teachers and professors. Set the foundation right and the structure will grow strong and successful, gradually.

Best of luck finding a technical person in 700000 that can run a government level organization ... for example shabbar zaidi was earning more than 5 million a month.

Although it may not be in this context, I still do not agree with your example; Shabbar Zaidi, however qualified, was, is and will remain a conflict of interest with his current assignment. And he is a partner in a firm so still makes the amount that he was making earlier.

You can find gems in Pakistan for half that amount. The only challenge is to find someone with the right attitude, someone with a vision. 700k in Pakistan, as a salary, is unheard of generally. There can only literally be a few thousand in Pakistan who earn more than that as a salary.

Killing, upgrdaing overhaul whatever term you use. The current system is obsolete and needs to be changed in its entirety not by just coametic changes

Agreed!

 

[The Accountant]

Although it may not be in this context, I still do not agree with your example; Shabbar Zaidi, however qualified, was, is and will remain a conflict of interest with his current assignment. And he is a partner in a firm so still makes the amount that he was making earlier.

You can find gems in Pakistan for half that amount. The only challenge is to find someone with the right attitude, someone with a vision. 700k in Pakistan, as a salary, is unheard of generally. There can only literally be a few thousand in Pakistan who earn more than that as a salary.

Bro I agree that only few thousand are earning that much of amount but even in those few thousands only a handful are capable to run something as big and complicated as government ministry with a position above then federal secretary.

Only to give you a prospective, I am quite close to enter the club we are discussing above. However, I have no capacity even in medium term future to run something as big as a government ministry.

This required specialized skills plus alot of experience. So meanwhile we do have talent and educated people here but the person with the experience to handle such a massive responsibility will already be earning a much higher than target salary. Now government has only 2 options:

1. hire someone like Shabbar Zaidi who accept it as a matter of his social responsibility. (Gov is not paying him 5 million a month)
2. hire inexperience person from the field but it means you are adopting a trial and error basis which could cost us a lot in long run.

By the way Shabbar Zaidi is retired. I am AFF alumni and junior of Shabbar Zaidi (I was a trainee when he was senior partner in a different section) and AFF is always very cautious about conflict of interest. A single deliberate attempt to overrun conflict of interest can cost us the whole firm which is almost 120 years old.

FOr example Shabbar Zaidi is a friend of one of the director in my group company and has represented my company in one of the cases (which is still pending) but now there is no way we or the other director could contact him other than through formal channel despite of having his contact numbers.

 

[Verve]

If we are to take your suggestion and nobody takes the CSS exams preferring rather to sell 'bun kebab or biryani' as you said; in that case we will have no bureaucrats and the system just collapses, it does NOT fix itself. The way to fix it is to make salaries, perks and benefits so enticing and so attractive that it attracts the top minds of the country

CSS should be abolished.

I've been part of UK Civil Service and the hiring is on a competency framework. The interview process is nothing like the private sector generally. A panel of 3 to 4 with preprepared job specification competency questions. Panel selects the best answered. This is the same for the lowest to CEO grade.

Employment laws are the same as private sector so incompetent at job are weeded out quickly just as in private sector - first 2 years of employment no reason for firing. After 2 years service, it's through warnings process. Same should happen in Pakistan CS.

Pay is far less than private sector so I don't agree with top pay proposal in Pakistan. But the work life balance is very good as well as the pension contributions by CS (27% to 32%) - highest in any sector! Best part is work life balance as one can take leave for overtime exceeding the standard 37hr week. Private sector there's no such thing as work life balance.

28 days holidays plus 24 more (2 overtime leaves per month) = 52 days potential leave

Plus 8 or so public holidays.

That's 60 days off per year!

That's why people from private sector move to Civil Service in UK.

In Pakistan, CSS is Corruption Club that needs to be burnt.

 

[Syed1.]

CSS should be abolished.

I've been part of UK Civil Service and the hiring is on a competency framework. The interview process is nothing like the private sector generally. A panel of 3 to 4 with preprepared job specification competency questions. Panel selects the best answered. This is the same for the lowest to CEO grade.

Employment laws are the same as private sector so incompetent at job are weeded out quickly just as in private sector - first 2 years of employment no reason for firing. After 2 years service, it's through warnings process. Same should happen in Pakistan CS.

Pay is far less than private sector so I don't agree with top pay proposal in Pakistan. But the work life balance is very good as well as the pension contributions by CS (27% to 32%) - highest in any sector! Best part is work life balance as one can take leave for overtime exceeding the standard 37hr week. Private sector there's no such thing as work life balance.

28 days holidays plus 24 more (2 overtime leaves per month) = 52 days potential leave

Plus 8 or so public holidays.

That's 60 days off per year!

That's why people from private sector move to Civil Service in UK.

In Pakistan, CSS is Corruption Club that needs to be burnt.

Same in Canada, it's very tough to get a job in the government but the work-life balance and benefits (pension, vacation etc) is amazing that is why the jobs are very attractive. Also there is no centralized intake exam like the stupid CSS. Every single job is posted and the best person hired for it from the private sector with a panel of interviewers asking job relevant questions. Sometimes to get the best talent for a competitive job, the government agency will conduct an exam of all the pre-selected candidates and the exam will be relevant to the job. Amongst the pre-selected ones who pass the exams then an interview round is held and the best candidate hired.

That way you will have a civil engineer hired for infrastructure projects not a MA English whose only achievement is he passed the CSS and then bribed his way through the system.

 

[Mujahid Memon]

Finally some positive strutrual changes. However, I highly doubt that any competent person could be hired from market at a meager salary of 700,000.

May be someone join for a greater cause otherwise CEOs of even small companies are getting above then 700K.

700k a meager salary? Bhai kis duniya me rehte ho?

 

[The Accountant]

700k a meager salary? Bhai kis duniya me rehte ho?

For the responsibilities like this 700k is nothing ... go and check what executives in private sector are getting ...

Even a medium size companies are paying million plus to department heads and ceo is getting alot more than that.

 

[Mujahid Memon]

For the responsibilities like this 700k is nothing ... go and check what executives in private sector are getting ...

Even a medium size companies are paying million plus to department heads and ceo is getting alot more than that.

That is due to the income inequality prevailing in Pakistan. Highest paid employee get about 20-30x the pay of lowest paid employee, or even higher. While in the US/EU it is about max 5x-8x.

 

[The Accountant]

That is due to the income inequality prevailing in Pakistan. Highest paid employee get about 20-30x the pay of lowest paid employee, or even higher. While in the US/EU it is about max 5x-8x.

You are right. This income inequality is due to lack of skilled labor.

EU labor do not get engaged in garment stitching as it is very low paying job worldwide. They are focusing on high paying industries only.

Unless we improve the skill set of our labor this discrepancy is not going to reduce.

 

[BATMAN]

Clearly shows, Imran Khan got no clue, about where lies the problem.
Irrespective he collects 100 Americans, all of them together can't build one kilometer of simple road on international standards, can't organize vaccine for dog bites or get rid of dengue like SS. etc. etc.

 

[American Pakistani]

You are correct. However, that it because of stringent quality controls in the Western World. Whatever they import from Pakistan is of the highest quality whereas what we get here is generally of the lowest quality, sub-standard and unhygienic. This is why some of us prefer imported products.

You have 3 types of quality in Pakistan of Pakistani products, high quality, medium quality and lower quality. We in west get high quality but we pay for it. For example a simple t shirt cost me about 18$, which is about 2700 rupees. I get a high quality Pakistani t in Pakistan for much lesser. A slanty here cost 70cents which is 100+pkr.

 

[Asian.Century]

Where are the new Management Pay (MP) scale or Special Professional Pay Scales (SPPS) in government now? performance?