STATE OF CIVIL SERVICES SURVEY
Nayana RenuKumar,Centre for Good Governance, Hyderabad
An initiative to measure and benchmark the state of people
management in public service capture perspectives of
employees on the public service
Contributes to public service reforms and thereby, excellence in
people management Undertaken in most developed countries
: UK, US, Australia, Canada
some developing countries : Romania, India
Survey of public service employees
Civil Service Surveys: International Experience
CountryFrequency
PatternResponse in latest survey
Australia
State of the Services Survey
AnnualStratified Random Sample
66
Canada
Public Service Employees’ Survey
TriennialCensus
Paper66
USA
Federal Human Capital Survey
BiennialSample
On line51
UK
Senior Civil Servants’ Survey
Biennial
Sample
On line / Paper
67
State of the Services Survey : Australia
Published by Australian Public Service Commission on annual basis since 1997-98
Survey mandated by Section 44 of Australian Public Service Act 1999
Main data sources Survey of agencies
Survey of employees
State of the Service Report 2008–09 Details activities and HRM practices of APS agencies during the
year
Outlines key achievements and contributions of agencies
Measures employee satisfaction with work and work environment
Evaluates organizational effectiveness in engaging with community
State of the Services Survey : Australia
14 Dimensions of APSC survey 2008-09
About you (demographic particulars)
Improving citizen access to Government Services
General Impressions Individual Performance Management
Job Satisfaction Increasing Personal Productivity
Work-Life balance Learning and Development
Attraction and selection Leadership
Interaction with Government Record Keeping
Working with External Stakeholders
Agency (Organization) Culture
State of the Services Survey : Key Results
Motivation
Motivation
85% - Motivated to do their best possible work
97% - Willing to put in extra effort to get the job done
Job satisfacti
on
Job satisfacti
on
81% - Overall satisfaction with job
63% - Have good work-life balance
82% - Proud to work in the APS
73% - Proud to work in respective agency
Pride of associati
on
Pride of associati
on
72% - Agency has high level of integrity 78% - Manager demonstrates honesty and integrity 71% - People in the agency manage conflicts of interest effectively
Ethics and
integrity
Ethics and
integrity
Learning & Career
Development
Learning & Career
Development
56% - Have good opportunities for learning & development67% - Performance feedback enables employees to deliver required results
Public Services Employees’ Survey: Canada
Published by Canada Public Service Agency (CPSA) since 1999 Aims to gather views of Canadian Public Service employees about
workplace Results enables managers and employees to initiate tangible
actions in their department or agency, and across the Public Service Latest survey in 2008 . Responses from 170,000 out of 258,000
employees; response rate (66%)
Dimensions of PSES 2008
My Job World My OrganizationMy Skills and Career My Work UnitLabour Management Relations RetentionCommunication with Immediate Supervisor
Staffing
Harassment and Discrimination General Information
Public Services Employees’ Survey: Key Results
Leadership
Leadership
70% - Immediate supervisors keep employees informed on important issues
53% - Have confidence in senior management
Job satisfactio
n
Job satisfactio
n
74% - Satisfied with current job
79% - Have good work-life balance
Performance
feedback
Performance
feedback
70% - Receive useful feedback from supervisor on job performance
Learning & Career
Development
Learning & Career
Development
Ethics and
integrity
Ethics and
integrity
63% - Staffing process is fair and transparent
67% - Get training needed to do the job well64% - Have opportunities to develop and apply skills40% - Satisfied with career progression
Federal Human Capital Survey: USA
Published by US Office of Personnel Management (US OPM) since 2002 Aims to
Gauge impressions of its civil servants, Identify areas where agencies are doing well, and where improvement is
needed
Fourth FHCS survey, 2008 gathered responses from 212,223 Federal employees ; response rate of 51%
Dimensions of FHCS survey
Demographics LeadershipPersonal Work Experience Performance CultureRecruitment, Development and Retention
Job Satisfaction
Learning (Knowledge Management)
Benefits
FHCS Survey: Key Results
Capacity &
commitment
Capacity &
commitment
91% - Believe their work is important
84% - Know how their work relates to the agency’s goals
Job satisfactio
n
Job satisfactio
n
68% - Satisfied with jobs
75% - Get a sense of personal accomplishment from work
60% - Workload is reasonable
75% - Have good work-life balance
Performance
feedback
Performance
feedback
70% - Performance appraisal is a fair reflection of my performance
82% - Employees are accountable for achieving results
26% - Link exists between performance and pay raises
Learning & Career
Development
Learning & Career
Development
Ethics and
integrity
Ethics and
integrity
49.5 % - My organization’s leaders maintain high standards of honesty and integrity
64% - Have opportunities to improve skills
62% - Talents are well used in workplace
55% - Satisfied with training
Senior Civil Service Survey: UK
Published by Cabinet Office, U.K Aims to find out
What senior leaders in the Civil Service think about leadership in the Senior Civil Service, working in the Senior Civil Service
What improvements are needed Census of employees in the Senior Civil Service of UK comprising 4000
persons Last SCS survey in 2006; Responses from 2985 officers; response rate of
67%
Dimensions of SCS survey 2006
Leadership and Management overall
Performance and career Management
LeadershipYour Job (satisfaction with job and work-life balance)
Learning and DevelopmentOverall perceptions of your Department and the Civil Service
Senior Civil Service Survey: Key Results
Pride of Associatio
n
Pride of Associatio
n
81% - Proud to work for the Civil Service
67% - Feel a strong sense of belonging to the Civil Service
Job satisfactio
n
Job satisfactio
n
90% - Satisfied with the job
48% - Work-life balance exists
Performance
feedback
Performance
feedback
46% - Appraisal system is fair, based on individual merit
50% - Receive regular and constructive feedback on performance
12% - Poor performance is dealt with effectively
Learning & Career
Development
Learning & Career
Development
Commitment
Commitment
98% - Committed to seeing the Department succeed
91% - Willing to put in a great deal of effort beyond what is normally expected to help the dept. succeed
80% - Satisfied with learning & development opportunities
STATE OF CIVIL SERVICES SURVEY 2010, INDIA
State of Civil Services Survey 2010, India
Objectives of the Civil Services Survey Assess enabling factors w.r.t personnel policies, work
environment etc. in meeting respective service objectives
Capture patterns and trends to identify systemic and process related deficiencies, if any
Make available data and analysis on the structural and personnel aspects (secondary data and the perception of the members of the respective services)
Specify procedures and develop templates so that the study may be carried out periodically in the future
Scope of the survey : Three All India Services Seven Group- A Central Services
Cadre strengthCadre Strength(Actual) Probationers
Net Cadre Strength
1 IAS 4572 150 4422
2 IRS(IT) 3382 310 3072
3 IPS 3232 82 3150
4 IFoS 2664 3 2661
5 IRS (C&CE) 2378 0 2378
6 IRTS 822 30 792
7 IA&AS 634 12 622
8 IFS 573 19 554
9 IPoS 443 5 438
10 IRPS 350 7 343
Total 19050 618 18432
State of Civil Services Survey 2010, India
Dimensions of the Survey
Overall perception
Harassment &
DiscriminationWorking
with external
stakeholders
Commitment & Integrity
Leadership &
Management
Performance
appraisal &
Promotions
Learning & Developme
nt
Work life balance
Postings & transfers
Job satisfaction
& motivation
Work environme
nt
Recruitment &
Retention
Personal Profile
Indian Civil
Services
Indian Civil
Services
Survey Methodology
Survey covered 18432 officers belonging to the ten select services
Identity of respondents has been kept confidential
Questions - objective- type with provision for additional comments
4808 officers responded to the survey, 26% of the total universe
S No Service Cadre strength
Response received
% of total response
% of cadre strength
1 IAS 4422 900 18.7 20.42 IA 622 359 7.5 57.73 IRS 2378 807 16.8 33.94 IFS 554 232 4.8 41.95 IFoS 2661 731 15.2 27.56 IPS 3150 741 15.4 23.57 IPoS 438 163 3.4 37.28 IRPS 343 110 2.3 32.19 IRTS 792 189 3.9 23.910 IRS 3072 570 11.9 18.611 Service (NA) - 6 0.2 -
Total 18432 4808 100 26.1
Profile of Respondents
IAS constitute largest respondents (19%) followed by IRS (17%), IPS (15%)
Female respondents account for just over 10% of the total respondent base
48% respondents are officers in the age group of 50 years or older
KEY RESULTS OF THE SURVEY
S.No Determinant Very Important
Important
1Opportunity to make a difference to society
72.8 23.6
2 Job security 51.7 41.8
3Prestige and social status associated with civil service
56 37.8
4Future career opportunities in civil service
45.6 42
5 Pay & Perquisites 25.2 57.4
6 Visible symbols of power 17.8 44.5
7Opportunity to take advantage of one’s position for personal benefits
- -
Attributes determining choice of civil services
Attributes determining choice of civil services
1. Recruitment and Placement
1. Recruitment and Placement
Level of agreement with Proposed Recruitment ReformsLevel of agreement with Proposed Recruitment Reforms
67% officers agreed that the maximum age of entry should be lowered
82% officers support post-selection counseling 54% agree with idea of lateral entry 83% want senior positions to be open to all civil services
33% officers have considered resignation from civil services at some point of their career
Better opportunities outside government cited as a major reason (45%)
1. Recruitment and Placement
Reasons for considering Resignation/ Retirement from Civil ServiceReasons for considering Resignation/ Retirement from Civil Service
2. Work Environment
50% officers feel they have adequate financial resources to accomplish their work efficiently and effectively
Only 29% feel that there is pressure owing to undue outside interference
65% confident of speaking their mind or challenging things without fear
45% officers opine that they have support of competent staff
45% feel that existing administrative policies and procedures are not helpful in dealing with indiscipline in the office
2. Work Environment
3. Job Satisfaction and Motivation
73% respondents reported satisfaction in their current assignment Key motivating factors
60% officers find all six factors listed as very important Chance to make a useful contribution (73%) and autonomy in job (71%)
ranked higher than other four factors
Key motivating factors at workKey motivating factors at work
S.No Reasons for dissatisfaction No. % (of those who responded)
1Lack of opportunity to make a useful contribution
457 46.8
2Inadequate level of authority and autonomy in one’s job
450 46.1
3Lack of opportunities to utilize and develop one’s skills
373 38.2
4Absence of congenial work environment
327 33.5
6Lack of regular feedback/ recognition of effort
324 33.2
5Lack of challenging opportunities at work
313 32.1
7 No Response 11 1.1
Base (those who reported dissatisfaction)
976
Reasons for lack of job satisfactionReasons for lack of job satisfaction
3. Job Satisfaction and Motivation
4. Postings and Transfers: Tenure policy
64% officers satisfied with postings as well as tenures given in those postings
52% believe postings to important posts and locations not decided on merit 58% officers feel that transfer orders are not issued keeping in mind the
specific needs of the concerned
Reasons for dissatisfaction with place of postingReasons for dissatisfaction with place of posting
5. Work-Life Balance
45% officers feel they have control over their time to a great extent; 50% have control over time to some extent
Women officers feel less in control of their time (40%) than male officers (45%)
Main factors affecting time management Lack of adequate support staff in terms of numbers
and competence - 74 %
Heavy work load - 57%
Too many meetings - 52%
6. Learning & Development
77% officers agree that civil servants need to specialize in one or more subjects
Perception about Training ProgramsPerception about Training Programs
StatementRating (% of StronglyAgree/Agree)
Training programs are too general; do not match the specific needs of job or service
65%
Even in cases where training is relevant, the post-training posting does not take into account this
85%
There is no objective and rational basis for selection of officers for training
75%
6. Learning & Development
Other sources of learning ‘very often’ depended on 58% - Newspapers 35% - Internet 18% - Books 14% - Magazines
Other sources of learning ‘very often’ depended on 58% - Newspapers 35% - Internet 18% - Books 14% - Magazines
Two knowledge sources which benefit civil servants to a great extent : On the job training (81%) ; Self development/self study (71%)
7. Performance appraisal and promotions
43% officers agree that performance appraisal system is fair, objective and transparent
73% feel that short-term goals are valued more in appraisals
Opinion on performance appraisal issuesOpinion on performance appraisal issues
8. Leadership and Management
32% officers feel that senior officers do not take time to mentor juniors 40% feel that senior officers are incapable of taking tough decisions 44% opine that seniors are impartial and fair in dealing with subordinates
Perception about Senior OfficersPerception about Senior Officers
9. Commitment and Integrity
Uphold ethics in spite of personal risks
Approach influential people and use other means to get good postings, etc.
70% agree that majority of officers do not approach influential people or use other means to get good postings etc
Officers uphold ethics, rules etc. in spite of personal risks involved
42% majority of officers do so 23% such officers are few or very few
9. Commitment and Integrity
Perception of prevalence of unethical practices in their services Highest among IAS and IPS
Lowest among IA&AS, IFS and IRS (C&CE)
81% feel that political corruption takes place because there are always some civil servants willing to collaborate
Majority of respondents felt that Corrupt officers get away without being punished.
Corrupt officers are able to get the most sought after postings
Honest officials are harassed through baseless complaints and investigations
10. Working with External Stakeholders & Improving Service Delivery
Civil servants have a positive image of themselves regarding their relationship with external stakeholders
41% - civil servants consider external stakeholders as equals 59% - civil servants are concerned about quality of services
Large number of neutral responses
Responses regarding interaction with external stakeholders
Responses regarding interaction with external stakeholders
36% have been a victim of harassment in their service Proportion marginally higher
among the male officers (36%) than females (34%)
Source of harassment Individuals with authority over
them (86%) Political representatives (40%)
36% have been a victim of harassment in their service Proportion marginally higher
among the male officers (36%) than females (34%)
Source of harassment Individuals with authority over
them (86%) Political representatives (40%)
11. Harassment and Discrimination
Harassment
20% officers has faced discrimination
Reasons : Community (53%)
Sex (18%)
20% officers has faced discrimination
Reasons : Community (53%)
Sex (18%)
Discrimination
Are there enough avenues for redress of grievances ?
12. Overall perception about civil services
85 % have enjoyed their work in the civil service Higher level of satisfaction among the senior officers
85 % are proud of being members of the service Feeling equal among male and female officers Feeling highest amongst AIS officers (IAS,IPS,IFS)
Only 50% would recommend civil services as a career for their children
Overall perception about civil servicesOverall perception about civil services
Comparative picture
AttributesAustralia
Canada
UK US India
Job satisfaction 81 % 74% 90% 68% 73%Have good work-life balance
63% 79% 48% 75% 45%
Learning and development opportunities exists
56% 64% 80% 64% -
Performance appraisal is fair and transparent
67% 70% 46% 63% 43%
Overall perception – Pride in belonging to the civil service
82% - 81% - 85%
Thank you