The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The National Assembly passed a resolution on reforming the Max System and the Bell Curve system based on the recommendations of the Good Governance Committee (GGC).
The main one was to review and reform the Bell Curve moderation system or forced ranking,
have an independent grievance redressal mechanisms (Administrative Tribunal) to enhance transparency and fairness, implement incentivization of Outstanding Category and provide support and training for Partially Meeting Expectation (PME) category and develop sector-sensitive performance assessment approaches (see story on pg. 9).
The paper asked the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) for its response to the above NA resolution and recommendations.
The RCSC made it clear that it will continue with the Bell Curve system for now, but is looking at making improvements. The fear in RCSC is that if it does away with the system overnight it will be a return to the old system where all civil servants get an outstanding or excellent and there is no accountability.
RCSC wants to ensure that, be it a new PMS or an improved one there has to be accountability at the heart of it.
RCSC said that following the National Assembly’s resolution (from past sessions) and broader stakeholder feedback on the MaX System and the bell-curve approach, the RCSC has continued its ongoing efforts to review and strengthen the Performance Management System (PMS) as part of the broader civil service reform agenda.
The RCSC said it submitted its Action Taken Report (ATR) to the government and the GGC and also participated in the consultation meeting convened by the GGC on 5 May 2026 to discuss issues related to the PMS and MaX system.
It listed some of the measures already initiated and areas currently under review.
The RCSC is benchmarking Bhutan’s PMS against international public service systems and best practices, including systems in Singapore, Japan, and Australia.
“We are studying them and will take best practices from them. We have looked at Singapore and Japan and are discussing with Thailand and will curate the best practices to our system,” said an official.
Another measure RCSC talked about is strengthening continuous performance management practices through regular performance check-ins, coaching, and feedback mechanisms rather than relying primarily on year-end assessments.
“This is intended to support timely guidance, resource allocation, and clearer performance expectations throughout the year. Capacity development support is also being provided to supervisors on performance coaching and mentoring,” said RCSC.
The official said that in the old system the activities could be added just once but now it can be continually added and there will also be continuous feedback. She said supervisors have been trained to coach where needed and not in a top-down manner.
RCSC will be reviewing both relative and absolute rating approaches in consultation with international experts, particularly in the context of competency-based assessment systems.
It said it will be strengthening the use of Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) for officials requiring additional support, with structured coaching, monitoring, and institutional oversight mechanisms. This is especially for those in the PME category.
The official said there are cases of PME category staff even becoming outstanding after such interventions.
RCSC said it will be reinforcing leadership accountability and the supervisory role in staff development and performance management which means leaders will be held accountable for their rankings and also the subsequent support to help develop the staff.
RCSC is also studying performance management approaches in corporate and high-performing institutions, including systems such as Tata Consultancy Services, to assess organizational alignment, fairness, and overall system effectiveness.
It is exploring the implementation of the Performance-Based Variable Incentive (PBVI) framework under the Pay Reform Act 2022, subject to fiscal considerations, to strengthen performance orientation and accountability. This will require support from the Finance Ministry but there are no funds for now.
RCSC said it is establishing a dedicated oversight and review mechanism for continuous refinement of the PMS through stakeholder consultations, expert engagement, implementation review, and benchmarking exercises.
RCSC said these are some of the measures already underway as part of the RCSC’s continuous efforts to strengthen the civil service performance management system. Any major policy changes or reforms arising from broader consultations and stakeholder recommendations will be considered in accordance with government decisions and due process.
RCSC said it supports the formation of the Administrative Tribunal as it is there in the Constitution but the lead has to be taken by the Parliament and government for its formation. Civil servants not happy with the decision of Commission can appeal there.
RCSC said these efforts are aligned with the common national goal of building a high-performing civil service that can effectively deliver results for the people and support Bhutan’s transformation into an Enlightened Entrepreneurial Bureaucracy (E2B).
It said that as outlined in the RCSC Strategic Roadmap 2025–2035, the transformation towards E2B emphasizes high-impact leadership, a high-performing workforce, continuous improvement, innovation, accountability, and citizen-centric service delivery.
“An effective and credible PMS is therefore recognized as a necessary institutional process to drive the desired cultural change expected by citizens at large and to support the broader transformation of the Civil Service.”
It said that in this regard, the feedback and recommendations received from various stakeholders, including the National Assembly and the Good Governance Committee (GGC), are being carefully considered as part of the continuous improvement and strengthening of the PMS.
