The Bhutanese Leading the way.
A survey by the National Assembly’s Good Governance Committee (GGC) found that 89% of respondents identified the MaX system as a major reason for civil servants’ resignations.
GGC Chairperson, Lhakpa Tshering Tamang, noted that the Bell Curve category has particularly contributed to low morale and a surge in resignations.
Moderation in the MaX system refers to the process of adjusting performance ratings to ensure fairness and consistency across the civil service. This adjustment aims to eliminate bias and standardize evaluations.
The bell curve methodology, or Partially Meeting Expectation, also known as forced ranking, is employed within the MaX system to categorize civil servants into performance levels, which mandates that a fixed percentage of employees fall into each performance category.
Indeed, during the first two sessions of the Fourth Parliament, it was reported that over 8,100 civil servants resigned between 2022 and early 2024. Despite this, during the Second Session of the Fourth Parliament, the Prime Minister affirmed that the the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) would retain the MaX system, including the Bell Curve Method.
However, the GGC called for removing only the forced ranking element, not the entire system.
In response, during the Third Session of Parliament, the Prime Minister shared RCSC’s response, where the RCSC said they acknowledge the concerns raised about the MaX system and its Bell Curve Methodology, but maintained their commitment to building a high-performing, accountable civil service in line with national priorities.
Regarding the survey discrepancies, the Prime Minister explained that the RCSC’s exit interview data differs from the Parliamentary survey of current staff, accounting for varying perspectives on the MaX system’s impact.
From FY 2023–2024, the RCSC introduced a PME (Partially Meeting Expectation) Management Strategy requiring supervisors to develop Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) for underperforming staff.
They also note the introduction of Performance-Based Incentives (PBI) to promote a results-driven culture, and express hope that continued collaboration and policy refinements will nurture a self-sustaining high-performance culture, eventually reducing reliance on forced ranking.
However, the MPs from both the ruling and opposition parties pointed out that the RCSC’s response lacked clarity on whether the forced ranking system would be removed, giving the impression that it might be retained.
They also pointed out that 525 civil servants were rated PME in FY 2022–2023, increasing to 540 in FY 2024–2025.
They emphasized that it is the forced ranking methodology specifically that is demotivating civil servants, causing them to lose interest in their work and ultimately retire early.
In light of ongoing dissatisfaction, the National Assembly’s Speaker, Lungten Dorji, declared that the RCSC will be given one more year to address the House’s resolution on abolishing the bell curve or PME, as the current response remains unsatisfactory.
Now that the action taken report on the MaX moderation system has been released, civil servants and members of the public are also sharing their views.
One civil servant shared, “For civil servants like us, we don’t need PME in the MaX Moderation system as many are affected because of this.” He added, “On top of that, those who are working hard are getting ‘Need Improvement’ ratings, while those on Extraordinary Leave are getting ‘Good’ or ‘Very Good.’ It is very disheartening to see civil servants divided into these two categories.”
Dorji Wangchuk, who has worked both as a manager and an employee, also criticized the forced ranking system. He said, “Its intended purpose of improving the performance of civil servants does not serve its purpose effectively. Instead of motivating and rewarding genuine efforts, it often discourages initiative and creates a sense of demotivation among staff.”
Most believe that since the RCSC is an autonomous constitutional body, no matter how much time it is given, it will not heed the Parliament’s calls for change.
Reflecting this skepticism, Dorji Sempa said, “RCSC has become a powerful organization in Bhutan that it will not listen to the government.” He added, “I thought the National Assembly was the highest decision-making body in the country, but the RCSC seems least bothered about the low morale of civil servants.”
The Chairperson of the GGC, Lhakpa Tshering, who first raised the issue of removing the forced ranking system during the First Session of the Fourth Parliament, expressed his dissatisfaction with the recent report. He said, “I am not satisfied with the report. Our committee recommended not doing away with the entire MaX Moderation system but simply removing the forced ranking system.”
MP Lhakpa said RCSC conducted research before implementing the Bell Curve Method as part of the MaX Moderation system. However, their evaluation included compulsory quotas that require fixed percentages of civil servants to be placed in lower performance categories, specifically, 5% of supervisors, 3% of P2-level employees, and 2% of teachers must be ranked under the forced ranking system, regardless of actual performance.
According to MP Lhakpa Tshering, the forced ranking system does not just target underperforming employees but also those who are performing well.
He said, “While following up with the news, we can see that there is civil service attrition. Why wouldn’t we have this attrition? Many civil servants are already planning to retire because of this forced ranking.” He further urged, “If the RCSC cannot do away with the MaX Moderation system entirely, I would like to request them to at least do away with the forced ranking system.”
