Govt Plans Civil Service Overhaul With 7 GHQ-Inspired HR Reforms

Pakistan's Prime Minister's Civil Service Reforms Committee has recommended adopting seven human-resource practices from the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters (GHQ) as part of efforts to overhaul recruitment, career progression, training and promotion in the civil service. The high-powered committee, headed by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, has proposed borrowing elements of the armed forces' HR system to introduce more structured and performance-based mechanisms in the bureaucracy. The recommendations include a pyramid-shaped hierarchy, multi-dimensional recruitment assessments, specialised postings, competitive training and objective promotion criteria. A key recommendation is to adopt the Inter Services Selection Board (ISSB) model of selection. Under the proposed approach, candidates would undergo a three-dimensional assessment involving a psychologist, a Group Testing Officer (GTO) and an interview by the deputy president. Their separate assessments would then be combined by a board before a final decision is made. The committee noted that the psychological assessment examines personality traits through structured tests, while the GTO evaluates leadership, teamwork, initiative, communication, decision-making and behaviour in group situations. The interview component assesses areas including intellect, emotional maturity, social behaviour, judgment and overall suitability. Read More: PPSC Announces Major Recruitment Results for 7 Departments The committee identified seven practices from military HR management for possible application to the civil service. First, it recommended a pyramid structure of hierarchy, citing the military promotion structure in which the proportion of personnel narrows at successive ranks. The figures presented to the committee showed 100% progressing to major, 64% to lieutenant colonel, 11% to brigadier, and 5% to major general. Second, recruitment could incorporate psychometric, emotional-intelligence, and leadership assessments alongside existing selection mechanisms. Third, high-performing cadets are to be given equitable opportunities across different arms and career paths. Fourth, personnel should be matched with positions according to the principle of 'right person for the right job', with greater emphasis on specialisation. Fifth, the committee highlighted rigorous and competitive professional training conducted by high-quality faculty. Sixth, it pointed to multi-tier evaluation of officers serving in staff, field and training assignments, including assessment of the evaluators themselves. Seventh, it cited a promotion system based on collective assessment rather than individual discretion. The framework presented to the committee allocates 60% to ACR/ground performance, 20% to training, 10% to discipline and 10% to war-related performance. For civil servants, the committee has proposed strengthening promotion boards by assessing officers' performance before board meetings and, where appropriate, seeking input from reporting and countersigning officers. Another option is to provide boards with structured summaries drawn from performance records, ACRs and other documentation to support evidence-based deliberations. The committee has also proposed a differentiated three-tier performance rating system with ceilings and the creation of a Civil Service Performance Review Board (CSPRB) to undertake national-level moderation. The proposals come as Pakistan continues to revisit its civil-service performance and promotion systems. Earlier reform initiatives have also sought to make promotions more objective by increasing the role of performance evaluations, training and board assessments.