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PSC needs reforms
By Staff Reporter
Tue, 3 Apr 2007, 12:46:00

The Public Service Commission (PSC) should undertake a long-term project of the fundamental reform and capacity strengthening with the key objective of becoming an effective partner in the human rights development process in the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS).

The PSC should move to a modern building with all facilities and equipment to meet the demands placed upon it.

This was said at a roundtable on 'The Role and Capacity of Bangladesh Public Service Commission' under the project 'Developing Civil Service Capacity for 21st Century Administration' organised by the Ministry of Establishment and UNDP at the BCS (Administration) Academy auditorium in the city yesterday.

Md Abdus Salam Khan, Secretary of the Ministry of Establishment, was present as chief guest on the occasion.

Abu Md Maniruzzaman Khan, Secretary to the government and Rector of BPATC and Manoj Basnyat, Country Director of UNDP Bangladesh, spoke as special guests, while Md Abdus Sattar, Secretary of PSC, chaired the session.

The speakers said that the current effectiveness of the PSC is evaluated and key issues facing the PSC at the moment are - the reputation of the PSC as an independent body, which carries out its duties effectively and impartially has been significantly undermined over a period of several years.

The time cycle for BCS recruitment is much too long, which currently runs at two years. The PSC does not operate modern recruitment, selection and assessment practices and there is resistance to change within the PSC, they also said.

Speakers said that PSC chairperson and members should be restrained from accepting valuable public appointments after the completion of their tenure. The qualities and qualifications required of the chairperson and members of the PSC should be clearly specified.

The leadership style required of the chairperson and members should be reviewed in the light of the recommendations and the PSC reform project adopted towards a 'transformational leadership' model and away from a 'custodian' model. "Chairperson and members should actively lead and mange the key areas of the PSC business, IT strategy, monitoring and evaluation, stakeholder relations, finance and operations. The status of the chair and members of the PSC should be equal to that of other Constitutional bodies such as the Election Commission (EC)," they added.


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