According to the draft, KPIs will serve as the core tool to measure civil servants' job performance. These indicators will be tailored to each job position and calculated based on the quantity, quality, and timeliness of completed tasks.

Each civil servant will be assessed monthly and quarterly, instead of only receiving a year-end review as was previously the case. Monthly scores will be derived from standardized tasks and deliverables, with a balance between qualitative and quantitative metrics.

The draft decree states that monthly assessments will account for 70% of the final annual score, while broader criteria - such as political integrity, ethical conduct, discipline, and public service attitude - will contribute 30%.

The government emphasizes that all evaluations must be democratic, transparent, fair, and objective, with no room for favoritism or bias. The entire process will be supported by digital evaluation software in line with ongoing digital transformation efforts.

Notably, any civil servant subjected to disciplinary action within the year will automatically be rated as "Not meeting job requirements." Those on extended sick leave or maternity leave will be evaluated based on their actual working time.

The draft also limits the percentage of civil servants who can be rated as “Exceeding expectations” to the proportion of Party members who receive the same rating, except in cases where departments achieve exceptional, innovative performance recognized by higher authorities.

Three key groups of evaluation criteria

The civil servant evaluation criteria outlined in the draft fall into three main groups.

The first group focuses on character, ethics, and public service discipline: adhering to Party policies and laws, upholding ethical standards and public service culture, and maintaining respectful behavior toward citizens and businesses.

The second group evaluates professional competence and work performance: demonstrating specialized knowledge and skills, successfully completing both routine and ad hoc tasks, showing teamwork and coordination abilities, and effectively applying technology.

The third group values innovation and initiative: delivering breakthrough solutions with real impact, taking ownership of responsibilities, and demonstrating proactive work habits.

Another significant new provision is that civil servant classification results will be used to evaluate Party members, ensuring alignment between state management and Party oversight.

The draft also includes detailed guidance on assigning tasks: higher-ranking civil servants must be given more and harder tasks, and any emergent or urgent assignments will receive additional KPI points to ensure fair assessment.

According to the drafting committee, the decree aims to restructure and improve the quality of the civil servant workforce, creating a professional, accountable, dynamic, and innovative public administration that effectively serves the people and businesses.

Associate Professor Nguyen Thuong Lang, a senior lecturer at the Institute of International Trade and Economics, National Economics University, said applying KPIs to civil servants is an inevitable trend to enhance governmental effectiveness.

“KPI scores offer a clear and quantifiable way to evaluate outcomes - from document processing times and operational costs to public and business satisfaction levels,” he said. “These are the most convincing indicators of individual performance and effectiveness.”

Vu Diep