Answer to Oral Question PT075

QUESTION

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Md. Yusof

YANG BERHORMAT PEHIN ORANG KAYA JOHAN PAHLAWAN DATO SERI SETIA AWANG HAJI ADANAN BIN BEGAWAN PEHIN SIRAJA KHATIB DATO SERI SETIA HAJI MD. YUSOF asks YANG BERHORMAT Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri to state what is the assessment of the effectiveness of the processing of filling and appointment to Division II and below Public Service posts since the authority of the SPA was transferred to the Ministry in 2024 in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, integrity and fairness?

ANSWER

Yang Berhormat Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

1. Kaola would first like to express appreciation to Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Md. Yusof for the question regarding the assessment of the effectiveness of the processing of filling and appointment to Division II and below Public Service posts since the authority of the SPA was transferred to the Ministry in 2024 in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, integrity and fairness.

2. The SPA continuously monitors and evaluates the progress of the appointment process in close cooperation with the Ministry Recruitment Secretariat (USPK) of each Ministry. Monitoring is carried out, among other ways, through the PSCR system used by the USPK to determine the level of efficiency such as TPOR achievement at every stage on an evidence-based basis.

3. To assess the effectiveness of the implementation of this transition, among the initiatives that have been and are being actively carried out are as follows:

i. A Study on the Effectiveness of the Recruitment Process was conducted in November 2024, six months after the transition of authority, to identify challenges and issues as well as to obtain feedback related to the implementation of the recruitment process in the USPKs in order to determine their level of implementation so that improvements and further assistance can be provided. The study was conducted quantitatively and qualitatively, using a survey through the questionnaire method involving heads, officers and staff of the USPKs (target group), followed by focus group interview sessions with the USPK on 28 and 30 November 2024. This study involved surveys and focus group interviews to identify challenges as well as implementation performance by the USPK. The findings of the survey enabled the SPA office to introduce mitigation measures to improve and further enhance the effectiveness of the process, including the initiatives of introducing Smart Screening and Smart Masterlist.

ii. The SPA office also carries out continuous visit sessions (roving) to guide, provide support and enhance the understanding of the USPK and capacity building in processing the filling of vacant posts, and also through strengthening quality control assurance mechanisms over recruitment processes. To date, the SPA office has carried out 106 visit sessions (roving) to ensure that every stage of the recruitment process, namely from recommendation, testing, interview up to the preparation of supporting working papers, is implemented with full transparency and orderliness, whereby the frequency of roving visits/meetings has now reduced and is more dependent on the current needs of the USPK given that they have shown improved skills in implementing the processes as well as demonstrating a high level of commitment.

4. From the perspective of implementation efficiency, there is still room for further improvement taking into account the limited resources on the part of Government agencies, especially in terms of sufficient and trained manpower. However, various efforts have been introduced to expedite the process in phases as follows:

i. The introduction of Smart Screening and Smart Masterlist features in the PSCR 2.0 system to replace the manual process of reviewing thousands of applicants received in order to facilitate and expedite the recommendation process, whereby the Smart Screening feature provides guidance on the information that needs to be reviewed according to the requirements of the service scheme while the Smart Masterlist feature is capable of generating a complete list of applicants together with the required information automatically. This makes the recommendation process faster and more orderly, where the preparation of the masterlist at the first stage, on average, previously took 56 days to complete manually, and can now generate a complete list of applicants together with the required information in only a few minutes through Smart Screening and Smart Masterlist.

ii. The 2-Step Verification approach was also introduced to reduce the burden of manual checking and to focus scrutiny on candidates who have been shortlisted for the interview process;

iii. In addition, the Direct Advertising Campaign was implemented to expedite the issuance of vacant post advertisements by reducing dependence on the verification of question schemes by the Head of USPK, in order to reduce the backlog of advertising applications.

iv. The establishment of a Human Resource Division (HR Structure) in each Ministry, which will focus its efforts fully on enhancing the effectiveness of human resource management including the recruitment process. However, this initiative requires detailed consideration and orderly action taking into account that its establishment requires trade-offs involving vacant posts without significantly affecting future post requirements.

5. Meanwhile, to guarantee integrity and fairness in this transition process, the recruitment process carried out by the Ministries remains based on the principles of merit and qualifications in line with the guidelines set by the SPA. In ensuring uniformity, fairness and efficiency in every recruitment exercise, the SPA office carries out the following matters:

i. A quality control assurance mechanism for recruitment processes, namely for the recommendation (shortlisting) process and the testing process and for the preparation of test questions, as a method of preparing feedback reports, identifying non-compliance with guidelines, and assessing the level of expertise of the USPK in carrying out the recruitment process. The results of the quality control have shown a significant increase in expertise in the preparation of test questions in line with the set standards, whereby overall 60% of Ministry USPKs are at the 'Achieving' and 'Expert' levels; and

ii. As the next direction, with the implementation of this transition of roles, the SPA office has now begun updating a Quality Assurance Framework for the recruitment process into the Public Service (Quality Assurance Framework for Public Service Recruitment Process). This framework is targeted to operate in 2026, under which the SPA office will strengthen its role as the central oversight body for public service recruitment through a cyclical method of implementation (modus operandi). This cycle will cover audit activities and feedback mechanisms that will be important elements in ensuring compliance with the established recruitment process standards as well as implementing the post-filling process fairly and transparently. This framework will ensure that public service recruitment standards continue to be preserved at all levels of implementation.

6. Overall, the implementation of this transition of roles encompasses a phase of learning and adjustment of the scope of duties in each Ministry, and any challenges that arise are expected and are being given due attention. At the same time, it also provides an opportunity for the Public Service Commission to improve and simplify existing processes. The integrity of the recruitment process continues to be safeguarded through various regulatory and monitoring measures to ensure that every matter is carried out transparently, fairly and equitably. The SPA will also continue to spearhead suitable and innovative methods and approaches, including the potential of new technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI), to support the Ministries in further strengthening the implementation of the recruitment process in order to realise the targeted outcomes. Therefore, the full effectiveness of this process can only be assessed more accurately after it has been fully implemented with appropriate and sufficient resources, including in terms of expertise, facilities and technological infrastructure in the period ahead.

That is all that Kaola is able to convey. Thank you.