Kuwait’s Civil Service Council has approved a new system to evaluate government employees based on measurable achievements, the council said in a statement Thursday. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Shareeda Al-Maousherji said the move aimed at promoting a culture of productivity and raising performance standards across public institutions. Al-Maousherji, who is also Acting Head of the Civil Service Council, said the system marks a “step toward embedding a culture of achievement and enhancing job performance in government agencies through fair and transparent measures.”
The evaluation divides performance into clear categories: 30 percent is based on attendance and punctuality, tracked automatically, while the remaining 70 percent measures tasks and accomplishments. Within that 70 percent, 50 percent assesses employees’ core responsibilities as outlined in their job descriptions, with automated tracking of standard tasks and self-reporting for additional duties. The final 20 percent evaluates workplace behavior, split evenly between adherence to regulations and professional interactions with colleagues. “The system links actual performance to work outcomes, encourages competence, and helps create a supportive environment for institutional excellence,” Al-Maousherji said. “It also aims to improve the quality of public services and raise government performance standards.”
The new mechanism follows recent amendments proposed to the Civil Service Law, which connects employee benefits—including allowances and bonuses—to measured performance. The amendments, approved by the council on January 19, are part of broader efforts to modernize Kuwait’s public sector, unify employment policies and introduce automated evaluation tools. The amendments were forwarded to Cabinet for approval.
Observers have long criticized Kuwait’s civil service for inefficiencies, including poorly coordinated workforce planning, unclear promotion mechanisms, and practices influenced more by politics than administrative needs. The new evaluation system could address these challenges by ensuring accountability and creating structured, transparent performance benchmarks. — Agencies
