CPI In KPI Promotes Transparency; Indices Needed For Balance - Lee Lam Thye

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- The proposed inclusion of a Corruption Perception Index (CPI) into the key performance index (KPI) of civil servants is seen as promoting transparency and holding government agencies accountable for their actions, leading to better governance practices, according to Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

The Malaysia Integrity Institute member said officials are more likely to be responsible and act openly when they know they will be evaluated with the CPI criterion, shifting the focus from the assessment of volume and speed of work to such issues as public trust and ethical behaviour, thereby discouraging corruption.

“When civil servants are aware that their performance will be judged by public perception, they are incentivised to engage with the public and consider their feedback, ultimately improving service delivery.

“On the other hand, CPI data can also be used to provide civil servants with more training, especially on ethics and anti-corruption practices, creating a systemic approach to reducing corruption, enhancing governance, promoting a culture of accountability and eventually resulting in improved training of staff,” he said in a statement today.

However, he added that it is also equally important to be aware that overemphasis on CPI might lead to an imbalanced approach to overall performance, as CPI, which is based on perceptions, could be subjective and may not always reflect the actual level of corruption, on top of the risk that certain agencies might manipulate their practices to improve their CPI score.

He said as such, the indices that should be incorporated into the KPI include financial indices, customer indices, employee indices, environmental and social indices, as well as innovation indices.

“Applying these indices will ensure a more comprehensive and robust KPI that will enhance performance, help meet expectations and lead to better governance,” he said.

-- BERNAMA