BOC to kick out underperforming employees

MANILA, Philippines–To clean the ranks and improve the performance of its personnel, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has established a rating system under which poor performers would be kicked out of the agency.

Customs Commissioner John Phillip P. Sevilla last Jan. 29 issued Customs Memorandum Order No. 05-2015, which put in place a “strategic performance management system” or SPMS.

“Establishment of the SPMS is considered an essential step to align necessary resources critical to the attainment of the bureau’s objectives, plans and targets,” including an efficient assessment and collection of revenues as well as curbing, monitoring and controlling illicit trade and other forms of customs fraud, the order read.

The BOC’s SPMS will cover all regular, co-terminus, casual and contractual employees who have rendered at least 90 days of service.

Under SPMS, individual as well as office performance ratings will be conducted twice a year, with the first period covering January to June, and the remaining months covered by the second rating period. The bi-annual performance review and evaluation will be held every last month of the semester.

The performance standards are based on three parameters, namely: Effectiveness/quality, efficiency/quantity and timeliness.

A scale of 1-5 will rate the performance of employees, with the numerical rating of 4.77-5 being equivalent to “outstanding” work, for those whose performance exceeded expectations by 30 percent and above targets.

A score ranging from 3.87 to 4.76 means “very satisfactory,” while 2.3-3.86 is “satisfactory” or meeting at least 100 percent of the targets.

For those who will hit 99 percent or below of planned targets, they will be given ratings of “unsatisfactory” (a score of 1.4-2.29 for hitting only 51-99 percent of targets) or “poor” (numerical ratings of 1-1.39 for a performance with just 50 percent or less of targets reached).

“Employees who receive an unsatisfactory/poor performance rating for a given period will be notified and provided appropriate developmental interventions by the head of the organizational unit and the immediate supervisor in coordination with the ITDD [interim training and development division],” the BOC said.

But for those who will receive unsatisfactory or poor performance ratings two consecutive times, the BOC warned that it “will be a ground for dropping from the rolls.”

For those with good scores, they might be eligible for rewards, incentives or recognition through promotion, scholarship, training or nomination to an external award-giving body, according to the BOC.

Under the order, the BOC commissioner has been designated as the SPMS champion, who is responsible for its implementation while also setting the agency’s performance targets and strategic goals. Ben O. de Vera