Performance Evaluation Guidelines 1447: New Ministry of Education Decisions
In a move aimed at strengthening governance and ensuring fairness in employment, the Ministry of Education has established the regulatory frameworks and precise standards for evaluating the job performance of its staff for the current academic year 1447 AH. The Ministry has developed specific and comprehensive guidelines covering various employment situations, including extended leaves, study leave, and probationary periods, in addition to mechanisms for dealing with transferred employees, to ensure that administrative processes are conducted according to the highest standards of transparency within the education system.
The context of administrative development and Vision 2030
These new regulatory measures are an integral part of Saudi Arabia's human capital development strategy, aligned with the goals of Vision 2030. Through these updates, the Ministry aims to keep pace with the major transformations in the civil service system, shifting from a traditional work culture to one focused on performance and productivity. The Human Capacity Development Program is a cornerstone of these decisions, aiming to enhance the efficiency of government employees and improve the work environment to ensure high-quality educational and administrative outcomes that meet international standards.
New employee evaluation criteria and time periods
The ministry began its new regulations by clarifying the status of newly hired employees. It stipulated that the probationary period would not be subject to the traditional performance charter standards and criteria, relying instead on a report demonstrating the employee's suitability for the job. This exempts new employees from preparing a performance charter during their initial months, enabling them to integrate into the work environment. Furthermore, the ministry linked the employee's participation in the periodic evaluation system to a strict timeframe. The employee must have actually worked for three months (90 days) or more within a single performance cycle for their evaluation to be considered valid. This ensures that the evaluation is based on a sufficient period of actual performance.
Mechanisms for dealing with leave and secondment
Regarding extended leaves of absence, the Ministry established a standard of job fairness stipulating that employees whose leave exceeds six months will have their performance evaluated based on their work during the period preceding their leave, ensuring their employment record is not negatively impacted by the legitimate absence. The regulations also addressed professional development, requiring the Ministry to use reports issued by training, study, or secondment entities as a primary reference for evaluating employees who spend more than six months on these external assignments during their performance cycle. This enhances the value of professional development and safeguards the rights of those on secondment.
Criteria for evaluating transfers and the impact of decisions
The ministry detailed the mechanism for evaluating employees transferred externally, assigning the responsibility for the evaluation to the receiving government entity, provided that the employee has spent at least three months within its ranks to allow for an accurate assessment of their performance. Internally, the ministry applied the same timeframe standard, whereby an employee transferred from one position to another within the ministry's various sectors is evaluated by the new organizational unit to which they have been transferred, once they have completed three months of continuous service there.
These controls are expected to have a tangible positive impact on the educational environment, as they will help eliminate discrepancies in evaluation standards and enhance job satisfaction through clear procedures. Furthermore, linking evaluations to specific timeframes and tangible results will drive improvements in the overall performance of schools and educational departments, which will positively affect the level of services provided to students and the community.
