Core merit, fitness, equality requirements
- Selection of employees for appointment in the government service must be open to all qualified men and women under the principle of merit and fitness.
- Agencies must ensure equal employment opportunity for men and women at all levels of position if minimum position requirements are met.
- No discrimination must occur in the selection of employees on account of gender, civil status, disability, religion, ethnicity, or political affiliation.
- Vacant positions marked for filling must be processed through a Merit Promotion Plan that covers first, second, and third levels and includes original appointments and other related personnel actions.
Coverage of covered positions and actions
- The Merit Promotion Plan covers positions in the first, second and third levels.
- The plan also includes original appointments and other related personnel actions.
- When a position in the first, second, or third level becomes vacant, applicants who are competent, qualified, and possess appropriate civil service eligibility must be considered for permanent appointment.
- Applicants for third level positions must, in addition to required qualifications, possess executive and managerial competence.
Publishing vacant posts and posting periods
- Vacant positions marked for filling must be published in accordance with Republic Act No. 7041 (Publication Law).
- Published vacant positions must also be posted in at least three (3) conspicuous places in the agency for at least ten (10) calendar days.
- Filling in NGAs, GOCCs, and SUCs must occur after ten (10) calendar days from their publication; filling in LGUs must occur after fifteen (15) calendar days from publication.
- Publication for a particular vacant position remains valid until filled up but must not extend beyond six (6) months reckoned from the date the vacant position was published.
- The plan provides for other appropriate modes of publication beyond posting and publication under Republic Act No. 7041.
Publication exemptions
- The publication requirement does not apply to primarily confidential positions.
- The publication requirement does not apply to policy determining positions.
- The publication requirement does not apply to highly technical positions.
- The publication requirement does not apply to other non-career positions.
- The publication requirement does not apply to third level positions (Career Executive Service).
- The publication requirement does not apply to positions to be filled by existing regular employees in the agency in case of reorganization.
Personnel Selection Board (PSB) rules
- A Personnel Selection Board (PSB) must be established in every agency for first and second level positions, preferably with the following composition:
- Chairperson:
- The Agency Head or authorized representative.
- The Local Chief Executive for LGUs or authorized representative.
- The Vice-Governor/Vice Mayor or authorized representative if the vacancy is in the Office or Office of the Sanggunian.
- A Division Chief or the authorized career service representative of the organizational unit where the vacancy is.
- A Human Resource Management Officer or the career service employee directly responsible for personnel management.
- Two rank-and-file career employee representatives: one from the first level and one from the second level, chosen by the duly accredited employee association in the agency.
- Chairperson:
- If there is no accredited employee association, rank-and-file representatives must be chosen at large by the employees through a general assembly.
- If representatives are chosen at large, the candidate who garnered the second highest votes must automatically be the alternate representative, and other selection modes may be conducted for that purpose.
- Rank-and-file representatives must participate in screening based on level:
- The first level representative participates in screening for first level vacancies.
- The second level representative participates in screening for second level vacancies.
- Rank-and-file representatives must serve for two (2) years, and the accredited employee association may designate an alternate for continuity.
PSB orientation, screening, and exclusions
- PSB members and alternate representatives for first, second, and third level positions must undergo orientation and workshop on:
- the selection/promotion process, and
- CSC policies on appointments.
- Candidates for appointment to first and second level positions must be screened by the PSB.
- Candidates for appointment to third level positions must be screened by the PSB constituted for third level positions composed of at least three (3) career executive service officials as may be constituted in the agency.
- Appointment to the following positions must no longer be screened by the PSB, with the stated conditions:
- Substitute appointment due to short duration and emergency nature; if later filled by regular appointment, PSB screening and passing must apply.
- Appointment of faculty members and academic staff of state universities and colleges who belong to the closed career service.
- Appointment to entry laborer positions.
- Appointment to personal and primarily confidential positions.
- Renewal of temporary appointment issued to the incumbent personnel.
- The agency head must ensure, as far as practicable, equal opportunity for men and women to be represented in the PSB for all levels.
Candidate treatment: next-in-rank and fairness
- For first and second level vacancies, all qualified next-in-rank employees must be automatically considered candidates for promotion to the next higher position.
- The PSB must maintain fairness and impartiality in assessing candidates for appointment.
- The PSB may employ assistance of external or independent resource persons and may initiate innovative schemes to determine the best most qualified candidate.
Comparative ranking and appointing authority limits
- The appointing authority must assess the merits of the PSB recommendation using sound discretion.
- The appointing authority must select, in so far as practicable, among the top five ranking applicants deemed most qualified for the vacant position.
- The appointing authority may appoint an applicant who is not next-in-rank if the applicant has superior qualification and competence and has undergone a selection process.
- Comparative competence and qualification must be determined based on:
- Performance (with separate standards for promotion and transfer),
- Education and Training,
- Experience and Outstanding Accomplishments,
- Psycho-Social Attributes and Personality Traits, and
- Potential.
- For performance standards:
- For appointment by promotion, the performance rating for the last rating period prior to the effectivity date must be at least very satisfactory.
- For appointment by transfer, the performance rating for the last rating period immediately preceding the transfer must be at least very satisfactory.
- An employee may be promoted or transferred to a position not more than three (3) salary, pay or job grades higher than the employee’s present position except in very meritorious cases, such as:
- when the vacant position is next-in-rank as identified in the System of Ranking Positions (SRP) approved by the head of agency, or
- when the vacant position is the lone or entrance position indicated in the agency staffing pattern.
- An employee must have rendered at least very satisfactory service for the last rating period in the present position before being considered for promotion.
- An employee on local or foreign scholarship or training grant or on maternity leave may be considered for promotion:
- the performance rating to be considered is the rating immediately prior to the scholarship/training grant or maternity leave, and
- if promoted, the effectivity date is on the assumption to duty.
Timing restrictions on promotion
- Promotion within six (6) months prior to compulsory retirement is not allowed except as otherwise provided by law.
Notices of appointment posting
- A notice announcing an appointment must be posted in three (3) conspicuous places in the agency a day after issuance of the appointment for at least fifteen (15) calendar days.
Using the approved Merit Promotion Plan
- The approved agency Merit Promotion Plan must be used as one of the bases for:
- expeditious approval of appointments,
- attestation and accreditation to take final action on appointments.
Submission and immediate effect of plans
- All government agencies must submit their Merit Promotion Plan to the Civil Service Commission.
- A Merit Promotion Plan takes effect immediately upon approval by the Civil Service Commission.
- All subsequent amendments take effect immediately upon approval by the Civil Service Commission.
Agency plan naming flexibility
- An agency is not precluded from adopting a name or title for its Merit Promotion Plan.
Penalties and compliance sanctions
- No penalties, fines, or sanctions are set out in these revised merit promotion policies and the enclosed model Merit Selection Plan.
Grievance mechanism for next-in-rank employees
- A qualified next-in-rank employee may present a grievance using the agency grievance machinery under these grounds:
- non-compliance with the selection process,
- discrimination on account of gender, civil status, disability, pregnancy, religion, ethnicity or political affiliation,
- disqualification of an applicant to a career position due to lack of confidence of the appointing authority, and
- other violations of the provisions of the Merit Selection Plan.
HRMO, PSB, and appointing authority functions
- The Human Resource Management Officer (HRMO) must:
- Disseminate the agency Merit Selection Plan and annexes to all agency personnel after approval by the Civil Service Commission, and conduct orientation within six (6) months upon approval, with a report submitted to the Civil Service Field Office for record purposes.
- Develop a System of Ranking Positions submitted for approval of the appointing authority, with copy furnished the Civil Service Commission and its Field Office.
- Identify vacant positions for enrollment in the Brightest for the Bureaucracy Program (BBP).
- Develop a plan setting forth the number, knowledge, and skills of personnel needed to achieve organizational goals.
- Develop and maintain an updated qualification database.
- Develop a program to fast track the career movement of employees with superior qualifications.
- Publish vacant positions and post them in the agency for at least ten (10) calendar days, with re-publication if not filled within six (6) months, subject to the enumerated exemptions.
- Prepare the list of candidates aspiring for the vacant position within fifteen (15) days from completion of preliminary evaluation, including qualified next-in-rank employees.
- Conduct preliminary evaluation, prepare the selection line-up, and post it in three conspicuous places for at least fifteen (15) calendar days with the date of posting indicated.
- Notify all applicants of the outcome of preliminary evaluation.
- Submit the selection line-up to the PSB for deliberation en bane and ensure PSB screening rules on exempt appointments are followed.
- Employees must update their Personal Data Sheet annually if deemed necessary and submit supporting documents to the HRD Unit.
- The PSB must:
- adopt formal screening procedures and criteria for candidate evaluation aligned with job requirements,
- disseminate screening procedures and criteria, including modifications,
- conduct systematic assessment with fairness and impartiality, and may use external or independent resource persons and innovative schemes,
- screen and deliberate candidates listed in the selection line-up en bane,
- submit a recommended list to the appointing authority specifying the top five ranking candidates whose overall point scores are comparatively at par.
- maintain PSB records of deliberations accessible to interested parties by written request and for inspection and audit by the Civil Service Commission.
- orient agency officials and employees on policies relative to personnel actions, including gender and development dimensions of the Merit Selection Plan.
- The appointing authority must:
- establish a PSB and ensure PSB members undergo orientation and workshop,
- assess the merits of PSB recommendations and select among the top five ranking applicants, deep selection candidates with superior qualifications, and the BBP pool,
- issue appointments in accordance with the agency Merit Selection Plan.
Procedure for vacancies and selection line-up
- Vacant positions must be published in the CSC Bulletin of Vacant Position or other mode of publication and posted in three conspicuous places for at least ten (10) calendar days, with encouragement for men and women to apply.
- Vacant positions not filled within six (6) months must be re-published, with the enumerated publication exemptions applying.
- Candidates aspiring for vacant positions must be listed from within or outside the agency, including qualified next-in-rank employees, while applying the plan’s promotion/transfer height limit, scholarship/maternity consideration, and the six (6) months prior to compulsory retirement restriction.
- The agency must conduct preliminary evaluation, including further assessments such as written examination, skills test, interview, and others for those initially found qualified.
- After evaluation, a selection line-up must be prepared and posted for at least fifteen (15) calendar days, with the posting date indicated in the notice.
- Applicants must be notified of the outcome of preliminary evaluation.
- The selection line-up must be submitted to the PSB for deliberation en bane.
- The PSB must prepare and evaluate comparative information and maintain selection line-up postings and deliberations consistent with the plan’s performance-based weight structure.
- Appointment issuance must follow the agency Merit Selection Plan.
Effectivity, adoption, and amendment rules
- The Merit Promotion Plan and subsequent amendments take effect immediately after approval by the Civil Service Commission.
- The Circular is adopted January 26, 2001.
- Agencies must submit their Agency Merit Promotion Plan to the Civil Service Commission Regional Office concerned not later than June 30, 2001 for approval.
- The Civil Service Commission Chairman who adopted the Circular is Corazon Alma G. De Leon (Chairman), dated 26 Jan. 2001.
Enclosed model Merit Selection Plan provisions
- The Merit Selection Plan model is established for guidance of all concerned and provides for policies on merit, fitness, equality, and non-discrimination in selection for career and non-career service positions at all levels.
- The model defines terms including Agency, Career Service, Comparative at Par, Deep Selection, Discrimination, First Level Positions, Hiring Quota, Job requirements, Next-in-Rank Position, Non-Career Service, Personnel Actions, Promotion, Psycho-Social Attributes, Qualification Standards, Qualified Next-in-Rank, Second Level Positions, Selection, Selection Line-Up, Superior Qualifications, and System of Ranking Positions.
- The model includes an objective to establish a system characterized by strict observance of merit, fitness, and equality and to create equal opportunities for qualified men and women to enter government service and advance careers.
- The model’s scope covers career positions in the first, second, and third levels in the agency, including attached offices, and allows inclusion of non-career positions.