Kasho on Civil Service Reform (2020)

The Kasho on Civil Service Reform is a royal edict (kasho) issued by His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the fifth Druk Gyalpo, on 10 October 2020. The Kasho directed a fundamental restructuring of Bhutan's civil service, which the monarch described as having become excessively bureaucratic, hierarchically rigid, and insufficiently responsive to the needs of the Bhutanese people. The edict set in motion a series of institutional reforms that reshaped the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) and the broader public administration apparatus of the Kingdom of Bhutan.^[1]

The Kasho was issued at a time of growing national concern over the size and effectiveness of Bhutan's civil service. With approximately 27,000 civil servants in a country of fewer than 800,000 people, the public sector had become one of the largest employers in the kingdom. Critics argued that the bureaucracy had grown unwieldy, with excessive layers of hierarchy, duplicative functions across ministries, and a culture of risk aversion that stifled innovation. The Kasho represented a direct intervention by the monarchy to address these structural challenges within the framework of Bhutan's Gross National Happiness development philosophy.^[2]

Context and Background

Bhutan's civil service traces its modern origins to the administrative reforms initiated by the third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, in the 1960s, when Bhutan began transitioning from a feudal administrative system to a modern bureaucratic state. The RCSC was established in 1982 to serve as the central personnel agency responsible for recruitment, promotion, and management of all civil servants. Over the subsequent decades, the civil service expanded significantly in both size and scope, reflecting Bhutan's rapid socioeconomic development and the growing complexity of governance.

By 2020, however, multiple reviews had identified persistent problems. The civil service position classification system had become overly complex, with numerous position levels creating bottlenecks in career advancement. Centralized decision-making by the RCSC for routine human resource matters — including transfers, promotions, and training — created delays and reduced the autonomy of individual agencies. A 2019 report by the Royal Audit Authority noted that civil service productivity had not kept pace with the growth in personnel numbers, and that citizen satisfaction with government service delivery remained uneven.^[3]

Key Directives of the Kasho

Structural Simplification

The Kasho directed a significant reduction in the number of position levels within the civil service hierarchy. The existing system of over twenty position levels was to be consolidated into a simpler, flatter structure. This reform aimed to reduce bureaucratic layers, accelerate decision-making, and provide more meaningful career progression opportunities for civil servants. The consolidation was intended to address a longstanding complaint that the proliferation of position levels had created a system where promotions were often incremental and did not correspond to genuine increases in responsibility or authority.

Decentralization of Human Resource Management

A central element of the Kasho was the directive that the RCSC should transition from its role as a centralised administrator of all civil service personnel matters to a lean regulatory and oversight body. Under the reformed system, individual ministries and agencies would assume primary responsibility for their own human resource management, including recruitment, transfers, and performance evaluation. The RCSC would focus on setting standards, ensuring compliance, and providing strategic guidance rather than making operational decisions for every agency across government.^[1]

Performance-Based Management

The Kasho emphasised the need to move toward a performance-based management system in which civil servants would be evaluated on measurable outcomes and results rather than on seniority or adherence to process. The edict called for the development of strong performance evaluation frameworks, the linking of career advancement to demonstrated competence and achievement, and the introduction of mechanisms to address underperformance. This represented a departure from the traditional system in which tenure and seniority were the primary determinants of promotion.

Accountability and Service Orientation

The Kasho directed that the reformed civil service should be fundamentally oriented toward service delivery to citizens. Civil servants were to be held accountable not merely for compliance with rules and procedures but for tangible outcomes in the lives of the Bhutanese people. The edict called for the establishment of clear service standards, grievance redressal mechanisms, and regular citizen feedback processes to ensure that the civil service remained responsive to public needs.^[2]

Implementation

Following the issuance of the Kasho, the RCSC undertook a comprehensive reform process. The Civil Service Reform Programme was launched in phases, beginning with the restructuring of the RCSC itself. The number of position levels was reduced, and a new classification framework was developed. Individual agencies began assuming greater autonomy over human resource decisions, with the RCSC providing guidelines and monitoring compliance. The reform process also included consultations with civil servants across all levels of government and with external stakeholders.

The implementation of the reforms was not without challenges. Some civil servants expressed concern about the potential for inconsistency and favoritism in a decentralised human resource management system. Labour unions and civil service associations raised questions about how existing employees would be reclassified under the simplified position structure. The RCSC addressed these concerns through a series of consultative workshops and the development of detailed transition guidelines.^[3]

Significance

The 2020 Kasho on Civil Service Reform is significant both as an exercise of the monarchy's constitutional role and as a substantive policy intervention. Under the Constitution of Bhutan, the Druk Gyalpo serves as Head of State and has the authority to issue royal edicts on matters of national importance. The use of a kasho to direct civil service reform showed the monarchy's continued role as a driver of institutional modernisation, even within the framework of the constitutional democratic monarchy established in 2008.

The reforms aligned with the broader objectives of the Twelfth Five Year Plan and Bhutan's aspirations to achieve a more efficient and citizen-centred government. The emphasis on performance, accountability, and decentralisation reflected international best practices in public administration reform while being adapted to the specific context of Bhutan's small, relationship-oriented society.

References

Royal Civil Service Commission. "Kasho on Civil Service Reform." 2020. https://www.rcsc.gov.bt/kasho-on-civil-service-reform/
Kuensel. "His Majesty issues Kasho on Civil Service Reform." October 2020. https://kuenselonline.com/news/his-majesty-grants-kashos-to-reform-civil-service-and-education-system
Royal Civil Service Commission. "Civil Service Reform Programme." https://www.rcsc.gov.bt/civil-service-reform/

This article was contributed by the BhutanWiki Editorial Team. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and may be freely reused with attribution.