Civil Service Current Estimated Potential (CEP)

Originally Posted by Unregistered

This Current Estimate Potential (CEP) system is a totally flawed concept. How can a superior estimate the potential of a subordinate whose potential is higher than his own? How can a person see a vision higher than his own? How can a toad appreciate the size of a whale?

SMU Convocation Speech by Mr Tommie Goh (Summarised)

This is the text of the SMU Convocation keynote address by Guest-of-Honour, Mr Tommie Goh, Chairman, 2G Capital Pte Ltd, delivered on Saturday, 19 August 2006, at the Suntec City Convention Centre.

I am honoured to be with you all today at your convocation. SMU is close to me. When I decided to make a contribution to a tertiary institution some years back, SMU was my choice instinctively.

I did not make it to any university so I am not qualified to lecture or to teach. What I will do is to share my thoughts and experiences as an entrepreneur for which I have better credentials.

Entrepreneurs are people who start their business rarely wondering whether they should or should not do it. They just do it. Being an entrepreneur is a compulsion. They have been wanting to do it for the longest time. Being an entrepreneur is something that is “in your blood”.

......

Be honest with yourself. Know your limitations. Believing in yourself doesn’t mean bluffing yourself. You must know what are your own strengths and weaknesses. Don’t pretend to be something you are not. When I finally passed my “O” levels, I knew that I was not academically-inclined. I know I am not “book-smart”. But I believe in my own abilities. I know I am “street-smart”

After 13 years in the army, I knew that with my “O” level qualifications, Grade 3, not Grade 1; I cannot be promoted beyond the rank of Major. That was my limitation in the Army. But my belief in myself told me that I could succeed further outside the Army. So I left the Army. I founded JIT Electronics in 1988 and when the company crossed the 100 million dollar revenue mark, I knew I needed to recruit professional managers who are more able than me in managing a company this size and growing rapidly. I know my limitations.

......

I founded JIT in 1988 and sold it to Flextronics in 2000. In 1988, I invested $100,000 in JIT and twelve years later sold it for $1.16 billion; a multiple of 11,600 times. Not bad for a 100 thousand dollar investment.

......

If, Tommie Goh, can be here as your guest speaker in your convocation – an ‘O’ Level graduate, of ordinary parentage and no capital advantage – just think, how much more privileged and better off each one of you here are. Treasure your studies but remember to thoroughly enjoy your time at SMU. Make it a distinctive part of your life experiences.

Make it happen!

Thank you.

and another thing, I think people generally do not like to show that their subordinates have a much higher capability, especially if the person grading the subordinate is of a low CEP.

Originally Posted by miwashi

why is that? Is the CEP associated with 2nd lower really that bad?

You can get opportunities in the private sector and there is less stigma of being a 2nd lower (no one gives a ****).

^ get *better* opportunities

[miwashi]

i got 2nd upper and i can't even get offers in the private sector. even jumping to another gahment sector job gives me $800-1000 pay cuts. So much for education and experience.

Originally Posted by miwashi

i got 2nd upper and i can't even get offers in the private sector. even jumping to another gahment sector job gives me $800-1000 pay cuts. So much for education and experience.

Are you the exception or the norm?

Did you analyze why your career has come to a dead end? Any advice for fresh job seekers?

Thanks for sharing.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Are you the exception or the norm?

Did you analyze why your career has come to a dead end? Any advice for fresh job seekers?

Thanks for sharing.

Advice No. 1: Get a professional degree (and not general degree), e.g. accounting, IT, law, dentistry, where your skill has a market demand.

Advice No. 2: Do not go into government jobs that are have no external market value, e.g. customs, military, censorship etc. If you want to be a civil servant because of the stability, make sure you are working in a professional type of work, e.g. accounting, IT, law, dentistry where there are external benchmarks and you can get out anytime with relevant skills.

Advice No. 3: Do not be deceived by the higher starting pay dangled by government departments, they are the bait that catches the fish which is going to end up dead.

Agree with (2) and (3). Great advice.

[shaz]

CEP is arbitrary and is being looked at on an annual basis (i'd know because I've done ranking exercises for my staff). Your CEP will normally be at least 1-2 grades higher than your current CEP. If you enter fresh as an MX13, your CEP is going to be MX11. If it is more than 3 grades higher, then the reporting officer has to do a write-up on the officer to explain why he/she deserves a CEP that is 3x higher. Believe me, many bosses hate doing write-up unless you're truly exceptional. I had to do a lot of write-up when I gave one of my staff an "A" grade performance and a CEP that is 3x higher... in the end my staff got a "B" and 2x CEP grade.

When you get a promotion, your performance grade will be an automatic "C" (exception applies) for the following year... your CEP however, may be maintained/stopped/increased. So you can be an average "C" performer but maintain a high CEP. Age matters for CEP. If you're 50, an MX11 with CEP of MX10, you'll be ranked lower than an officer who is 30, an MX 11 with the same CEP. Anyway, ranking isn't exact science and there are too many factors to consider.

Be realistic when you're in a Ministry and not a scholar

[blackswan]

Originally Posted by shaz

CEP is arbitrary and is being looked at on an annual basis (i'd know because I've done ranking exercises for my staff). Your CEP will normally be at least 1-2 grades higher than your current CEP. If you enter fresh as an MX13, your CEP is going to be MX11. If it is more than 3 grades higher, then the reporting officer has to do a write-up on the officer to explain why he/she deserves a CEP that is 3x higher. Believe me, many bosses hate doing write-up unless you're truly exceptional. I had to do a lot of write-up when I gave one of my staff an "A" grade performance and a CEP that is 3x higher... in the end my staff got a "B" and 2x CEP grade.

When you get a promotion, your performance grade will be an automatic "C" (exception applies) for the following year... your CEP however, may be maintained/stopped/increased. So you can be an average "C" performer but maintain a high CEP. Age matters for CEP. If you're 50, an MX11 with CEP of MX10, you'll be ranked lower than an officer who is 30, an MX 11 with the same CEP. Anyway, ranking isn't exact science and there are too many factors to consider.

Be realistic when you're in a Ministry and not a scholar

hwo to decide "CEP however, may be maintained/stopped/increased. "?

2nd lower does translate to a lower CEP at the start

starting pay will also be lower

the ministries/stat boards that take in 2nd lower are also of a "lower tier" and the job scope tend to be on the operations side rather than policy related work.

good points: operations, closer to industry, easier to network, more relevant experience
bad points: less opportunities to see and interact with the perm secs, ministers etc, which is vital if u want to climb civil service ladder.

on the point of CEP and performance appraisal, civil service have guidelines which ur superiors will use to in appraising you. it is very cumbersome for them to deviate from the guideline (writing their report and putting their names on the line for u). some other forumners indicated there's also a quota system so every yr only so many people can be graded an A performer, or increase their CEP.

if ur goal is to be a top civil servant (perm sec level), go into private sector first. get some years experience, a very good track record and come in mid-career with a higher CEP or even directly into the AO. civil service will always try to match last drawn pay.

if u like the job scope of that particular ministry/stat board, by all means pursue your passion. i'm a 2nd upper going into a ministry filled with overseas scholars and local 1:1s, i know i'll be a farmer there. but it's the nature of the work that appeals to me.

if u just want a stable job, 9 to 5. choose the ministry/stat board carefully. and that's the best place to be. stay as an asst director from 30-35, then promote to DD or D for last 5 years then retire. why not?

it all depends on what you want =) and all the best in job search!