In certain parts of the world, the bureaucracy or certain government agencies are being given feedback by their clients, more specifically the citizens, through a report card. The said report card seeks to provide a picture of the performance exhibited by the public servants, and the bureaucracy in general, based on a number of facets that needs to be considered but mostly depends on their experience of the service rendered to them. However, there are certain limitations that this grading system poses.
It has the tendency to provide a greater sphere of power to the society due to the fact that they are given a very powerful tool through which they can serve as the indicators or trends. If it could be as easy to remove a public servant through the report card given to them by the public, it is feared that continuity within the bureaucracy is disturbed with the constant changes brought about by the grades given by the citizens. This happens, if and only if, it will serve as the sole basis for termination or would have a greater weight among other things.
In light of such, it also means that the security of tenure provided for several bureaucrats that is based on the intention to establish a rational organization based on merit would also be affected. If such is to be implemented, there should be safeguards established in order to achieve its goal of gathering objective feedbacks from the people. It has been successfully implemented for different agencies and relevant studies of the factors that contribute towards it success should have much bearing on how it is to be considered by different parties.
Likewise, the approach should be that the tool is only supplemental to other forms of feedback that could come from other sources such as that which is advocated through a 360-degree feedback. It can be said that the tool of providing a report card for the bureaucrats is helpful but it is to be considered in light of the different amendments that are to be made to fill the gaps that it currently has.
