Survey: Civil servants risk evading accountability, limited support for public evaluation

A survey on accountability and responsibility awareness among civil servants found that while public servants exhibit a strong sense of responsibility, they also face risks of evading accountability.

The Macau Civil Servants Federation and the Macao Chinese Civil Servants Association recently released the results of their joint survey, revealing that civil servants exhibit a strong sense of internalized responsibility in adhering to laws and regulations.

Out of 1,357 respondents from different ranks and departments, a large majority rejected attitudes of perfunctory work or shirking responsibilities. Nearly 90% disagreed that work should be handled carelessly, 86% said they would continue to follow departmental rules and regulations even without supervision, and 75% opposed the belief that “the more you do, the more mistakes you make, so it’s best to do as little as possible.” 

According to the survey findings, respondents identified internal supervision as the primary accountability method, followed by reward/punishment systems, and external oversight – such as public evaluation of accountability systems – ranked as the least effective.

Notably, 72% said they always follow strict organizational procedures, while 57% believed mistakes would be caught if made. Additionally, 39% said poor performance would be penalized, and 31% felt that hard work would eventually be rewarded. 

In contrast, only 25% believed that individuals outside their department could easily identify errors.

The survey organizers suggest balancing accountability and error tolerance mechanisms while refining incentive and warning systems. They observed that an excessive focus on disciplinary regulations and accountability might weaken motivation to solve practical problems effectively and could unintentionally encourage avoidance behaviors, such as strict adherence to established procedures. 

Specifically, the survey showed that nearly 20% of respondents said they would follow regulations strictly, highlighting the need for a more flexible approach that encourages problem-solving while keeping accountability.

Meanwhile, respondents rated their department’s performance as average, with nearly half believing employees are treated fairly. They also highlighted that the fairness of management systems is crucial for improving staff accountability and reducing evasion of responsibility.