This analysis focuses on procedures for performance appraisal of civil servants within the Montenegrin state administration system, given the importance of this mechanism in establishing a merit-based advancement system, and as a wider instrument of civil service reform. Performance appraisal should not only serve to reward or sanction employees, but rather to guide their performance towards achievement of key institutional objectives.
The appraisal system for civil servants and state employees has seen an increase in the number of employees appraised. The total number of appraisals rose from 3,522 in 2020 to 4,592 in 2024. Despite the said increase, a significant percentage of employees remain unevaluated – during the observed period, between 55% and 70% of civil servants and state employees were not included in the appraisal process.
The quantitative increase in appraisal coverage has not necessarily been accompanied by a qualitative improvement of the appraisal process. An analysis of the rating structure reveals a marked and continuous increase in the proportion of employees rated with the highest mark, “Excellent”: from nearly 80% of all appraised employees in 2020 to over 90% in 2024. The rating “Unsatisfactory” was recorded in a negligible number of cases, with no more than six instances recorded in a single year (2022). Furthermore, heads of authorities are almost entirely excluded from evaluation, with zero recorded appraisals in 2024. For senior management, reliable data on appraisal procedures are lacking, despite the fact that such individuals, along with the heads of authorities, should be subject to biannual performance evaluations.