The government is signaling another intervention in the public administration, this time with the promise of merit, testing and career advancement. Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that an evaluation process will begin “from top to bottom,” placing general secretaries at the center and warning of periodic testing for civil servants.
An admission of the problem at the heart of the administration
During the presentation of what the government calls the “Merit Scale,” Rama publicly acknowledged a problem that has for years been raised as a concern in the administration: the lack of a link between job performance and promotion.
According to him, the overwhelming majority of civil servants believe that work or lack of engagement does not really affect their evaluation and professional growth. In the version presented by the head of government, this situation is made even worse by the fact that there are no negative consequences in evaluations for those who do not work.
The new reform and the skepticism the government itself acknowledges
Rama said he himself had been skeptical about the possibility of a real increase in the quality of the administration, especially at a stage linked to Albania’s processes toward the European Union. This admission highlights that the problem is not being treated as an isolated episode, but as a structural weakness of the state itself.
In this framework, the “Merit Scale” was presented as part of a broader transformation package, which also mentions other initiatives such as BESA and the “Pasqyra” platform. According to the government, these instruments aim to make the administration more professional and more accountable.
Protests and meritocracy, according to Rama’s reading
The prime minister said that one of citizens’ main concerns remains the way people enter the administration and whether employment in the state is truly based on merit. He also linked this to the discontent expressed in protests, arguing that they have served as a channel to bring the demand for faster reforms to the surface.
According to Rama, merit has emerged as one of the most striking themes in contacts with citizens and with administration offices. However, the government did not present concrete details on the mechanisms that will guarantee that this process will not remain only at the declarative level.
Evaluation begins with the general secretaries
The most concrete point of the announcement was the warning that the evaluation process will begin with the highest administrative leaders, especially the general secretaries of ministries. According to Rama, if they fail, the consequences affect the entire system.
He said that, according to a predetermined calendar, civil servants may undergo testing to increase their points and opportunities to move up in their careers. At the same time, he also raised the issue of those who enter recognition or excellence programs, but then remain outside the system even when they have performed well.
Internal survey, but without public transparency
According to the head of government, the reform is also supported by an internal survey in which civil servants anonymously gave their opinions on the state of the administration and opportunities for improvement.
At this stage, no detailed data from this survey, its methodology, or the way performance will be measured objectively were made public. This is precisely where it will be tested whether the promise of meritocracy will bring clear standards or simply another reorganization announced by the government.
The political message is clear: the government is acknowledging that the administration has serious problems with evaluation and careers, while proposing a new filter of testing and scoring.
What remains to be seen is whether this mechanism will actually produce fair competition in the state, or only a new scheme of top-down control over the administration.