Include Corruption Perception Index in KPI to improve governance - Lee

The proposed inclusion of a Corruption Perception Index into civil servants’ Key Performance Index could enhance transparency and accountability, and lead to better governance, said Lee Lam Thye.

The Malaysia Integrity Institute member said officials are more likely to be responsible and act openly when they know they will be evaluated using the CPI criterion.

He said this shifts the focus from assessing the volume and speed of work to issues such as public trust and ethical behaviour, thereby discouraging corruption. 

“When civil servants are aware that their performance will be judged by public perception, they are incentivised to engage with the public and consider their feedback, ultimately improving service delivery.

“On the other hand, CPI data can also be used to provide civil servants with more training, especially on ethics and anti-corruption practices, creating a systemic approach to reducing corruption, enhancing governance, promoting a culture of accountability and eventually resulting in improved training of staff,” he said in a statement today.

However, he added that it is also equally important to be aware that overemphasis on CPI might lead to an imbalanced approach to overall performance, as CPI, which is based on perceptions, could be subjective and may not always reflect the actual level of corruption, on top of the risk that certain agencies might manipulate their practices to improve their CPI score.

He said that, as such, the indexes that should be incorporated into the KPI include financial, customer, employee, environmental, and social aspects, as well as innovation aspects.

“Applying these indexes will ensure a more comprehensive and robust KPI that will enhance performance, help meet expectations and lead to better governance,” he said.

- Bernama

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