context: These regulations are part of an ongoing effort to institutionalise ideological and political standards into cadre management. The intention appears to be to make performance evaluations and promotion less subject to personal, political connections.
Central Committee released 'Work regulations on assessment of Party-government leading cadres', effective 7 Apr 2019. A People’s Daily commentary interviewing the head of the Organisation department notes that this is the first time overall standards for assessment have been issued in the form of regulations, noting that documents issued in 1998 and 2009 cannot fully meet the new era’s requirements. The representative explained that more than 100 leaders of provincial, municipal and county-level Party committees were interviewed individually and opinions from institutions extensively solicited. Main features include
- close focus on thoroughly implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era, including Xi’s thoughts on
- Party building
- organisational work
- 19th Party Congress’ strategic plan
- Central Committee requirements for leading cadres
- political standards come first—valuing both ability and political integrity
- vetoes for those that are politically unqualified
- highlighting implementation of Central Committee decision-making and Xi Jinping’s instructions
- clarification of assessment methods into regular, annual, special and tenure assessment so as to enhance their integrity and systematised nature
- improvement of methods, examining cadres comprehensively, using democratic assessment, public opinion and other methods
- improvement of application
- assessment responsibilities are clarified to prevent duplication of work, cut red tape, and reduce the load on the grassroots
The commentary notes problems which the regulations intend to address through regular assessment, including cadres
- promoted in spite of corrupt behaviour
- not replaced or assessed
- being too content following promotion
- valuing appointments to positions over management
The regulations state that
- assessment content and indicators should be adapted to the new era’s requirements
- promotion of economic, political, cultural, social and ecological civilisation construction
- solving problems of uneven development
- actual results of meeting the people's growing needs for a better life
- indicators and weighting for socio-economic development in accordance with local conditions
- assessment content will be tailored to different regions, departments, types and levels of leading bodies and cadres
- assessment content for leading cadres
- moral conduct and political quality
- loyalty to the Party
- respect for the Party's constitution
- following of political discipline and rules
- degree of ideological and political consistency with the Central Committee with Xi Jinping as Party core
- integrity in building clean and honest government and strictly requiring relatives and staff to oppose the 'four winds' of formalism, bureacratism, hedonism and extravagance, and privileged ideas
- capability, particularly in dealing with emergencies and mass incidents
- conduct
- performance, particularly increasing the weight of Party building
- integrity in building clean and honest government
- moral conduct and political quality
- guard against simplified rankings based purely on GDP, growth rate, democratic assessment or public opinion
- in general, proportion of 'outstanding' grades should not exceed 30 percent of total for leading bodies, and 25 percent for leading cadres
- proportion of 'outstandings' for individuals given ratings of the institutions to which they belong
- circumstances in which a leading body or individual should not be rated 'outstanding' include
- implementation of Central Committee decision-making has no obvious effect
- insufficient spirit, fear of serious problems, lack of shouldering responsibility and action
- targets for criticism from high levels and inspection orders
- unsatisfactory grassroots Party-building
- circumstances in which a leading body or individual should be rated 'poor' include
- violating political discipline and rules
- lack of implementing democratic centralism, unprincipled disputes between leading cadres
- incapable of fulfilling responsibilities
- poor work style, going through the motions
- leaving a post without permission
- discipline should be observed in assessment
- concealing or distorting facts is forbidden
- results should not be divulged
- cadres should not be assessed based on personal preference or dislike
- using assessment for personal gain is forbidden
- retaliation against cadres who identify problems is forbidden