Mozambican civil service with evaluation system

Othe mozambican civil servants will be evaluated based on goals, results and competencies, under a new regulation that provides direct impacts on promotions, appointments, professional training and permanence in management positions.

The new Performance Assessment Subsystem (SAD) was approved by the Council of Ministers by Decree No 69/2026 of November 6, repealing the model that has been in place since 2009 and introducing an assessment based on measurable indicators aligned with the objectives of public institutions.

According to the regulation, the system aims to “assess the individual performance of the official and state agent on the basis of objective indicators and aligned with institutional guidelines”, in addition to improving the quality of public services, strengthening the accountability of officials and supporting decisions on promotions, mobility, renewal of contracts, distinctions and sanctions.

The evaluation ceases to be based only on generic assessments and begins to include an Individual Activity Plan, with goals, performance indicators and expected results for each employee, defined in conjunction with the objectives of the institution. The diploma states that the system must operate in “permanent articulation with the planning process”, with “clear definition of the priority objectives for each evaluation period” and linking the activities of employees to “measurable expected results”.

One of the main novelties is the introduction of mandatory midterm evaluations throughout the year, to monitor the execution of the activities, correct deviations and identify constraints to the achievement of the established goals. The Regulation also provides for the participation of the assessed person in the definition and possible readjustment of the objectives and results to be achieved.

At the end of the process, employees will be classified on a five-level scale: Excellent, very good, good, regular and bad.

The evaluation criteria include the achievement of objectives and goals, compliance with deadlines, quality of results, responsibility, creativity, innovation, technical skills, communication capacity, leadership, teamwork, use of training, punctuality, attendance, discipline and management of public resources.

For managers, managers and trust holders, the new system assigns 50% of the classification to meeting objectives and goals, 35% to demonstrated skills and abilities, and 15% to professional behavior and attitudes.

The diploma also introduces direct consequences for the results obtained, with evaluations of “Excellent”, “Very Good” and “Good” that become a requirement for access to rights provided for in the General Staff Regulations and State Agents and in the premium and distinction schemes.

On the other hand, a “Regular” evaluation implies the cessation of functions for managers, managers or trust and gives priority to the employee for training and professional improvement actions.

The “Bad” classification implies that those holders of management, headship or trust positions cease their duties, while provisional appointment officials may be relieved from the state framework without the right to compensation. The Regulation also provides for an investigation to determine the reasons for the negative performance and possible disciplinary procedure.

The legislation also provides for accountability of the evaluators, establishing that “it is possible to discipline the person responsible for negligence who does not carry out the evaluation of the official and the State official”.

It also has the annual disclosure by each public institution of aggregated and anonymized statistical data on the results of evaluations, allowing systematic monitoring of performance in public administration.

Previous government estimates indicated that Mozambique had, in 2024, about 370,000 civil servants and state officials.

The Government maintains that the new evaluation subsystem should contribute to a more efficient management of the State’s human resources by setting individual targets, regular monitoring of performance and linking the results achieved to professional progress, training, mobility and the exercise of management and management positions.