Service Structure of Engineers

SUBJECT: SERVICE STRUCTURE OF ENGINEERS

Historical Perspective

1.

The World has seen many changes during the known and recorded history of the
mankind. However, the advent of Technology and the Industrial Revolution has simply
changed the complexion of the civilization. In this upward stride of mankind which now
categorizes the world into developed and underdeveloped the Engineers have played
the key role as they are the back bone of any Nation and bring about innovation and
change.

2.

All over the world, the engineers are highly valued professionals. They are the catalyst of
Socio-economic advancement through development of major infrastructure in all sectors
of economy through their skill, ingenuity and dedication. The number of engineers
employed in a country is an indicator of the development of any nation. Japan has 7
engineers per thousand of population as compared to 3.5 in USA, 2.5 in Europe, 1.5 in
India and only 0.3 in Pakistan. However, even this meager workforce is frustrated due to
unfavorable service conditions and lack of any organized service structure. The
engineers toil day and night for the development and advancement of the country but
languish in their initial positions for decades. This grave injustice and apathy is
unfortunately persisting for decades by now. The most serious of the issues is the recent
practice of relegation of the engineers / technocrats even from the management of pure
engineering projects which is leading to great fiasco and losses for the Nation besides
causing frustration in the Engineering Community.

3.

The engineers have been and continue to be relegated even in the planning process of
the Government and management of engineering organizations, whereas they should
have a central role in the successful attainment of specified objectives for the socioeconomic development of the country. The policy of entrusting the administration and
management of the public sector engineering departments and entities to the general
cadre, is breeding frustration, discontent, and serious concern amongst the engineering
community, and also thwarting economic advancement of the Country. These practices
are in contravention of the provisions of PEC Act-1976, Section 27 Clause 5-A which
stipulates that no person other than engineer can hold any position in an engineering
organization* where he has to perform professional engineering work**.

4.

The Engineers working with government departments have stagnated in the original
grades in which they were inducted for long periods, primarily due to unrealistic Service
Rules and closed cadres. The engineers, in most of the engineering organizations, get
recruited in BPS-17, stagnate for 15 to 20 years in the same grade and hardly get
promoted to BPS-18 as Executive Engineers and thus a vast majority of them retire in
BPS-18. It is most unfortunate that these professionals are ignored, while the officers of
other services climb their way from BPS-17 to BPS-22 quickly with very few years in
each scale along with facilities, honor and privileges.

* engineering public organization means a department of the Federal Government or a Provincial

Government, a Public Corporation, autonomous or semi-autonomous body, cantonment board,
municipality, improvement trust or other local authority (xiii of 2 of PEC Act 1976)
** professional engineering work means the giving of professional advice and opinions, the making of
measurements and layouts, the preparation of reports, computations, designs, drawings, plans and
specifications and the construction, inspection and supervision of engineering works (xxv of 2 of PEC Act
1976)

It is pertinent to refer to the Administrative Reforms Order of 1973 whose main features
were as under:

(a)

All the services and cadres will be merged into a unified grade structure with
equality of opportunity for all who enter the service at any stage based on the
required professional and specialized competence necessary for each job.

(b)

The unified structure will enable promotions to the higher posts throughout the
range of public service for horizontal movements from one cadre to another
including the movement of technical personnel to the cadre of general
management. There will also be scope for out of turn promotion to exceptionally
able officers.***

(c)

5.

The correct grading of each post will be determined by job evaluation.

The engineering community has been protesting from time to time and several service
commissions,

constituted

by

various

governments,

had

recommended

for

professionalization of services. The earlier reforms had compensated professionals,

including engineers, to some extent by granting special and uniform scale of pay to all
professional services. At one time, six to seven engineers were elevated as technocrats
to the position of Federal Secretaries and almost all Provincial Secretaries of engineering
departments were engineers resulting into remarkable achievements of infrastructure
and prosperity within the country. However, this has changed with time and presently
seldom any position is held by an engineer.

*** As this is in negation to the requirements of a developing nation.

Recruitment and Promotion Structure of Engineers

6.

In view of above circumstances and to inculcate confidence of engineers in government

and public service, and provide them a respectable role in the National agenda of
development and prosperity, a proper service structure for professional engineers needs
to be approved by the Government of Pakistan and the provinces besides all other public
sector entities:

(i)

Besides the requirement of a proper service structure, a time scale promotion

structure is recommended to be allowed as under:

Scale

Mode of
Employment

Length
of
Service

Professional
Development /
Trainings

BS-17

Direct induction

Registered Graduate
Engineer

BS-17 to BS-18

By promotion

5 years

Registered/Professional
Graduate Engineer plus
prescribed training

BS-18 to BS-19

By promotion

7 years

Professional Graduate
Engineer plus prescribed
training

BS-19 to BS-20

By promotion

5 years

Professional Graduate
Engineer plus prescribed
training

BS-20 to BS-21

By promotion

5 years

Professional Graduate
Engineer plus prescribed
training

BS-21 to BS-22

By promotion

3 years

Professional Graduate
Engineer and
performance assessment

(ii)

There are more than 500 Cadre posts in BPS-20 in the various engineering
departments. The Government during 1989 constituted a committee to
recommend a service group of engineers like other services groups. The
Committee recommended to carryout job evaluation for jobs in BPS 20 and
above, appointments relevantly qualified and experienced professionals in line
with job analysis, federal ministries involving engineering works should be
declared as engineering ministries and engineers having suitable experience and
qualifications should be posted as Secretaries, Additional Secretaries and Joint
Secretaries in such ministries. The Committee further recommended to create an
occupational group of engineers, Central Engineering Services and Engineering
Academies and foreign training in different developing fields.* It is therefore
imperative that an engineering Service of Pakistan be constituted which will
ensure proper promotion of engineers to higher positions. It may be relevant to
point out that in Pre-partition days a similar service namely, Indian Service of
Engineers (ISE) existed. This will pave the way to induct the much needed
professionals / technocrats for the higher echelons of the Federal Government
and the same can then be adopted by the provincial departments and the various
autonomous and semi-autonomous entities in the public sector. A draft of
proposed National Service of Engineers is attached.

(iii)

In order to ensure appropriate promotion opportunities, the pyramid of

engineering service may have the following distribution at various stages:
BPS-17
BPS-18
BPS-19
BPS-20
BPS-21
BPS-22

60% of total posts for graduate engineers

22% of total posts for graduate engineers
10% of total posts for graduate engineers
5% of total posts for graduate engineers
2% of total posts for graduate engineers
1% of total posts for graduate engineers

* The report on Engineering Service of Pakistan was considered and cleared by Secretaries Committee and is
since lying with the Establishment Division.

So as to broaden the availability and expertise it is imperative that the Pool of BPS-20
position in all Federal Government departments, inclusive of such professionals from the
Autonomous/Semi-autonomous and other government entities- such are source at the
provincial level too can be tapped, should form the basis for promotions to BPS-21 and
above.

Appointment of Engineers on Technical Positions/Jobs

7.

Engineers are responsible for execution of development plans, provision and

maintenance of essential services and contribute towards productivity and economic
wellbeing of the Country. The performance of organizations like Atomic Energy
Commission of Pakistan is a clear manifestation of the fact that engineers and scientists
can perform wonders provided they are given proper working conditions and role in
decision making. The success achieved by Countries like China, where above 70% of
the senators etc. are hard core engineering professionals, should act as an example to
emulate. The following ministries / divisions are solely technical in nature and thus
should be manned and managed by engineers / technocrats with relevant expertise.

i. Ministry of Water & Power.

ii. Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Resources.
iii. Ministry of communications.
iv. Ministry of Production.
v. Defense Production Division.
vi. Ministry of Industries.
vii. Ministry of Railways.

viii. Ministry of Science & Technology.

ix. Ministry of Housing & Works.
x. Aviation Division.
xi. Planning & Development Division.
xii. Any other professional engineering body performing professional
engineering work.

Similarly, in accordance with the responsibilities assigned to various public sector

corporations and autonomous organizations, appointments of the Chairmen, Managing
Directors, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), a sizeable member of Chief Operating
Officers (COOs), and members of the Board of Directors should be from amongst the
professional engineers.

Incentive(s) For Higher Technical Qualifications

8.

Engineering and Technology is playing a very important role in the development of

world economies. Consequently, a premium is due for higher technical qualifications. In

view of this dire requirement, attainment of higher technical qualifications becomes
imperative. Therefore, to give impetus to this resolve, certain incentives may be allowed
for professional engineers attaining higher technical qualifications. Besides, existing
financial incentives in vogue, there is a need to provide certain percentage of senior
slots / positions for professional engineers having higher technical qualifications. The
actual provision of such incentives would be listed in the respective Rules.

Trainee Engineers

9.

In 1973 and 1974, the government had created a National Development

Volunteer Program (NDVP) and professionals and qualified persons were given

training and un-employment allowance. Government had allowed employment of 15%

of the strength of employed engineers as trainee engineers and leave reserves for 2years. Over 4000 engineers were employed and who were also provided training in
different departments and organizations. Large numbers of them were later absorbed in
the respective departments / organizations and rest were usefully trained to undertake
their own business / work or to meet the need of the international organizations.

The government may revive the scheme of training of engineers and allow 15% of the
existing cadre strength to be taken as trainee engineers and leave reserve, which would
not only resolve the present unemployment problem, but the trained engineers would
also be available as leave reserves and for subsequent absorption in the same
departments and organizations. Besides, a number of scholarships from advanced
foreign countries are offered to the Government of Pakistan. These scholarships should
be properly advertised for attracting engineering professionals for the same. It is
important to state that most of these trainings are wasted amongst generalists- with not
much of return for the State.

Establishment of Engineering Academy of Pakistan (EAP)

10.

For the capacity building and skill development of the engineers, a National Engineering
Academy for the engineers needs to be set-up or existing Engineering Academy may be
assigned the task. This academy will also provide management training to the senior /
professional engineers converting the engineer to the status of an engineering manager /
qualified technocrat. Initially there shall be a Federal Academy, which shall subsequently
be extended up to provincial level. However, in the interregnum engineer officers from
the provinces may be accommodated against the specific quota.