A controversial proposal to pay top civil servants according to their performance is included in the draft version of the Government's sustainable development plan.

Charting Our Course: Sustaining Bermuda suggests that performance-related pay is needed for government mandarins who are not up to scratch and could be rolled out to target civil servants at lower levels too.

The report acknowledges that getting unions to agreed to the change could be difficult. But it warns: "If this is not prioritised, it will be difficult to deliver many Government commitments on time and on budget, difficult to reward and encourage good performers while removing weak ones and difficult to recruit quality staff if they feel good work will not be properly recognised and they are not joining an efficient and effective organisation."

The Bermuda Public Service Union would not comment on the idea, which will be discussed at tomorrow's night public meeting on the second theme of the sustainable development plan: Transforming Governance and the Public Sector.

But one civil servant, who asked not to be named, welcomed the suggestion. The source said: "Personally, I think it's really spot on. There are a lot of people at pretty high levels who are basically just coasting on until retirement.

"I think there is a bit of deadwood. There are people at high levels who don't do anything and a lot of junior people who take much more responsibility, a disproportionate amount of responsibility. This is an idea which should have been implemented a very long time ago."

Erica Smith, the Government's director of sustainable development, said: "That particular option needs to be put on the table. We recognise that that could be an issue for contention.

"But I think we are all agreed around here and the Cabinet has agreed that we have to raise the level of performance itself within the civil service. This is just one of many mechanisms in order to do so.

"I think good work and good effort should be rewarded. It would also give another level of accountability and at least some targets for civil servants to strive for. I would agree it's controversial but controversy in itself shouldn't negate a good idea."

Deputy Opposition Leader Michael Dunkley said he thought the idea needed to be explored further. "I'm always open to any suggestions but in this case I think we need to look at this more.

"I'm not aware of any jurisdictions where this happens. I can't jump onboard and say pay should be performance-related."

Elsewhere in the plan, it is reported that it is becoming "increasingly difficult to attract and retain persons with the knowledge, skills and abilities to fulfil senior positions" within the civil service.

The report reveals that the Human Resources Department has been told to develop a system of succession planning to identify employees with the potential to fill higher positions and future vacancies.

It also recommends that senior civil servants be offered regular secondments to overseas bodies as part of their training.

Ms Smith said: "The experience that we as civil servants get in Bermuda is quite significant but it's quite limited to the issues here in Bermuda.

"It can only be of benefit to anyone to have broad world-based experience and at least some regular contact with best practice in other jurisdictions."