Bermuda's bureaucrats have come under critical scrutiny from a secret report into the Island's Civil Service.

The report revealed that only 30 percent of Civil Service staff ever received their annual mandatory appraisals of performance -- and those that were completed were often over-marked, despite poor records.

And it also recommended performance-related pay to reward hard workers -- and a crackdown on slackers -- even if that clashed with Bermudian culture.

The report, commissioned by the Government last year, said a one-off bonus scheme did operate -- but the lack of appraisals meant many were never eligible.

It added: "An effective staff appraisal system will do much to ensure that poor performance is identified and dealt with more quickly.

"However, we believe that there is no substitute for the will on the part of line managers at all levels to take the sometimes hard decisions that need to be taken to weed out indiscipline and poor performance.

"Some interviewees -- from the private sector as well as the public -- advanced the view that confronting staff was `not the Bermudian way'.'' But the report insisted: "We firmly reject this view. Failure to deal with poor performance is de-motivating for good performers, creates a poor image of the whole organisation with the public, is unfair to the individuals themselves in terms of their job satisfaction and represents poor performance on the part of the line manager.'' And the report said more emphasis on staff management and the responsibility for efficient departments should be included in managers' job descriptions, plus fresh training schemes for handling problem staff.

The British authors of the 30-plus page report admitted that the service was seen as slow, strangled with red tape, old-fashioned, out of touch with the public and badly organised. But -- in a wide-ranging survey of both the public and private sectors -- civil servants were also viewed as honest and impartial, hardworking, loyal, informal and accessible, as well as professional.

And the report recommended performance-related pay to reward hard workers.

It stated: "It would be easy to fall into the trap of assuming that the public service in Bermuda only has weaknesses.

"There are many strengths which are worthy of note and need to be nurtured proudly.'' And the report added that perceptions of the Civil Service may not have a basis in fact -- although it insisted they still had to be dealt with. The report said: "There is much that could be done to improve the image of the public service in Bermuda by publishing more widely its undoubted successes in some areas.

"In addition, many incorrect perceptions could be overcome by a more proactive approach to management of the media and better communications generally with the users of Government services.'' The two writers of the report -- Mike Fogden and Chris Cooper of the UK Civil Service College -- said: "Inevitably the list of weaknesses is longer than that of the strengths.'' But they insisted: "Our impression was of a body of committed and motivated senior staff within the Civil Service who are anxious to show their worth to the new Government irrespective of their personal political persuasions.'' The report added that the pay levels for the service should be a streamlined system of pay bands, with progression up the scale dependent on performance, not length of service.

The review said the advertising and recruitment procedures for the Civil Service should also be streamlined -- and clearer lines drawn between recruitment boards and the watchdog Public Service Commission to avoid "second guessing''.

The report also recommended that civil servants should be encouraged to move between departments to gain experience. And the authors said opportunities to swap staff between the public and private sector to boost skills should be provided.