The Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) will commence the final transitional phase of the National Transformation Programme (NTP) work to the civil service over a two-year period.

In a statement today, the Prime Minister's Office said, the handover will cover three types of activities based on the level of performance and competency assessment.

"Under work category one, some of the NTP work will be handed over immediately to the civil service without any need for transition.

"Pemandu will hand over these activities in full to the civil service on March 1, 2017.

"Under work category two, some of the NTP work will be handed over gradually.

"These activities require support during a two-year transition to allow for capacity building within the civil service so that in the third year, the civil service will be able to perform this work independently without any support," it said.

Pemandu said to support work category two, the unit's manpower will reduce its current staff strength from 133 to 45 in 2017 and 30 in 2018, while no support was required in 2019.

Under work category three, Pemandu said, there will still be a need for NTP coordination even after mainstreaming the work to the civil service.

"Pemandu will hand over this coordination work to the Civil Service Delivery Unit (CSDU) in the Economic Planning Unit (EPU).

"The intention has always been for Pemandu to be a small and agile unit responsible for establishing key performance indicators, problem solving and overall performance management while the respective ministries and agencies of the government would carry out the implementation of the initiatives under the NTP," it said.

Meanwhile, Pemandu said, all its staff in the unit and BFR Institute will move to Pemandu Associates Sdn Bhd, a private consultancy firm newly-established by Pemandu management and staff.

"The staff seconded from the civil service and government-linked companies (GLCs) will now return to the government and the GLCs where they can continue their good work, while Pemandu employees hired from the private sector will remain with Pemandu Associates Sdn Bhd," it said.

Pemandu Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Seri Idris Jala, said this was done to avoid redundancy of employees.

He said Pemandu remained committed to the government on the national transformation agenda and to ensure this transition work to the civil service was carried out steadily and smoothly over the next two years.

"To this end, under our agreement with the government on Jan 5, 2017, Pemandu Associates will be deploying 45 people to the NTP work under the supervision of the CSDU in 2017.

"This number will be reduced to 30 in 2018.

"The current employees not deployed to the NTP work will be doing business development work, as well as to provide consultancy services to public sectors abroad and business turnaround," he said.

Pemandu, currently a unit under the Prime Minister's Department, was set up in 2009 with the task of developing the NTP and coordinating its implementation. -- BERNAMA