General Office of the CPC Central Committee and General Office of the State Council Issue Guiding Opinions on Advancing Reform of the Classified Talent Evaluation Mechanism
Talent evaluation is an important component of the institutional mechanisms for talent development and a prerequisite for developing, managing, and using talent resources. Establishing a scientific classified talent evaluation mechanism is important for promoting correct employment orientation, encouraging and guiding career development of talents, stimulating their enthusiasm for innovation and entrepreneurship, and accelerating the building of a talent-strong country. Currently, China's talent evaluation mechanism still has prominent problems, including insufficient classified evaluation, single evaluation standards, homogenized evaluation methods, insufficient socialized evaluation, and inadequate implementation of the autonomy of employing entities. These problems urgently require resolution through deeper reform. To implement the Notice of the CPC Central Committee on Issuing the Opinions on Deepening Reform of the Institutional Mechanisms for Talent Development, innovate the talent evaluation mechanism, and give full play to the guiding role of talent evaluation, the following opinions are proposed on classified reform of the talent evaluation mechanism.
I. Overall Requirements and Basic Principles
(1) Overall requirements. Fully implement the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, earnestly implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, follow the requirements of coordinating the overall layout of the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan and advancing the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy, apply the new development philosophy, focus on implementing the strategy of building a talent-strong country and the innovation-driven development strategy, base reform on scientific classification, aim to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship among talents, accelerate the formation of a scientific, socialized, and market-oriented talent evaluation mechanism with clear orientation, precision, standardization, orderly operation, and competitive selection, establish a talent evaluation system compatible with the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, foster a favorable environment in which everyone aspires to become talented, works hard to become talented, can become talented, and fully displays their talents, and enable outstanding talents to emerge.
(2) Basic Principles
— Uphold the principle of the Party managing talents. Fully leverage the Party's ideological and political advantages, organizational advantages, and advantages in maintaining close ties with the people, strengthen Party leadership over talent evaluation, make reforming and improving the talent evaluation mechanism an important part of talent work, promote a society-wide culture of recognizing, cherishing, respecting, using, accommodating, and gathering talents, and bring outstanding talents from all sectors into the great endeavor of the Party and the people.
— Uphold service to development. Focus on economic and social development and talent development needs, fully leverage the positive incentive role of talent evaluation, promote the emergence of more and better talents, maximize the vitality of talents in innovation and entrepreneurship, and promote deep integration of talent development with economic and social development.
-- Uphold scientific impartiality. Follow the laws governing talent development, emphasize integrity, competence, and performance, establish categorized evaluation mechanisms reflecting different occupations, positions, and levels, evaluate talent scientifically, objectively, and fairly, and ensure that the value of all types of talent is fully respected and recognized.
-- Uphold reform and innovation. Focus on making effective use of talent, remove ideological and institutional barriers, accelerate transformation of government functions, safeguard the autonomy of employing entities, leverage diverse evaluation entities such as government, markets, professional organizations, and employers, and create an institutional environment conducive to talent development and contribution.
II. Improve categorized talent evaluation standards
(III) Implement categorized evaluation. Based on occupational attributes and job requirements, improve a scientific categorized talent evaluation system. In accordance with the characteristics and responsibilities of talent in different occupations, positions, and levels, combine commonality with specificity, performance with development potential, and qualitative with quantitative evaluation. Establish categorized talent evaluation standards covering integrity, knowledge, competence, performance, and contribution, with scientific rationale and appropriate emphasis. Accelerate development of evaluation standards for emerging occupations. Establish a mechanism for dynamic updating and adjustment of evaluation standards.
(IV) Emphasize integrity evaluation. Uphold both integrity and competence, make integrity the primary criterion in talent evaluation, strengthen assessment of scientific spirit, professional ethics, and professional conduct, promote honesty and trustworthiness, reinforce social responsibility, resist impatience and short-termism, and strictly address falsification and academic misconduct. Improve the integrity system for talent evaluation, establish records and disciplinary mechanisms for trustworthy conduct and breaches of trust, and explore an evaluation exit mechanism based on moral conduct and integrity.
(V) Set evaluation standards scientifically. Evaluate talent based on competence, actual performance, and contribution, overcome tendencies to rely solely on academic credentials, seniority, or publications, focus on professionalism, innovation, job performance, innovative outcomes, and practical contributions, address one-size-fits-all evaluation standards, reasonably set and use indicators such as publications, monographs, and impact factors, implement differentiated evaluation, and encourage talent to contribute and pursue excellence in different fields and positions.
III. Improve and innovate talent evaluation methods
(VI) Innovate diversified evaluation methods. In line with requirements for social and industry recognition, establish industry evaluation mechanisms based on peer review, introduce market and social evaluation, and leverage diverse evaluation entities. For basic research talent, prioritize peer academic evaluation and strengthen international peer review. For applied research and technology development talent, emphasize market evaluation by relevant third parties such as users, markets, and experts. For philosophy and social science talent, focus evaluation on peer recognition and social impact. Enrich evaluation methods and scientifically and flexibly adopt exams, reviews, combined assessment and appraisal, assessment certification, personal presentations, interviews and defenses, practical operations, and performance displays to improve targeted and precise evaluation.
(VII) Set talent evaluation cycles scientifically. Follow the development patterns of different types of talent, set evaluation and assessment cycles scientifically and reasonably, combine process evaluation with outcome evaluation and short-term evaluation with long-term evaluation, and avoid overly frequent assessment. Explore appointment-period evaluation systems. Emphasize medium- and long-term objectives, appropriately extend evaluation cycles for basic research talent, young talent, and others, and encourage sustained research and long-term accumulation.
(VIII) Streamline talent evaluation channels. Further remove restrictions related to household registration, geography, ownership, identity, and personnel relations. Rely on qualified industry associations, professional societies, and public talent service agencies to streamline application and evaluation channels for talent in non-public economic organizations, social organizations, emerging occupations, and other fields. Establish green channels for evaluating introduced overseas high-level talent and urgently needed scarce talent. Improve application and evaluation procedures for foreign talent and talent from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.
(IX) Promote organic integration of talent assessment with project review and institutional evaluation. In accordance with the requirement to deliver both outcomes and talent, strengthen talent assessment in reviews and evaluations of engineering projects, science and technology programs, institutional platforms, and similar matters, and improve mechanisms for assessing and identifying talent in major scientific research, engineering project implementation, and demanding tasks. Deepen reforms in project review, talent assessment, and institutional evaluation, establish a sound evaluation orientation, further streamline and consolidate review matters, cancel or delegate matters, optimize their layout, simplify review procedures, improve review methods, and reduce burdens on talent. Avoid assessing talent solely on titles from talent programs. Strengthen sharing of evaluation results to avoid fragmented, frequent, and duplicate assessments of talent.
IV. Accelerate reforms in talent assessment in key areas.
(X) Reform the evaluation system for science and technology talent. Centered on building an innovative country and a world-leading science and technology powerhouse, and in conjunction with reform of the science and technology system, establish and improve an evaluation system for science and technology talent based on research integrity and oriented toward innovation capability, quality, contribution, and performance. For talent primarily engaged in basic research, focus on assessing original capability to propose and solve major scientific problems, scientific value of outcomes, academic level, and impact. For talent primarily engaged in applied research and technology development, focus on assessing technological innovation and integration capability, independent intellectual property rights obtained, major technological breakthroughs, transfer of outcomes, and actual contributions to industrial development. For talent engaged in public-interest research, science and technology management services, and experimental technology, focus on assessing work performance and guide them to improve service levels and technical support capabilities.
Implement evaluation based on representative achievements, emphasizing the quality of research outcomes, original value, and actual contributions to economic and social development. Change practices that directly link the quantity of papers, patents, projects, funding, and similar indicators to the evaluation of science and technology talent, and establish and implement an evaluation system conducive to dedicated research and innovation by science and technology talent.
Combine individual evaluation with team evaluation. Adapt to collaborative innovation in science and technology and interdisciplinary and cross-sector development, further improve methods for evaluating science and technology innovation teams, and implement holistic evaluation focused on collaborative solutions to major scientific and technological problems. For leaders of innovation teams, focus evaluation on their ability to set research directions, academic attainment, organizational coordination, and team building. Respect and recognize the actual contributions of all team participants, and eliminate nominal listing without substantive contribution.
(XI) Scientifically evaluate talent in philosophy, social sciences, and culture and arts. Uphold the guiding role of Marxism, the research stance of serving the people, and the people-centered creative orientation. Emphasize the unity of political and academic standards, inheritance and national character, originality and contemporary relevance, and systematicness and professionalism. Establish and improve an evaluation system for talent in philosophy, social sciences, and culture and arts with Chinese characteristics, advance the development of disciplinary, academic, and discourse systems for philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, and produce more outstanding literary and artistic works worthy of the nation and the times.
Implement classified evaluation of talent according to disciplinary fields such as humanities, social sciences, and culture and arts, and categories such as theoretical research, applied policy research, and artistic performance and creation. For talent primarily engaged in theoretical research, focus on assessing their capability and contributions to advancing theoretical innovation, inheriting civilization, and disciplinary development. For talent primarily engaged in applied policy research, focus on assessing their capability and performance in providing service support for Party and government decision-making in line with the overall layout of the 'five-in-one' plan and the coordinated advancement of the 'four comprehensives' strategic layout. For talent primarily engaged in artistic performance and creation, focus on assessing their capability and performance in artistic performance, work creation, and meeting the people's spiritual and cultural needs. Emphasize research quality, content innovation, and social benefits of outcomes, and implement equivalent evaluation for theoretical articles, policy advisory research reports, suggestions and recommendations, excellent online articles, artistic works, and similar outputs alongside papers and monographs.
(XII) Improve the education talent evaluation system. Uphold fostering virtue and nurturing talent, and make teaching and nurturing students the core of education talent evaluation. Deepen reform of the evaluation system for university teachers, adhere to the socialist orientation of running schools, combine dual assessment of ideological and political qualities and professional competence with comprehensive evaluation and emphasis on priorities, and emphasize comprehensive evaluation of teacher ethics and conduct, teaching, scientific research, social service, and professional development. Combine classified guidance with tiered evaluation, and set evaluation contents and methods by category, tier, and discipline according to the duties of different types of universities and teachers in different positions. Highlight evaluation of teaching performance, ensure the central task of talent cultivation is implemented, require all teachers to undertake teaching duties, establish and improve standards for evaluating teaching workload, implement the system of professors teaching undergraduate and associate-degree students, and strengthen assessment of teaching quality and classroom discipline.
To meet the development needs of modern vocational education, improve evaluation standards for 'dual-qualified' teachers in vocational colleges (including technical schools) in accordance with requirements for both professional theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Involve industries and enterprises as evaluation participants, focusing on professional qualities, professional teaching ability, and frontline production practice experience.
To meet new requirements for quality-oriented education and curriculum reform in primary and secondary schools, establish evaluation standards that fully reflect the characteristics of primary and secondary school teachers' positions, focusing on teaching methods, achievements in teaching and nurturing students, and frontline practice experience. It is strictly prohibited to evaluate primary and secondary school teachers solely based on students' advancement rates and examination scores.
(XIII) Improve the medical and health talent evaluation system. Strengthen evaluation of clinical practice capabilities of medical and health professionals, improve the indicator system covering medical ethics and professional conduct, clinical practice, research mentoring, and public health services, and reasonably determine evaluation priorities for different medical and health institutions and professional positions. For personnel mainly engaged in clinical work, focus on assessing clinical medical and technical competence, hands-on operational ability, and work performance, and use clinical records, diagnosis and treatment plans, among other materials, as evaluation bases. For personnel mainly engaged in research, focus on assessing innovative capability and achievements, highlighting the ability to transform and apply innovative outcomes. For public health personnel mainly engaged in disease prevention and control, focus on assessing capabilities in epidemiological investigation, handling infectious disease outbreaks and public health emergencies, and monitoring and evaluating diseases and hazard factors.
Establish an evaluation mechanism suited to the characteristics of general practitioner positions, assessing mastery of basic general medicine theory, diagnosis and treatment of common and frequently occurring diseases, preventive health care, and provision of basic public health services. Use the number of contracted residents, patient volume, service quality, and public satisfaction as important evaluation factors.
In accordance with requirements to strengthen grassroots capacity, safeguard basic services, and implement tiered diagnosis and treatment, establish a grassroots medical and health talent evaluation mechanism that places greater emphasis on clinical competence, service quality, and work performance, encourage medical and health professionals to serve grassroots communities, and better meet the health needs of grassroots residents.
(XIV) Innovate the evaluation system for technical and skilled talent. Adapt to characteristics such as high specialization, standardization, and generality in engineering technology, establish and improve evaluation standards for engineering and technical talent by professional field, address the excessive academic orientation of evaluation standards, and focus on assessing mastery of essential professional theoretical knowledge and practical capabilities and achievements in solving engineering and technical problems, technological creation and invention, technology promotion and application, engineering project design, and development of process standards. Explore and promote international mutual recognition of engineers to improve engineering education quality and the professionalization and internationalization of engineering and technical talent.
Improve the skills talent assessment system oriented to vocational competence, focused on work performance, and emphasizing professional ethics and knowledge levels. Accelerate the development of multi-tiered occupational standards, including national occupational standards, industry and enterprise job requirements, and specialized vocational competence assessment specifications. Improve diversified assessment methods such as vocational qualification assessment, vocational skill level recognition, and specialized vocational competence assessment, and ensure effective linkage of assessment results. Adhere to the principle of combining occupational standards with job requirements, vocational competence assessment with work performance assessment, and professional assessment with enterprise recognition. For technical and skilled talents, emphasize practical operation ability and solving key production technology problems; for knowledge-based skilled talents, emphasize mastering and applying theoretical knowledge to guide production practice and creatively carrying out work; for compound skilled talents, emphasize mastering multiple skills and undertaking complex work across multiple occupations and positions, guiding and encouraging skilled talents to cultivate a craftsman spirit of striving for excellence.
(XV) Improve assessment mechanisms for enterprises, frontline grassroots personnel, and young talents. Establish enterprise talent assessment mechanisms adapted to industrial development needs and economic structure, highlight innovation and entrepreneurship practice capabilities, and promote improvement of the independent innovation capacity of enterprises. For outstanding entrepreneurs, management talents, and high-level innovation and entrepreneurship talents with notable performance contributions, application requirements such as education level, seniority, and years of service may be relaxed. Improve the enterprise management talent assessment system with market and investor recognition as important criteria, highlighting assessment of business performance and comprehensive qualities. Establish a socialized assessment system for professional managers.
Innovate assessment and incentive mechanisms for grassroots talents. For talents who have worked for a long time on the frontline and in difficult and remote areas, increase the weight given to dedication to work, actual work performance, and length of service, and expand career development space for grassroots talents. Improve the assessment system for practical rural talents with professional farmers as the main body, and refine the integrated institutional framework combining education and training, recognition and assessment management, and policy support. Improve the professional level assessment system for social work professionals, strengthen professional management and incentive guarantees for social workers, and enhance the modernization of social governance and social services.
Improve assessment and incentive measures for young talents. Break outdated concepts such as seniority-based selection and emphasis on visible achievements over potential, and focus on selecting and supporting outstanding young talents with great development potential, genuine ability, and capacity to undertake important responsibilities. Increase support for young talents through science and technology, education, and talent projects, encourage the establishment of special programs for young talents, and promote outstanding young talents to stand out. Explore establishing a recommendation system for outstanding young talents.
V. Improve and refine the talent assessment management service system
(XVI) Guarantee and implement the autonomy of employing units. Respect the leading role of employing units, support them in assessing talents based on their functional positioning and development directions, and promote linkage between talent assessment and talent cultivation, use, and incentives. Reasonably define and delegate talent assessment authority, and encourage qualified universities, research institutes, hospitals, cultural institutions, large enterprises, national laboratories, new R&D institutions, and other talent-intensive units to independently conduct assessment and appointment work. Prevent administrative and bureaucratic tendencies in talent assessment, and fully leverage the role of academic committees. For units conducting independent assessment, talent management departments shall no longer conduct qualification approval, and should strengthen in-process and ex-post supervision through improving credit mechanisms, third-party assessment, inspections, and spot checks.
(17) Improve the market-oriented and socialized management and service system. Further clarify the roles of government, market, and employers in talent assessment; establish a talent assessment management system with clear authority and responsibility, scientific management, and efficient coordination. Promote the transformation of functions and delegation of authority by talent management departments, strengthen government functions in macro management, policy and regulation formulation, public services, and supervision and assurance for talent assessment, and reduce approval items and micro-management. Leverage the roles of multiple assessment entities such as markets and society, actively cultivate social organizations and professional institutions for talent assessment, and gradually and orderly assume talent assessment functions transferred by government. Establish comprehensive evaluation and dynamic adjustment mechanisms for talent assessment institutions.
(18) Optimize a fair and impartial assessment environment. Strengthen rule-of-law development for talent assessment, improve rules and regulations, enhance assessment quality and credibility, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of talent. Strictly standardize assessment procedures and establish systems for application, review, public notice, feedback, appeals, inspections, complaints, and retrospection. Strengthen construction and resource sharing of expert databases for assessment, establish mechanisms for random selection, avoidance, and rotation of experts, optimize the sources and composition of experts, and strengthen industry representativeness. Establish responsibility and credibility systems for assessment experts and implement exit and accountability mechanisms. Strengthen comprehensive governance of talent assessment, clean up and standardize various talent assessment activities and certificate issuance and fee collection matters in accordance with law, improve examination environment governance, and implement primary responsibility for examination security. Strengthen culture building for talent assessment, encourage equal and inclusive academic criticism and debate, ensure full discussion of different academic viewpoints, and foster an assessment atmosphere and environment that seeks truth, encourages innovation, and tolerates failure.
All regions and departments shall uphold the principle of the Party managing talent and strengthen unified leadership by Party committees and governments over reforming and improving talent assessment mechanisms. Party organization departments shall take the lead and coordinate overall work, relevant departments shall fulfill their respective duties and closely cooperate, and social forces shall play an important role in ensuring effective implementation. In-depth investigation and research shall be conducted, specific implementation plans shall be formulated based on actual conditions, classified guidance shall be strengthened, supervision and inspection shall be enhanced, and reform tasks shall be ensured to deliver results. The military may, in accordance with this opinion and based on actual conditions, establish and improve military talent assessment mechanisms. Classified advancement, pilot programs first, and steady implementation shall be upheld, and new situations and problems encountered in reform shall be promptly studied and resolved. Policy interpretation and public opinion guidance shall be strengthened, social concerns shall be actively addressed, and a favorable atmosphere shall be created for classified advancement of talent assessment mechanism reform.