Boosting Lekhpal performance via data-driven feedback and recognition

The Lekhpals Actionable KPI System for Holistic Assessment and Management (LAKSHYAM) is an initiative to measure and enhance the work performance of Lekhpals, who are frontline functionaries of the Revenue Department of state governments. Based on a study conducted in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, between December 2024 and March 2025, Hasin and Ugale present early insights into the outcomes achieved by the initiative, and highlight some areas for improvement.

Lekhpals or Patwaris are frontline functionaries of the Revenue Department of state governments. They interact with millions of citizens each year, and their work is critical in providing timely and fair resolutions in land-related disputes, demarcating land boundaries, and processing several important applications, such as income and caste certificates. In doing so, they also become the face of the government for citizens, and their performance plays a role in creating a good impression of the quality of governance.

The performance of Lekhpals has typically been evaluated through fragmented systems and ad hoc anecdotes. This type of evaluation is subject to bias and fails to provide a holistic understanding of how each Lekhpal is performing and where they can improve their performance. To address this, the Lekhpals’ Actionable KPI.¹System for Holistic Assessment and Management (LAKSHYAM) was launched as an initiative to measure and enhance the work performance of Lekhpals. The quote below captures the essence of LAKSHYAM:

"I received an award too – the first time in my eight years in the job. This was a very happy moment for my family. They were proud that I do good and honest work. It was also very motivating for me to be recognised for good work."

– A Lekhpal in Varanasi

LAKSHYAM brings together data from three different sources to measure the performance of individual Lekhpals: (i) data on routine administrative tasks through file tracking, (ii) supervisor ratings, and (iii) citizen feedback. LAKSHYAM also helps Lekhpals keep track of deadlines by sending WhatsApp reminders. These interventions aim to ensure that Lekhpals perform well, helping the Revenue Department achieve its goals in a fair and citizen-centric manner.

From May to December 2023, LAKSHYAM was piloted in Prayagraj, starting with Soraon tehsil.² Following improvements in the speed at which Lekhpals processed citizen grievances, it was quickly replicated in neighbouring Bara. It was then implemented in Varanasi from March 2024 onwards, where it was still in operation at the time of our study. A previous I4I blog has explained how LAKSHYAM was conceived and how it operates in more detail. In this note, we present early insights into the outcomes achieved by the initiative.

Impact of LAKSHYAM

With support from the Revenue Department, IDinsight conducted a rapid mixed-methods study between December 2024 and March 2025 to understand the outcomes and lessons for the future from implementing LAKSHYAM in Varanasi. This included an analysis of programmatic data³, combined with insights from in-depth qualitative interviews with 27 stakeholders across various positions in the department. We discuss three salient learnings from the study below. In particular, we see how LAKSHYAM has helped improve turnaround times for citizens, led to better citizen interactions, and used data as a leveller within the department.

i) Improvement in turnaround times: Between March and November 2024, the data showed notable improvements in the timeliness of Lekhpals in handling citizen applications under the Integrated Grievance Redressal System (IGRS) and selected sections under the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Court. In particular, within eight months of the implementation of LAKSHYAM, the processing times for SDM court applications reduced by 93% (from 113 days to 19 days) in total, and by 83% (from 64 days to 11 days) when we look at the part of the process led by Lekhpals.

Figure 1. Lekhpal processing time of SDM court applications (sub-sections covered by LAKSHYAM)

The dashboards used within LAKSHYAM enabled greater visibility on where there were delays, thereby contributing to more proactive problem-solving. Further, in a system where recognition has historically been rare, monitoring work performance through objective measurements has allowed the department to provide data-based feedback and conduct a ceremony to reward top performers. In qualitative interviews, stakeholders overwhelmingly spoke about how this recognition is helping improve motivation among Lekhpals.

"There was always a culture of punishment, but never one to appreciate good work... These awards help recognise our basic work."

– A Lekhpal in Varanasi

ii) Improvements in desired behaviours in citizen interactions: Many Lekhpals spoke about field-level improvements in desired behaviours in citizen interactions. They credit the citizen surveys introduced by LAKSHYAM for instilling greater awareness and sensitivity in their engagement with citizens. Analysis of the citizen feedback survey showed that the share of applications for which Lekhpals conducted field visits rose from 49% to 80%, and perceived politeness ratings rose from 62% to 69%, peaking at 75% in October.

Figure 2. Lekhpal engagement, politeness and perceived resolution from citizen surveys

iii) Data as a leveller: The study also showed how the close tracking of applications, enabled by LAKSHYAM, acted as a leveller. First, file tracking potentially reduced discretionary or unintended delays because all applications were weighted equally when calculating KPIs. In an interview, a stakeholder also speculated about reduced rent-seeking as it is harder for officials to deliberately ‘sit on’ files due to LAKSHYAM’s tracking.

Second, for staff, LAKSHYAM provides visibility on how much time it takes to complete each step, irrespective of hierarchy. As a result, some stakeholders in qualitative interviews suggested that it promotes a more meritocratic work culture and potentially reduces favouritism. For example, a Lekhpal noted that data can showcase female Lekhpals’ strong performance even if they are less vocal in meetings or group settings, challenging gender-based stereotypes.

Finally, the underlying data that feeds into LAKSHYAM can also be repurposed for citizen-centric initiatives. For example, the department created a help desk that uses this data to provide citizens with information on the status of their applications, eliminating the need for citizens to run from office to office.

Limitations and scope for improvement

Along with these promising improvements, the study also shows limitations and scope for improvement. First, there are inherent risks and limitations with measurement. There is a danger of a multitask principal-agent problem (Holmström and Milgrom 1991), where incentives start drawing effort away from other, less measurable aspects of the job. In this study, we did not find conclusive evidence of compromise in quality.⁵ This is an area of concern which requires close attention and mitigation strategies, such as using citizen feedback, peer qualitative feedback, broad and carefully chosen metrics, etc.

Several stakeholders raised inconsistencies in supervisory feedback as a concern. Investment in targeted management training and mentorship for middle management could improve the quality of supervision and feedback across the department. Some studies have shown that management quality is correlated with productivity in both the private and public sectors (Bloom and Van Reenen 2007, Rasul and Rogger 2018, Rasul, Rogger and Williams 2018).

Finally, while better measurement can highlight many problems, it cannot solve them all. For instance, some stakeholders noted challenges of higher workloads due to understaffing, a classic issue in many areas of governance. Therefore, complementary investments in personnel strength, training, and other supporting infrastructure are imperative to lead to larger improvements in departmental functioning. In the meantime, interventions such as LAKSHYAM can help optimise the use of the department’s limited resources.

Conclusion

LAKSHYAM shows that even simple monitoring and low-powered incentives can boost performance in government departments. The initiative is also a promising sign for governments to invest in comprehensive measurement systems that emit high-quality data, which can be used to drive various internal improvements and citizen-centric initiatives. Institutionalising such systems can also ensure that they are not restricted to individual initiatives, while maintaining flexibility and a spirit of experimentation.

The authors thank Aishwarya Grover, Anjani Balu, Ashruth Talwar, Vinod Kumar Sharma, and Vishan Pattnaik for their contributions to the study and this post. You can also direct comments and suggestions to Sarthak Agarwal, IAS, who anchored this initiative, at sarthak13agr@gmail.com.

Notes:

Key performance indicators.
A tehsil is an administrative sub-division of a district in India, typically consisting of a town or city as its headquarters and surrounding villages, and is mainly responsible for local administration and land revenue collection.
The quantitative data covers applications under the Integrated Grievance Redressal System (IGRS), Tehsil Diwas, and applications under selected sections under the SDM Court.
This service is primarily owned by the tehsil leadership, with lesser state-level monitoring.
A majority of stakeholders in the qualitative interviews suggested that the quality of work has also actually improved as a result of better planning and time management. However, four (out of 27) stakeholders expressed concerns about a potential decline in quality due to time pressures.