In the period 2000-2002, the Performance Management System (PMS) and career development were emerging concepts in the Eastern Cape Province and work was beginning to take shape in this area of employee development. This article is based on a study that made use of the non-experimental qualitative focus group discussions. Through thematic analysis, themes were revealed from the verbatim responses of participants outlining how public sector employees perceive the PMS and career development. The aim of this article is to present the findings of, clarify the result of the study and highlight some directions for the future implementation of the PMS programme in the public sector. The responses revealed that the PMS has not been fully implemented in the province, with some departments reporting that they only received an introduction to the PMS. While no conclusive correlation between PMS and the career development of public servants the E