On November 22, 2024, at NAPA Headquarters in Ha Noi, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, President of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), held a meeting with Ms. Ramla Khalidi, Resident Representative, UNDP in Viet Nam.
An overview of the meeting.
The UNDP Viet Nam delegation included Mr. Nguyen Tuan Luong, Head of Solutions Mapping at UNDP Accelerator Lab, and Ms. Tran Huong Giang, Head of Experimentation. Representatives from relevant ministries and agencies attending the meeting were Ms. Nguyen Xuan Dung, Deputy Director General of the Department of Civil Servants and Public Employees, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Mr. Do Tien Thinh, Deputy Director of the Viet Nam National Innovation Center, Ministry of Planning and Investment.
From NAPA, participants included Dr. Nguyen Dang Que, NAPA Vice President; representatives from the Higher Education Management Department; the International Cooperation Department; and the Office of NAPA.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, NAPA President, at the meeting.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien warmly welcomed Ms. Ramla Khalidi and the UNDP Viet Nam delegation during their visit to NAPA. He provided an overview of the NAPA’s history, functions, tasks, and mission. NAPA is Viet Nam’s national center performing the functions of training high-quality human resources and upgrading competencies, knowledge, and skills in administration, leadership, and management for cadres, civil servants, and public employees. He highlighted NAPA’s goal of becoming, by 2045, a leading national center on par with institutions across the Asia-Pacific region in training, research, and policy consultancy in public administration, leadership, and management. He also emphasized the NAPA’s expanding partnerships with several organizations, agencies, universities, academies, and international partners, including UNDP.
For many years, NAPA has benefited from UNDP’s active support in capacity-building initiatives, notably:
- In 2008, NAPA collaborated with UNDP on a joint study titled “The Public Sector Workforce in Viet Nam: Trends and Impacts” and co-organized an international seminar on “Government Structure and State Management.”
- In 2011, NAPA and UNDP jointly organized an international seminar on “Methods for Assessing Governance Quality: Lessons for Evaluating Urban Management,” with presentations by UNDP experts.
- In 2021, UNDP experts delivered presentations at a NAPA workshop on the “Chandler Good Government Index from Singapore and Application to National Governance in Viet Nam.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, NAPA President (R) welcoming Ms. Ramla Khalidi and the UNDP Viet Nam delegation to NAPA.
Based on the outcomes of previous collaboration and the strengths and potential of both institutions, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien proposed several prospective areas for cooperation with UNDP in the near future, including:
(1) Supporting training programs to enhance the capacity of faculty members and civil servants in developing and implementing policies based on the AAA governance principles (Anticipatory – Adaptive – Agile) to address complex challenges and respond to emerging issues in Viet Nam.
(2) Providing expert support to improve the teaching and research capacities of NAPA’s staff and faculty members.
(3) Collaborating to organize and include experts in international workshops and scientific discussions, as well as conducting joint research on practical topics such as effective and efficient national governance, innovation in the public sector, local governance, and sustainable development. These efforts aim to enhance the capacity of civil servants, public employees, and leaders at various levels of ministries, agencies, and local governments.
Ms. Ramla Khalidi, Resident Representative, UNDP in Viet Nam, at the meeting.
Delighted and honored by the warm welcome from NAPA, Ms. Ramla Khalidi, Resident Representative, UNDP in Viet Nam, expressed her interest in the topics addressed by NAPA President, particularly in innovation and governance in the context of digital transformation. She also shared information about successful initiatives that UNDP has implemented in Viet Nam, including the PAPI Index, which serves as a valuable data source to support the enhancement of public sector governance. Additionally, she highlighted UNDP’s activity priorities, such as climate change, artificial intelligence, anti-corruption, capacity building for female officials, and promoting gender equality.
She affirmed UNDP’s readiness to collaborate, mobilize resources, and strengthen coordination to effectively implement proposed cooperative activities. She also expressed her hope for continued support and partnership from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and NAPA to achieve practical outcomes as soon as possible.
On behalf of NAPA’s leadership, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien extended his heartfelt thanks to Ms. Ramla Khalidi and the delegation for their interest, time, and discussions on future cooperation. He emphasized NAPA’s strong commitment to innovation and expressed a desire to further develop practical and robust collaboration with UNDP. By aligning strategic visions and understanding, NAPA and UNDP aim to act together to foster innovation in the public sector, laying a foundation for Viet Nam’s modern, powerful, and prosperous development.
Seminar “Exchanging international experience in tools for public sector innovation”.
Following the meeting, experts from UNDP and the Viet Nam National Innovation Center under the Ministry of Planning and Investment shared practical insights during the Seminar titled “Exchanging international experience in tools for public sector innovation”. This was a key component of the training program for public leaders of provincial Department of Home Affairs leaders and senior officials from the Departments of Personnel and Organization of ministries and central agencies. The program was organized by NAPA in collaboration with the Department of Civil Servants and Public Employees under the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Chandler Institute of Governance (Singapore).
On behalf of UNDP in Viet Nam, Ms. Ramla Khalidi introducing and presenting NAPA with the book “Handbook on Innovation in the Public Sector.”
On behalf of UNDP in Viet Nam, Ms. Ramla Khalidi introduced and presented NAPA with the book “Handbook on Innovation in the Public Sector.” This book, a significant initiative by UNDP in collaboration with its partners in Viet Nam, aims to promote governance innovation and improve the quality of public services to better meet the needs of citizens. It also seeks to contribute to building a stronger national innovation ecosystem.
