Public Administration Reform (PAR) is identified by the Party, the State as one of the three strategic breakthroughs to make our country develop quickly and sustainably. The thorough and strict application of the guidelines and resolutions of the Party, the Government has issued many resolutions, programs and plans to organize the implementation of PAR from central to grassroots. Thus, over time, PAR has achieved important results, contributing to the process of economic renewal; enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of state management; democratization of social life; international integration; improving the business environment, enhance national competitiveness, strengthen and maintain political stability; anti-corruption, etc.
Institutional system, especially on human rights, fundamental rights of citizens, organizations the state machinery, socialist-oriented market economy, etc. continued to be supplemented and completed under the provisions of the Constitution 2013. The process of building legal institution has made an important innovation, which highly appreciates the practice, widespread consultation of the people, shorten preparation time and throughput, enhancing the quality of the legal documents.
- The main results achieved in the implementation of state administration reform in recent years
Administrative procedures (AP), especially procedures for resolving affairs between state administrative agencies and people and enterprises, have markedly changed, enhancing publicity and transparency, contributing to preventing negative, harassment. In particular, with the results of Project 30 on simplifying administrative procedures, the Government issued 25 thematic resolutions on reducing administrative procedures. So far, 4,219 out of 4,712 administrative procedures have been implemented (reaching 89.5%). Reform of administrative procedures in the areas of land, construction, investment, tax, customs, social insurance, access to electricity, etc. has made important steps, promoting business production, improving national competitiveness. One-stop-shop and inter-district one-stop-shop mechanism continue to be promoted in localities. Up to now, most localities in the country have implemented a modern inter-district one-stop-shop model. Some localities have piloted the public administrative centers at the provincial and district levels; organize the centralized administrative zones to solve administrative procedures according to the centralized one-stop-shop mechanism to enhance publicity and transparency, creating favorable conditions for people and businesses.
The administrative apparatus operates more efficiently, less duplicates, overlaps in functions and duties; Government agencies are reduced; the internal structure is more clearly divided between state management agencies and business units. The effectiveness, efficiency of state management has been improved, the unity, publicity and transparency of the administrative system has been improved, and the people’s sovereignty has been promoted. The roles, functions and tasks of state administrative agencies are adjusted accordingly, ensuring state management and social service. There has been marked progress in the division and decentralization between the central and local levels and between the levels, especially decentralization in financial management, budgeting, and staff management, etc. The awareness on the role and function of macro management of the Government in the market economy is becoming more and more clear and suitable.
Public service and civil servants reforms are renewed and progressed. Gradually review, adjust and promulgate synchronously the system of standards and titles of civil servants; professional standards of civil servants and civil servants. To build the structure of civil servants and employees according to job positions, renew the recruitment regime, and organize the exam to upgrade the public employee’s rank. Many ministries, branches and localities have piloted recruitment exams for leaders and managers.
Public financial reform has achieved positive results, with clear changes. The offices of state agencies at all levels have been gradually invested more spaciously, especially the district-level one-stop-shop. The application of ISO standards, information technology application in the operation of state administrative agencies has been increasingly expanded and promoted effectively.
- The existing limitations
Although many signs of progress have been made, compared to the target of reform, the state administration still has many limitations and shortcomings. Institutional system is lacking in synchronization, overlapping, there is still a debt of legal documents detailing and guiding law enforcement; The administrative apparatus is still cumbersome, the operational efficiency is not high; although there is a reduction in the focal point of the Government, the internal apparatus of ministries and general departments has not decreased; post-decentralization inspection has not been effective, etc.
The quality of cadres and civil servants has increased but has yet to meet the requirements. The responsibility of the head and the mechanism of assessing the quality of cadres, civil servants and officials are inadequate and not serious; wages are slowly reformed and are not really a driving force for officials and civil servants to perform their duties.
Administrative procedures in some areas are still cumbersome and complicated; there exists a number of officials and civil servants harass and show a negative sign in handling administrative procedures. Public finance reform is still limited; policies and laws are slowly revised. Socialization of public service activities is slow.
The application of information technology in state administrative agencies is still limited. The modernization of the office is not synchronous, fragmented and scattered. The results of the construction of the commune headquarters have not met the set-out objectives.
- The direction to promote the reform of state administration
For the PAR process to succeed, in the upcoming time we need to focus on the following contents:
Strengthening the leadership role of the Party committee, the head of the administrative agency. Be aware deeply about the role and significance of the PAR for the country’s development process in the context of international integration, consider PARas a key task, a breakthrough in the process of obtaining the goals of economic and social development, as well as to determine this as a regular, long term job. Strengthening of the direction and administration commensurate with the role and importance of PAR is one of three strategic breakthroughs. Reform must include programs, plans, objectives, focus, and must allocate adequate resources to implement. Appreciate the work of information and communication on the guidelines, policies and regulations of the Party and the State regarding PAR.
Promoting democracy, exercising the people’s supervision right on the operation of the administrative apparatus, enhancing people’s opinions on the establishment of institutions, policies, spiritual evaluation and service attitude of civil servants, taking people’s satisfaction with the quality of public service provision as a measure of the performance of state agencies.
Continue to implement comprehensively tasks and solutions under the PAR Program, focusing on institutional reforms, administrative procedures, organizational structure, public services, civil servants, public finance and administrative modernization. Effectively implement the Organizational Plan for implementing the Constitution 2013 of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly and the Government. Law-making must ensure the constitutionality, legality and feasibility; Attention should be paid to policy feedback and regular review and inspection to improve mechanisms, policies, laws and timely amendments to regulations that are no longer relevant to reality.
Focusing on effectively implementing Resolution No. 19 / NQ-CP on key tasks and solutions to improve the business environment, improve national competitiveness, plan to simplify the administrative center focus in 2015 and One-stop-shop mechanism, inter-district one-stop-shop at local state administrative agencies. Ministries, branches and localities should have practical solutions to solve difficulties and create the most favorable environment to promote business and production of enterprises, with a focus on administrative reforms in the field tax, customs, social insurance, land, construction, establishment and bankruptcy of businesses, access to electricity, etc. Implementing the scheme to simplify administrative procedures, citizen papers and institutions residentially related databases.
Continue to improve the organizational structure of state agencies under the provisions of the Law on organization of the state apparatus by the National Assembly through the spirit of the Constitution of 2013. Implementation review and eliminate duplication, overlapping of functions and tasks between the state administrative bodies.
Building and improving the quality of civil servants and officials, considering this as both a goal and a driving force of PAR. Promote the reform of civil service, civil servants, complete regulations on titles and standards of each position to serve as a basis for streamlining organizations and staffing. To concentrate on well implementing the Politburo Resolution No. 39-NQ / TW on streamlining payrolls and restructuring the contingent of cadres, civil servants and public employees. Enhance publicity and transparency in public service activities. Training and retraining of cadres, civil servants and officials in appropriate and effective forms. Specifying and upholding the responsibility of the head. To have remuneration and policies to encourage cadres, civil servants and public employees to fulfill their tasks and have a mechanism to eliminate and dismiss those who fail to fulfill their tasks and discipline violations.
Promote the application of information technology in administrative activities to enhance publicity, transparency and effectiveness. Step by step forming e-Government, improving the quality of public service provision, meeting the requirements of people and businesses and improving the effectiveness of direction, administration and operation of state agencies. Wide application of information technology in the process of handling affairs of state administrative agencies. Enhance the use of the e-mail system and exchange documents between state administrative agencies in the form of electronic data. Promote the provision of online public services; develop and use uniform electronic forms. Encouraging the use of information technology service hiring methods; build a four-level electronic portal and administrative network.
PAR is a regular, long-term task, one of three strategic breakthroughs, which determines the success of industrialization, modernization and international integration. With the participation of both the political system, the support and supervision of the people, businesses and the Government’s strong direction, the reform will have a breakthrough in the future, thereby increasing strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of state management, mobilizing all resources for development, contributing to improving the national competitiveness, making the country develop rapidly, sustainably, ensuring better rights and benefits of people and businesses.
