To promote cooperative activities between the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) and its French partners, a delegation from NAPA, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quoc Suu, NAPA Vice President, visited France from June 6 to 11, 2024. The mission aimed to discuss cooperation with French partners in training public leaders and managers in local governments and ministries and to negotiate a cooperation agreement with the French National Institute of Public Service (INSP).
On June 7, at the French Ministry of Economy and Finance, the delegation met with Ms. Catherine Sueur, Head of the Inspectorate General of Finance, and Mr. Jean François Verdier, Inspector General of Finance. After introducing the delegation to the functions and duties of the Inspectorate General of Finance, Ms. Catherine Sueur shared with the delegation the methods of training financial inspectors in the French government through practical work and mentorship by senior inspectors.
The NAPA delegation at the French Ministry of Economy and Finance.
During the meeting, Mr. Jean-François Verdier, Inspector General of Finance and former Director General of the Director General of Administration and the Civil Service (DGAFP), introduced the delegation to the trends in administrative reform and public service innovation in France over the past 15 years. He also described the process of developing high-level public service leadership capacity in France along three main directions: 1) Breaking isolation and invigorating the career development paths of senior public servants; 2) Deeply reforming the leadership training activities of INSP to make it a highly practical training institution, adaptable to the new challenges of public administration; 3) Enhancing activities to identify potential leaders and implementing inter-ministerial management and personalized support activities to build the capacity of high-level public leaders. Mr. Verdier also introduced the delegation to programs for identifying and nurturing potential government leaders and the French government’s leadership training program for women.
On June 11, the delegation met with the Normandie School of Management (EM Normandie), one of France’s oldest Grandes Écoles with a history of 150 years of establishment and development. Ms. Solene Heurtebis, Chief Strategy Officer of the EM Normandie, worked with the delegation. Also attending the meeting were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mai Nam Thang, Project Manager Viet Nam, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Nguyen Khoi, Academic Manager for cooperative programs with Viet Nam.
The NAPA delegation at EM Normandie.
Recognizing the high potential for cooperation between NAPA and EM Normandie, both sides discussed and agreed on activities to be implemented within the framework of the signed Cooperation Agreement. The specific contents include (1) Training leaders and managers from central and local levels in Viet Nam, focusing on areas of strength of EM Normandie; (2) Organizing training courses for lecturers to meet international integration requirements; (3) Co-hosting international conferences, workshops, and seminars, either in person or online; (4) Collaborating on international joint training programs with degrees or dual degrees awarded by EM Normandie. Both sides agreed to actively and successfully implement the training program for leaders of units under the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises and leaders of corporations and companies represented by the Commission in early September 2024, and the training program for local Vietnamese leaders in France at the end of 2024.
The NAPA delegation at 1 Admiral Courbet Street, Le Havre, where late President Ho Chi Minh once lived and worked during his initial days in France.
Also on June 11, the delegation had a working session with the French National Institute of Public Service (INSP). Mr. Frédéric Rauser, Director of International Relations, INSP, presided over the meeting. Also attending was Mr. Alexandre Tran, Deputy Director of International Relations. During the meeting, Mr. Frédéric Rauser highly appreciated the tradition and outcomes of the cooperation between NAPA and INSP, highlighting numerous effective programs and projects implemented, even during the Covid-19 pandemic. He expressed a desire to elevate the cooperative relationship between the two sides to a new level.
The NAPA delegation at INSP.
In his speech at the meeting, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quoc Suu shared the mission and tasks of NAPA, emphasizing NAPA’s role in accompanying ministries, sectors, and localities in developing the capacity of public leaders and managers. He identified several areas in which NAPA wishes to strengthen cooperation with INSP, specifically: 1) Training public leaders at the central government; 2) Training public leaders and managers to meet the specific needs of each locality; 3) Training lecturers; 4) Researching and applying the potential leadership training model of the former ENA and the current INSP into NAPA’s teaching practices.
To formalize the cooperative activities, Mr. Alexandre Tran, Deputy Director of International Relations at INSP, affirmed their readiness to continue sending lecturers to teach and participate in workshops in Viet Nam. Regarding local leadership training cooperation, INSP is prepared to collaborate with the French DGAFP, regional institutes of administration (IRAs), and the French National Center for Public Territorial Function (CNFPT) to develop and implement training programs tailored to the needs of Vietnamese localities. Notably, Mr. Alexandre Tran introduced the delegation to the current international training programs offered by INSP and announced that INSP would offer several scholarships for Vietnamese public leaders and managers to attend international training programs at INSP, sponsored by the French Embassy in Viet Nam. INSP is also willing to share its experience with NAPA in developing potential leaders, from identification and selection to capacity enhancement training.
At the end of the meeting, both sides reached a high consensus on the cooperation content to be implemented in the near future. These contents will be included in a Cooperation Agreement, serving as a basis for carrying out collaborative activities between the two sides.
The NAPA delegation with H.E. Dinh Toan Thang, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.
The delegation also visited the Vietnamese Embassy in France. H.E. Dinh Toan Thang, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to France, presided over the working session with the delegation.
