Results of the renewal and arrangement of organizational apparatus of Vietnam's political system

1. Leading and directing the renewal and arrangement of the organizational apparatus of the political system

In the process of renewing the country, the Communist Party of Vietnam has made many important undertakings, resolutions, directives and conclusions about the reform of the political system’s organizational apparatus, such as: Resolution of the 7th Plenum of the 8th Central Party Committee on “Some issues about the organization and the apparatus of the political system, and the salary and social benefits of the state budget”; Resolution of the 5th Plenum of the 9th Central Party Committee on “Renovating and improving the quality of the grassroots political system in communes, wards and towns”; Resolution of the 4th Plenum of the 10th Central Party Committee on “Renovating and consolidating the apparatus of the Party’s agencies, orienting to renovate and consolidating the State apparatus organization, the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations”; Conclusion No. 64-KL/TW dated 28/5/ 2013 of the 7th Plenum of the 11th Central Party Committee on “Some issues of continuing to renew and perfecting the political system from central to grassroots level”.

The implementation of the Party’s resolutions and guidelines, the political system’s organizational apparatus, through many reforms and consolidation, has improved the quality of the operation, meeting the requirements and tasks better and better. However, it is cumbersome with many layers, and many units, so its effectiveness and efficiency are not high. Facing the current situation of organizational apparatus and tasks, the 6th Plenum of the 12th Central Party Committee issued Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW dated 25/10/2017 on “Some issues of continual renewing, streamlining the organizational apparatus of the political system, operating effectively”.

To concretize the policy of renewing and arranging the organizational apparatus of the political system of Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW, the Politburo has issued the Plan of implementation; Resolutions on the arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels; Conclusion on the implementation of payrolls, downsizing staffing of organizations in the political system in 2015-2016, objectives, tasks and solutions for the period 2017-2021; Conclusion on implementing some pilot models. The National Assembly promulgates a Resolution on continuing to reform the streamlined state administrative apparatus organization, operating in an effective and efficient manner. The Government promulgates a Resolution on the Government’s Action Program to implement Resolution No. 18. The localities, agencies and units strictly grasp and organize the implementation by concretizing resolutions and conclusions of the Central Party into resolutions, action plans, plans and schemes suitable to the practical conditions of localities, agencies and units.

2. Initial results achieved

With the leadership and drastic direction of the Central Government, the determination of all levels, sectors and the consensus of the contingent of cadres, party members and the people, the reform and arrangement of the ministry organization, certain results of the political system’s machine have been achieved:

Firstly, the implementation of streamlined organizational apparatus

The organizational apparatus of agencies, units and organizations in the political system has gradually been renewed, arranged and consolidated towards a streamlined, more effective and efficient operation; reducing the intermediate level, reducing the internal units, reducing the number of rooms in the department or service; reduce the number of deputy leaders; reorganizing the apparatus associated with streamlining payrolls, restructuring and improving the quality of the contingent of cadres, civil servants and public employees; dissolve or rearrange ineffective agencies and organizations.

As a result, after two years of preliminary review of the implementation of Resolution No.18, the entire political system has reduced 04 central agencies, hundreds of provincial-level units, nearly 500 district-level units, 07 departments and equivalent; 81 divisions, 73 non-business units under ministries, departments and central branches; more than 2,600 rooms and equivalent, nearly 2,000 teams under branches, reducing more than 4,160 public non-business units, reducing more than 2,200 contacts in public non-business units, reducing nearly 15,200 heads and deputies(1).

Many levels of committees and localities have achieved outstanding results in the reduction of focal points, streamlining organizational structure such as: the Ministry of Defense dissolved 14 brigades, reorganized 4 strategic agencies, rearranged and enterprise equitization decreased from 109 businesses to 17 businesses with 100% state-owned capital. The Ministry of Public Security did not arrange the General Department level, reduced nearly 60 units at the Department level, the whole sector reduced more than 800 units of defense level and thousands of units of the team level; decreased 172 leaders at department level, more than 1500 leaders at department level, district level and equivalent, more than 2300 leaders at team level and equivalent(2). In Cao Bang province, there were 36 departments, specialized divisions, 82 leadership positions, management block of Party agencies, the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations, non-business units directly under the Provincial Party Committee; reducing 95 departments, 150 leadership and management positions in State agencies(3). As for Ninh Thuan province, after being reorganized, blocks of Party agencies, the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations reduced by 12 divisions (down 42.8%); State sector decreased 61 professional departments (47.29%)(4)...

Secondly, implementing many pilot models with good results.

Implementing the Conclusion No. 34-KL/TW dated 7/8/2018 of the Politburo “On the implementation of some pilot models under Resolution 18-NQ/TW”, the Party committees and organizations have implemented piloting many organizational models, concurrently holding titles to streamline clues and payrolls in the political system.

The pilot implementation of the consolidation of the titles of heads of several agencies and units at the provincial and district level and consolidation of a number of agencies with similar functions and tasks has been deployed, contributing to streamlining. organizing the apparatus, renewing the operating mechanism and modes of leadership and management of organizations in the political system. Office of National Assembly delegation, Office of People’s Council and Office of Provincial People’s Committee has been merged. The model of Head of Communication and Education Department and Director of the Center for political fostering at district level has 89.7% at district level; in 61/63 provinces and cities; the model of Head of the Mobilization Committee and Chairman of the Fatherland Front Committee at the provincial level has 22/63 provinces and cities; The Inspection Committee at district level with 7.5% of district committees implemented in 11/63 provinces and cities; The Organizing Committee at district level with 8.33% of district committees has implemented in 13/63 provinces and cities; Communication Board with the People’s Committee at district level in 3/63 provinces and cities (0.42% of districts); the Communication Department and the Center for political fostering at district level in 5/63 provinces and cities (5.36%); consolidate the Offices of the People’s Councils and the People’s Committees of districts, where possible, to be implemented in 24/63 provinces and cities; The Secretary of the Party Committee is also the Chairman of the People’s Council at the district level, with 4.52% of the district implementing; The secretary at the commune level is also the Chairman of the communal People’s Committee with 62.03% of the communes implementing; The Secretary of the Party Committee is also the President of the People’s Committee of the commune with 8.1% of the communes implementing(5).

Thirdly, arrange administrative units at district, commune and village levels, and residential groups.

Implement the arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels that have not met the criteria and conditions for 50% of the prescribed area and population criteria(6), a number of localities have actively implemented the arrangement and well implemented the support policy for cadres and civil servants who quit working due to the impact after the merger. Specifically: Yen Bai province, the whole province has reduced 985 villages, hamlets, population groups, equal to 41.9% compared with the total number of villages, hamlets and residential groups of the whole province before the arrangement. Reducing 13,027 part-time officers at commune, village, village level, and residential groups compared to 2015 and supporting career change, suitable job placement for 1,600 non-business officials, employees in agencies and groups. redundant administrative organizations and public non-business units after the arrangement. The implementation of Dien Bien province is about to decrease from 1,813 to 1,441 villages, hamlets and residential groups(7).

It can be seen that the arrangement of the district and commune administrative units is basically merging the status quo to achieve the goal of reducing the number, ensuring the standard of natural area and population as prescribed.

Fourthly, streamlining payrolls and defining employment positions of cadres, civil servants and public employees in implementing renovation and organizational apparatus reform.

After two years of implementing the Resolution No. 18-NQ / TW and Resolution No. 19-NQ/TW of the Central Executive Committee and 4 years of implementing the Politburo’s Resolution No. 39-NQ/TW on staff streamlining, the political system has decreased by 236,039 people (decreased 6.58% compared to 2015). In which, the payrolls of the Party, Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations decreased by 10.46%; payrolls of communal civil servants have been reduced by 6.75%, payrolls of public employees have decreased by 3.87%, by more than 41,000 cadres, civil servants and public employees and contracts under Decree 68/2000/ND-CP. Many public non-business units shifted to financial autonomy, reducing the number of public employees receiving salaries from the state budget. Decreased by 25,109 people working part-time at commune level (down 12.84% compared to 2015) and 100,924 people working part-time in villages and residential groups (down 13.88% compared to 2015)(8) .

The implementation of the policy of downsizing the payroll has come into effect, associated with the review, rearrangement of the organizational structure and the restructuring of the contingent of cadres, civil servants and public employees. Therefore, the organizational apparatus arrangement associated with the downsizing of payroll of the political system has contributed to reducing recurrent expenditures and increasing spending on development investment. Approximately 10,000 billion VND has been reduced when the State budget is allocated in 2019 for the activities of agencies, organizations and units; in 2018, the country’s recurrent expenditure decreased to 63.3% of the total State budget expenditure, a decrease of 1.6% compared to 2017, the investment expenditure for development from 19.7% (2016) to 28, 8% (2018)(9).

Along with the streamlining of payrolls, the scientific and rational determination of the job positions of cadres, civil servants and public employees in accordance with the functions and duties of each agency or unit is the basis for renovate the organizational apparatus of the political system. The 6th Plenum of the 12th Central Party Committee determined: “Organizing the classification of public employees according to their working positions and arranging and rearranging the structure of public employees in the direction of professional positions, accounting for at least 65% rate”(10).

Preliminary summary of the pilot arrangement, recruitment and management of civil servants by job position in the Party’s Construction and Construction sector, 49 agencies and localities have specified a list and description of job positions, 46 localities assigns the civil servant to take the job according to the job position, 30 localities implement the civil servant plan according to the job position, 33 localities implement the recruitment of civil servants by job position, 43 agencies and localities evaluate the work results according to the job position, 17 agencies and localities make peer comparison and comparison in the same job position(11).

Reforming and arranging the organizational apparatus of the political system still faces many difficulties and problems:

Firstly, regulations, guidelines and legal documents to implement a number of new content on renovating the organizational apparatus, payroll of the political system have not been issued: minimum number of deputy leaders of advisory and assisting agencies, frame of the number of specialized agencies of the People’s Committees of provinces and districts; the minimum number of staff members to establish a department-level or division-level units; layout principles and the maximum number of deputies of a department-level units... Therefore, many agencies, units, and localities face with confusion when implementing renewal and arrangements of organizational apparatus, both working and learning from experience leads to the ineffective renewal and arrangement of the organizational apparatus of the political system.

Secondly, the review and arrangement of villages, hamlets and neighborhoods that have not met 50% of the prescribed criteria still face many difficulties. The new downsizing of payrolls has focused on reducing the number of people, the results of streamlining have not been associated with improving the quality and restructuring the contingent of cadres, civil servants and public employees, and gradually improving the effectiveness and efficiency of operations of the political system. The process of identifying job vacancies and building the capacity framework faces many difficulties and problems because this is a new issue, there are no specific guiding documents of ministries, departments and branches. Therefore, when deployed on a large scale, it is causing confusion, the implementation progress is still slow compared to the set target.

Thirdly, the inspection and supervision of the implementation of renovation, the arrangement of the organizational apparatus of the political system is still limited. In many party organizations, many localities, the program of inspecting and supervising the renewal and organizational structure of the political system has not had a focus; the self-inspection, detection and handling of violations by many party committees and party organizations are still a weak stage; There is still a state of respect and avoidance, not focusing on inspection and supervision of sensitive and areas in innovation, organizational arrangement of the political system... Preliminary and summary activities still formative, the results only stop at reports, which are not systematic, have no filter content to comprehensively and deeply evaluate the innovative content.

3. The main solution to continue to renovate and arrange the organizational structure of the current Vietnamese political system

In the coming time, in order to continue to innovate and arrange the organizational apparatus of the political system to achieve practical results, it is necessary to implement the following main solutions:

Firstly, continue to raise awareness and responsibility of the Party Committees at all levels, party organizations in leadership, direct the renovation, and arrange the organizational apparatus of the political system. Strengthen to thoroughly grasp, propagate, persuade, mobilize, and implement the directives, resolutions and conclusions of the Central to renovate the organizational apparatus of the political system in order to create changes in awareness and action of Party committees, authorities, officials, civil servants, officials and employees continue to innovate, arrange the organizational apparatus of the political system in a streamlined manner, effective and effective operation associated with streamlining payroll and restructure the contingent of cadres, civil servants and public employees.

Secondly, “seriously implementing the principle that the Party unifies to lead the renovation, arrangement and management of the organizational apparatus and payrolls of the political system”(12). Party committees and organizations must lead and direct closely with high political determination, great effort and decisive action. Adhering to the central documents guiding and directing the reform of the organizational apparatus of the political system in order to develop action programs, plans and schemes suitable to the practical situation of the locality, agencies and units.

Thirdly, check and clearly define the functions, duties and powers of each level, each sector, each agency and unit in order to overcome the overlap of functions while ensuring the cohesion, synchronization, unity, close connection between the parts. Effective implementation of the principle: one agency does many things but one task is assigned to only one agency to take the lead and take main responsibility. Organize the administrative apparatus in the direction of collapsing the focal points, reducing the intermediate level, strengthening the management of multidisciplinary and multi-field. Check, arrange, streamline internal units, substantially reduce the number of branches and departments. To streamline payroll according to the roadmap, reduce the number of deputies of units and organizations under their management, ensure compliance with the actual situation at agencies, units and regulations of the Party and Government.

Fourthly, continue to check and build the structure of the contingent of cadres, civil servants and public employees according to job positions and qualifications. Arranging staff must ensure the principle of the right person and the right job. Strictly implementing the annual assessment and classification of cadres, civil servants and public employees. Pay attention to training and retraining to improve the quality of staff working in advisory work on the organization and personnel work.

Fifthly, step up the implementation of decentralization and decentralization in state management; attach authority to responsibility. Promote the implementation of the autonomy mechanism for public non-business units. Promote the roles and responsibilities of the heads of agencies, organizations and units in the work of renovating and organizing the apparatus. Getting the results of the arrangement of the apparatus, the staff streamlining is one of the important criteria to evaluate the level of task completion and the credibility of the head of the agency or unit.

Sixthly, strengthen the work of checking and supervising the implementation of renovating the organizational apparatus of the political system; promptly conduct preliminary review, review and draw experiences in leadership, direction and implementation; adopt a policy of encouraging, rewarding and commending agencies, units, organizations and localities that have creative and effective ways, in accordance with the Party’s undertakings, policies, and State policies with actual units and localities.

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(1), (2), (5), (7), (8), (9), (11) Central Organizing Committee: Report No. 288-BC/BTCTW dated January 8, 2020 on the review of the Party building organization in 2019 and implementation of new tasks in 2020, pp.7, 7, 6, 5, 7, 8, 8.

(3) Cao Bang Provincial Party Committee: Report No. 539-BC/TU dated July 19, 2016 on the results of 2 years of implementing Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW dated October 25, 2017 of the 12th Central Party Committee and 4 years of implementation of the Politburo's Resolution No. 39-NQ/TW dated April 17, 2015, p.1.

(4) Ninh Thuan Provincial Party Committee: Report No. 361-BC/TU dated August 15, 2019 on the results of implementation of Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW dated October 25, 2017 of the Central Executive Party Committee (12th tenure) "Some issues about continuing to innovate, organizing the apparatus of a lean political system, operating effectively and effectively", p.3.

(6) Resolution No. 37-NQ/TW dated December 24, 2018 of the Politburo on the arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels. Resolution No. 653/2019/UBTVQH14 dated March 12, 2019 of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on the arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels in the period 2019-2021. Resolution No. 32/NQ-CP dated 14-5-2019 of the Government promulgating the plan to implement the arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels in the period 2019-2021.

(10), (12) CPV: Documents of the Sixth Conference of the 12th Central Executive Committee, Party Central Office, 2017, pp. 98, 43-44.