Historic step to build a "compact, smart, efficient" apparatus

(Dan Tri) - "Streamlining the organization is not only about cutting down on quantity and eliminating inappropriate parts, but also about rearranging, integrating and improving the operational capacity of the organization," said Dr. Nguyen Si Dung.

Correctly recognizing the nature of the apparatus streamlining revolution, setting out principles in organizational arrangement and building mechanisms and policies for the contingent of cadres subject to arrangement, according to Dr. Nguyen Si Dung (former Deputy Head of the National Assembly Office), are the key points to create a historic step in this apparatus reconstruction. "This revolution is a historic step, creating the foundation for a streamlined, intelligent, and effective State apparatus," Dr. Nguyen Si Dung commented in an interview with Dan Tri reporter.

General Secretary To Lam compared this restructuring and streamlining of the apparatus to a revolution. For a long time, we often understand revolution as "replacing the old with the new", "eliminating the old to build the new", so how should we understand this revolution correctly? - The revolution that General Secretary To Lam mentioned is not simply "replacing the old with the new" or "eliminating the old to build the new" in a rigid way. Instead, this revolution needs to be understood as a process of restructuring and optimization to create an effective, transparent and practical apparatus. First of all, streamlining the apparatus is not just about cutting down on quantity, but also improving the quality and efficiency of institutions. We are not only talking about eliminating parts that are no longer suitable, but also about rearranging, integrating and improving the operational capacity of the apparatus to better meet the requirements of socio-economic development, as well as global challenges. What is special here is that this revolution is both inherited and developed. We must retain the values ​​and experiences that have proven effective in the past, while boldly eliminating factors that hinder innovation. This requires long-term vision, systemic thinking and great political determination, because this is not just a change on the surface, but also a change in the mindset and culture of leadership and management.

Furthermore, this revolution is also associated with the creation of a modern, transparent and people-oriented governance ecosystem, in which all operating mechanisms must focus on serving the public interest. This is a change not only in the organizational structure but also in the way we approach and perform the functions and tasks of the State. Therefore, I believe that this revolution is a historic step, creating the foundation for a "compact, smart, and effective" State apparatus, meeting the expectations of the people in the new context. To reform the organizational apparatus, in addition to solidarity, high determination, and courage, the Party leadership believes that it is necessary to sacrifice personal interests for the common good. What exactly is this sacrifice, in your opinion? - Sacrificing personal interests to reform the organizational apparatus, in my opinion, needs to be understood in many specific aspects, and it is associated with the responsibility, public ethics, as well as the vision of each cadre and Party member. The first is the sacrifice of giving up direct or indirect benefits associated with positions and powers. When streamlining the organizational apparatus, some leadership and management positions may be merged or cut. This means that some officials must accept giving up their current positions or not continue to hold positions in the new apparatus. This is a sacrifice of personal interests, but it is necessary to serve the greater common interest, which is a more efficient, economical, and transparent apparatus. The second is the sacrifice of financial benefits and resources associated with the old organizational apparatus. Redundant or ineffective departments and units may have created non-transparent economic benefits for some individuals. Eliminating these units will eliminate privileges and benefits, but this is a necessary step to improve management efficiency and reduce the burden on the national budget.

Third is the sacrifice of old management habits and mentality. Changing the organizational apparatus is not only a change in structure, but also a change in thinking and working methods. This requires each cadre and party member to overcome the fear of innovation, escape the old way of thinking to adapt to a more modern and transparent management model. This is also a form of sacrifice, requiring courage to face short-term inconveniences and challenges. Finally, the greatest sacrifice is to put the common interests of the country and the people above personal or group interests. This requires each cadre and party member to have a high sense of responsibility, be ready to give up what is no longer suitable, and no longer contributes positively to common development.

The most difficult question when arranging cadres after the merger is probably who stays, who goes, who keeps the position of chief, who is demoted to deputy. There will be people who will suffer losses, sacrifices, from chief to deputy, from permanent deputy to permanent deputy, from working at the city level now to districts and counties. The transfer of cadres will certainly be very difficult. Do you have any suggestions on improving the organization and building outstanding policies for the cadres subject to the arrangement? - Yes. The transfer and arrangement of cadres in the process of streamlining the apparatus is always a difficult problem, because it is not only related to positions and titles but also affects the psychology and motivation of the cadres. However, if we have the right approach, we can completely turn this challenge into an opportunity to build a cadre team that is united, capable and ready to serve the people. First, there needs to be fairness and transparency in the arrangement of staff. When arranging, it is necessary to consider capacity, experience, work results and suitability with the requirements of the tasks in the new apparatus. This process must ensure objectivity, avoid bias or injustice, helping to reduce dissatisfaction. Second, evaluation is based on work efficiency and political qualities. Really capable and dedicated staff need to be respected, even if their job position changes.

Third, a reasonable compensation and incentive policy. For cadres who have to "demotivate" or move to new positions, there should be superior treatment, creating opportunities for promotion and reorganization in the future. Streamlining the apparatus does not mean "closing" promotion opportunities. Cadres who are not currently in the role of a leader still need to be considered and planned to take on higher positions in the future, if they have the capacity and worthy achievements. In addition to building an organizational culture towards the common good, it is necessary to listen to and thoroughly resolve the opinions and thoughts of cadres affected by the reorganization process. Timely encouragement and a reasonable explanation will help cadres feel respected and understood. Only when each cadre feels that his or her sacrifice is recognized, is properly compensated and sees opportunities for development in the future, will they be willing to accompany this reform.

What is your comment on the current arrangement plan, especially for ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies under the Government; and agencies under the National Assembly? - The current arrangement plan for ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies under the Government and agencies under the National Assembly is an important step towards building a streamlined, effective and efficient State apparatus. However, to make a comprehensive assessment, it is necessary to look at both the positive aspects and the issues that need to be further improved. On the positive side, the current arrangement plan focuses on reducing focal points and eliminating overlapping functions between agencies. This not only saves resources but also helps the apparatus operate more effectively. Merging or restructuring units towards higher specialization will help improve management and implementation capacity. The reform at the central agency level, which is considered "difficult and sensitive", has demonstrated the Party and State's strong determination to implement necessary changes. Regarding issues of concern, even though the number of units has been reduced, if the assignment of functions is not clear and specific, the risk of overlapping or missing tasks can still occur, leading to inefficiency. The arrangement process can also affect the psychology and motivation of cadres, especially those whose positions or powers have changed.

I think it is necessary to carefully review to ensure that the tasks and powers of each ministry and sector are clearly defined, avoiding duplication or omission. To create consensus, the announcement of criteria, roadmap and results of the arrangement must be carried out in a transparent manner. Especially with agencies under the National Assembly, restructuring must ensure that it does not weaken the function of monitoring and evaluating policies, because this is a core element in a rule-of-law state. In recent years, many countries have streamlined their apparatus, for example, Japan restructured from 23 ministerial-level organizations to 13 ministerial-level organizations. In your opinion, what are the world experiences that Vietnam can refer to? - Japan's most important experience lies in decentralization according to the principle of subsidiarity. This is the core principle that helps Japan not only streamline the central apparatus, but also improve governance efficiency. According to this principle, the central government only focuses on strategic, macro tasks, while specific and direct tasks related to people's lives will be assigned to local governments at the provincial and municipal levels. Provincial governments in Japan are given great power in areas such as education, health care, infrastructure construction and local economic development. This helps reduce the workload for central agencies, thereby allowing the central apparatus to be streamlined while still ensuring effective management.

Vietnam can learn from this model to promote the process of streamlining the apparatus in a sustainable and effective way, towards stronger decentralization and decentralization; the Central Government focuses on strategy instead of intervening in detailed local work; improving local capacity. Another experience of Japan is the merger and integration of agencies with similar functions. For example, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry was formed from the merger of three smaller ministries. Vietnam can apply this model to reduce the number of focal points, especially in areas with overlapping functions such as economics, finance, or culture - society. This needs to be based on a thorough assessment of the tasks and performance of each agency. In addition to Japan, we can also refer to the experience of New Zealand in focusing on monitoring results instead of processes; Singapore's experience in promoting the application of technology and digitalization of public services, minimizing manual work and administrative contacts, focusing on training staff to meet modern management requirements... To avoid repeating the lesson of "incomplete arrangement" as in the past, the development of a plan to streamline the organizational apparatus this time needs to be clear about functions and tasks; focus on efficiency; be public, transparent and consensual.

Do you think this will be an unprecedented revolution in streamlining the organizational apparatus? And with the major orientations on streamlining that have been recently put forth, how do you envision the new organizational apparatus of the political system in the new term? - I believe that this restructuring and streamlining of the organizational apparatus can truly be considered an unprecedented revolution, not only because of its scale and high level of political determination, but also because of its more comprehensive and methodical approach than before. This time, the streamlining will not only take place at the local level, but will also cover the entire political system, from ministries, ministerial-level agencies to organizations of the National Assembly and the Party. This is an unprecedented big step in the history of organizational reform. The spirit of this reorganization is not only to reduce the number or eliminate the old structure, but also to build a modern, streamlined, transparent, and effective apparatus that meets the requirements of national development in the new context. General Secretary To Lam emphasized that this is not just a "reform" but a "revolution", which demonstrates a very strong will to overcome old barriers, from conservative thinking to local interests. I envision that the new apparatus organization in the coming term will have the following characteristics: First, it is streamlined but powerful. The number of focal points will be significantly reduced, especially agencies with overlapping functions or ineffective operations. However, the streamlining does not weaken administrative power; on the contrary, the reorganized agencies will operate more effectively thanks to specialization and process streamlining.

The second is to move towards connectivity and integration. Agencies will be reorganized towards higher integration, minimizing the dispersion or "localization" in State management. The third is to strongly apply technology. The new apparatus will have to "wear a digital shirt," with information technology playing the role of the backbone in management, operation and provision of public services. This will be an important step in building a digital government, in line with global trends. The fourth is to promote individual responsibility and transparency. The responsibility of each individual in the system will be more clearly defined, reducing the ambiguous situation of "collective responsibility". Transparency in the operation of the apparatus will be enhanced, thereby increasing people's trust in the State. In short, this revolution is not only a structural change, but also an important shift in the thinking and governance culture of the Vietnamese political system. If successfully implemented, the new organizational apparatus will put on a "new coat" that is neater, more transparent, more effective, and worthy of the people's expectations in the new era.

Thank you!

Content: Hoai Thu, Vo Van Thanh

Design: Thuy Tien

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/buoc-di-lich-su-de-xay-dung-bo-may-gon-nhe-thong-minh-hieu-qua-20241219224402968.htm