Mr. Do Dinh Hieu, Director of VCCI - Thanh Hoa Branch

After many years of effective implementation, the Department, Sector and Local Competitiveness Index (DDCI) is truly an important solution to improve the investment and business environment, "advise" reform and promote reform. Therefore, in the context of the country in general, Thanh Hoa province in particular, entering an era of development, the whole country is making efforts to carry out the "lean revolution", DDCI is increasingly showing its outstanding advantages. The important thing is how to deploy and implement it to suit the context, to increasingly better meet the strict requirements in the new situation. Regarding this issue, Thanh Hoa Newspaper had an interview with Mr. Do Dinh Hieu, Director of the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) - Thanh Hoa - Ninh Binh Branch.

Reporter (PV): 2025 is the 4th year that Thanh Hoa province has implemented the DDCI Index Assessment Project, period 2021-2025. How has Thanh Hoa DDCI created heat and spread, sir?

Mr. Do Dinh Hieu: In order to maximize potential and advantages, create driving forces, and open up new development space, in recent years, Thanh Hoa province has paid special attention to the goals of strongly improving the investment and business environment, developing enterprises, improving the competitiveness index, and promoting administrative reform. In addition to issuing and implementing resolutions and action programs, Thanh Hoa province has directed the development and approval of the Thanh Hoa DDCI Index Assessment Project, and assigned VCCI - Thanh Hoa - Ninh Binh Branch to implement.

The Thanh Hoa DDCI index is built with 8 component indexes: Transparency and access to information; dynamism and role of the leader; time costs; informal costs; fair competition; business support; legal institutions; land access. In which, indexes from 1 to 7 are used to score and rank the group of 25 provincial departments, branches and sectors; indexes from 1 to 8 are used to score and rank the group of 27 district-level People's Committees. The overall results of these component indexes will determine the ranking of the evaluated unit.

In addition, some contents were also surveyed, although not suitable for calculating the ranking points between units in the same group, but have a great impact on the production and business activities of enterprises. These contents contribute to clarifying the business environment of the province, providing input information to determine solutions to improve the competitiveness of the evaluated units, contributing to improving the competitiveness of the province in the coming years, such as: Market entry; labor training; effectiveness of the judicial system; support needs of enterprises...

After 4 years of implementation, with flexible and creative approaches, ensuring practical, accurate, scientific, transparent principles, especially high confidentiality, DDCI Thanh Hoa has had a strong influence and impact.

For departments, branches, sectors and district-level People's Committees, the DDCI ranking results are a mirror reflecting the effectiveness of work handling and attitude towards enterprises; at the same time, it is a measure of the management capacity from the leadership side, the implementation of tasks of civil servants and public employees in each unit and between this unit and other units in the same system.

DDCI is based on the fundamental viewpoint of what enterprises expect from government agencies, specifically government agencies at district, town, and department levels in economic management and administration. DDCI has truly become a "channel" that effectively, truthfully, objectively, and vividly reflects the voice of the business community on the quality of management and administration activities here. The voice of businesses is cared for, respected, and quantified into specific, reliable indicators. This is a message demonstrating the province's receptiveness and concern for the business community, wishing to build a sustainable Thanh Hoa business community on the basis of creating an open, transparent, and equal investment and business environment. Fully aware of this, throughout the implementation of DDCI, the Thanh Hoa business community participated in the assessment enthusiastically and impartially, considering it both a right and a responsibility.

Thus, DDCI Thanh Hoa not only provides effective tools, effectively supporting economic management, improving the quality of the investment and business environment, but also contributes to further fueling the spirit of reform, giving advice for reform and turning administrative reform into a vibrant and widespread emulation movement.

The initial implementation of the DDCI assessment has brought about remarkable results, contributing to creating many bright colors in the socio-economic picture of Thanh Hoa province such as: Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) growth rate; State budget revenue; foreign affairs activities, investment promotion... In particular, the administrative reform results of Thanh Hoa province have many strong changes, first of all on the rankings of PAPI index, SIPAS index, PAR INDEX index, PCI index. In 2023, Thanh Hoa is in the top 30 localities at the top of the Provincial Competitiveness Index Ranking in 2023, up 17 places compared to 2022... is an example.

PV: What do you think about the reform spirit and reform movement taking place in departments, branches and localities in Thanh Hoa province since the implementation of DDCI, period 2021-2025?

Mr. Do Dinh Hieu: Following the announcement of the Thanh Hoa DDCI results and the fluctuations in the annual rankings, it is easy to see positive and strong changes in both awareness and action at departments, branches and localities in the province.

DDCI encourages healthy and fair competition and emulation between departments, branches, sectors and districts and towns in improving the satisfaction level of investors and enterprises in the process of resolving and operating work at their units. Why is my unit's DDCI ranking lower than other units? How can I improve my ranking on the rankings? How can I maintain and promote the "performance" that has been achieved? I believe that these are the questions that any unit leader will ponder after each time the DDCI index ranking is announced. Those concerns will motivate action, which will be specified by orientations, instructions, goals to improve the unit's DDCI index and solutions to realize that goal.

In fact, the increase in median scores in both districts, towns, cities and provincial departments, agencies and branches is the clearest evidence. The heat and influence of DDCI makes any unit unable to "sit still" but must take drastic action and innovate. Units with low rankings or those that have not met expectations will have to "get angry" and look back at themselves, thereby finding out their limitations and shortcomings to have solutions to overcome and improve. Units that have achieved high rankings must raise their spirits even higher, continue to maintain their "performance" and promote further.

In recent times, along with focusing on directing the good implementation of task groups and solutions to complete component index groups in the DDCI index set, many units in both sectors have invited VCCI to train to raise awareness and improve the DDCI index for cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers.

This is to emphasize that the announcement of the DDCI results with the ranking of departments, branches, sectors and district-level People's Committees is not the ultimate goal, but the most important value and product that DDCI aims for. DDCI delves into the issues behind the rankings. These are the lessons learned, the areas for reform discovered and the gaps that need to be narrowed between the government's efforts and the expectations of businesses.

Reporter: The country in general, Thanh Hoa province in particular, is firmly entering a new era - an era of growth with both opportunities, advantages and difficulties, and challenges intertwined. The whole country is making efforts, joining hands, and being highly determined to carry out the "lean revolution". In order for DDCI to have a strong spread, greater impact, thereby continuing to promote and extend the spirit of reform, improve the investment and business environment, and develop enterprises, what specific solutions does Thanh Hoa province need to focus on, sir?

Mr. Do Dinh Hieu: In recent times, messages and orientations about the new era, the era of rising up have opened a historical period of the country. In particular, the revolution of streamlining the apparatus not only poses an urgent requirement to change the organizational structure and administrative apparatus but also a revolution of will, thinking, and management awareness. A streamlined apparatus requires the team of cadres, party members, civil servants, public employees, and workers working in that apparatus to be professional, proficient, modern, and have good qualities and ethics. DDCI has been contributing to the effective implementation of those requirements and tasks.

To improve the DDCI index, make DDCI spread strongly, and have a greater impact, first of all we need to continue to promote propaganda and raise awareness of DDCI from both sides - the units participating in the assessment and the units being assessed. Everything must start from awareness, awareness is the root of all actions.

Investors and enterprises need to actively participate in evaluating the DDCI index in an objective spirit, considering this an opportunity to speak up and "react" in a civilized manner, based on scientific indicators, to the limitations, shortcomings, and inefficiencies of departments, branches, and localities in the process of handling work and their attitudes towards enterprises and investors.

Assessed units need to take a deeper look at the nature behind their ranking positions in the DDCI results announcements to promptly “take the pulse” and point out the advantages and disadvantages of each component index. In addition, units should proactively seek advice and support from experts and professional agencies, dialogue and listen to the opinions of the business community before developing plans and strategies with specific roadmaps to clear “bottlenecks” and improve the DDCI index.

When the context changes, it means there is an urgent need to innovate the way of organizing and implementing DDCI. Deeply aware of that, throughout the operation process, VCCI Thanh Hoa - Ninh Binh branch always complies with the principles and regulations of the project, at the same time, updates, adjusts and innovates the way of collecting and synthesizing evaluation opinions to ensure objectivity, science and transparency.

In addition to the efforts, determination, and sense of responsibility of the units participating in the assessment and the units being assessed, Thanh Hoa province continues to improve mechanisms and policies to promote investment attraction; further promote the implementation of breakthroughs in administrative reform; resolutely and create clearer changes in the assessment of cadres, civil servants, and public employees...

Rosemary (performed)

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ong-do-dinh-hieu-giam-doc-vcci-chi-nhanh-thanh-hoa-ninh-binh-nbsp-gia-tri-quan-trong-nhat-cua-ddci-khong-phai-la-bang-ep-hang-thich-ma-la-nhung-bai-hoc-kinh-nghiem-nhan-dien-du-dia-cai-cach-243044.htm