Criteria and standards need to be established for selecting commune-level officials during mergers.
With the elimination of the district level as an intermediary and the merger of communes on a larger scale, many challenges and opportunities arise for commune-level officials and civil servants. A key issue of public concern is the need for a set of standards and selection mechanisms for commune officials and civil servants that meet the requirements of the new era.
Opportunities and challenges
Abolishing district-level units and merging them into larger commune-level units is a policy that is generating strong support and approval among officials, Party members, and the people. This is a revolution with positive impacts, opening up new opportunities, but it also poses challenges for grassroots officials.
Comrade Phan Thi An - Secretary of the Party Committee of Phu Thanh commune (Yen Thanh district) said: "Abolishing the district-level unit will allow for decentralization and delegation of power at the commune level, increasing functions and responsibilities; at the same time, it will enable proactive planning of directions, opening up opportunities for breakthrough development for the present and future; enhancing 'autonomy' in decisions, ensuring that work is promoted and resolved more quickly and effectively, including being more proactive in implementing socio-economic development programs and projects in the locality."
Comrade Tran Van Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Thuan Long commune (Quynh Luu district) further commented on the benefits for citizens in resolving administrative procedures: “When the commune directly handles administrative procedures without going through an intermediate level (district level), it will reduce time, costs, and travel for citizens and businesses. For commune-level officials and civil servants, increased functions and responsibilities also provide opportunities for them to strive, excel, and maximize their abilities to meet the demands of a new phase.”
Regarding the challenges facing commune-level officials and civil servants, abolishing the district level will transfer many tasks and responsibilities from the district level to the commune level; at the same time, the merger of communes will result in a population and area many times larger than the current size. This will lead to a greater workload, a larger administrative area, and the need to change management and operational methods in the current era of rapid scientific and technological development and deep international integration. This will create pressure on commune-level officials and civil servants.
Comrade Kha Van Lap - Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Thach Giam town (Tuong Duong district) shared: "Given the current level of competence and capacity of officials and civil servants, especially in mountainous areas, there are challenges and difficulties in making important decisions that previously belonged to the district level. In addition, the commune level currently lacks officials with in-depth expertise in economics, technology, finance, and law… These factors create difficulties in carrying out many tasks at the grassroots level when there is no longer a 'support' from the district level; especially land clearance, issuance of land use right certificates, land and mineral resource management, and attracting investment for economic development…".
Regarding another challenging issue for commune-level officials and civil servants, Comrade Kha Van Lap stated: Nghe An province has a large geographical area, which may present many difficulties for communes in connecting and coordinating with provincial-level agencies, especially when dealing with complex issues or requiring specialized support.
Fairness and objectivity in selecting officials.
Based on the area, population, and other factors, combined with the central government's requirement to reduce the number of commune-level administrative units, on March 21st, the Nghe An Department of Internal Affairs issued a document guiding and suggesting that localities develop plans for rearranging and merging commune-level administrative units in the province. The proposed arrangement involves merging 412 commune-level units into 88-95 units.
Considering the increased size, population, and authority and responsibilities, the merged commune-level administrative units will resemble "miniature" district-level units. Therefore, the issue currently attracting public attention is the need to establish standards and mechanisms for selecting commune-level officials and civil servants who possess sufficient qualifications, professional competence, and enthusiasm for their work.
In Nghe An province, over the years, the team of commune-level officials and civil servants has been cared for by all levels through the setting of specific standards, coupled with creating conditions and supporting officials and civil servants to participate in training courses on professional skills, expertise, and politics. Many localities have a high percentage of qualified officials. For example, in Thuan Long commune (Quynh Luu district), 100% of officials and civil servants currently have university degrees and intermediate-level political training; in Cat Van commune (Thanh Chuong district), out of a total of 21 officials and civil servants, 19 have university degrees and intermediate-level political training.
Overall, as of December 31, 2023, across the province, the percentage of commune-level leaders and managers (including secretaries, deputy secretaries, members of the standing committee, and members of the executive committee of the commune-level Party committee; leaders of the People's Council, People's Committee, Fatherland Front Committee, and other political and social organizations at the commune level) with a professional qualification of university level or higher accounted for 94.2%, and the percentage with a political theory qualification of intermediate level or higher accounted for 94.3%.
Notably, according to Comrade Tran Van Thao - Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Cat Van commune (Thanh Chuong district): At the commune level, many localities have attracted civil servants with excellent and good grades from regular universities to work, gradually replacing officials with limited qualifications and capabilities, contributing to building a higher quality team of commune-level officials and civil servants.
Overall, the capacity, professional qualifications, and political theory knowledge of commune-level officials and civil servants in the province have been steadily improving. However, due to limited learning opportunities in the past, some officials and civil servants still only have college or vocational school qualifications, or have not received formal, systematic training from the beginning – this reflects a historical period.
On the other hand, in the report evaluating the work of building the contingent of cadres at all levels in Nghe An province from the beginning of the 2020-2025 term to the present, the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee also made the following assessment: A portion of key cadres at the commune level still have limitations in professional expertise and skills; they have not met the demands of reality; their leadership lacks decisiveness, and they are hesitant and indecisive in resolving emerging issues. Leadership capacity and management in some localities are still limited, especially in the effective implementation of the Party's policies and resolutions. Some cadres lack a sense of responsibility towards the people and are not truly dedicated to their work.
With the abolition of the district level, the scale of the commune level has increased, and the demands and complexity of tasks for commune-level officials and civil servants have become increasingly high. In particular, as society develops and technology plays a crucial role in the strong demand for digital transformation and the development of e-government, the management, administration, and public service work of commune-level officials requires in-depth professional expertise, scientific thinking, and the ability to quickly adapt to changes in science and technology and international integration.
It has been argued that when officials and civil servants possess deep professional expertise and a strong sense of responsibility, they not only follow procedures correctly but also advise, guide, and support citizens in accessing policies in the most optimal way, ensuring the best interests of the people. Conversely, it is also possible that some officials work mechanically, creating difficulties and complicating issues instead of assisting citizens.
Many believe that when merging larger communes and abolishing the district level, commune officials need to have an economic mindset to create good plans; commune officials also need to have the capacity to connect development programs at the provincial, central, and international levels, thereby promoting local development.
The quality requirements for commune-level officials and civil servants after the merger are high. Public opinion is raising concerns about the standards and mechanisms for selecting commune-level officials and civil servants to ensure a truly selective process. The policy of abolishing the district level and merging, reducing the number of commune-level administrative units by approximately 60-70% compared to the current number, is raising issues that require commune-level officials and civil servants to strive for significant improvement. If the selection of commune-level officials and civil servants is fair, objective, and based on the needs of the job, it will have a positive impact on those who continue working and also on those who may "stop" or change jobs during the administrative unit restructuring revolution.
