The revolution in organizational structure and apparatus - some scattered thoughts
The policy of reorganizing the state apparatus nationwide, including ministries, departments, and local governments at all levels, is not new. Therefore, when hearing the word "revolution," many people are likely still skeptical and haven't fully grasped the situation.
Nguyen Phuc Nam DanMarch 24, 2025
The policy of reorganizing the state apparatus nationwide, including ministries, departments, and local governments at all levels, is not new. Therefore, when hearing the word "revolution," many people are likely still skeptical and haven't fully grasped the implications. It even seems that the public's attention has so far focused primarily on reducing state budget expenditures, due to the seemingly large figures presented...
Allow me to offer the following discussion:
First, regarding the purpose:It's important to understand that the purpose of this restructuring is not just to reduce state budget spending on the current apparatus. Other issues are also extremely important:
1. Enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of state management, including ensuring the speed and accuracy of implementing policies and plans from the central to local levels; 2. Better serving the people and society because policies are not distorted during implementation at lower levels, and opinions and feedback from citizens are heard and processed more quickly at higher levels; 3. Reducing administrative costs while increasing the income of officials in the system; 4. Finally, creating better conditions for socio-economic development, especially in the economic sector – an area where we have long been hampered by the inability to resolve the conflict between economic and administrative space…
Monday,Regarding the model's purpose: Everyone knows that there are many models of administrative organization at different levels around the world. Some countries follow a 4-tier model, some follow a 3-tier model (common in Western and Northern Europe), and some even follow a 5-tier model, while others combine 3 and 4 or 4 and 5 tiers.
Observing social media, it seems that most people "understand" the policy of abolishing the district level, but there are also quite a few opinions suggesting that with the expansion of the commune level as proposed in the plan, it should be considered "abolishing the commune level" rather than "abolishing the district level," and proposing to approach the issue from this perspective for another reason: it would also save some costs when handling administrative procedures in the future.
I think there's a misunderstanding in this viewpoint, because the words "commune" and "district" are just ways of referring to administrative levels (during the feudal era, they were sometimes called "tong" and "phu"). The most important thing here is: to govern society, states design administrative levels to manage and operate the country according to their own ideas, in line with the historical context and development of the corresponding society. In each model, there is always a lowest level and a highest level (I emphasize this). The lowest level is what we have long called the grassroots level. The district level is an intermediate level at the local level; it is the transitional link from the province to the grassroots level. Therefore, saying "abolish the commune level" and "keep the district level" is incorrect; it should only be said that "the way of naming the grassroots level" is changed. (Incidentally, I would like to add that in some countries - such as the US, for example - many administrative units are at the same level but have different names, corresponding to the state management authority of these entities).
Tuesday,Several issues need to be considered during the implementation of this policy to achieve the goals quickly while minimizing negative consequences and waste. This time, the Central Committee directed the restructuring quickly and decisively, avoiding excessive formality in its wording and not wasting time on trivial matters. Instead, the approach was "running and queuing at the same time," so in some situations, we might feel a lack of preparation and proactiveness. Examples include: the handling of assets (both existing and developing), especially real estate, offices, and land; the handling of unfinished tasks from the old model; and how to utilize future personnel resources effectively, both to address the ideological and psychological needs of those retiring early and to avoid wasting these resources while attracting and creating opportunities for talented and young people to serve in state organizations.
Wednesday,Regarding the naming of new administrative units: The merger and consolidation of state agencies, which has received widespread public support, is a crucial foundation for quickly implementing the plans and tasks of reorganizing the administrative apparatus. However, we now face a rather complex issue: which administrative units to merge and how to name the new administrative units (communes, provinces, centrally-administered cities). This issue relates to the psychology and sentiments of the people, many of whom, including the author, are deeply ingrained in their subconscious. Moreover, many of these values have become sources of strength, foundations, and motivations for individuals to live, work, and strive. The requirements and considerations for naming new administrative units mentioned by the National Assembly Standing Committee in Article 6 of Resolution No. 35 dated July 12, 2023, are merely general principles.“…ensuring national unity, in accordance with the historical, traditional, and cultural factors of the locality, and respecting the opinions of the majority of voters… In the case of merging administrative units of the same level, it is encouraged to use one of the existing names of the administrative units before the merger to name the administrative unit formed after the reorganization."Meanwhile, given the clear differences in viewpoints, psychology, and aspirations of the people, finding a suitable name for the merged units is indeed not simple and quite challenging. Subjective thinking and hasty approaches may fail or cause resentment among a segment of the community, and could even create situations where malicious individuals discriminate against certain regions, causing internal conflicts among the people."
Therefore, it is essential that Party committees, government authorities, and relevant agencies pay close attention to disseminating information about ideology, awareness, and methods so that communities empathize with, share, and agree with this major policy of the Party and State, as well as with local Party committees and authorities. For example, criteria for merging units should be developed and promulgated soon, including how to determine the names of the merged units, etc.
Boldly define priority criteria, clearly stating any exceptional cases (if any), striving for quantification and avoiding general qualitative approaches. Avoid subjective thinking, leveling the playing field, and oversimplification. The proposed arrangements and naming conventions require extremely specific and clear explanations. Even though we must "run and queue at the same time," we cannot ignore the procedures and processes necessary to address the people's psychological and ideological concerns thoroughly. This is the time to effectively implement the motto "understand the people, be close to the people, listen to the people, and speak so the people hear."
The next crucial step, ensuring the comprehensive achievement of the "revolution's" objectives, is the functioning of organizations and units after the restructuring. Clearly, life and the people demand that whatever we do, we must ensure that the movement of society is not obstructed or stagnant, but flows smoothly and efficiently, with greater stability and development. Specifically, we must still achieve the targets in the socio-economic development plan and promptly address the legitimate rights and interests of the people and businesses on a daily basis. The people are expecting a high sense of responsibility from officials at all levels of the political system.
We haven't yet envisioned the specific amendments and additions to the Constitution, the Law on Government Organization, and the Law on Local Government Organization, but it's clear that the current functions and tasks of the district level will be redefined. Some powers and tasks may be transferred to the provincial level, while others will be assigned to the grassroots level. In this context, a new type of task will arise for the province and its departments: taking over previously unfinished work from the district level and former units. A mentality of indifference, unwillingness to do "other people's work," fear of making mistakes, and rigid, mechanical thinking will find fertile ground to flourish. We must be mindful to prevent this from happening, as it could affect the effectiveness and efficiency of the revolution.
Finally, I would like to reiterate the author's view that the policy is correct and is the inevitable destination for the future, but its success depends on how we implement it!
