Leaders improve the quality and effectiveness of internal affairs work.

Many outstanding results

One of the key tasks that the Party Committee of the Department of Internal Affairs focused on advising and directing during the past term was the effective implementation of Resolution No. 6 of the Central Committee (12th Congress); Plan 111-KH/TU; and Project No. 09-DA/TU dated April 18, 2018, of the Provincial Party Committee on "Organizational restructuring, downsizing the workforce, and restructuring the staff of officials, civil servants, and public employees to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the political system." The Department focused on guiding and evaluating projects on organizational restructuring of agencies and units.

The Provincial People's Committee held a meeting to implement the merger of commune-level administrative units. Photo: Thanh Le

To date, the Provincial Party Standing Committee has approved the restructuring plans for 22 departments and agencies; 21 districts, cities, and towns; and 12 public service units under the Provincial People's Committee. The Department also urged relevant sectors to develop plans for reorganizing and merging 5 Project Management Boards of 4 departments (Health, Education and Training, Culture and Sports, and Construction) into one Project Management Board under the province. From 2015 to December 2019, the entire province reduced 3 sub-departments, 6 specialized departments under agencies; 61 public service units; and at least 61 heads of departments were eliminated.

During the 2015-2020 term, the Party Committee of the Department of Internal Affairs continued to lead the professional work of advising the Provincial People's Committee on decisions to establish, merge, consolidate, split, and dissolve 45 units; and to regulate, adjust, and supplement the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure for 21 departments, boards, and agencies, and 28 agencies and units under the direct control of departments, boards, and agencies.

Annually, the Party Committee has led the professional advisory role in the Provincial People's Committee to submit to the Provincial People's Council for approval and promulgation of resolutions allocating civil servant positions in state agencies and approving the total number of employees in public non-business units.

Leaders of the Department of Internal Affairs hold discussions with the Emulation and Commendation Board. Photo: Thanh Le

Personnel management is increasingly being carried out strictly, in accordance with regulations from higher authorities, and in a transparent and open manner. The province continues to focus on effectively implementing the policy of downsizing the workforce and restructuring the staff of officials, civil servants, and public employees according to Resolution 39/NQ-TW of the Politburo and Decree No. 108/2014/NĐ-CP. From 2015 to December 2019, the entire province downsized 254 civil servants and 2,456 public employees.

22 public service units were transitioned to self-financing of recurrent expenditures, reducing the number of employees receiving salaries directly from the state budget by 4,396 (achieving the target of 10% downsizing). During the past term, Nghe An was among the top provinces assessed by the Ministry of Interior for its good performance.

Simultaneously, the Party Committee of the Department focused on leading professional efforts to advise the Provincial People's Committee on the plan for rearranging commune-level administrative units in the province in accordance with Resolution No. 37-NQ/TW of the Politburo. The People's Councils at the commune, district, and provincial levels have approved the Resolution, which has been submitted to the Ministry of Interior and other central ministries and agencies for approval. To date, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly has approved the Resolution on the merger of commune-level administrative units in Nghe An province.

Training on administrative reform for commune-level officials and civil servants. Photo: Thanh Le

Accordingly, 36 commune-level administrative units were reorganized to form 16 new communes, reducing the number of commune-level administrative units by 20. 3,708 hamlets were merged into 1,717 hamlets, reducing the number by more than 2,000. Guidelines were developed for the arrangement, placement, and resolution of policies and benefits for officials, civil servants, workers, and part-time workers at the commune level after the mergers. The Provincial People's Committee was advised to submit to the Provincial People's Council for approval a policy to support redundant officials, civil servants, and part-time workers resulting from the reorganization of commune-level administrative units and the merging of hamlets, blocks, and villages.

In addition, the Department of Internal Affairs has done a good job advising on the examination, recruitment, utilization, management, training, and professional development of cadres, civil servants, and public employees, ensuring that the procedures are followed correctly, safely, openly, transparently, and according to plan, gradually improving the quality of the cadre, civil servant, and public employee workforce to meet the requirements of the new era.

The Department of Internal Affairs organized an examination to assess the skills of its officials and civil servants. Photo: Thanh Le

Bringing about a transformation in administrative reform.

As the standing agency for administrative reform in the province, the Department of Internal Affairs has advised on and implemented many important contents during the past term, creating positive changes. In recent years, the administrative reform index (PAR index) has consistently increased compared to the previous year.

This included implementing a pilot project on administrative reform in 7 departments, agencies, and localities, while also advising the Provincial People's Committee to direct departments and localities to develop and implement the Administrative Reform Project for the period 2018-2020. In particular, 2019 was designated the "Year of Administrative Reform" by the Provincial People's Committee, leading to intensified and decisive leadership, resulting in many outstanding achievements.

The Party Committee of the Department of Internal Affairs also led the professional advisory role to the Provincial People's Committee, establishing provincial inspection teams to strengthen inspection work and report the results of inspections on the observance of administrative discipline and order at agencies and units in accordance with the spirit of Prime Minister's Directive No. 26/CT-TTg, the Provincial Party Committee's Directive 17-CT/TU, and the Provincial People's Committee's Directive No. 10/CT-UBND. As a result, administrative discipline and order in agencies and units have been strengthened. During the 2015-2020 term, 128 inspections were conducted at departments, agencies, districts, cities, towns, and 180 communes, wards, and townships.

Officials from the Department of Internal Affairs inspect discipline, order, and the implementation of administrative procedures by civil servants and public employees at the grassroots level. Photo: Thanh Le

During its term, the Department of Internal Affairs effectively advised the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee on strengthening the direction and leadership of state management of Catholicism and new religious activities, ensuring the people's right to freedom of belief and religion, and that religious activities are conducted in accordance with the law.

Emulation and reward activities have also received significant attention. The Department of Internal Affairs has actively advised on and implemented emulation movements throughout the province. The Party Committee has effectively led the state management of the field of document and archive management.

In the coming period, the political tasks of the Ministry of Interior are predicted to face many difficulties and challenges. The state management tasks of the Ministry will be very heavy, involving organizational restructuring, reorganization of the staff, merger of commune-level administrative boundaries, policies and regulations for officials and employees from the provincial to the commune level; and the National Assembly and People's Council elections at all levels for the 2021-2026 term... requiring officials, employees, and workers in the agency to strive even harder to successfully complete all tasks.

Officials from the Archives and Records Management Department perform their duties in archiving documents. Photo: Thanh Le

To successfully accomplish all tasks, the Party Committee of the Department will continue to implement comprehensive solutions to promote democracy, discipline, and responsibility; strengthen unity; enhance the leadership capacity and fighting strength of the Party organization; gather intellectual resources; raise the awareness and responsibility of each cadre and Party member; improve the quality of advice; successfully complete political and professional tasks; build a strong, united, and cohesive agency; ensure smooth, effective, efficient, and professional operation; and build a clean and strong Party Committee; creating a combined strength to achieve the goals and targets set forth in the resolution.

Le Dinh Ly

(Party Committee Secretary, Director of the Department of Internal Affairs)