Staff rotation: Avoid the "duty" mentality

Training and testing staff

Comrade Dang Dinh Luc, from the position of Head of the District Department of Natural Resources and Environment, was transferred to Khai Son commune, taking on the role of Party Secretary of the commune since June 2017. From a management officer in a highly specialized field, when returning to the grassroots level, it can be said that there were more difficulties than advantages, because of the requirement to grasp and lead and direct more comprehensively.

On the other hand, at the local level, some cadres were previously disciplined due to violations in leadership, management, and administration, causing disruptions in cadres and low internal solidarity; people's trust in the Party Committee and government also decreased and they were skeptical about transferred cadres.

A mid-term review in Long Son commune, Anh Son district. Photo: Minh Chi

However, with the spirit of "going to the grassroots is to learn and improve knowledge in all aspects", comrade Dang Dinh Luc has gradually approached the work on the basis of being close to the grassroots, listening more to opinions, promoting the intelligence of the cadres, party members and people, thereby creating a common voice for the common movement.

By that method, internal solidarity is strengthened, people's trust in cadres is improved, and when those two key issues are resolved, combined with the determination in leadership and direction in implementing local political tasks and paying attention to solving urgent problems and concerns of the people, it really creates new momentum for Khai Son.

The locality has completed 14/19 new rural criteria and is focusing on reaching the finish line by the end of 2019; many pressing issues among the people have been gradually resolved, such as slow issuance of land use right certificates; encroachment on traffic safety corridors on National Highway 7 and Ho Chi Minh Road; land use for the wrong purpose, beyond authority...

Building a gay tea brand that meets VietGAP standards in Cao Son commune. Photo: MH

Rotating at the same time as comrade Dang Dinh Luc, comrade Nguyen Duc Vinh was transferred from Head of the District Education and Training Department to Chairman of Cao Son Commune People's Committee. Up to now, after nearly 2 years in the position of Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, comrade Nguyen Duc Vinh has also affirmed his role before the Party Committee, government and people.

Sharing about the contributions of the transferred Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, the Party Secretary of the Commune, Tran Quoc Hien, said: From a district-level management officer, with a higher level and broader scope, plus seniority and many years of working experience, when returning to the grassroots level, comrade Nguyen Duc Vinh helped cadres and people gain a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the issues.

In particular, he spread the message to cadres and people that in order to carry out political tasks well in the locality, it is necessary to rely on internal strength, the thoughts and actions of each cadre, party member and each person, thereby overcoming the mentality of waiting and relying on others.

Mobilizing union members and young people to upgrade and expand main traffic routes of Cao Son commune (Anh Son). Photo: Minh Chi

Accordingly, in the past 2 years, through the movement "Lighting up the countryside" advised by the Chairman of the Commune People's Committee to deploy; the people's strength in Cao Son has been mobilized faster and stronger, and many projects and tasks have been deployed.

Typically, 5 temples were renovated and upgraded; 2 village gates were built; street lighting systems were installed; trees were planted on the main roads of the commune. In particular, the traffic system was expanded on all routes and the roads were initially hardened, overcoming the previous muddy situation.

In agricultural production, some bright spots have been created, such as establishing a cooperative group to grow commercial tea that meets VietGAP standards; successfully converting and testing some areas of lilies, gladiolus, and chrysanthemums on fertile soil...

Comrade Nguyen Duc Vinh also focused on resolving the petitions, complaints, denunciations, reflections, and recommendations of voters and people. In 2018 alone, out of 25 petitions, the locality focused on resolving 23, contributing to reducing petitions that went beyond the level.

Painting creates the idea of ​​"easy to go, hard to return" among transferred cadres

Head of the District Party Committee's Organization Board Nguyen Ba Tu affirmed that cadre rotation is one of the measures to train, practice and challenge cadres through practice, absolutely without the idea of ​​"going to military service".

At the same time, this is also a measure to convey the methods and approaches of superiors to the grassroots, and to help the grassroots in some specific situations such as weak movements, grassroots leaders not being able to promote their roles and responsibilities, or lacking leaders...

Therefore, on the basis of inheriting and drawing experience from the work of rotating cadres in previous terms, this term the District Party Committee issued Decision No. 848-QD/HU, dated August 31, 2016, on promulgating the Project on rotating leading and managing cadres.

Accordingly, specific targets were set, in the period of 2016 - 2020, 4-6 cadres will be rotated from the district to the grassroots level; 20 people will be rotated horizontally between departments, offices, the Fatherland Front and district-level mass organizations; and at the same time, a pilot will be carried out for horizontal rotation of cadres in charge at the commune level.

Up to now, the district has transferred 2 district officials to preside over communes and rotated 11 district-level officials horizontally. Currently, the district is continuing to implement the process of transferring 2 district officials to 2 communes with internal disunity, many petitions, and stagnant movements.

Regarding the rotation from bottom to top, since the issuance of the rotation project, 2 commune cadres have been rotated to the district. In particular, through the thorough understanding of the cadre rotation project, the consciousness of complying with the organization's assignment and mobilization of the rotated cadres is very clear; at the same time, there is a spirit of learning, learning and actively participating, creating new directions and ways of doing things with very specific results at the grassroots level.

For grassroots cadres, there is also a sense of striving to improve, worrying to create development steps for the locality, better affirming the role of the leader in implementing political tasks in the locality, avoiding inertia among grassroots cadres, contributing to promoting the development of the movement in each locality.

In addition to rotating leaders and managers, Anh Son district also focuses on changing the job positions of commune-level civil servants and school accountants. In the photo: Civil servants of land, construction, agriculture and environment in Phuc Son commune. Photo: Minh Chi

Along with the rotation of management staff, Anh Son district also focuses on transferring work positions for commune-level officials and school accountants according to Decree 158/2007/ND-CP and Decree 150/2013/ND-CP of the Government. In 2018, the district transferred work positions for 58 people, including 44 school accountants; 11 commune-level finance and accounting officials; 3 cadres and civil servants in land administration - construction - agriculture and environment (previously in 2017, 25 people were transferred).

Obviously, the rotation of cadres in Anh Son has had very positive impacts, both for cadres and for the movement. However, there is still a concern that the district does not have a clear and transparent mechanism for the "return" of rotated cadres, but is speaking very generally that cadres who are assessed to have completed well and completed their tasks are proposed to be assigned to equivalent or higher positions.

I think, not only in Anh Son district but also at all levels, it is necessary to build a "post" rotation mechanism for cadres, associated with building criteria for evaluating rotated cadres to have arrangements corresponding to the dedication and contribution of rotated cadres, avoiding ambiguity and lack of clarity as at present or creating the idea of ​​"easy to go, hard to return" among cadres.