Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Ngoc Hoa: Accurately and accurately assess the results of administrative reform

PV:Could you please tell us the importance of evaluating the PAR Index of sectors and localities?

Comrade Le Ngoc Hoa:In 2019, the Provincial People's Committee paid special attention to administrative reform work, identifying it as the "Year of Administrative Reform" and had drastic and comprehensive direction. The assessment of administrative reform results through the Administrative Reform Index has been of interest to departments, branches and localities, implemented synchronously and identified as a useful tool in the direction and operation of administrative reform by heads of agencies and units. In 2019, the Provincial People's Committee issued new regulations on administrative reform assessment, thereby creating favorable conditions for objective, honest and realistic assessment of administrative reform of departments, branches and localities.

Comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee inspected the smart traffic control room. Photo: Thanh Le

The determination of the PAR Index aims to monitor and evaluate in a substantial, objective and fair manner the annual results of administrative reform implementation of provincial departments, branches and sectors, People's Committees of districts, cities and towns in the process of implementing administrative reform. Evaluate the results of implementing administrative reform tasks quantitatively; on that basis, compare and rank the annual results of administrative reform implementation among provincial departments, branches and sectors; among districts, cities and towns.

At the same time, through the PAR Index, the level of PAR implementation of agencies and units in relation to units at the same level is clearly determined, creating motivation in the implementation process. Thereby, helping departments, branches, districts, cities and towns make necessary adjustments in goals, contents and solutions in annual implementation, contributing to improving the effectiveness of PAR, building a clean, strong, effective and efficient administration.

PV:To determine the PAR Index accurately and objectively, how has the province implemented the assessment method, sir?

Comrade Le Ngoc Hoa:The Provincial People's Committee has established a Council to appraise the results of self-assessment and ranking of annual administrative reform work of provincial-level agencies and central agencies organized according to the vertical sector system located in the province.

Checking compliance with working hours of cadres and civil servants of Hoa Binh town (Tuong Duong). Photo: Le Thanh

First of all, departments, branches and localities self-monitor, evaluate and self-score the results of administrative reform implementation according to the criteria and component criteria specified in the Administrative Reform Index at the department and provincial levels and the guidance of the Department of Home Affairs (with verification documents attached). The Department of Home Affairs coordinates with the Office of the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Finance, the Department of Information and Communications, the Department of Justice, the Department of Science and Technology to appraise the self-assessment scores of departments, branches, People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to submit to the Appraisal Council for comments. At the same time, combine assessment through sociological surveys, based on surveys and assessments of different groups of subjects. The assessment scale of the Administrative Reform Index at the department, branch and district People's Committee levels is 100. The assessment score through sociological surveys is 35/100.

In the assessment and scoring of the component criteria of the PAR Index, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the members of the Appraisal Council to implement. Accordingly, the self-assessment results of the departments, branches, and district-level People's Committees were carefully reviewed to ensure that the assessment results of each criterion and component criterion were accurate and fair among the departments and districts. Based on the self-assessment and scoring results of the departments, branches, and district-level People's Committees approved by the Appraisal Council and the sociological survey scores, the Department of Home Affairs synthesized, calculated, and converted the scores of the criteria and component criteria that did not generate tasks, determined the indicators, ranked the agencies and units, and developed a report summarizing the results of determining the PAR Index in 2019. The report focused on analyzing the results of the composite index and the component indicators according to each field and criterion of the PAR Index for each department, branch, district, city, and town.

The implementation of the PAR Index 2019 was carried out in detail and specifically by the Department of Home Affairs in coordination with relevant agencies in a relatively short period of time. With the new set of criteria, the assessment focuses on results and impacts, with a close combination between inside and outside the administrative agency, making the information obtained from the PAR Index synthetic, multi-dimensional, ensuring objectivity. It is worth noting that departments, branches, districts, cities and towns have seriously conducted self-assessment, scoring and sending verification documents to serve the appraisal of the Appraisal Council. The results of the PAR Index 2019 continue to reflect relatively closely the situation of implementing PAR at departments, branches and localities.

PV:Could you please tell us what needs to be promoted and what needs to be focused on to better implement administrative reform in the industry and locality in the coming time?

Comrade Le Ngoc Hoa:In addition to the achieved results, the assessment of the PAR Index still has some shortcomings and limitations. Specifically, the implementation of self-scoring and sending of verification documents by some departments, branches and districts has not met the requirements, such as: Providing incomplete or inaccurate verification documents. Supplementing verification documents is still slow, affecting the overall progress of the process of determining the PAR Index in 2019. The appraisal process of some Council members is still difficult due to changes in tasks and information updates. Some Council members have not carried out the appraisal in a timely manner. Sociological investigation work is still difficult due to the short time, and accessing the survey subjects is also difficult.

Construction Department staff performing professional duties. Photo: Thanh Le

Recognizing the importance of determining the PAR Index, in order to regularly and substantially implement it, ensuring measurement and quantification of the annual PAR implementation results of departments, branches, sectors and People's Committees of districts, cities and towns, in the coming time, the Provincial People's Committee will continue to direct departments, branches and localities to promote the implementation of contents according to the State PAR Program of the province for the period 2012 - 2020. Along with that, there will be timely rewards and incentives for departments, branches, People's Committees of districts, cities and towns with good PAR achievements through the annual PAR Index results.

The province will direct departments, branches, localities, information and communication agencies to strengthen information and propaganda work on administrative reform, including the results of the annual Administrative Reform Index.

For departments, branches and People's Committees of districts, cities and towns, based on the 2019 PAR Index, organize dissemination and propaganda of the PAR Index results within the department, branch and locality to enhance responsibility in implementing and determining the annual PAR Index. Organize conferences to evaluate and draw lessons from the implementation process and results of the PAR Index in 2019.

Resolving administrative procedures for businesses at the Department of Planning and Investment. Photo: Thanh Le

Review the criteria and component criteria with low scores to focus on directing to improve the index. Do a good job of propagating administrative reform. Strengthen the direction and operation of administrative reform, through the development of annual administrative reform programs and plans in a feasible manner, suitable to reality and requirements, and at the same time effectively organize the implementation of issued programs and plans. Along with that, pay attention to allocating resources to perform the tasks. Pay attention to implementing the plan to determine the annual PAR Index so that the results of the PAR Index are determined accurately and objectively. Organize self-assessment and scoring seriously, substantially, closer to the situation of the industry and locality.

PV:Thank you comrade!

Thanh Le