Merging administrative structures: Pilot program immediately, identify complexities and obstacles early.

Entering the fray with determination.

In Anh Son district, Comrade Nguyen Ba Tu - Head of the District Party Committee's Organization Department, said that according to the assignment of the steering committee and the working group, immediately after implementing the steps to carry out Plan 111-KH/TU dated January 2, 2018, on implementing the Resolution of the 12th Central Committee Meeting of the Communist Party of Vietnam on "Some issues on continuing to innovate and reorganize the organizational structure of the political system to be streamlined, effective and efficient," the members "began" to survey and investigate, and have now submitted two arrangement options to advise on the process of arranging and assigning cadres to implement the policy of unifying the position of head of the district Party Committee's Propaganda Department and director of the district's Political Training Center. According to Comrade Dang Thanh Tung - Secretary of the Anh Son District Party Committee, it is expected that the Standing Committee of the District Party Committee will consider and implement the steps according to regulations andA decision was made to unify the positions of Head of the District Party Committee's Propaganda Department and Director of the Political Training Center, effective from April 1, 2018.

To date, Anh Son district has basically completed the survey of the current situation of the Party Committee office staff and the People's Council-People's Committee office staff in all 21/21 communes and towns in the district, and the working group hasPresenting a plan for consolidating the offices of each commune and town.According to Nguyen Ba Tu, Head of the Organization Department of the Anh Son District Party Committee, the survey has divided the units into three groups: those with capabilities and currently serving as members of the Party Committee (6 units), those with capabilities but not yet Party Committee members (11 units), and those with moderate capabilities and no prospects (4 units). Each group has presented specific proposed positions. Comrade Dang Thanh Tung stated that Anh Son will pilot the program in at least three commune-level units in April 2018, and will implement it simultaneously in July 2018.

Box:According to Plan 111 dated January 2, 2018, of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, there are 6 pilot units to organize and implement the plan synchronously, evaluate, and draw lessons to replicate it throughout the province, including: Vinh City, Cua Lo town, Dien Chau district, Con Cuong district, the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department, and the Provincial Youth Union.

The Party Committee of the Provincial People's Committee directed and guided six pilot units to synchronously implement the contents, evaluate, and draw lessons learned for replication throughout the province, including: the Department of Internal Affairs, the Department of Health, the Department of Education and Training, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the Department of Culture and Sports, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In Con Cuong district, according to Comrade Nguyen Van Chat – Head of the District Party Committee's Organization Department, the Con Cuong District Party Committee has clearly identified 40 tasks that need to be done immediately; 4 tasks that are pilot projects; and 8 tasks that will be implemented according to the central government's plan and guidance. Comrade Nguyen Dinh Hung – Secretary of the Con Cuong District Party Committee – said that the policy of implementing the restructuring of the organizational apparatus and downsizing the workforce has received high consensus among Party committees at all levels. Currently, members of the steering committee, the working group, and agencies and units are working diligently, while ensuring objectivity, scientific rigor, and practicality. Con Cuong district has selected 4 pilot units for focused guidance: Chau Khe, Chi Khe, Luc Da, Mau Duc, and the Department of Education and Training. Simultaneously, a working group will be organized to study the experience of implementing organizational restructuring and workforce downsizing to ensure the merger of the organizational apparatus and workforce reduction achieves high efficiency.

In Vinh City, the draft plan "Organizational restructuring, downsizing of personnel and restructuring of the staff of officials, civil servants and public employees to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the political system of Vinh City in the period 2018-2021 and subsequent years" has been approved for the first time. According to Comrade Nguyen Van Chinh - Head of the Organization Department of the Vinh City Party Committee, Vinh City has developed specific tasks and solutions to merge various entities such as: merging the city's Radio and Television Station with the City's Culture and Sports Center; the land use rights registration office with the city's land fund development center; the Vinh Market Management Board and the Vinh Train Station Market Management Board; The merger includes the Nghe An Urban Environment and Construction Joint Stock Company, the Green Park Joint Stock Company, the Urban Infrastructure Management and Development Joint Stock Company, and the City Cemetery Management Board;… In particular, for the ward and commune level, the city plans to survey and study the merger of some units that do not meet the criteria regarding area and population. City Party Secretary Vo Viet Thanh affirmed: The city will take the lead. The focus will be on streamlining the organizational structure, not on who is the head or deputy, and not allowing personnel issues to hinder the merger process.

Be cautious about complex issues that may arise.

Reforming and reorganizing the administrative apparatus and streamlining personnel have become urgent practical needs, in line with the aspirations of the majority of cadres, Party members, and the general public. However, during implementation, some opinions have been raised that:

ButThe plan to reorganize the administrative apparatus involves implementing many tasks simultaneously within a short period, thus posing certain difficulties for implementation at the district and grassroots levels..

ButThe content of organizational restructuring and personnel downsizing lacks a specific model, leading to some difficulties in developing plans and sub-plans. Planning and placement of cadres, civil servants, public employees, and workers after restructuring still face many obstacles, especially for Party committee members (in Party and government agencies) and redundant personnel (in public service units).

In Anh Son district, Comrade Nguyen Ba Tu, Head of the District Party Committee's Organization Department, stated that the biggest obstacle when merging the positions of the Party Committee office and the People's Council-People's Committee office at the commune level is that out of 21 Party Committee office staff members, 12 were elected as Party Committee members at the recent Party Congress. The assignment and placement of Party Committee members after they no longer hold positions according to the election structure needs to be considered. Similarly, for some district-level officials who are members of the District Party Committee, after no longer holding positions according to the election structure (moving from unit head to deputy head), whether or not they should continue to hold Party Committee positions is a matter that needs discussion. According to Comrade Nguyen Van Chat, Head of the Con Cuong District Party Committee's Organization Department, there needs to be a policy to support those who become redundant after restructuring and streamlining.

There are still some concerns regarding the form, scale, functions, and responsibilities of the operational model of the units after the merger:

- What will be the names of the merged units?What would the broadcasting station be called if it merged with the cultural and information center?

- What will the merged Party Committee Office and People's Council-People's Committee Office be called?

- What will the relationship be like with higher authorities after the merger, and which agency will it be directly subordinate to?

These are the things that need clarification. For example, after the merger of the district-level Party and government offices, will that office be under the direct supervision of the District Party Committee or the District People's Committee?

According to Vinh City Party Secretary Vo Viet Thanh, combining or merging several positions can be done immediately. However:

- When consolidating or merging agencies, units, and enterprises, as well as when streamlining personnel, it is necessary to take into account relevant legal documents that are still in effect.

- We must resolutely implement the plan, but without being complacent or hasty. The merger of some units under the authority of the vertical sector, such as health, population, agriculture, and education, needs to wait for the proposals from the provincial-level vertical sectors.

At the meeting of the Provincial Party Standing Committee on February 28, 2018, Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Dac Vinh affirmed:The reorganization of the administrative apparatus, reduction of administrative layers, and streamlining of personnel must be carried out comprehensively. However, it is necessary to identify pilot units and agencies to focus on directing and implementing the process, starting at the provincial level, then the district and commune levels. It should not be overly rigid or mechanical, but rather based on the practical realities of each field, agency, and unit. Things that are clear and have the necessary conditions should be done, while things that are unclear or have conflicting opinions should be further investigated and researched.

Continuing to innovate and reorganize the political system's apparatus is a crucial political task, both in the short and long term, significantly impacting the operation of the entire political system and the lives of the people. With the strong involvement of all levels, sectors, and localities, it is hoped that this will truly be a major "revolution" in organizational structure and staffing. However, all levels, sectors, and localities also need to be extremely cautious, persistent in understanding, researching, learning, and innovating to find solutions and measures to overcome difficulties and obstacles, in order to bring Central Resolution No. 6 into life with the highest effectiveness, both in the short and long term.