Merging apparatus: Pilot immediately, identify early complications and problems

Get in on the action

In Anh Son district, comrade Nguyen Ba Tu - Head of the District Party Committee's Organization Board said that, according to the assignment of the steering committee and the support team, immediately after implementing the steps to implement Plan 111-KH/TU dated January 2, 2018 on implementing the Resolution of the 12th Party Central Committee's 12th Conference "Some issues on continuing to innovate and reorganize the apparatus of the political system to be streamlined and operate effectively and efficiently", the members "started" to survey and research, and have now submitted 2 arrangement plans to advise on the implementation of 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 anddecided to unify the position of Head of the District Party Committee's Propaganda Department and Director of the Political Training Center from April 1, 2018.

Up to this point, Anh Son district has basically completed the survey of the current situation of the Party Committee office, People's Council-People's Committee office of 21/21 communes and towns in the district, and the support team has been established.Present a plan to consolidate offices in each commune and town. Head of the Organizing Committee of Anh Son District Party Committee Nguyen Ba Tu said that through the survey, they were divided into 3 groups: the group with capacity and being members of the Party Committee Executive Committee (6 units), the group with capacity but not yet being members of the Party Committee (11 units), the group with limited capacity and no prospect (4 units). Each group presented specific proposed positions. Comrade Dang Thanh Tung said that Anh Son will pilot at least 3 commune-level units in April 2018, and will carry out the project simultaneously in July 2018.

Box:According to Plan 111 dated January 2, 2018 of the Provincial Party Committee, there are 06 pilot units to organize synchronous implementation, evaluation, and experience drawing for replication throughout the province, including: Vinh City, Cua Lo Town, Dien Chau District, Con Cuong District, Provincial Party Committee Organizing Committee and Provincial Youth Union.

The Party Committee of the Provincial People's Committee directed and guided 06 pilot units to synchronously implement the contents, evaluate and draw experiences to replicate throughout the province, including: Department of Home Affairs, Department of Health, Department of Education and Training, Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, Department of Culture and Sports, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In Con Cuong district, according to comrade Nguyen Van Chat - Head of the District Party Committee's Organization Board, the Con Cuong District Party Committee has clearly identified 40 tasks that need to be done immediately; 4 tasks for pilot work; 8 tasks for work according to the plan and instructions of the central government. Comrade Nguyen Dinh Hung - Secretary of the Con Cuong District Party Committee said that the policy of implementing the apparatus arrangement and staff streamlining has created high consensus among party committees at all levels. Currently, members of the steering committee, support teams, agencies and units are taking part in the work with a spirit of urgency, while ensuring objectivity, science and practicality. Con Cuong district has selected 4 pilot units to focus on directing, including: Chau Khe, Chi Khe, Luc Da, Mau Duc and the Department of Education and Training. At the same time, a working group will be organized to learn from the experience of implementing the apparatus arrangement and staff streamlining to effectively carry out the apparatus merger and staff streamlining.

In Vinh city, the draft Project "Organizational arrangement, streamlining of staff and restructuring of cadres, civil servants and public employees to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the political system of Vinh city in the period of 2018-2021 and the following years" has been approved for the first time. According to comrade Nguyen Van Chinh - Head of the Vinh City Party Committee's Organization Committee, Vinh city has developed specific tasks and solutions to merge focal points 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; Vinh market management board and Vinh Railway Station Market Management Board; Merging Nghe An Urban Environment and Construction Joint Stock Company, Green Park Joint Stock Company, Urban Infrastructure Management and Development Joint Stock Company and City Cemetery Management Board;... Especially, for the ward and commune blocks, it is expected that the city will survey, research and develop a project to merge a number of units that do not meet the criteria on area and population. Secretary of the City Party Committee Vo Viet Thanh affirmed: The city will be a pioneer. Focus on the goal of arranging the apparatus, not on who is the leader, who is the deputy, not letting personnel issues hinder the merger issue.

Be cautious with complex, emerging issues.

The innovation, reorganization of the apparatus and streamlining of staff have become urgent needs of practice, in line with the aspirations of the majority of cadres, party members and the masses. However, when implementing, there are opinions that:

-The plan to reorganize the apparatus to implement many contents at the same time will cause certain difficulties in implementation at the district and grassroots levels..

-There is no specific model for the organization and streamlining of staff, so some places still face difficulties when developing projects and sub-projects. There are still many problems in planning and arranging cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers after the reorganization, especially for members of the Party Committee (in Party agencies, government agencies) and redundant people (in public service units).

As in Anh Son district, comrade Nguyen Ba Tu - Head of the Organizing Committee of Anh Son district said that when merging the positions of the Party Committee office, the People's Council - People's Committee office at the commune level, the biggest problem was that among the 21 comrades in the Party Committee office, at the recent congress, 12/21 comrades were elected as Party Committee members. The assignment and arrangement of Party Committee members after not holding the position according to the structure when elected is something that needs to be considered. Similarly, with some positions of district-level cadres who are members of the District Party Committee Executive Committee, after not holding the position according to the structure when elected (from the unit head level to the deputy level), whether to continue to let that comrade hold the position of Party Committee member or not is something that needs to be discussed. According to comrade Nguyen Van Chat - Head of the Organizing Committee of Con Cuong District Party Committee, there should be a support policy for redundant subjects after the arrangement and streamlining.

There are still some concerns about the form, scale, functions and tasks of the operating model of the following units after the merger:

- What are the names of the merged units?What is the name of the radio and television station merging with the cultural and information center?

- What will be the name of the Party Committee Office, People's Council - People's Committee Office after the merger?

- What will the relationship with superiors be like after the merger, which agency will be directly under?...

Those are the things that need to be clarified. For example, after merging the district-level Party Committee and government offices, will that office be under the direct command of the District Party Committee or the District People's Committee?...

According to Vinh City Party Secretary Vo Viet Thanh, concurrently holding and merging some positions can be done immediately. But:

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

- Implement resolutely, but not subjectively or hastily. The merger of some units under the authority of vertical sectors such as health, population, agriculture, education, etc. needs to wait for the project of the provincial vertical sector.

At the meeting of the Provincial Party Standing Committee on February 28, 2018, Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Dac Vinh affirmed:The reorganization of the apparatus, reduction of focal points, and streamlining of staff must be carried out comprehensively. However, it is necessary to identify pilot units and agencies to focus on directing and implementing in order of provincial level first, then district and commune levels. It should not be too mechanical, but must be based on the reality of each field, agency, and unit. What is clear should be done, what is qualified should be done, and what is unclear, or has opposing opinions, needs to be further studied and researched.

Continuing to innovate and reorganize the apparatus of the political system is an important political task in the short and long term, greatly affecting the operation of the entire political system and people's lives. With the strong participation of all levels, sectors and localities, it is hoped that this will truly be a great "revolution" in apparatus organization and staffing. However, all levels, sectors and localities also need to be extremely cautious, persistent in studying, researching, learning and being creative to find solutions and measures to remove difficulties and obstacles, in order to bring Resolution 6 of the Central Committee into life with the highest efficiency, both in the short and long term.