"Finishing the work at the commune level - then moving on to the provincial level"

Nguyen Nguyen • November 5, 2025 15:43

This was shared by Mr. Nguyen Thang Long - Head of the Personnel and Non-Governmental Organization Department - Department of Internal Affairs, regarding the support and assistance provided to commune officials in completing their tasks after the reorganization of the two-tiered local government.

"FINISH THE WORK AT THE VILLAGE - RESOLVE THE WORK AT THE PROVINCE"

This was shared by Mr. Nguyen Thang Long - Head of the Personnel and Non-Governmental Organization Department - Department of Internal Affairs, regarding the support and assistance provided to commune officials in completing their tasks after the reorganization of the two-tiered local government.

Prioritizing work efficiency

Mr. Lo Van Trieu, a specialist in the Culture and Social Affairs Department of Tam Thai commune, is in charge of internal affairs. His area of ​​responsibility relates to staffing, officials, non-professional personnel, regulations, policies, administrative reform, labor, etc. According to statistics, officials in the internal affairs sector of the commune have over 31 main tasks that they regularly have to perform.

Mr. Trieu shared that when the commune was first established, there were so many tasks, along with new policies from the central government, that the pressure was immense, especially in addressing the downsizing of personnel, early retirement policies, and termination of employment according to Decree No. 154/2025/ND-CP dated June 15, 2025.

However, Mr. Trieu and his colleagues gradually completed all tasks in the field of internal affairs according to schedule. One of the crucial factors was the support of officials from the Department of Internal Affairs who came to the commune to provide guidance and hands-on training.

According to Mr. Trieu, when the commune first started operating, there were many new issues that required specific solutions. Especially in the field of internal affairs, many aspects needed to be checked very precisely because they involved officials, policies, and rights… “At that time, a working group from the Department of Internal Affairs, led by the Head of the Personnel and Non-Governmental Organizations Department - Nguyen Thang Long, came to the commune and, together with the people of Tam Thai commune, guided and reviewed all stages to ensure the tasks were carried out effectively. Many files and procedures were completed at the grassroots level and immediately received by the Department of Internal Affairs staff and sent to the province. That help gave us confidence in our professional work…,” Mr. Lo Van Trieu shared.

To help communes operate under the two-tiered local government model, in addition to the guidance and encouragement from provincial leaders, the departments have sent working groups to the communes to guide commune officials and specialists in handling administrative procedures and professional tasks in accordance with regulations.

The Department of Internal Affairs alone has sent officials directly to dozens of communes, prioritizing mountainous, highland, and remote areas to support commune officials and specialists in effectively carrying out their duties. Following these specific trips, the specialized departments of the agencies also established chat groups on Facebook and Zalo for communes to share difficulties and for the agencies to provide guidance on how to follow the correct procedures.

Ms. Pham Thi Lan Huong, a specialist from Muong Xen commune now working in Tien Dong commune, shared: "During our work, we participated in many training courses and thoroughly studied regulations and policies to complete our tasks. The Ministry of Interior also provided us with a 'handbook on local government at the commune level.' However, some areas and issues in practice involve many departments, agencies, and different regulations and policies, making it difficult to make truly firm decisions. In such circumstances, we consulted with specialists in various departments and agencies, and received very detailed guidance, helping us complete our tasks in accordance with regulations."

Work done at the commune level - then transfer to the provincial level.

The tasks of the commune and provincial levels, when operating under a two-tiered local government system, involve completing thousands of items. Even though it's a new system, the overarching requirement is to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the government, serving the people and businesses in the best possible way.

In response to the new requirements, the province and communes have intensified professional training and reassigned personnel to appropriate positions. Simultaneously, they have deployed specialized staff to support communes in quickly adapting to the new tasks and striving to complete them according to regulations.

“The operation of the government apparatus from the grassroots to the provincial level is a closely interconnected ‘chain.’ If the grassroots level is not yet complete, the provincial level cannot complete either. Therefore, helping our colleagues at the commune level is also helping ourselves,” shared Mr. Nguyen Thang Long, Head of the Personnel and Non-Governmental Organization Department of the Department of Internal Affairs.

Mr. Long was one of the pioneering officials from the Department of Internal Affairs who went directly to communes to support commune-level specialists in completing internal affairs procedures immediately after the two-tiered local government system came into operation. In particular, Typhoon No. 5 (late August 2025) caused significant damage to Nghe An province, with many mountainous and highland communes experiencing internet network disruptions, making it difficult for commune officials to contact departments via phone calls or group messages. At that time, Mr. Nguyen Thang Long, along with many other officials from the Department of Internal Affairs, went to these mountainous and remote communes to help commune specialists complete their tasks.

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“Every day, the staff at the commune regularly exchange information about work via phone or text message in Zalo groups according to their respective fields, working together to complete tasks. There are many issues that the staff at the commune need to discuss multiple times because they are not yet fully familiar with the new regulations. We provide thorough guidance to the staff at the commune to help them complete their assigned tasks. In the coming time, we will continue to establish working groups in some communes as requested, to help commune officials handle their work effectively.”

Mr. Nguyen Thang Long - Head of the Personnel and Non-Governmental Organization Department - Department of Internal Affairs.

Through on-site inspections, the working group of the Provincial People's Committee leaders found that at the commune level, there are difficulties in resolving issues related to land, finance, environment, construction, information technology, and public administration. Accordingly, the Provincial People's Committee has directed relevant departments to strengthen their efforts in closely monitoring the situation at the grassroots level, providing guidance and training, and in some areas, the departments need to work together with the communes to resolve issues.

To help resolve difficulties and obstacles in the operation of the two-tiered local government, in addition to provincial working groups directly inspecting communes, the Provincial Party Standing Committee issued Conclusion No. 586-KL/TU, "assigning state-owned departments and agencies to compile a list of at least 5% of cadres and civil servants within their staff to be seconded, assigned, or reinforced to communes facing difficulties in personnel placement and arrangement." Recently, in early November 2025, the Department of Internal Affairs compiled a list of 29 cadres, civil servants, and public employees to be seconded, assigned, or reinforced (Phase 1) and sent it to the Provincial Party Organization Committee for compilation and submission to the Provincial Party Standing Committee for approval.

Subsequently, the Provincial Party Standing Committee issued Conclusion No. 599, assigning the Party Committee of the Provincial People's Committee to lead the Provincial People's Committee in directing relevant agencies to continue assessing the standards and conditions of 22 out of 29 cadres, civil servants, and public employees named in the list of those registered for deployment to grassroots levels. The Department of Internal Affairs requested provincial departments and agencies to continue reviewing and compiling a list of at least 5% of cadres and civil servants out of the total number of civil servant positions allocated by competent authorities in 2025 to agencies and units for continued deployment and secondment.

At the same time, localities and the Department of Internal Affairs will continue to review and coordinate the staff among communes and urgently review and study mechanisms for receiving and recruiting additional personnel, ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of the apparatus to best meet and serve the needs of the people and businesses.

Thanks to the efforts of the province and communes, many solutions to overcome difficulties in the operation of the two-tiered local government are being implemented synchronously. The spirit of "working together from top to bottom, with seamless coordination" is demonstrated by the smooth cooperation between the province and communes to effectively address the assigned tasks, contributing to affirming the people's trust in the government and Party committees at all levels.