Solving the human resource problem when merging

The 11th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee unanimously agreed that the provincial-level administrative units (PPUs) after the merger will be 34 provinces and cities (28 provinces, 6 centrally-run cities), and the local government will have 2 levels. The provincial level includes provinces and centrally-run cities, and the communal level includes communes, wards, and special zones under provinces and cities. The district-level PPUs will end after the National Assembly passed a resolution to amend and supplement a number of articles of the 2013 Constitution and the Law on Organization of Local Government 2025 (amended); the number of PPUs after the merger will be reduced by about 60-70%.

At the first meeting of the Steering Committee for the reorganization of administrative units at all levels and the development of a two-level local government model, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra informed that currently, the country has 10,035 commune-level administrative units, and the reorganization will leave only about 2,000 units. National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man said that in the second half of April 2025, the National Assembly Standing Committee will meet continuously to adjust commune-level boundaries.

The process of implementing the revolution to organize the apparatus effectively, efficiently and effectively to develop our country, first of all, is to streamline the apparatus. This not only changes the organizational structure, but also the thinking, management awareness, quality and efficiency of work. Therefore, it is necessary to promote propaganda, raise awareness, change innovative thinking, and at the same time fight against negative manifestations that hinder the process of streamlining the apparatus.

Delegates attending the 11th Central Conference, 13th tenure

"Merging public service units, streamlining the apparatus involves cutting staff and rearranging civil servants. This is a sensitive issue that directly affects the work, psychology and interests of civil servants, and may encounter difficulties during implementation. Therefore, it is necessary to build and perfect mechanisms, have support policies, and satisfactorily resolve financial issues, training, career transition, and appropriate job arrangements so that civil servants can work with peace of mind. With a new working environment and larger workloads, this team must adapt and have higher capacity" - Associate Professor Dr. Ngo Thanh Can (senior lecturer, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Public Administration) commented.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Viet Thong (former General Secretary of the Central Theoretical Council), grassroots cadres must be truly dynamic, professional, and elite. Because for a long time, commune cadres worked through districts, now there is no district level, they are not familiar with the environment from the province straight down to the grassroots. Not to mention, the level of leaders and managers at the commune level is not uniform, especially in mountainous, remote and isolated areas. Now, the management of public service units is broader, with more fields, so there is confusion, it cannot be done in a few months. Young people can adapt easily, older people will have difficulty, so training for the team of civil servants, especially at the commune level, should be strengthened.

Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Van Phuc (Vice Chairman of the Scientific Council of Central Party Agencies, former Editor-in-Chief of Communist Magazine) commented that when streamlining the apparatus, the number of leaders, managers, and civil servants who have to leave the apparatus will be very large. Therefore, a part of leaders, managers, and civil servants from the Central to the grassroots level must realize that "it is a revolution to organize the apparatus, so we must accept sacrifices". In addition, there must be mechanisms and policies to retain people who can do the job, people with good political qualities, strong will, good ethics, good lifestyle, high level of capacity, and meet high task requirements after the arrangement and organization of the apparatus.

Because after streamlining, the tasks of leaders, managers as well as each position of civil servants require much higher, when there is more work, wider scope, higher quality requirements, ensuring smooth work, efficiency, effectiveness, and efficiency as General Secretary To Lam said. In particular, there are appropriate policies for those who wish to retire early, those who quit their jobs or move to new fields and jobs.

It is necessary to evaluate and reclassify the staff of civil servants of the entire administrative system at the provincial and communal levels. Those who are capable of the job should be retained and assigned to positions in the new apparatus; those who are not suitable and require policies and regimes to be resolved should be implemented according to regulations. In the long term, it is necessary to amend the Law on Civil Servants to create a legal basis for building a new civil service regime according to job positions, eliminating the distinction between civil servants at the communal and provincial levels; replacing the "lifetime tenure" recruitment regime with a contract civil service regime according to job positions; removing the regulation that one place of recruitment is for one place of use, replacing it with the principle of "whoever uses, that person hires", taking responsibility for their decisions.

Regarding streamlining, if it is "streamlined" but not "refined", it cannot be "strong". And without "strength", it is difficult to achieve the goal of "efficiency - effectiveness - efficiency". Therefore, it is necessary to select people with sufficient capacity, qualifications, dedication and high responsibility to be assigned to the new apparatus. At the same time, it is necessary to courageously resolve policies and regimes for those who do not meet job requirements, or do not want to continue working in the civil service.

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/giai-bai-toan-ve-nhan-su-khi-sap-nhap-a419628.html