Decentralization and delegation of authority in the field of Science and Technology: Ensuring smooth operation

On November 13, the Ministry of Science and Technology held a training conference on decentralization, delegation of authority and division of authority in areas under the Ministry's state management.

The Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology always focuses on training high-quality human resources in the field of science and technology. Illustrative photo: VNA

The conference was organized in both direct and online formats, connecting to 34 provinces and cities across the country, chaired by Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui The Duy, with the participation of leaders and officials of the Departments of Science and Technology, communes, wards and special zones across the country.

Assign tasks directly to the commune level for implementation

Speaking at the opening of the Conference, Deputy Minister Bui The Duy said that the organization of the training conference aimed to implement the policy of the Party, Government and Prime Minister on maximum decentralization and delegation of power, bringing public services closer to the people, contributing to streamlining the apparatus and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of state management.

“The consistent guiding spirit is that what is under the Prime Minister's authority will be delegated to ministries; the Ministry's authority will be delegated to the People's Committee and departments; there are even contents assigned directly to the commune level for implementation,” said Deputy Minister Bui The Duy.

According to Deputy Minister Bui The Duy, the reorganization of professional agencies in some localities has significantly expanded the scope of work of the Departments of Science and Technology. Many officials have to take on new fields, requiring time to adapt and develop their professional skills. The expansion of the scope of decentralization also poses a great challenge to the capacity of officials, especially at the commune level, when many new contents are assigned while practical experience is limited.

“The Ministry of Science and Technology is determined to ensure that, by 2025, department and commune-level officials can fully implement the contents of decentralization and delegation of authority. Sending officials from departments and divisions to localities has two main goals. First, to assess the capacity and working conditions at departments and communes, to review the data system, tools, and professional documents to meet the requirements for handling records like at the Ministry. Second, to directly guide local officials to "try and learn" to quickly master the professional process," Deputy Minister Bui The Duy shared.

Synchronous and complete legal document system

According to Ms. Nguyen Nhu Quynh, Director of the Legal Department (Ministry of Science and Technology), in 2025, the Ministry has completed the system of legal documents on decentralization, delegation of authority, and assignment of authority for 103 tasks. The decentralized fields range from science and technology, innovation, telecommunications, digital transformation, quality measurement standards, intellectual property to atomic energy. Of which, post and telecommunications is the field with the largest volume of tasks with 25 decentralized and delegated tasks.

The Ministry of Science and Technology has also issued four decisions to publicly announce 125 administrative procedures decentralized to localities. In addition, the Ministry is reviewing, amending and supplementing many important legal documents to ensure consistency and synchronization in implementation.

To support implementation in localities, the Ministry of Science and Technology issued Official Dispatch No. 5865/BKHCN-PC guiding the application of the law according to Article 61 of the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents. Along with that, the Ministry organized many activities of technical guidance, professional training and in-depth training, focusing on four major groups of tasks: Completing digital platforms and technical infrastructure: Guiding the deployment of shared digital platforms nationwide; ensuring transmission lines and bandwidth to serve the two-level government model from July 1, 2025. Preparing human resources and operating processes by coordinating with businesses to organize training on digital skills and new skills for commune-level officials; implementing according to Plan No. 02-KH/BCĐTW dated June 19, 2025 on promoting interconnected and synchronous digital transformation. Along with that, ensuring stable, 24/7 public service provision; enhancing interconnection and management after decentralization.

The Ministry has also set up two hotlines (098.322.1818 and 098.335.1818), and established a Standing Team and a Viber group to interact online 24/7 with 34 Departments of Science and Technology nationwide to provide immediate support in the implementation of new tasks.

In August 2025, the Ministry of Science and Technology established 12 working groups to work directly with the People's Committees of 34 provinces and cities, 34 Public Administrative Service Centers and 39 communes and wards. The groups surveyed and assessed implementation capacity, resolved difficulties, and compiled recommendations to amend and supplement legal documents on decentralization and delegation of powers, ensuring compliance with local realities.

In particular, the Ministry of Science and Technology has compiled a set of nearly 300-page local guidance documents including 13 sections, providing detailed instructions on 146 tasks, and sent them to localities from September 2025. This document helps clarify the content of decentralized tasks, provides detailed and unified instructions on procedures, records, and settlement authority, and reduces errors and overlaps in the implementation of new decrees and circulars. For localities, this is a useful "professional handbook" to ensure compliance with the law, enhance capacity for science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation management at the grassroots level.

Through the synthesis, some localities are still concerned about the ability to implement, even wanting to "return" the power to the Ministry. However, the spirit of the Ministry of Science and Technology is to accompany and support to the end, so that localities can perform well the assigned tasks, aiming at the highest goal of serving the people better, reducing time and costs of administrative procedures.

Sharing at the Conference, Deputy Minister Bui The Duy said that the Ministry of Science and Technology will maintain a regular support mechanism, assigning departments and divisions to organize monthly and quarterly online conferences to resolve difficulties and problems in the process of implementing decentralization and delegation of power. "The department heads and division heads need to consider the local officials being trained as new employees, who need to be guided until they are proficient in their work. We must work closely with the locality, only discuss how to do things, not discuss backwardness," the Deputy Minister emphasized.

The strong implementation of the mechanism of decentralization, delegation of power and division of authority in the field of Science and Technology is not just a simple administrative reform task, but a process of transforming the state management model towards serving, modern, flexible and people-centered. From the synchronous legal document system to the technical support network and "professional handbook" for grassroots officials, the Ministry of Science and Technology is resolutely implementing the task of decentralization, delegation of power, effectively supporting localities, grassroots and people in the process of realizing the spirit of "Serving Government, accompanying Ministry".

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/phan-cap-phan-quyen-linh-vuc-khoa-hoc-va-cong-nghe-bao-dam-van-hanh-thong-suot-20251113133635784.htm