From logistics soldier to "silent secretary" of the Government Office

(Chinhphu.vn) - Nearly a decade since his retirement, Mr. Tran Le Hung - former Director of the Department of State Administrative Organization and Public Affairs, Government Office still remembers every working journey, every overnight shift, every story about generations of leaders, and also his concerns about working methods and administrative reform.

Mr. Tran Le Hung - former Director of the Department of State Administrative Organization and Public Affairs, Government Office . Photo: VGP/Minh Anh

For Mr. Tran Le Hung, a life as a civil servant is not only about performing duties, but also about self-training, continuous learning, and serving with all devotion, silently but deeply.

Born in 1956, Mr. Tran Le Hung began his career in the military environment. Five years and six months at the Logistics Department, Air Defense - Air Force was the time to hone his courage, discipline and commitment to duty. Then, at the end of 1979, he officially transferred to work at the Prime Minister's Office (today's Government Office). The agency advising and directly assisting the Government and the Prime Minister, where he worked until his retirement in 2016.

"At that time, I started as a clerk at the Office of the Secretary, Department of Administration, then worked in the typing room of the Department of Administration. In 1999, I assisted the Government Party Committee, then worked as a secretary of the Government Party Committee, then worked at the Department of State Administrative Organization and Public Affairs, Government Office. Each stage has its own mark, but in general, I am always aware that I am a servant - serving the operation of the state apparatus, serving the leadership of the Government and the Prime Minister," Mr. Hung shared.

For him, the word "service" has never had a connotation of inferiority; on the contrary, it is a great responsibility, requiring diligence, initiative, the ability to process information, and public ethics. Mr. Hung has served from 7 to 8 Prime Ministers. "Everyone is busy with a thousand and one things, but with the support team - a delayed decision can stall a large program. So we clearly understand our heavy responsibility."

Work day and night, learn from every little detail

Recalling his years working at the Administrative Department, Mr. Hung called it "a real school". Here, he witnessed and contributed to ensuring the flow of documents from the Central to the local level, from the Government to the implementing agencies.

"Back then, there was no information technology like today. Typing, copying, and distributing documents were all done manually. Each document had to be carefully checked for every dot and comma. Leaders could request work at any time outside of working hours and required attendance. At that time, the agency also arranged for employees to live near the agency so that they could be on duty when necessary. "Working day and night was a common thing."

He also talked about the period of subsidized economy, the difficult period of price - salary - money reform. "At that time, every policy decision had to be extremely careful. There were nights when we stayed up all night working with our colleagues to serve leaders like Mr. Tran Phuong, Mr. To Huu... to promptly complete documents and submit them to the Prime Minister for signature. The working atmosphere was very serious, full of responsibility, there was no pushing or avoiding."

In 2006, Mr. Tran Le Hung was transferred to the Department of State Administration and Public Service, in charge of emulation and reward work. This is a seemingly easy field, but in fact requires acumen, impartiality and compassion.

"Rewards have two sides. The good side is to encourage individuals or groups who do good work, especially those who have worked for a long time and are about to retire, who have contributed to society and the country. But there are also cases of taking advantage of this to improve their profile, prepare for promotion, or even 'run for rewards'. Working in this field without a heart is easy to get caught up in," Mr. Hung expressed.

Simple but profound public service philosophy

With more than 40 years of working experience, including 38 years working in the highest administrative agency of the Government, Mr. Tran Le Hung always believes that civil servants must understand the role, function and task of being an assistant, a general advisor, and a person who creates the foundation for major decisions. It is impossible to work in the style of "whatever is given below is left to the leader or many options are given, so that the leader can choose one at random".

"To be a good general consultant, a civil servant must have a comprehensive view, a deep understanding of the work, a firm grasp of the operating system, a good understanding of politics, and an understanding of social psychology. He must imagine himself in the position of a leader to consider and make the most appropriate proposal.

One thing that Mr. Tran Le Hung is most proud of is the special office culture of the Government Office. There is no room for jostling or jealousy. There is no hiding of skills or making things difficult for newcomers. On the contrary, here, the seniors have the responsibility to guide the juniors, sharing everything in both work and life.

"The older generation trains the younger generation with a sense of responsibility. Not only teaching them how to work, but also teaching them how to think, how to handle situations, how to write reports, and how to approach problems. I learned a lot from my predecessors, and I do the same with my juniors."

He also admitted that in the process of rejuvenating the team, there are advantages such as basic training, quick access to technology, dynamism, creativity... but at the same time there are also challenges. "Young people sometimes lack political acumen and experience, so if they are not closely supervised, they are prone to making mistakes. A wrong decision or document can have huge consequences."

As someone who has been involved in the administrative apparatus for a long time, Mr. Tran Le Hung has many concerns when talking about administrative reform.

"We talk a lot about streamlining the payroll and cutting down on intermediate levels, but we are not bold enough to implement it thoroughly. The organizational structure still has overlaps and shortages. Sometimes, for each problem, a new department is established, and after a while, it is closed."

According to him, real reform must start with a change in thinking. "We must be bold, determined, and not afraid of collision. As our country is currently doing. Once we have decided to streamline, we must do it for real. Those who cannot do the job must be replaced. Those who are overloaded must be supported. Every agency must be like that for the country to develop quickly," said Mr. Hung.

Giving his final words to the younger generation of civil servants, Mr. Hung said: "Today, they have better working conditions, but also more pressure. If you want to stay in the civil service for a long time, you must maintain your 'heart'. Study constantly, practice constantly, and most importantly, know what you are doing and for whom."

Minh Anh ( performed )

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/tu-chien-si-hau-can-den-nguoi-thu-ky-tham-lang-cua-van-phong-chinh-phu-11525073117033208.htm