Developing a set of indicators for social trust and promoting the strength of national unity.

On the morning of December 12th, in Hanoi , the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front organized a "Consultation Workshop on the Content and Implementation Methods for Independently Evaluating the Provincial-Level Social Trust Index."

The workshop aims to implement the directives of General Secretary To Lam at the First Congress of the Party Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and Central Mass Organizations, term 2025-2030, which assigned the Vietnam Fatherland Front to preside over the development and independent assessment of the Provincial-level Social Trust Index.

In his opening remarks at the workshop, Mr. Vu Van Tien, Member of the Presidium and Head of the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, stated that social trust is the foundation of political and social stability, a factor that creates consensus, and a spiritual resource for effectively implementing the policies and guidelines of the Party and the State. The development of the provincial-level social trust index stems from the solid political and legal foundation established by our Party.

“With the motto ‘The people know, the people discuss, the people do, the people inspect, the people supervise, and the people benefit,’ we affirm the central position of the people in the entire process of policy planning and implementation. Strengthening the people's trust must be based on tangible results, effective governance, and transparency in implementation. In the context of the country accelerating reforms, building a socialist rule of law state, and deep international integration, measuring the independence of social trust becomes even more urgent,” Mr. Vu Van Tien emphasized.

Mr. Vu Van Tien, Member of the Presidium and Head of the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, speaks at the seminar. (Photo: Hoai Nam/Vietnam+)

According to Mr. Vu Van Tien, the index must answer the following big questions: What is the current level of public trust? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each locality? What factors promote or diminish trust? What solutions does the locality need to sustainably strengthen social trust?

Sharing his experience at the workshop on building the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and some proposals for the Vietnam Fatherland Front in building the index, Mr. Dau Anh Tuan, Standing Committee Member and Deputy Secretary General of VCCI, said that over nearly two decades, the time-series data of the PCI has provided a vivid and scientific picture of the evolution of local governance in Vietnam.

Based on technical experience and practical implementation of the PCI, Mr. Dau Anh Tuan believes that in building the Social Trust Index, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front must absolutely ensure the principles of independence and objectivity. The assessment of social trust should be carried out by an independent expert council or using a reputable independent research unit. It is absolutely necessary to avoid situations where the units being evaluated participate in the data collection or processing process.

Mr. Tuan also recommended establishing strict identity security procedures; combining survey data and statistical data, and linking measurement results to accountability, because the power of an indicator lies not only in rankings but also in the pressure for reform it creates afterward.

The results of the Social Trust Index should be used as a tool to monitor power, linked to the accountability of leaders of local Party committees and governments. Mechanisms need to be established to require governments at all levels to organize dialogues, provide explanations, and develop specific remedial plans when the trust index in a particular area declines.

According to Ha Thi Nga, Vice Chairwoman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Social Trust Index will be an objective, open, and transparent means of evaluating the performance of localities, enabling each locality to better serve the people and listen to their opinions.

She also hoped that the workshop would serve as a foundation for a coordinated approach to independently evaluate the set of indicators, thereby promoting the strength of national unity and demonstrating the position and role of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in the current period.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/xay-dung-bo-chi-so-niem-tin-xa-hoi-phat-huy-suc-manh-dai-doan-ket-toan-dan-post1082661.vnp