Two-level local government: Review and overcome the situation of surplus and shortage of staff

The improvement of the staff and civil servants in the two-level local government model has achieved many remarkable achievements, but there are still many difficulties and challenges that need to be overcome.

The two-tier local government model is being implemented with high expectations for reform and improved management efficiency. However, personnel work - the core element of this process - is facing many challenges.

There is a surplus or shortage of staff.

The transition to a two-level local government model has recorded many positive results, especially in personnel work and organizational structure. According to the latest report, administrative agencies at all levels have basically been organized, have sufficient personnel, and clearly defined functions, tasks, and powers. Regimes and policies have been initially implemented synchronously, creating an important legal and practical foundation for the operation of the new model.

Notably, the administrative apparatus has been drastically streamlined through the reduction of the number of specialized agencies and intermediary points. This not only helps save budget but also shortens the time to process work. The responsibility of the head is also enhanced through the mechanism of regular inspection and supervision from the central to local levels.

At the same time, administrative procedure reform and digital transformation have made much progress. Many localities have applied modern technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to management and operations, helping to receive and process records more transparently and on time, thereby strengthening people's trust.

However, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra frankly pointed out that the implementation process still faces many difficulties and shortcomings. Regarding the staff and civil servants at the commune level, many places have not met the new requirements. The surplus and shortage of staff still exists, especially in specialized fields such as information technology, finance, land, education and health. Recruitment of specialized human resources is hindered by lack of recruitment sources and contract limitations.

The Minister emphasized: “According to our synthesis, currently each commune has an average of about 41 cadres and civil servants. I think that such a number is not lacking. The number of commune-level civil servants who do not meet the job position in terms of expertise and profession is only about 5%, which is not large, but the important thing here is capacity, responsibility and initiative, the ability to adapt to the operation of the 2-level local government.”

In addition, the administrative procedure settlement system in many localities is still inadequate, often encountering technical errors, causing interruptions in processing records. The connection of national data with local data is not synchronized, especially in areas such as land, household registration and social insurance, leading to difficulties for people and businesses.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the number of commune-level civil servants who do not meet job requirements in terms of expertise and profession is only about 5%. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

Decentralization and delegation of power also encountered difficulties when some legal documents and administrative procedures were not adjusted in a timely manner. Many localities were confused and lacked initiative in implementation, especially in areas such as land management, finance and foreign affairs at the commune level due to lack of specific guidance. Information technology infrastructure in many places was not synchronized, there were still "bottlenecks", especially in densely populated areas.

Strengthening specialized staff at the commune level

Faced with the above challenges, Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra proposed that by October 15, ministries and branches need to urgently review, perfect institutions, supplement and amend specialized legal documents, especially in the fields of finance, land, science and technology, justice, construction, agriculture and environment.

One of the urgent solutions is to increase human resources for the commune level, especially in specialized fields. The Minister emphasized: “Some localities such as Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Hanoi , Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City have done very well in increasing provincial-level officials and civil servants to support the commune level, contributing to solving difficulties and improving the effectiveness of governance at the grassroots level. This is a very big task, which needs to be focused and highly concentrated to meet the requirements of the task”.

The Minister of Home Affairs also said that it is necessary to invest in upgrading facilities and information technology infrastructure, organizing training and fostering for staff, civil servants and public employees to ensure interconnection, effectively serving the work of directing, operating and providing online public services.

The Minister also requested localities to urgently establish public service units to provide basic and essential public services at the commune level, while strengthening areas facing difficulties such as agricultural extension activities at the grassroots level, following the direction of the Politburo and the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister also requested localities to continue reviewing and assessing the current situation of cadres and civil servants, especially at the commune level, to overcome the situation of surplus, shortage or failure to meet task requirements. The assessment results must be reported to the Politburo and the Government before October 15, 2025 through the Central Organizing Committee and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Experts also suggested that in addition to regular training and education, localities should organize assessments to review and classify civil servants, and determine who meets and who does not meet the requirements. It is important that training must be based on job positions, close to actual needs, not only focusing on expertise but also on job handling skills and information technology application, meeting the requirements of digital transformation, building digital government and digital society./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/chinh-quyen-dia-phuong-2-cap-ra-soat-khac-phuc-tinh-trang-thua-thieu-can-bo-post1068338.vnp