Evaluating officials based on quantitative criteria

Dong Nai Province has created very important changes in the spirit and sense of responsibility of its officials and civil servants toward their assigned duties. This is the “key” enabling the province to realize its targets of GRDP growth of 10% or more, and state budget revenue exceeding 100 trillion VND in 2026, while further expanding the attraction of high-quality investment.

At working sessions with communes and wards on the implementation of tasks for 2026, Vo Tan Duc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, emphasized: “Officials are the foundation of all work. Therefore, only by properly evaluating and assigning the right people to the right jobs can the best effectiveness be achieved. There must be mechanisms and policies to promptly encourage and reward officials who perform well, but there must also be firm measures to deal with those who fail to complete their duties, especially officials who avoid responsibility, shirk work, or even engage in harassment of citizens and businesses”.

CREATING CHANGES FROM THE CONTINGENT OF CADRES

Following the historic restructuring of the administrative apparatus in 2025, the number of specialized agencies under the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee was sharply reduced from 29 to 14 departments and equivalent agencies (a reduction of more than 50%), while the number of division-level units was cut by 87 focal points (down 45%). The termination of district-level government functions and the official implementation of the two-tier local government model (including provincial and communal levels), together with the strong decentralization and delegation of authority directly from the province to the commune level, have helped shorten decision-making processes and reduce intermediary layers. This is one of the key factors contributing to improved effectiveness in leadership, administration, and task execution.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (far right, front row) exchanges views with provincial leaders on accelerating progress to bring the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway Project to completion. Photo: Cong Nghia

The Provincial Party Committee’s decisive and repeated mobilization and rotation of officials from provincial departments and agencies to work at the commune level has been assessed as a major breakthrough, bringing officials closer to the people. This is not only a solution to address surplus personnel but also a “reinforcement” of knowledgeable officials with experience and modern governance skills to work closely with communities, supporting grassroots authorities during the initial phase of implementing the two-tier local government model. Officials assigned by the province to the commune level have strictly complied with their assignments. In particular, those sent to remote and deep-lying communes have demonstrated a strong spirit of overcoming difficulties in travel, accommodation, and daily life in order to focus on fulfilling their assigned tasks well.

Nguyen Thanh Hien, Chairman of Dak Lua Commune People’s Committee, said: “Being assigned to a remote commune more than 160 kilometers from the provincial center, I initially had certain concerns. These concerns stemmed from several reasons: being far from my family in the provincial center, the sudden change in working environment, and worries about whether I could fulfill the tasks assigned by the province. However, those concerns were quickly set aside as work became very demanding following the restructuring of the apparatus and the implementation of the two-tier local government model. After more than six months of operation, Dak Lua Commune has seen positive changes, and people’s trust in the local government apparatus has increased. This is also their trust in the contingent of officials”.

Along with its increasingly high demands placed on officials and civil servants regarding work performance, the Provincial Party Committee has led and directed the issuance of many mechanisms and policies for officials and civil servants during the process of restructuring, streamlining, and operating the administrative apparatus from the provincial to the commune level. Accordingly, provincial-level officials from the former Binh Phuoc Province who were transferred to work at the new Dong Nai provincial administrative center after the provincial merger are entitled to policies on housing, transportation, and living expenses. Officials transferred from the province to distant communes are also ensured appropriate policy support, helping them feel secure in their work.

Nguyen Kim Long, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee

Meanwhile, Lu Thanh Nam, an official from the Office of the Provincial People’s Committee assigned to work at Nhon Trach Commune People’s Committee, one of the province’s development drivers, shared: “Officials transferred from the province to the commune level do not mean having lighter workloads or less pressure, because realities at the commune level are very rich and diverse, especially as communes are now being delegated and authorized with more and more responsibilities. Moreover, Nhon Trach is a key growth commune of the province, not only hosting many industrial parks but also implementing numerous major transportation infrastructure projects. Therefore, the greater the work pressure, the higher the responsibility must be”.

HIGH RESPONSIBILITY GOES HAND IN HAND WITH BENEFITS

Nguyen Kim Long, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, assessed that 2025 was truly a breakthrough year in streamlining the administrative apparatus, tightening discipline, and improving work efficiency from the provincial to the commune level. The entire system, from province to commune, has shifted from a management mindset to a service-oriented approach, while also inspiring a spirit of dedication and forming a contingent of officials with integrity and competence, who dare to think, dare to act, and dare to take responsibility for the common good. The evaluation of officials has also shifted from qualitative to quantitative methods, with clear criteria, clear responsibilities, and clear outputs.

Meanwhile, a leader of the Department of Finance shared that the weekly and monthly workload of the department is very large, so task assignment to divisions must always go hand in hand with regular inspection and evaluation, especially for tasks related to serving citizens and businesses. The evaluation of officials and civil servants in the department is no longer general or vague, but is based on the rate of dossiers processed on time and the quality of feedback from citizens regarding the spirit and service attitude of officials and civil servants. In particular, the Department of Finance places strong emphasis on the application of information technology and digital transformation in receiving and processing dossiers in the digital environment. This is not only a professional and effective solution but also helps prevent potential negative practices.

Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Vo Tan Duc said that in 2025, the province achieved very important and comprehensive results in socio-economic development, national defense and security, and Party building. In addition to the correct and decisive leadership of the Provincial Party Committee and the effective administration of the Provincial People’s Committee, the spirit of overcoming difficulties, daring to think, daring to act, and daring to take responsibility among officials and civil servants was an important factor contributing to these achievements.

With the goal of achieving GRDP growth of 10% or more in 2026, maintaining state budget revenue above 100 trillion VND, striving to complete many key projects, and accelerating investment attraction, the action-oriented spirit of 2025 must be carried forward more strongly, more decisively, and with greater effectiveness.

By Cong Nghia – Translated by Quynh Nhu, Thu Ha