Listening to public opinion in administrative reform

The Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) is still considered a tool to reflect the people's voice on the level of effectiveness of state management, administration, policy implementation and public service provision of governments at all levels. The PAPI index aims to improve the effectiveness of local governments in serving the people in order to better meet the increasing demands of the people. The fact that Hai Duong has been in the low-average group for two consecutive years in PAPI shows that solutions to provide public services by governments at all levels still have limitations.

Recently, the Provincial People's Committee and the District People's Committees in the province announced the 2023 administrative reform index. This is a solution to monitor and evaluate the results of administrative reform implementation in a practical, objective and fair manner; at the same time, record and reflect the assessment of people and organizations on the results of administrative reform... However, reports on results and assessment of administrative reform indexes in localities and in the province show that the recording of opinions and reflections of people and businesses on this issue is not really satisfactory.

Regarding the assessment of the administrative reform index of the People's Committee at the commune level, the satisfaction index of people and organizations with the service of state administrative agencies only accounts for a maximum of 10/100 points. The "measurement" of the satisfaction index of people and organizations is collected by localities using sociological survey forms; some places only ask 20 people per commune, ward, and town. Regarding the assessment of the administrative reform index of departments, branches, sectors, and People's Committees at the district level, the opinion measuring the satisfaction of people and organizations with the service of the People's Committees at the district level also accounts for a maximum of 10/100 points. The collection of opinions of people and businesses is done by online survey forms via the SIPAS Hai Duong application on smartphones. However, it is very difficult to find this information and application on the internet, Google's application store. Meanwhile, the method of collecting public opinions to evaluate the PAPI index is to directly interview randomly selected respondents with an average duration of each interview of 45-60 minutes.

At the conference to announce the administrative reform index of departments, branches, sectors and People's Committees of districts, towns and cities in 2023, Hai Duong Provincial Party Secretary Tran Duc Thang encouraged the achieved results; emphasized that one of the subjective limitations in administrative reform is that some agencies and units have not really resolutely implemented their tasks, dared to stand up and have solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles for people and businesses. Comrade Tran Duc Thang frankly assessed that some agencies and units have not focused on reviewing and simplifying administrative procedures, have not cut down and shortened the processing time, and created favorable conditions for people and businesses.

The important purpose of administrative reform is to better serve businesses and people, and promote socio-economic development. Therefore, assessing the administrative reform index does not stop at determining the rankings between departments, branches, sectors, and localities, but needs to replicate effective practices; analyze to identify and overcome subjective causes; resolutely overcome long-standing limitations. In the same similar conditions, if there are units and localities with long-standing limitations and weaknesses, it is necessary to consider the responsibility of the head...

In particular, with Hai Duong's motto of "taking people and businesses as the center of service", it is very necessary for the provincial Party Committees and authorities to really pay attention and listen to the people and businesses to have practical administrative reform solutions and promote effectiveness in practice.