The revolution to streamline the administrative system is a critical task, requiring strong determination and significant effort from the entire political system to address a range of issues. The most complex and difficult one is the arrangement of personnel, including decisions about who stays, who leaves, and who is reassigned.

With the upcoming local government restructuring, under which Vietnam will run a two-level administration scheme (provincial and commune, with no more district level) and the merger to reduce the number of provinces and cities from over 10,000 communes to just over 3,000, the number of redundant civil servants will be substantial.

So, what criteria should be used to select personnel for the new system to ensure it is both streamlined and robust, efficient, effective, and capable of serving the people as the ultimate goal?

This challenge is particularly acute at the commune level, which directly handles most tasks related to the rights and interests of citizens and businesses. At recent NA sessions, this issue has been extensively discussed, reflecting deep concern and commitment, especially regarding the management and reassignment of the large number of redundant civil servants.

Master’s degrees “universal” at commune level

In recent years, due to policies and practices in personnel management, the majority of civil servants have undergone regular training to obtain certificates and degrees to meet professional title requirements.

The latest statistics released by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) showed that the country currently has about 212,000 commune-level civil servants. Under Government Decree 33, commune-level civil servants must hold a university degree or higher, except those working in disadvantaged areas. 92.42 percent of civil servants have a university degree or above.

This is commendable. However, as job positions have not been clearly defined, the education and degrees of civil servants often do not align with the demands of their roles. Master’s degrees have become almost “universal” at the commune level.

In the future, communes will be the closest unit to the people, directly handling tasks, requiring civil servants to be highly dedicated, diligent, and proficient in their assigned roles.

The work of grassroots civil servants involves direct operations, unlike higher-level agencies that require policy planning and strategic thinking. Thus, commune-level civil servants do not necessarily need to excel in theoretical expertise, visionary thinking, or macro-level research, the qualities typically associated with master’s or doctoral degree holders.

Attracting talent to the public sector is a hot topic of discussion these days. From a scientific and practical perspective, public administration which represents state authority in its relationship with citizens, primarily demands diligence, discipline, integrity, honesty, and a service-oriented mindset to fulfill duties and uphold the reputation of a modern public service.

Talent is often associated with innovation, creativity, bold thinking, and discovery of new approaches - the qualities typically expected from scientists, artists, or high-achieving athletes, and usually found in only a small number of individuals.

This is a key that needs to be considered when establishing criteria for selecting grassroots civil servants.

Civil servants trained in law, public administration, or socio-economic management are better suited to the demands of local governance.

Conversely, those trained in business and engineering (technology, construction, transportation, agriculture, etc.) may find suitable opportunities outside the public sector. This is increasingly feasible as the Party and State promote the private sector as a key driver of national development.

Finding other jobs

While identifying criteria for selecting personnel for the public sector, especially at the commune level, policies must also address the strategy for civil servants leaving the public system.

For those with master’s or doctoral degrees who possess strong expertise, finding a suitable job would not be overly difficult in today’s open job market, both domestically and internationally.

For the younger generation, proactivity, dynamism, and engagement, combined with the growing private sector job market, offer significant opportunities.

The traditional notion of “stability” in employment, even in the public sector, will no longer hold. Instead, stability will come from competence, skills, and adaptability—essential conditions to meet the demands of employers in both public and private sectors.

Previously, some localities applied policies to attract young, qualified talent, but under the new conditions, some may have to leave public sector roles.

The movement of human resources between the public and private sectors will become commonplace in the future. Civil servants will come and go, move up or down, to keep the public system vibrant, intelligent, capable, and ethical, fulfilling its mission to serve development in the new era.

Dinh Van Minh, PhD

Former Director of the Legal Affairs Department, Government Inspectorate