Communist Review - One of the three breakthrough solutions in Party building work pointed out by the 13^th National Party Congress is "promoting democracy, tightening discipline, creating an innovative environment in personnel work”⁽¹⁾. Therefore, it is urgent to continue to innovate thinking and actions in personnel work in line with current reality.

From innovative thinking to actions of the Communist Party of Vietnam in personnel work

Through each Congress, the views and policies of the Party on personnel work are more and more clearly expressed, consistent and more in line with the current revolutionary requirements of the tasks set out. In particular, the point of view on promoting democracy, tightening discipline, and creating an innovative environment in personnel work has made new progress in both thinking and practical action.

Promoting democracy in personnel work is an important premise to ensure the Party’s leadership in personnel management and promote the responsibilities of Party committees and leaders at all levels. This question was taken into account in different Party documents and was adjusted and perfected through different congresses during the renovation period: “Democratizing personnel work by stipulating clear regulations”⁽³⁾, “ensuring democracy and collective decision making in personnel work”⁽⁴⁾, “ensuring the principle of collectivism and democracy associated with the promotion of individual responsibility in personnel work”⁽⁵⁾, “promoting democracy, relying on the collective decision making and the people to select cadres”⁽⁶⁾.

From experience in the process of the leadership of the 10^th Congress (2006 - 2010), the Resolution of the 11^th National Party Congress clearly showed that the renovation of personnel work is not up to par; lacks specific mechanisms and policies to promote true democracy in managing human resources, identifying and developing talents. That is the reason why the view of promoting democracy in personnel work has been transformed into “expanding and promoting democracy that must be associated with strengthening discipline” and has become a lesson learned: “ensuring the principle of democratic centralism which is embodied through collective leadership, individual responsibility, promoting the role, responsibility, and involvement of leaders”⁽⁷⁾. Besides, it is compulsory to maximize the potential and creativity of cadres for the development of the country, as directed by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong for personnel work at a National Conference to summarize the results of Party building in 2017 and implement tasks for 2018: “It is crucial to establish standards and tighten discipline, promote personnel reform in order to satisfy political requirements and new situations, allocate resources, enhance innovation and intelligence of human resources in all branches, levels, and sectors”⁽⁸⁾.

Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW dated May 19, 2018, of the 12^th Party Central Committee on “Focusing on building a contingent of cadres at all levels, especially at the strategic level, with sufficient quality, capacity, and prestige, on par with duties” has also identified two key tasks: 1- Continue to reform comprehensively, synchronously and effectively personnel management; establish standards and tighten discipline as well as create an innovative environment; 2- Create a mechanism to protect officials who dare to think, dare to do, dare to take risks to create breakthroughs, dare to take responsibility for the common good; focus on building a contingent of cadres at the strategic level and secretaries of Party committees and heads at all levels in parallel with decentralization and separation of powers in order to foster creativity; strengthen inspection, supervision and strict control of power. At the 13^th National Congress, the Party emphasized: “One of the breakthrough solutions in Party building work is to promoting democracy, tightening discipline and creating an innovative environment in personnel work”.

Thanks to the sound views and guidelines of the Party, personnel work has made a successful transformation, becoming more and more innovative, following the Party's views and principles, and thus achieving numerous significant results, corresponding to the requirements of building a contingent of cadres in the period of accelerating national industrialization and modernization and inclusive international integration. The legal framework on personnel management has been increasingly improved; The stages and steps in the staffing process are regulated more specifically. The Politburo and the Secretariat have promulgated regulations to ensure close coordination and connectivity among agencies.

In particular, the 12^th Congress has actively revised, supplemented, and issued guidelines and regulations to solve practical problems and promptly deal with weaknesses in personnel work; at the same time, it has directed to continue piloting some new policies on personnel work; formulating, supplementing, amending and promulgating many new regulations on assessment, planning, training, rotation, appointment, candidate proposal and control of power. The Politburo has concretized them by issuing different regulations⁽⁹⁾. On that basis, Party committees at all levels and organizations continued to concretize and implement strictly these regulations and policies. It can be affirmed that the assessment, planning, training, retraining, election, appointment, and rotation of human resources has made positive changes in the direction of expanding democracy, ensuring objectivity, publicity, transparency, accuracy, thus contributing to improving the quality of the team of leaders and managers at all levels. A large number of officials have shown their dynamism and creativity, they dare to think, dare to do, dare to take responsibility for the common good, and well fulfill their assigned tasks. Many staff members are capable of directing and coordinating and are able to analyze, synthesize, and have political sensitivity. They have dialectical thinking, dare to raise their voices, dare to take responsibility, and take initiative.

Inspection and supervision have been increasingly focused and implemented in a drastic, comprehensive, synchronous, and innovative manner; There is no “prohibited zone” in the inspection and execution of the Party's disciplinary measures. Through inspection, a number of Party members at all levels, heads of Party committees, authorities as well as cadres who had held high positions in leading agencies of the Party and State or generals in the armed forces have been disciplined fairly and strictly. During the term of the 12^th Party Congress, Party committees and inspection committees at all levels imposed disciplinary measures against 2,209 corrupt officials and Party members, including 113 incumbent and retired central government officials⁽¹⁰⁾. Many serious and complicated corruption cases, which have attracted public attention, have been handled strictly and lawfully, hence contributing to warning, deterring, tightening discipline in the Party and state apparatus, building and consolidating the people's trust in the Party, State, and the socialist regime.

However, personnel work still has certain limitations, some of which are related to the implementation of the Party's viewpoints on personnel work. The mechanism to control power in human resources management has not been completed, and lacks synchronization, leading to inefficiency. The supervision role of the people has not been really promoted. Many localities had manifestations of pseudo-democracy, and personnel planning was not strictly controlled. The assessment of cadres in some areas was not substantial; self-criticism and criticism were still limited. Besides, the institutionalization of the Party's guidelines on some contents in personnel work has not been consistent and timely; staff policies have not been improved to motivate employees at the workplace. Some officials who showed signs of deterioration in political ideology, morality, lifestyle, and law violations were not punished, thus declining public trust. Corruption and wastefulness that can take many forms are still serious and complex, causing public frustration.

The above limitations stem from the following reasons: 1- Inadequate understanding of some guidelines and policies of the Party and the State on personnel work, leading to inefficient implementation; 2- Decentralization of staff management is not appropriate to the current situation, lacks inspection, supervision, and control; there is no strict power control mechanism, personnel selection is not good to promptly remove incompetent cadres; 3- There are no good breakthrough mechanism, policies, and solutions to promote the initiative, innovation and creativity of officials; 4- the supervisory role of the elected bodies as well as the supervision and social criticism of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations are not given full play.

Key tasks on personnel work in the spirit of the 13^th National Congress

Faced with the urgent requirements of Party building, the Communist Party of Vietnam determined that “promoting democracy, tightening discipline, creating an innovative environment in personnel work” is one of three breakthrough solutions to build a contingent of cadres with sufficient virtue, capability, and prestige on a par with their assigned tasks in the new situation, contributing to building a pure and strong Party and political system. With the motto: “the organizational and personnel work must be considered as a breakthrough, a “key” of the “key” task that determines the survival of the Party, the fate of the regime, the rapid and sustainable development of the country”⁽¹¹⁾, the 13th Party Congress pointed out orientations with profound theoretical and practical value on personnel work in the coming time as follows:

Firstly, a top priority should be given to building a contingent of cadres and civil servants with sufficient virtue, capability, and prestige to serve the people and promote national growth. Strengthening discipline, reforming wages and remuneration policies, creating an innovative working environment to motivate staff. Reviewing, amending, and supplementing policies to encourage cadres and civil servants to improve their professional qualifications and skills, professional ethics, and fulfill their duties; consider political bravery, ethical qualities, capacity, and effectiveness in performing tasks as key factors to evaluate and appoint cadres. It is necessary to use effective methods of performance evaluation under principles of transparency, multi-dimensionality, and specific criteria to assess the level of task completion. Prioritizing training and development of human resources; fostering and using talents and cadres with outstanding capabilities; attracting and retaining the best and the brightest graduates and young scientists. In addition, “it is crucial to promptly remove those who fail to fulfill their tasks, violate the law, professional ethics, those who are disciplined and no longer trusted by the people”⁽¹²⁾. Human resource management should be carried out promptly, strictly, and objectively under appropriate regulations to remove managers who do not fulfill their tasks and satisfy all requirements for the job, and to retain virtuous and talented cadres. There should be specific mechanisms and regulations on the immediate dismissal and resignation of officials who have incapable, disreputable, and violate the law without waiting for the end of their term or their retirement.

Secondly, building a democratic and innovative workplace and tightening discipline. The 13^th Party Congress pointed out: “It is necessary to build a healthy, democratic, united and humane working culture; eliminating bureaucracy, factionalism, disunity, opportunism and pragmatism”⁽¹³⁾. Building a healthy, democratic, united, and humanistic workplace plays a significant role in motivating employees to work harder and dedicate themselves. At the workplace, managers should pay attention to ensuring democracy, allowing all voices of officials and party members to be heard with respect; all employees should always work hand in hand together to help each other. In order to build an innovative workplace, the most important factor is that leaders and managers at all levels must be real pioneers, exemplary in implementing the principles and regulations at the workplace on the basis of “democratic centralism, collective leadership, individual responsibility”⁽¹⁴⁾. Strengthening internal solidarity, discipline, avoiding deterioration in political ideology, morality, lifestyle, manifestation of “self-evolution”, “self-transformation”; strictly implementing resolutions, directives, regulations, and internal regulations; reporting, explaining, and assuming responsibility when required. Agencies and organizations that directly employ staff are responsible for supplementing, perfecting, and strictly implementing the code of professional ethics, rules, and regulations on staff management both during and after working hours to tighten discipline in personnel management; regularly inspect and supervise the implementation; understand the psychology and life of officials and complaints about them to take timely measures.

Thirdly, establishing a mechanism to strictly control power, renewing inspection and supervision, proactively detecting early violations in human resources management to deter them effectively. Perfecting the power control mechanism, giving priority to sectors prone to corruption. The prevention and control of corruption should focus on preventing and combating deterioration in the political ideology, morality, and lifestyle of officials. The inspection and supervision need to “respect the principles of objectivity, democracy, science, synchronization, unity, prudence, coherence, and feasibility”⁽¹⁵⁾ in order to prevent early violations of law from becoming more severe and to not cause fears and preoccupations among officials. Reviewing, supplementing, and completing regulations on authority and responsibility of institutions and individuals; on the control and supervision role of functional agencies, elected bodies, the mass media, and the people in personnel work; building and managing a team of officials under the principle by which authority must go hand in hand with responsibility, all power must be controlled.

Moreover, due consideration should be given to developing appropriate mechanisms and policies to promote the roles and responsibilities of elected bodies and the people in Party building work, especially proactively detecting and promptly preventing violations of cadres and party members. Encouraging collaboration across inspection and supervision agencies in exchanging information and establishing interdisciplinary inspection teams to ensure a synchronous, comprehensive, “non-overlapping” implementation to minimize wasteful use of resources”⁽¹⁶⁾ and avoid affecting the normal operation of agencies and organizations.

Fourthly, all levels of party committees, party organizations, and agencies in the political system must improve the sense of responsibility, organize the synchronous and effective implementation of all stages in human resources management; reviewing, developing and completing standard frameworks on job titles and positions; hiring the right people in the right positions, encouraging officials to maximize their strengths and devote themselves. Party committees and heads at all levels must thoroughly grasp and fully implement the Conclusion No. 14-KL/TW dated September 22, 2021, of the Politburo on “Policy to encourage and protect officials who are dynamic, creative for the common good”; continue to study and develop policies to strongly arouse the sense of responsibility, aspiration for dedication, the spirit of innovation to serve the Fatherland and the people. All initiatives officials should be heard with respect; motivating them, and creating favorable conditions for them to come up with innovative ideas for the common good. Praising and rewarding them for their contributions; formulating a specific mechanism, prioritizing the appointment of officials with innovative thinking to make breakthroughs. Along with making space for innovation, Party committees and agencies need to focus on inspection, supervision, and timely detection of errors in the implementation process. Timely preventing and strictly handling acts of pretending to encourage and protect officials with innovative ideas in order to make a profit for individuals or a certain group or to cover up errors and violations.

The 13^th National Congress determined that Vietnam strives to become a developed, high-income, socialist-oriented country by the middle of the 21^st century after three key milestones: The first step is to become a developing country with modern industry, surpassing the low-middle income level by 2025; the second step is to become a developing country with modern industry and high middle income by 2030; and the third step is to become a developed, high-income country by 2045. That goal requires a visionary development path, with a breakthrough but flexible thinking, in order to exploit all resources of the whole political system and society to the fullest extent possible, especially the potential and creativity of a contingent of cadres with strong political will, ethics, outstanding ability, dynamism and creativity for the common good.

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(1), (2) Documents of the 13^th National Congress, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2021, vol. II, p. 257, 226

(3) “Political Report of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam at the Sixth National Congress of the Party” in the book “Personnel work in the renovation period” (Extracted from Party documents), National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2018, p. 10

(4) “Political Report of the Sixth Central Committee at the Seventh National Congress” in the book “Personnel work in the renovation period” (Extracted from Party documents), Ibid, p. 71

(5) “Political Report of the 7th Central Committee at the 8^th National Congress of the Party”, in the book: “Personnel work in the renovation period” (Extracted from document Party), ibid, p. 105

(6) “Political Report of the 8^th Central Committee of the Party at the 9^th National Congress of the Party, April 2001” in the book “Personnel work during the Doi Moi period” (Extracted from Party documents), ibid, p. 229

(7) Document of the 12th National Congress of Deputies, Office of the Party Central Committee, Hanoi, 2016, p. 215

(8) https://nhandan.vn/tin-tuc-su-kien/doi-moi-manh-me-cong-tac-can-bo-dap-ung-yeu-cau-nhiem-vu-chinh-tri -va-tinh-hinh-moi-314967/, January 19, 2018

(9) Regulation No. 89-QD/TW dated August 4, 2017, on “standard framework of titles, orientation of evaluation criteria for leaders and managers at all levels”; Regulation No. 90-QD/TW dated August 4, 2017, on “title standards, criteria for evaluating officials managed by the Central Executive Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat” (the current Regulation No. 214-QD/TW dated January 2, 2020); Regulation No. 105-QD/TW dated December 19, 2017, on “decentralization of staff management, appointment and candidates proposal”; Regulation No. 132-QD/TW dated March 8, 2018, on “annual performance review of officials in the political system”.

(10) Document of the 13^th National Congress, Ibid, vol. II, p. 208 - 209

(11) Nguyen Phu Trong: “Well preparing and successfully organizing  the 13^th Party Congress, bringing the country into a new stage of development”, see: https://nhandan.vn, August 31, 2020

(12) Document of the 13^th National Congress, Ibid, vol. I, p. 179

(13), (14), (15) Document of the 13^th National Congress, Ibid, vol. I, p. 144, 198, 188

(16) Document of the 13^th National Congress, Ibid, vol. I, p. 190

This article was published in the Communist Review No. 977 (November 2021)