Public Administration Reform Index: Looking at the limitations, gradually raising the ranking

In 2022, the province’s Public Administration Reform index (PAR index) dropped 31 places compared to 2021. In which, there were a number of sub-indexes that decreased in both scores and ratings. This is the lowest result of the province since the Ministry of Home Affairs made the determination of this index up to now.

Youth union members of Lang Son city guide people to look up information on administrative procedures on online public services

The PAR index is an effective management tool that has been promulgated and applied by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the 11th year to help the Government monitor, evaluate and rank annual PAR results of ministries, ministerial-level agencies and People’s Committees of provinces and central-run cities. At the same time, through the index, it helps ministries, agencies and localities to analyze, compare and clearly define the achieved results, shortcomings and limitations in each PAR content and task to have solutions to improve the quality and efficiency of this work.

Clarifying the cause

In 2022, the provincial PAR INDEX was assessed on 8 fields with 37 criteria, 88 component criteria; the total evaluation score is 100 points, in which, the evaluation score through reports and verification documents accounts for 68 points; the assessment score through the sociological survey accounted for 32 points (in 2022, Lang Son province surveyed with a total of 395 online survey questionnaires).

As a result, according to the announcement of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the PAR index in 2022 of Lang Son decreased in both scores and rankings, in which there were component indexes among the lowest provinces in the country. Specifically, Lang Son reached 81.45%, ranked 54/63 provinces, down 5.66%, down 31 ranks compared to 2021.

One of the component indexes with a sharp decline is the construction and development of e-government and digital government. It is known that the Party Committees and authorities at all levels in the province have paid attention, implemented drastically, regularly maintained and updated the e-government architecture; established and operated an information system to handle administrative procedures and implement online public services throughout the province, however, this component index still has 4.08 points that have not yet reached the maximum. In which, there are criteria of this index that have not met the requirements such as: the digitization of administrative procedures, the rate of online dossiers is only 69.24%; The targets for making online payments have not reached 100%…

The above results are not commensurate with the attention, leadership and direction of the Provincial Party Committee, People’s Council, Provincial People’s Committee and efforts of all levels and sectors in implementing solutions to strengthen PAR, the focus is on reforming administrative procedures, applying information technology, digital transformation, serving people, business organizations. This comes from different objective and subjective reasons.

Mr. Duong Xuan Huyen, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the Provincial PAR Steering Committee, said: The PAR index in 2022 has a downgrade stemming from various reasons. Specifically, due to the characteristics of the province, it is not possible to immediately implement a number of component criteria, especially the criterion of reducing public administrative units, the implementation of the autonomy mechanism of non-business units. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the first months of 2022, some socio-economic development criteria have not been met. Besides, there is a difference in the level of education in the surveyed population areas, some regulations and administrative terms in the survey form are still abstract to the people, which partly affects the results of measuring satisfaction of people and organizations.

Along with that, the heads of a number of agencies, units and localities have not been really drastic in directing and implementing PAR, so a number of targets and criteria have not been implemented or implemented but the results are still low; especially the targets of digitizing administrative procedure records, online payment in administrative procedure settlement, investment attraction, and provincial budget revenue. Besides, the PAR in the province is not really effective and of high quality in all fields; professional capacity, sense of responsibility to serve people and businesses of a part of civil servants and public employees, especially at the grassroots level, are not high, service quality is still limited; There are also respondents who are not satisfied with the service of state administrative agencies and there are leaders, managers, and delegates of the Provincial People’s Council who have not yet appreciated the results of the PAR work of the province, the survey score only reached 16.4/22 points, ranking 57/63 provinces and cities.

Synchronizing solution

In order to effectively implement PAR, from the beginning of 2023, The Provincial People’s Committee has issued the PAR plan in the province, setting out 48 specific tasks and sticking to the action motto “tightening discipline, strengthening responsibility, taking drastic action, creating breakthroughs”,  in which directing agencies and units from provincial to commune level to focus on all contents of this work. At the same time, the Department of Home Affairs was assigned to be the standing agency advising the Provincial People’s Committee on PAR work to regularly inspect, urge and guide agencies and units to effectively implement.

Officials of the “one-stop” section of the People’s Committee of Van Quan district return the results of administrative procedures for granting land use right certificates to people

In particular, right after the results of the PAR index in 2022 were announced, the Provincial People’s Committee has directed the Department of Home Affairs to coordinate with departments, sectors and People’s Committees of districts and cities to develop detailed reports analyzing specific indicators, thereby clearly showing low indicators, agencies and units that do not do well, affecting the ranking of provincial indicators. In May 2023, the Provincial People’s Committee held a 3-level online conference (province, district, commune) to analyze the results of a number of low-achieving indicators of the province, including the PAR index, and propose some solutions to improve ranking high in this index in the following year.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Hung, Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Information and Communications said: In 2022, the component index “Building and developing e-government and digital government” in the general PAR index has not reached. Recognizing the importance of this index, from the beginning of 2023, we have advised the Provincial People’s Committee to issue documents directing and administering the implementation of digital transformation and development of digital government. At the same time, after the index was announced, we also held a meeting to carefully analyze the points that were achieved, failed, and lost points. As a result, the whole province has implemented to provide 1,415 online public services partially and fully. Accordingly, from the beginning of 2023 until now, the system has received 157,027 dossiers, of which 146,953 records are received online (reaching 93.6%). From now until the end of 2023, we will coordinate with relevant agencies to overcome the identified shortcomings to contribute to improving the PAR index in 2023.

Van Quan is one of the units in 2022 that still has many limitations in PAR work according to the PAR index published by the Provincial People’s Committee. Specifically, in 2022, the district’s PAR index will only reach 78.50% and rank 10th out of 11 districts and cities, down 1 rank compared to 2021. The district’s results have a significant influence on the province’s overall PAR results. Mr. Nong Thanh Hoang, Head of the District Division of Home Affairs said: Right after the results of the PAR index were available, we advised the District People’s Committee to organize a conference to analyze the PAR index of the district, point out the advantages, limitations and propose solutions to overcome the actual situation, clearly define the responsibilities of agencies, units and heads of state administration at all levels in the implementation of administrative reform. At the same time, we also focused on strengthening instructions and encouraging people to perform public services. In particular, we have advised the District People’s Committee to issue a plan to overcome the PAR index in 2023, in which we aim to rank 6th out of 11 districts and city in the province.

In order to overcome the low PAR index, after holding a conference to analyze the index, in June 2023, the Provincial People’s Committee held a meeting to consider the draft plan to improve the low scores, including the PAR index and the PAR plan of Lang Son province in 2023, replacing the Plan No. 02/KH-UBND dated January 1, 2023 of the Provincial People’s Committee (addition of goals and targets for implementation in 2023). In which, it clearly stated the goal to strive for in 2023, the PAR index will reach 85% or more and be in the group of 35 leading cities and provinces; setting out clear tasks and solutions, attaching responsibilities to the specialized agencies in charge of the criteria. To date, two plans have been issued and implemented.

In addition, the Provincial PAR Steering Committee has issued the PAR inspection plan in 2023, approved the plan to examine the contents and topics of PAR work by fields; directed the inspection of discipline, administrative discipline associated with the administrative reform.

Thanks to those solutions, from the beginning of 2023 until now, the fields and contents of PAR work have been implemented synchronously, ensuring the content and requirements. Accordingly, the rate of administrative procedures dossiers in the whole province that are settled on time reaches 99.8%; 105,673 records, administrative procedures settlement results have been digitized into the provincial data warehouse (in which: provincial level: 18,420 records; district and commune level: 87,253 records); officially connected 14/17 information systems and databases (national database on population; business registration; insurance; road vehicle registration…), and 3/17 systems are in the testing connection stage; has issued 22,826 digital certificates and digital signatures for organizations and individuals…

Mrs. Hoang Thi Luan, Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs said: The PAR index is an important tool to monitor and evaluate PAR activities, so it is necessary to pay attention to and improve the quality of the index every year. From now until the end of 2023 and in the following years, the Department of Home Affairs will actively advise the Provincial People’s Committee to strengthen the direction of state administrative agencies and units to well implement the contents and tasks of PAR work,  in which focusing on implementing and implementing digital transformation contents; implementing the project on building e-Government of Lang Son province in the period of 2019 – 2025. Along with that, it is strengthening inspection of administrative reform associated with specialized inspection activities…