PROJECT NO. 30 ON SIMPLIFICATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES: A SUCCESSFUL STORY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM IN VIETNAM Tran Van Ngoi, Director General, Institute of State Organizational Sciences, Ministry of Home Affairs, Vietnam Hanoi, September 2015

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM IN VIETNAM PAR CONTENTS: Originally 4 components PAR MASTER PROGRAM PHASE 1: 2001-2005 Reform of organizational machinery Institutional reform STAGE 1: 2001-2010 PHASE 2: 2006-2010 Public finance reform Civil service reform PHASE 1: 2011-2015 (2011-2020) STAGE 2: 2011-2020 Public admin procedure reform (2006-2010) Mordernization of public admistration system PHASE 2: 2016-2020

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM IN VIETNAM (CON) To build up and perfect institutions, focusing on: Economic institutions Institutions responsible for organization and operation of public administration system To innovate the process of developing and issuing regulatory documents To reform public administrative procedures, which is considered as “Break-through” of Public Administration Reform program. Institutional reform

PROJECT NO.30 ON SIMPLIFICATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES: A SUCCESSFUL STORY OF PAR. Reform of administrative procedures - a Break through of PAR; Models and measures of simplifying administrative procedures applied: One-Stop Shops, e-OSSs, Multi-level OSSs, Multi-sector working groups, Application of ISO 9001:2000 ….. To promote the effectiveness of OSSs Models, the Project on Simplification of Administrative Procedures (Project 30) was launched in 2007. Context To ensure the consistency, synchronism, simplicity, openness and transparency in administrative procedures. To facilitate individuals, organizations & enterprises in accessing & implementing administrative procedures. To enhance effectiveness and efficiency in state management. Objectives

PROJECT 30 - Implementation arrangements 4 levels of governments 400 Departments, General Departments of central Government ministries and agencies Central level Provincial level 1,300 Provincial Departments and agencies District level 700 district agencies, units Communal level 11,000 communal units

PROJECT 30 - Stakeholders: At initial stage: Working Groups were established, including: Prime Minister Working groups headed by Minister of Office of Government; 24 Working groups of Central Ministries and Agencies; 63 Working groups of Provinces. In 2010, Administrative Procedures Control Agency (APCA) was established. At first, under the Office of the Government, and then transferred to the Ministry of Justice. In each Ministry and Provincial People Committee , there set up one Division of Administrative Procedures Control under Department of Legal Affairs in Ministry and Department of Justice in Province. In 2013, Advisory Council on Administrative Procedures Reform was established and chaired by the Minister of Justice. Ministry of Justice is Standing agency of the Advisory Council.

PROJECT 30 - Implementation stages Collection of administrative statistics Phase 1 Review of administrative procedures Phase 2 Simplifying administrative procedures Phase 3

Phase of Administrative Procedures Statistics PROJECT 30 – Results Phase of Administrative Procedures Statistics In October 2009, National database on administrative procedures at 4 government levels was announced and posted in Internet with over 5,700 administrative procedures, more than 9,000 regulatory documents and more than 100,000 forms of administrative procedures. Administrative procedures sets have been standardized and unified at district level and communal level. Number of administrative procedure sets was cut down. More than 10,000 sets of procedures at communal level were condensed down to 63 sets; and more than 700 sets at district level were condensed down to 63 sets in 63 provinces and cities.

Phase of Administrative Procedures Reviews PROJECT 30 - Results Phase of Administrative Procedures Reviews Resulution No. 25 of the Government Simplification of 258 administrative procedures is estimated to save upto 5,700 billion VND equal to 300 million USD/year 258 administrative procedures of Ministries and central agencies were selected to be simplified, in which many were repealed, replaces; Variety of forms were simplified or unified into one common form applied nationwide . To simplify 258 administrative procedures require the admendment of at least 14 laws, 3 ordinances, 44 decrees, 8 decision made by Prime Minister, 67 circulars, 33 decisions made by Ministers…

PROJECT 30 – Results Phase of Administrative Procedures Review At the end of Phase 2, more than 5,500 administrative procedures were reviewed, in which: More than 453 administrative procedures were proposed to be repealed, rescinded More than 3,749 procedures were proposed to be amended and supplemented 288 procedures were proposed to be altered. Reached the targets of cutting down 30% compliance costs, equivalents to 30,000 billion VND/year

Prime Minister Working Group: PROJECT 30 - Results Phase of Administrative Procedures Simplification and Sustainability of the Results. Prime Minister Working Group: Synthesize and analyze the Plans of administrative procedures submitted by ministries and provinces, Consult opinions of the Advisory Council, experts, lawyers, Set up an independent plan of administrative procedures simplification, in which: 4,132 procedures are proposed to be amended and supplimented 588 procedures are proposed to be abolished 165 procedures are proposed to be replaced. Institutionalization: Decrees of the Government issued Set up administrative procedures controlling agencies at central level, ministerial level and provincial level.

PROJECT 30 - Shortcomings Inadequate awareness on the importance of the Project 30  no strong commitment of several leaders Sophisticated work, so progress was slow in comparison to the planned schedule Lack of human resource and finance. Insufficient communications Slow in computerization of the review procedures. Identifying problems are difficult, but finding solutions for the problems are more difficult.

PROJECT 30 – Lessons and experiences Workplan should be concretized and detailed with clearly defined roadmap Clear assignments of tasks from central level to local level Specialized units are set up from central level to local level Strong commitment of leaders at all levels is specially important Mobilizing broad participation of the citizens and business community. Setting clear targets of cutting down the compliance costs for administrative procedures as benchmarks Learning and sharing international experiences is important

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION