Circular No. 20/2011/TT-BYT guiding the work of Competition and Reward in the Health Sector

CIRCULAR

Guidelines for Competition and Reward Work in the Health Sector

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Pursuant to the Competition and Reward Law on November 26, 2003 and the Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Competition and Reward Law on June 14, 2005;

Pursuant to Decree No. 42/2010/NĐ-CP dated April 15, 2010 of the Government detailing the implementation of certain articles of the Competition and Reward Law and the Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Competition and Reward Law;

Based on Decree No. 122/2005/NĐ-CP dated October 4, 2005 of the Government stipulating the organization of competition and reward work;

Based on Decree No. 188/2007/NĐ-CP dated December 27, 2007 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Health, and Decree No. 22/2010/NĐ-CP dated March 9, 2010 of the Government amending and supplementing Article 3 of Decree No. 188/2007/NĐ-CP dated December 27, 2007 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Health;

Based on Circular No. 02/2011/TT-BNV dated January 24, 2011 of the Ministry of Home Affairs guiding the implementation of Decree No. 42/2010/NĐ-CP dated April 15, 2010 of the Government detailing the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Competition and Rewards and the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Law on Competition and Rewards;

The Minister of Health guides the competition and reward work in the health sector as follows:

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Circular guides the objects of competition and rewards; organizing competitions and standards for commendation titles; forms and standards for rewards; decision-making authority, reward submission lines, reward application files, examination procedures, and award ceremonies; competition and reward councils at all levels; competition and reward funds; management, storage of files, and reporting on competition and reward work in the health sector.

Article 2. Subjects of competition and reward

1. Subjects of competition:

a) Individuals who are civil servants, public officials, employees currently working in units within the health sector, including civil servants and public officials during their probationary period, and contractual employees with more than one year of service if they meet the criteria can be considered for commendation titles according to regulations.

b) Units under the Ministry of Health and units directly under the Ministry of Health.

c) Health Departments of provinces and centrally-administered cities.

d) Small groups under units directly under the Ministry of Health, Health Departments of provinces and centrally-administered cities.

đ) Individuals and small groups engaged in health work in agencies, units, enterprises under various ministries, sectors, and localities nationwide.

2. Objects of rewards:

a) Objects specified in Clause 1 of this Article.

b) Individuals and groups outside the health sector; foreign organizations and individuals with outstanding achievements contributing to the health cause.

Article 3. Objectives of Competition and Rewards

Competition and reward work aims to motivate, encourage, and honor individuals and groups who enthusiastically engage in creative labor, fulfill their tasks excellently, achieve outstanding results, and contribute to the successful realization of development goals in the health sector and the cause of protecting, caring for, and improving people's health.

Article 4. Principles of competition and reward

c) The granting of competition titles must be based on competition movements; all collectives and individuals participating in these movements must register for competition, set goals, and establish targets; those not registering will not be considered for competition titles.

a) Voluntary, conscientious, and transparent.

b) Unity, cooperation, and joint development.

c) The granting of commendation titles must be based on the competition movement. All individuals and groups participating in the competition movement must register for the competition and set competition targets; those not registering for the competition will not be considered or recognized for commendation titles.

b) A single form of reward may be given multiple times to the same recipient; multiple forms of reward shall not be given for a single achievement;

a) Ensuring accuracy, transparency, fairness, democracy, and timeliness.

b) Ensuring consistency between the nature, form, and object of rewards.

c) Rewards must ensure that achievements are recognized up to the level achieved, without necessarily following a sequence from lower-level rewards to higher-level ones.

d) Emphasizing rewards for individuals and small groups and those directly implementing tasks; encouraging timely rewards for individuals and groups with outstanding achievements, achieved under difficult conditions, and having significant influence in the sector; recognizing achievements up to the level achieved and not accumulating previous achievements to increase subsequent reward levels.

đ) A reward form may be given multiple times to the same recipient.

e) Combining spiritual encouragement closely with material incentives.

g) Not considering for rewards individuals who fail to complete their tasks, are disciplined with reprimands or higher; individuals directly responsible for units where violations occur at warning levels or higher; groups with members violating discipline at warning levels or higher during the competition campaign; cases where files do not meet the procedural and time requirements.

Article 5. Benefits for individuals and groups receiving awards

1. Individuals receiving commendation titles and reward forms shall receive certificates, awards, monetary rewards, and tangible rewards, and enjoy benefits as prescribed in Article 77 of Decree No. 42/2010/NĐ-CP dated April 15, 2010 of the Government detailing the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Competition and Rewards and the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Law on Competition and Rewards (hereinafter referred to as Decree No. 42/2010/NĐ-CP); they have the right to retain, display, and use awarded tangible items.

2. Groups receiving commendation titles and reward forms shall receive awards, certificates, and monetary and tangible rewards as prescribed; they have the right to retain, display, and use awarded tangible items.

Article 6. Obligations of individuals and collectives receiving awards

Clause 1. Individuals and collectives recognized with commendation titles and award forms have the obligation to preserve award items and may not lend them to others.

2. Continue to maintain and promote achievements worthy of the received commendation titles and award forms.

Chapter II

ORGANIZATION OF COMPETITIONS AND STANDARDS FOR COMMENDATION TITLES

Article 7. Organizing competition movements

Clause 1. The form and content of organizing competition movements shall be implemented according to the provisions of Article 6 and Article 7 of Decree No. 42/2010/NĐ-CP and Clause 1, Section 1 of Circular No. 02/2011/TT-BNV dated January 24, 2011 issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs guiding the implementation of Decree No. 42/2010/NĐ-CP dated April 15, 2010 of the Government detailing certain provisions of the Law on Competitions and Awards and the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Law on Competitions and Awards (hereinafter referred to as Circular No. 02/2011/TT-BNV).

Clause 2. Launching competition movements:

Point a. Ministers launch and organize the direction of competition movements within their respective sectors.

The Standing Committee of the Competition and Award Council of the Ministry is responsible for advising the Minister on competition content and organizing competition movements.

Point b. Heads of agencies and units launch and organize the direction of competition movements within their respective agencies and units.

Point c. Health sector mass organizations must closely coordinate with heads of agencies and units when launching and organizing competition movements to ensure that the competition movements achieve high quality.

Point d. Units engaged in communication and media of the health sector have the responsibility to regularly publicize competition and award work; disseminate and set examples of advanced models, good people and deeds, promote competition movements; identify individuals and collectives with outstanding achievements in competition movements; combat and criticize violations of laws on competitions and awards within the health sector.

Article 8. Commendation Titles

Clause 1. Commendation titles for individuals:

Point a. Advanced Worker.

Point b. Model Worker at the Grassroots Level.

Point c. Model Worker at the Ministry Level.

d) National Outstanding Laborer.

2. Competition titles for collectives:

Point a. Advanced Working Collective.

Point b. Outstanding Working Collective.

Point c. Flag of Competition of the Ministry of Health.

d) State Flag.

Article 9. Criteria for commendation titles

Clause 1. The standards for the commendation titles prescribed in Article 8 of this Circular shall be implemented according to the provisions of Articles 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 of Decree No. 42/2010/NĐ-CP and Clause 2, Section 1 of Circular No. 02/2011/TT-BNV.

Clause 2. Based on the actual situation each year, the Standing Committee of the Competition and Award Council of the Ministry will study and propose to the Chairman of the Competition and Award Council of the Ministry to decide the number of Flags of Competition for various fields of work of the Ministry of Health.

Clause 3. Individuals and collectives nominated for consideration and presentation of commendation titles must obtain at least 90% of the trust votes from the councils at all levels.

Article 10. Registration for commendation titles

Clause 1. Each year, units must organize for collectives and individuals within the unit to register for commendation titles for the year to strive for.

Clause 2. Competition registration of units must be sent to the Ministry (Standing Committee of the Competition and Award Council of the Ministry) before January 31 each year for monitoring, direction, and as a basis for considering and presenting commendation titles.

Chapter III

FORMS, OBJECTS AND CRITERIA FOR REWARDS

Article 11. Forms of awards decided by the Minister of Health and submitted to higher authorities for approval

Clause 1. Orders:

Point a. Ho Chi Minh Order.

Point b. Independence Order, First Class, Second Class, Third Class.

Point c. Labor Order, First Class, Second Class, Third Class.

Point d. Courage Order.

Point e. Friendship Medal.

e) Friendship Order

Clause 2. National Honorary Titles:

Point a. Heroic Laborer.

Point b. People's Teacher.

Point c. Excellent Teacher.

Point d. People's Doctor.

Point e. Excellent Doctor.

Clause 4. High Prestigious Awards:

Point a. Ho Chi Minh Prize.

Clause 5. Certificate of Merit of the Prime Minister.

b) State Award

5. Citation from the Prime Minister.

Article 12. Forms of rewards decided by the Minister of Health

1. Certificate of Merit from the Minister of Health.

2. Commemorative Medal "For People's Health".

3. Commemorative Medal "For Population Cause".

4. Awards of the Health Sector.

Article 13. Forms of organization and recipients of rewards

The forms of organization and recipients of rewards shall be implemented in accordance with the provisions of Clause 1, Section 2 Circular No. 02/2011/TT-BNV.

Article 14. Criteria for Orders, Medals, State Honorary Titles, High Prestigious Awards, and Certificates of Merit from the Prime Minister.

The criteria for Orders, Medals, State Honorary Titles, High Prestigious Awards, and Certificates of Merit from the Prime Minister shall be implemented in accordance with the provisions of Chapter III of the Law on Competition and Rewards; Chapter III of Decree No. 42/2010/NĐ-CP and other relevant normative legal documents.

Article 15. Criteria for Certificates of Merit from the Minister of Health

1. For individuals, they must meet one of the following three criteria:

a) Outstanding among individuals who have continuously received the title of Model Worker at the grassroots level for two consecutive times immediately before the time of recommendation.

b) Achieving outstanding results recognized during mass movement competitions initiated by the Ministry of Health.

c) Achieving outstanding results in performing tasks to protect, care for, and improve people's health.

2. For groups, they must meet one of the following three criteria:

a) Outstanding among groups that have continuously received the title of Excellent Labor Group for two consecutive times immediately before the time of recommendation.

b) Achieving outstanding results recognized during mass movement competitions initiated by the Ministry of Health.

c) Achieving outstanding results in performing tasks to protect, care for, and improve people's health.

Article 16. Criteria and Recipients for the Commemorative Medal "For People's Health"

1. The Commemorative Medal "For People's Health" is a form of reward by the Minister of Health to recognize the contributions of individuals who have made many achievements for the cause of protecting, caring for, and improving people's health, and it is only awarded once to each individual.

2. Recipients:

a) Civil servants, public officials, employees working in the Health Sector.

b) Individuals outside the Health Sector.

c) Foreigners.

3. Criteria for awarding to individuals working in the Health Sector:

They must have worked in the Health Sector for at least 20 years. Individuals who have worked for at least 24 months in specialized fields such as Tuberculosis, Hansen's Disease, Mental Health, Radiology, Pathology, Forensic Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry, serving HIV-infected persons or AIDS patients, directly handling hazardous chemicals, or working at primary healthcare facilities in remote, mountainous, border, and island areas according to current regulations of the Government may be considered for early recognition five years ahead of schedule.

4. Criteria for awarding to individuals outside the Health Sector and foreigners: Outstanding and sudden achievements significantly impacting the completion of Health Sector tasks, recognized by a collective and highly evaluated by the Minister of Health, including:

a) Leaders of the Party and State; leaders of Ministries and agencies under the Government; leaders of provinces and centrally-administered cities contributing to the successful implementation of the cause of protecting, caring for, and improving people's health through management and guidance.

b) Individuals involved in disease prevention and control, community health care, and environmental sanitation.

c) Individuals making significant material and spiritual contributions to the Health Sector.

d) Foreigners making notable contributions to the cause of protecting, caring for, and improving people's health.

đ) Individuals who have donated living organs; or donated organs or bodies after death.

e) Other outstanding achievements: Demonstrating courageous actions or achieving particularly outstanding results in preventing and mitigating the consequences of natural disasters and epidemics, contributing to the successful implementation of the cause of protecting, caring for, and improving people's health.

Article 17. Standards and Recipients for the Commendation Medal "For the Population Cause"

1. For officials, civil servants, public employees, and workers engaged in population work, family planning (Population and Family Planning):

a) Officials, civil servants, and public employees at districts, counties, towns directly under provinces/cities directly under the central government; provinces/cities directly under the central government, and at the central level must have worked continuously in population and family planning for at least ten years.

b) Full-time staff in population and family planning at communes, wards, towns; volunteers in villages, hamlets, tribes, villages, phums, and socs must have worked continuously in population and family planning for at least seven years; if in mountainous, remote, border, or island areas as defined by the current regulations of the Government, they must have worked continuously for at least five years.

2. For officials, civil servants, and public employees concurrently engaged in population and family planning work: Must have concurrently worked in population and family planning for at least fifteen years.

3. For leaders directing population and family planning work: Must have made significant contributions to achieving population and family planning goals during at least one term of office.

4. For individuals not engaged in population and family planning work: Must have made substantial material or spiritual contributions or have innovative scientific works of practical value for the population cause, highly evaluated by the Minister of Health.

5. For overseas Vietnamese: Shall be implemented according to the provisions of Clause 4 of this Article.

6. For foreigners: Must meet one of the following criteria:

a) Meet the criteria specified in Clause 4 of this Article.

b) Have served one term in organizations, institutions, or projects related to population and family planning in Vietnam, highly evaluated by the Minister of Health.

7. For individuals whose time working in population and family planning was interrupted due to job rotation or organizational restructuring, the working period will be cumulatively calculated.

Article 18. Standards for Certificates of Merit from Unit Heads

1. Certificates of Merit awarded to collectives and individuals shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Articles 74, 75, and 76 of the Law on Encouragement and Reward.

2. The awarding of certificates of merit shall be conducted regularly and promptly for individuals and collectives who perform their tasks well at the end of each year's work summary; upon completion of a campaign or a drive; for individuals and collectives with outstanding achievements; for good people and good deeds that serve as role models within the scope of activities of the unit, and shall be decided by the head of the unit.

Chapter IV

AUTHORITY TO DECIDE ON AWARDS, PROCEDURES FOR RECOMMENDING AWARDS, RECORDS, PROCEDURES FOR CONSIDERING AWARDS, AND AWARDING CEREMONIES

Article 19. Authority to Decide on Awards and Forms of Recognition

1. The authority to decide on awards given by the President, the Government, and the Prime Minister shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Articles 77 and 78 of the Law on Encouragement and Reward.

2. The Minister of Health has the authority to decide on:

a) The title of Outstanding Worker of the Ministry.

b) The Flag of Excellence of the Ministry of Health.

c) The title of Excellent Labor Collective.

d) Certificates of Merit for individuals and collectives.

đ) The Commendation Medal "For the People's Health".

e) The Commendation Medal "For the Population Cause”.

g) Awards of the Ministry of Health.

3. Unit heads shall decide on:

a) The title of Outstanding Worker at the Base Level.

b) Certificates of Merit for individuals and collectives.

c) The title of Advanced Worker.

d) The title of Advanced Labor Collective.

Article 20. Commendation Procedures

1. Heads of units at all levels in the health sector shall be responsible for rewarding according to the authority prescribed by laws on encouragement and reward and this Circular, or submitting to higher authorities for rewards for individuals and collectives under their management.

2. The level that initiates campaigns of competition shall select outstanding individuals and collectives to be awarded titles of excellence or commendations, or propose to higher authorities to confer such titles and commendations.

3. In cases where rewards are proposed according to the authority of the Minister of Health:

a) For individuals and collectives belonging to provinces/cities directly under the Central Government: The Provincial Department of Health shall receive applications, examine them, and prepare reports to submit to the Ministry of Health (through the Standing Committee for Encouragement and Reward of the Ministry of Health).

b) For individuals and collectives in the health sector: The head of the health sector shall prepare applications, examine them, and prepare reports with confirmation from the leadership of the main managing ministry, to submit to the Ministry of Health (through the Standing Committee for Encouragement and Reward of the Ministry of Health).

c) For the Vietnam Medical Workers' Union and professional associations: The Chairman of the Vietnam Medical Workers' Union and the Chairmen of professional associations in the health field shall prepare applications, examine them, and prepare reports to submit to the Ministry of Health (through the Standing Committee for Encouragement and Reward of the Ministry of Health).

d) For retired individuals in the health sector belonging to any agency or unit, the head of that agency or unit shall be responsible for preparing applications and submitting proposals for consideration (for the Commendation Medal "For the People's Health," the Commendation Medal "For the Population Cause," and medals for long-term dedication) to the Ministry of Health (through the Standing Committee for Encouragement and Reward of the Ministry of Health).

đ) For individuals and collectives outside the health sector:

- At the local level, the Provincial Department of Health shall prepare applications, examine them, and prepare reports clearly stating achievements with comments from provincial/municipal People's Committees, to submit to the Ministry of Health (through the Standing Committee for Encouragement and Reward of the Ministry of Health).

- At the central level, the heads of units under the Ministry of Health and the heads of units directly under the Ministry shall prepare applications, examine them, and provide confirmation of achievements in writing to submit to the Ministry of Health (through the Standing Committee for Encouragement and Reward of the Ministry of Health).

- For foreign individuals and collectives working in Vietnam, the International Cooperation Department shall be responsible for reviewing and sending written confirmations to the Ministry of Health (through the Standing Committee for Encouragement and Reward of the Ministry of Health).

Article 21. Application for Awards

1. The Standing Committee of the Ministry of Health's Competition and Commendation Council shall be responsible for receiving applications for awards from units nationwide.

2. Documents include:

a) For Orders, Medals, Certificates of Merit issued by the Prime Minister, titles of Labor Hero and National Model Worker:

- A report from the unit accompanied by a list of individuals and groups proposed for commendation and the minutes of the Competition and Commendation Council meeting of the unit.

- A report on achievements and a summary of achievements of individuals and groups (in accordance with the model attached to this Circular). For entities subject to paying taxes to the State, they must clearly declare in the achievement report and bear legal responsibility for the truthfulness of the following contents: the actual amount of tax and other revenues paid compared to the registration; the percentage of state budget revenue compared to the previous year; commitment to pay all types of taxes and other revenues according to the law and within the stipulated time frame.

- A confirmation document from the People's Committee at the commune/district level regarding activities in their jurisdiction for individuals who are heads of units or groups proposed for commendation.

b) For Certificates of Merit issued by the Minister, titles of Ministry Model Worker, Excellent Labor Group, Commemorative Medal "For the Health of the People," and Commemorative Medal "For the Population Cause":

- Certificate of Merit issued by the Minister of Health:

+ A report from the unit accompanied by a list of those proposed for commendation and the minutes of the Competition and Commendation Council meeting of the unit.

+ A report on achievements of the group and individual proposed for commendation (in accordance with the model attached to this Circular). For entities subject to paying taxes to the State, they must clearly declare in the achievement report and bear legal responsibility for the truthfulness of the following contents: the actual amount of tax and other revenues paid compared to the registration; the percentage of state budget revenue compared to the previous year; commitment to pay all types of taxes and other revenues according to the law and within the stipulated time frame.

+ Individuals with scientific research topics, innovations, improvements, and new technology applications must clearly declare in the achievement report and bear legal responsibility for the truthfulness of the declared achievements.

- For the title of Ministry Model Worker:

+ A report from the unit accompanied by a list of those proposed for commendation and the minutes of the Competition and Commendation Council meeting of the unit.

+ A report on achievements of the individual (in accordance with the model attached to this Circular). For entities subject to paying taxes to the State, they must clearly declare in the achievement report and bear legal responsibility for the truthfulness of the following contents: the actual amount of tax and other revenues paid compared to the registration; the percentage of state budget revenue compared to the previous year; commitment to pay all types of taxes and other revenues according to the law and within the stipulated time frame.

+ Confirmation of innovations, improvements, and new technology applications by the Scientific Council or the Innovation Council of the unit; acceptance documents for scientific research projects by the Scientific Council at the ministry, provincial level, or central mass organizations.

- For the title of Excellent Labor Group:

+ A report from the unit accompanied by a list of those proposed for commendation and the minutes of the Competition and Commendation Council meeting of the unit.

+ A report on achievements of the group (in accordance with the model attached to this Circular). For entities subject to paying taxes to the State, they must clearly declare in the achievement report and bear legal responsibility for the truthfulness of the following contents: the actual amount of tax and other revenues paid compared to the registration; the percentage of state budget revenue compared to the previous year; commitment to pay all types of taxes and other revenues according to the law and within the stipulated time frame.

- For Commemorative Medal "For the Health of the People" and Commemorative Medal "For the Population Cause":

+ A report or document requesting consideration for awarding.

+ A list of those proposed for awarding and an individual achievement declaration form (in accordance with the model attached to this Circular).

c) For the title of People's Teacher and Outstanding Teacher: To be implemented in accordance with Circular No. 22/2008/TT-BGDĐT dated April 23, 2008, issued by the Minister of Education and Training (hereinafter referred to as Circular No. 22/2008/TT-BGDĐT).

d) For Ho Chi Minh Award and State Award: To be implemented in accordance with Decree No. 42/2010/NĐ-CP and other relevant legal regulations.

đ) For the title of People's Doctor and Outstanding Doctor: To be implemented in accordance with the Circular of the Minister of Health guiding the awarding of the title of People's Doctor and Outstanding Doctor.

e) For sudden commendations:

- A report from the unit accompanied by a list of those proposed for commendation and the minutes of the Competition and Commendation Council meeting of the unit.

- A summary of achievements of individuals and groups (in accordance with the model attached to this Circular).

g) For specialized commendations:

- A report from the unit accompanied by a list of those proposed for commendation and the minutes of the Competition and Commendation Council meeting of the unit.

- A report on achievements of individuals and groups (in accordance with the model attached to this Circular).

h) For commendations based on long-term contributions: To be implemented in accordance with Decree No. 42/2010/NĐ-CP and other relevant legal regulations.

3. Quantity of application files for awards:

a) For the title of National Model Worker, Flag of Excellence of the Government, Orders, Medals, Certificates of Merit issued by the Prime Minister: Two original copies of the achievement report and three copies of the achievement summary.

b) For the title of Labor Hero: Four sets (original) and twenty sets (copies).

c) For commendations and awards within the authority of the Minister: One set (original).

d) For Ho Chi Minh Award and State Award: To be implemented in accordance with relevant legal regulations.

đ) For the title of People's Teacher and Outstanding Teacher, to be implemented in accordance with the provisions of Circular No. 22/2008/TT-BGDĐT.

e) For the title of People's Doctor and Outstanding Doctor, to be implemented in accordance with the provisions of the Circular of the Minister of Health guiding the awarding of the title of People's Doctor and Outstanding Doctor.

g) For awards of the Ministry of Health, to be implemented in accordance with the guidance documents for each type of award.

4. Time for submitting application files for awards and commendations:

a) The title of Excellent Labor Collective, National Model Worker, Ministry-Level Model Worker: Units shall submit to the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Health's Competition and Reward Council before January 30 of the following year (for training units, the file must be submitted before October 15 each year).

b) The Flag of Excellence from the Government, Flag of Excellence from the Ministry of Health:

- Units shall submit their application files for consideration of award to the Departments, Bureaus, General Departments, and the Ministry Inspectorate - the focal points of the respective fields of work before December 15 each year.

- The focal points shall compile, review, and submit to the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Health's Competition and Reward Council before December 30 each year.

c) For commendation forms such as Orders, Medals, Certificates of Merit, Commemorative Medals, during the course of work, when collectives and individuals meet the criteria, the heads of units shall have the responsibility to submit to the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Health's Competition and Reward Council for consideration of reward.

d) For cases with outstanding achievements, immediately after individuals or collectives achieve these results, the heads of units shall have the responsibility to prepare and submit the file to the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Health's Competition and Reward Council for consideration of reward.

đ) For commendations according to specific topics or campaigns, when conducting mid-term or final reviews of the campaign or topic, the unit initiating the competition shall select outstanding individuals and collectives and submit them to the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Health's Competition and Reward Council for consideration of reward.

Article 22. Procedure for Considering Rewards

1. After receiving complete and valid files, the Standing Committees of Competition and Reward Councils at all levels shall be responsible for examining the files and achievements in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Competition and Reward and the guidelines set forth in this Circular; they shall report to the Minister for consideration to decide on rewards within their authority or to the Ministry's Competition and Reward Council for further submission to the competent authorities for decision.

For incomplete or invalid files, the Standing Committee of the Competition and Reward Council shall notify the submitting unit within ten working days from the date of receipt of the file.

2. For the form of Ho Chi Minh Order, Heroic Labor Medal, and the title of Heroic Laborer, after reviewing the file (the validity of the file and the actual achievement assessment results at the unit), the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Health's Competition and Reward Council shall seek the Minister's opinion on the policy for subsequent procedures and formalities for these forms of reward.

3. For the titles of National Model Worker, Independence Order, Labor Order, Courage Order, Friendship Order, Medals, and Certificates of Merit from the Prime Minister: The Standing Committee of the Ministry of Health's Competition and Reward Council shall examine the files; report to the Ministry's Competition and Reward Council for consideration; complete the files for the Minister to submit to the competent authority for decision on rewards.

4. For the titles of Flag of Excellence from the Government, Flag of Excellence from the Ministry: Units responsible for assessing achievements, selecting, and proposing according to the annual allocation shall have the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Health's Competition and Reward Council examine the files; report to the Ministry's Competition and Reward Council for consideration, and the Minister for decision or submission to the competent authority for decision.

5. For the titles of Excellent Labor Collective, Ministry-Level Model Worker: The Standing Committee of the Ministry of Health's Competition and Reward Council shall be responsible for examining the files, reporting to the Ministry's Competition and Reward Council for consideration, and the Minister for decision.

6. For Certificates of Merit, Commemorative Medal "For the People's Health," Commemorative Medal "For the Population Cause": The Standing Committee of the Ministry of Health's Competition and Reward Council shall be responsible for examining the files and the Minister for decision.

7. For rewarding leaders of the Ministry: The Standing Committee of the Competition and Reward Council of the Ministry's Office shall be responsible for proposing and completing the files to be reported to the Ministry's Office Competition and Reward Council, to be summarized and reported to the Ministry's Competition and Reward Council for consideration.

8. For rewarding individuals and collectives outside the health sector: The head of the unit proposing the reward shall prepare a report along with a summary of the achievements of the proposed individual or collective, to be submitted to the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Health's Competition and Reward Council for comments before reporting to the Minister for decision.

9. For awards of the Ministry of Health: The agencies and units serving as focal points of the Standing Committee for Award Assessment shall be responsible for completing the files to be reported to the Award Council for consideration, and the Minister for decision (through the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Health's Competition and Reward Council).

10. For Ho Chi Minh Prize, State Prize, National Teacher Title, Distinguished Teacher Title, People's Doctor Title, Distinguished Doctor Title:

Implementation shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Competition and Reward, Decree No. 42/2010/ND-CP, Circular No. 22/2008/TT-BGDĐT, Circular of the Minister of Health guiding the awarding of the People's Doctor and Distinguished Doctor titles, and other relevant legal normative documents.

Article 23. Award Ceremony

1. Principles for organization:

a) Announcing and awarding commendation titles and forms of reward is an occasion to honor exemplary individuals and deeds and typical advanced collectives, therefore it must be organized solemnly, ensuring effectiveness and practicality, avoiding ostentatious formalism and waste. When organizing, it should be combined with other contents of the unit to save time and costs.

b) The ceremony for presenting Orders, Medals; State Honorary Titles; Ho Chi Minh Prize, State Prize; Government Flag of Merit; Prime Minister's Certificate of Merit shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Government Decree No. 154/2004/NĐ-CP dated August 9, 2004 on state ceremonial procedures in organizing rallies, commemorative ceremonies, and awarding and receiving State Honorary Titles, Orders, Medals, Government Flags of Merit, and Prime Minister's Certificates of Merit.

2. Procedures for holding award ceremonies:

a) For Orders, Medals, State Honorary Titles, Ho Chi Minh Prize, State Prize, Government Flag of Merit, National Model Worker Title, and Prime Minister's Certificate of Merit, after receiving the Commendation Decision, the head of the unit shall develop a plan to organize the reception, and submit it to the Minister (through the Standing Committee of the Ministry's Competition and Reward Council). After obtaining the Minister's approval, the Standing Committee of the Ministry's Competition and Reward Council will coordinate with the unit to announce and present the awards.

b) For commendation titles and forms of reward within the authority of the Minister, the Minister may delegate the heads of units to organize the announcement and presentation.

Chapter V

COMPETITION AND REWARD COUNCILS AT ALL LEVELS

Article 24. Competition and Reward Councils at all levels in the Health Sector

1. Competition and Reward Council at the Ministry level: At the Ministry of Health, establish the Ministry of Health's Competition and Reward Council.

2. Competition and Reward Council at the grassroots level:

a) At the Ministry of Health's Office, establish the Ministry of Health's Office Competition and Reward Council.

b) At the General Department of Population and Family Planning and other units under the Ministry, establish the Competition and Reward Council at the grassroots level of the unit.

Article 25. Authority to Decide on Establishing Competition and Reward Councils at All Levels in the Health Sector

1. The Minister decides to establish the Ministry of Health's Competition and Reward Council; the Competition and Reward Council of the Ministry of Health's Office.

2. The heads of units decide to establish the Competition and Reward Council of their unit.

Article 26. Composition of Competition and Reward Councils at All Levels

1. Ministry of Health's Competition and Reward Council:

a) Chairman of the Council: The Minister.

b) Vice Chairmen of the Council: Deputy Ministers responsible for competition and reward work and the Chairman of the Health Sector Trade Union.

c) Permanent Members of the Council: One representative from the leadership of the Standing Office of the Ministry's Competition and Reward Council.

d) Members of the Council: Heads of Departments, Directors of Bureaus, General Department Directors, Inspector-General of the Ministry, Director of the Ministry's Office.

đ) The Council has a Secretariat Team, which is decided by the Chairman of the Council.

2. Competition and Reward Council of the Ministry of Health's Office:

a) Chairman of the Council: Deputy Minister in charge of the Ministry's Office.

b) Vice Chairmen of the Council: Director of the Ministry's Office as the permanent Vice Chairman of the Council and the Chairman (or Vice Chairman) of the Ministry of Health's Office Trade Union.

c) Permanent Member of the Council: One representative from the leadership of the Ministry's Office.

d) Members of the Council: Representatives from the leadership of some Departments, Bureaus, Ministry's Office, and Inspectorate of the Ministry.

đ) The Council has a Secretariat Team, which is decided by the Chairman of the Council.

3. Competition and Reward Council at the grassroots level in units:

a) Chairman of the Council: Head of the unit.

b) Vice Chairman of the Council: Chairman of the unit's Trade Union.

c) Permanent Member - Secretary of the Council: Head of the department in charge of competition and reward work or the staff member in charge of competition and reward work of the unit.

d) Members of the Council: decided by the Head of the unit based on the principle that the total number of Council members is an odd number.

Article 27. Principles of Operation, Tasks, and Authorities of the Commendation and Reward Council at All Levels

1. The Commendation and Reward Council at all levels operates according to the principle of democratic centralism and decides by majority vote. In cases where the opinions of the council members are evenly divided, the opinion of the Chairman of the Council shall be decisive.

2. The principles of operation, specific tasks, and authorities of the Commendation and Reward Council of the Ministry of Health shall be implemented in accordance with the operational regulations stipulated by the Minister.

3. The principles of operation, specific tasks, and authorities of the Commendation and Reward Council of units shall be regulated by the head of the unit at the same level.

Chapter VI

FUND FOR COMPETITION AND REWARD

Article 28. Sources and Allocation Levels for the Commendation and Reward Fund

1. Annually, the Director of the Department of Planning and Finance shall be responsible for allocating funds for the commendation and reward activities of the Ministry in accordance with Clause 1 of Article 67 of Decree number 42/2010/ND-CP; Circular No. 71/2011/TT-BTC dated May 24, 2011, issued by the Ministry of Finance guiding the establishment, management, and utilization of the Commendation and Reward Fund pursuant to Decree No. 42/2010/ND-CP dated April 15, 2010, of the Government (hereinafter referred to collectively as Circular No. 71/2011/TT-BTC).

2. The Ministry of Health encourages individuals and organizations both within and outside the sector to support and contribute to supplementing the Commendation and Reward Fund of the Ministry of Health and that of the units.

Article 29. Management and Utilization of the Commendation and Reward Fund

1. The Commendation and Reward Fund of the Ministry of Health:

a) The Office of the Ministry and the Standing Committee of the Commendation and Reward Council of the Ministry shall be responsible for organizing the implementation and managing and utilizing the Commendation and Reward Fund of the Ministry of Health to serve the commendation and reward activities.

At the end of the year, any surplus in the Commendation and Reward Fund that has not been fully utilized shall be carried over to the next year for continued use in commendation and reward activities.

b) The Commendation and Reward Fund of the Ministry of Health shall be used for the following purposes:

- Awarding cash prizes or purchasing gifts in kind for individuals and groups recognized for commendation in accordance with the principles set forth in Article 30 of this Circular.

- Expenditure on printing certificates, awards, titles of outstanding workers, making commemorative medals, boxes for commemorative medals, commemorative medal badges, flags of excellence, and other expenses for commendation and reward activities as decided by the Minister of Health.

- Expenditure on frames for awards for common commendation and reward activities of the Ministry of Health and certificates for non-sectoral entities, foreign individuals, and units under the Ministry of Health.

- Expenditure on organizing and directing mass campaigns for commendation and reward activities as stipulated in Clause d, Article 68 of Decree No. 42/2010/ND-CP and Point c, Clause 1, Article 4 of Circular No. 71/2011/TT-BTC.

2. The Commendation and Reward Fund of Units: Shall be managed and utilized by the units in accordance with Decree No. 42/2010/ND-CP; Circular No. 71/2011/TT-BTC and other relevant legal normative documents.

Article 30. Principles of Award Distribution

1. Responsibility for Award Distribution:

a) The Ministry of Health distributes cash awards:

- Heroic Labor Medal, Ho Chi Minh Medal, Golden Star Medal, Independence Medal.

- Flag of Excellence from the Government, Flag of Excellence from the Ministry of Health.

- Commendation forms for individuals and groups under the Ministry of Health's agencies (excluding units with separate accounts and seals).

- Special commendations.

b) Units distribute cash awards:

- Labor Medal, Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister.

- Commendation and award forms decided by the Minister of Health (excluding the Flag of Excellence from the Ministry of Health).

2. Specific amounts of cash awards accompanying commendation titles and commendation forms shall be implemented in accordance with Section 2, Chapter 5 of Decree No. 42/2010/ND-CP and other relevant legal normative documents.

In cases of special commendation for outstanding achievements for individuals and groups as stipulated in Point a, Clause 1, of this Article, the source of funding shall be from contributions outside the state budget as decided by the Minister of Health based on the proposal of the Standing Committee of the Commendation and Reward Council of the Ministry.

3. If an individual or group achieves different commendation titles and forms of commendation at the same time and for the same achievement, they shall receive the cash award (or accompanying gift) corresponding to the highest level of commendation title or form of commendation.

4. If an individual achieves multiple commendation titles at the same time, each title being achieved at different times, they shall receive the cash award for each title.

Chapter VII

MANAGEMENT, STORAGE OF RECORDS AND REPORTING ON COMMENDATION AND REWARD ACTIVITIES

Article 31. Management and storage of records at the Ministry of Health

The Standing Committee of the Ministry's Competition and Reward Council shall be responsible for managing records of competition titles and reward forms within the authority of the Minister and above, as well as all other related records concerning competition and reward work in the health sector. At year-end, the records must be compiled and stored according to regulations.

Article 32. Management and storage of records at units proposing rewards

Units' organizations engaged in competition and reward work shall be responsible for managing and storing all related records concerning competition and reward work according to regulations.

Article 33. Reporting on competition and reward work

1. Annually, units shall summarize and evaluate their competition and reward work and submit reports to the Ministry of Health (through the Standing Committee of the Ministry's Competition and Reward Council) before January 30 of the following year.

2. When launching competitions and after each competition period, units shall organize interim summaries and final conclusions and submit reports to the Ministry of Health (through the Standing Committee of the Ministry's Competition and Reward Council).

Chapter VIII

IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 34. Effective Date

1. This Circular takes effect from August 15, 2011.

2. Circular No. 01/2008/TT-BYT dated January 22, 2008, guiding competition and reward work in the health sector issued by the Minister of Health shall cease to be effective from the date this Circular takes effect.

Article 35. Responsibility for Implementation

1. The Standing Committee of the Ministry of Health's Competition and Reward Council shall be responsible for organizing and implementing this Circular and assisting the Minister of Health in inspecting its implementation.

2. Heads of agencies and units shall be responsible for organizing and implementing this Circular so that those under their management are aware and comply with it; concretizing competition standards and criteria to suit their unit's operational situation; establishing specific competition targets and quantifying standards into scales to ensure accurate and objective reward assessments; organizing inspections of competition and reward work within their units.

3. Heads of subordinate agencies and units of the Ministry and relevant agencies, units, and individuals shall be responsible for enforcing this Circular. Any difficulties encountered during implementation should be promptly reported to the Ministry of Health (through the Standing Committee of the Ministry's Competition and Reward Council) for consideration, resolution, or amendment to ensure compliance./.