Decision No. 32/2010/QĐ-TTg Approving the Scheme for Developing Social Work Profession for the Period of 2010-2020

Pursuant to …;

Approve the Scheme for the Development of Social Work Profession during the Period of 2010-2020

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PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Pursuant to Resolution No. 22/NQ-CP dated May 28, 2009 of the Government on the issuance of the Action Program of the Government to implement the Resolution of the 9th Plenary Session of the 10th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam concerning major tasks and solutions to continue successfully implementing the Resolution of the 10th National Congress of the Party;

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs,

DECISION:

Article 1. Approve the Scheme for the Development of Social Work Profession during the Period of 2010-2020 with the main contents as follows:

I. OBJECTIVES

A. General Objective

Develop social work into a profession in Vietnam. Enhance the awareness of the whole society about the social work profession; build a workforce of cadres, civil servants, employees, and volunteers in social work sufficient in quantity and meeting quality requirements, linked with the development of systems providing social work services at all levels, contributing to building an advanced social security system.

BB. Specific Objectives

1. The period from 2010 to 2015

a) Establish and promulgate job classification, titles, and vocational standards for social work positions; ethical standards for cadres, civil servants, employees, and volunteers in social work; standards and procedures for providing social work services; apply salary grades for social work positions;

b) Establish, promulgate new or amend and supplement related legal documents to create a synchronized and unified legal environment for developing the social work profession;

c) Develop the workforce of cadres, civil servants, employees, and volunteers in social work nationwide, striving to increase by approximately 10% by 2015. Among them, each commune, ward, town shall have at least one to two cadres, civil servants, employees, or volunteers in social work with non-specialized positions or volunteer status, receiving a monthly allowance equal to the national minimum wage as prescribed by the Government;

d) Establish a minimum of ten model centers for providing social work services in some districts, counties, towns, cities under provinces, provincial-level cities representing various regions, areas, and regions across the country;

e) Train, retrain, and enhance the professional knowledge and skills of 50% of the cadres, civil servants, employees, and volunteers in social work working in communes, wards, towns; service-providing organizations and labor, invalids, and social affairs agencies at all levels;

f) Establish and complete training programs and vocational education curricula at primary, intermediate, college, university, and postgraduate levels in social work; improve the quality of lecturers in the field of social work;

g) Enhance the awareness of the whole society about the social work profession.

2. The period from 2016 to 2020

a) Establish and promulgate vocational standards for cadres, civil servants, employees, and volunteers in social work according to different types of service-providing organizations and target groups; establish, promulgate new and continue to perfect related legal documents to create a synchronized and unified legal environment for developing the social work profession;

b) Develop the workforce of cadres, civil servants, employees, and volunteers in social work at all levels, striving to increase by approximately 50%; support the expansion of models for providing social work services in districts, counties, towns, cities under provinces;

c) Continue to train, retrain, and enhance the professional knowledge and skills of 50% of the cadres, civil servants, employees, and volunteers in social work working in communes, wards, towns; service-providing organizations and labor, invalids, and social affairs agencies at all levels;

d) Socialize social work activities towards encouraging domestic and foreign organizations and individuals to participate in training, retraining, enhancing professional knowledge and skills, and providing social work services;

e) Continue to enhance the awareness of the whole society about the social work profession.

II. MAIN ACTIVITIES OF THE SCHEME

1. Establish and promulgate a system of legal regulations on social work

a) Amend and supplement legal regulations related to the role, responsibilities of cadres, civil servants, employees in social work, and procedures for providing social work services to individuals, families, groups, or communities, deprivation of care rights for subjects in cases where women, children, and other subjects are harmed or subjected to violence causing serious consequences;

b) Promulgate job classification codes, titles, and vocational standards for social work positions;

c) Promulgate ethical standards for cadres, civil servants, employees in social work;

d) Promulgate standards and procedures for providing social work services;

e) Study and apply appropriate salary grades for social work positions in accordance with the nature of the profession, ensuring parity among professions;

f) Promulgate vocational standards for cadres, civil servants, employees in social work of service-providing organizations, including: social welfare institutions; centers for treatment - education - social labor; centers for providing social work services; consultation and counseling organizations for specific social work target groups such as the elderly, disabled persons, orphaned children, people living with HIV/AIDS, mentally ill persons, drug addicts, and other subjects;

g) Study and perfect mechanisms and policies to expand social work assistance services for target groups in a flexible manner and increase assistance levels in line with economic and social conditions in each period.

2. Consolidate and develop networks of organizations providing social work services and the workforce of cadres, civil servants, employees, and volunteers in social work

a) Study, plan, and develop networks of organizations providing social work services towards linking state-established social welfare institutions with those established by permitted organizations and individuals; linking centers for providing social work services with the social welfare system;

b) From 2010 to 2015, support the establishment of pilot models of Social Work Service Centers; from 2016 to 2020, support the expansion of these Social Work Service Center models in districts, counties, towns within provinces and cities; universities and vocational schools to provide social work services to individuals, groups, families, and communities facing social issues.

The Social Work Service Center is a new model, established upon permission granted by the People's Committee of the district, county, town, or city based on proposals from competent agencies or political-social organizations, and appointing management and operational staff.

Sources of operating funds for the Center include state budget support, income from contracts providing services for domestic and international programs and projects; voluntary contributions from beneficiaries; and support from organizations and individuals both domestically and internationally. The central budget supports the initial construction and equipment of the Center during the trial period.

c) Increase the number of social workers, employees, and volunteers working in state administrative agencies from the central level to provincial, district, and commune levels, social service organizations, universities offering social work education, and independent social worker employees;

d) During the period from 2010 to 2020, organize training, retraining, and upgrading professional skills and skill training to enhance the capacity of 60,000 social workers, employees, and volunteers, including:

- Training and retraining for 35,000 social workers, employees, and volunteers at the primary, intermediate, college, and university levels (on average, 3,500 people per year);

- Skill training for 25,000 social workers, employees, and volunteers (on average, 2,500 people per year).

3. Develop and perfect the framework program, training content, and vocational training for social work.

a) Develop and promulgate the framework program and teaching materials for intermediate and college-level vocational social work training to ensure seamless integration with university-level vocational social work training.

b) Develop and perfect the framework program and teaching materials for bachelor's and postgraduate studies in social work.

c) Support departments offering social work training at educational institutions.

d) Enhance the capacity of the faculty in the field of social work.

4. Promote publicity and information dissemination to raise awareness among cadres, civil servants, employees, and the public about the profession of social work.

III. SOLUTIONS

1. Review regulations in normative legal documents to consider amendments and supplements to be issued within the authority or submitted to competent authorities for issuance to create a consistent and unified legal framework for the development of the social work profession.

2. Conduct surveys, reviews, and categorize social workers, employees, volunteers, and social work services to develop training plans and retraining plans for social work. Improve the capacity to collect and process information on the social work profession to meet the requirements of guidance and management.

3. Strengthen supervision and evaluation of the cadre of social workers, employees, volunteers to ensure compliance with professional ethics and policies and laws on social work.

4. Implement scientific research combined with practical summaries and evaluations to improve mechanisms and policies for the development of the cadre of social workers, employees, volunteers, and social services.

5. Promote cooperation with international organizations, including multilateral, bilateral organizations, and non-governmental organizations in the three areas of technology, experience, and finance to develop the social work profession.

IV. SOURCES OF FUNDS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT

The total funding for implementing the Project is 2,347.4 billion VND, including:

1. State Budget:

a) Central budget allocation in the annual budget of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs is 590.4 billion VND, of which 180 billion VND is allocated to localities.

b) Local budget: 1,715 billion VND.

2. ODA and other international aid sources amount to approximately 42 billion VND.

Article 2. Allocation of responsibilities for ministries and sectors

1. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs leads and coordinates with relevant ministries and sectors to develop implementation plans for the project to develop the social work profession; coordinate activities under the Project; lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Home Affairs to direct the establishment of networks of organizations providing social work services and networks of social workers and volunteers; enhance the capacity of the workforce of social workers and volunteers; plan the network of vocational schools for social work; develop and promulgate training programs and teaching materials for social work up to the college level; study and promulgate standards and procedures for providing social work services and ethical standards for social workers, employees, and volunteers; supervise Project activities.

2. The Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for issuing job titles and code numbers for social work staff positions; studying and applying salary grades, allowances, salary management mechanisms, and income for social work staff; coordinating with the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs to guide and instruct localities in establishing counseling centers and providing social work services.

3. The Ministry of Education and Training leads and coordinates with relevant ministries and sectors to plan the network of universities and colleges offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in social work; study and perfect training programs, teaching materials, and methods towards international integration; enhance the quality of the faculty in social work and establish a network of social work staff in schools.

4. The Ministry of Justice leads and coordinates with relevant ministries and sectors to review and propose plans for developing and amending related legal documents to promote the social work profession according to assigned functions and tasks.

5. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Investment allocate funds for the Project in the annual budget of central agencies and localities in accordance with the law on the state budget.

6. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall be responsible for taking the lead and coordinating with relevant agencies to direct the intensification of propaganda efforts regarding the development of social work professions.

7. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and agencies under the Government shall, within their respective functions and assigned tasks, be responsible for implementing the Project; researching, drafting, issuing new or amending and supplementing related legal normative documents to submit to competent authorities for issuance or to issue within their authority in order to develop the social work profession.

8. People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities shall be responsible for:

a) Developing programs, plans, and objectives to concretize the Project on developing the social work profession within the local socio-economic development plan;

b) Directing and implementing the contents and solutions of the Project within their provincial or municipal jurisdiction;

c) Allocating budgets, human resources, and material infrastructure for the implementation of the Project.

9. It is requested that the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee take the lead and coordinate with member organizations to direct grassroots associations to intensify propaganda and dissemination efforts to change perceptions among members about the social work profession; to gather and mobilize members to voluntarily participate in social work activities and in the implementation of the Project.

Article 3. This Decision shall take effect from May 10, 2010.

Article 4. THE MINISTERS, HEADS OF GOVERNMENT-LEVEL MINISTRIES, HEADS OF GOVERNMENT-LEVEL AGENCIES, AND CHAIRMEN OF PROVINCE AND CITY PEOPLE'S COMMITTEES DIRECTLY UNDER THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENFORCING THIS DECISION./.