Decision No. 43/2008/QĐ-TTg Approves the Plan on Applying Information Technology in the Activities of State Agencies in 2008

Pursuant to …;

Approve the Plan on the Application of Information Technology in the Activities of State Agencies in 2008

____________________________

PRIME MINISTER

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

Pursuant to the Law on Information Technology dated June 29, 2006;

Pursuant to the Law on Electronic Transactions dated November 29, 2005;

Pursuant to Decree No. 64/2007/NĐ-CP dated April 10, 2007 of the Government on the application of information technology in state agency activities;

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Information and Communications,

DECISION:

Article 1.

I. OBJECTIVES

1. Enhance the management and administrative capacity of state agencies

a) For the Government:

Ensure that some meetings of the Government, the Prime Minister with some Ministries, equivalent Ministries, provinces, centrally governed cities are organized in the form of online meetings.

b) For Ministries, equivalent Ministries, provinces, centrally governed cities:

- Meetings of leaders of Ministries, equivalent Ministries, People's Committees of provinces, centrally governed cities with subordinate units gradually implement on the online environment.

- By the end of 2008, 40% of documents exchanged between the Government leadership, Ministries, equivalent Ministries, provinces, centrally governed cities (including reports, invitations, work schedules) are carried out via email.

- All Ministries, equivalent Ministries, provinces, centrally governed cities ensure providing email accounts for civil servants (with domain name .gov.vn). By the end of 2008, the ratio of civil servants using email for work at Ministries, equivalent Ministries, and centrally governed cities is 50%, at provinces is 30%, among which for mountainous, remote areas (up to district level) is 10%.

- The ratio of implementing document management and administrative work on the online environment at the Offices of Ministries, equivalent Ministries is 70%, at the Offices of People's Committees of provinces, centrally governed cities is 50%, and at the Offices of People's Committees at district and county levels is 20%.

2. Serve citizens and businesses

a) Ensure that Ministries, equivalent Ministries, provinces, centrally governed cities have electronic information portals with complete information as stipulated in Article 28 of the Law on Information Technology, providing electronic forms for public administrative services for citizens and businesses (at least one electronic form).

b) For centrally governed cities: ensure electronic information portals allowing citizens and businesses to declare and submit electronic forms through the network.

II. TASKS AND ASSIGNMENT OF WORK

1. Ministries, equivalent Ministries, provinces, centrally governed cities are responsible for coordinating with the Ministry of Information and Communications to implement the Plan, ensuring synchronization with the economic and social development plans of sectors and localities, including the following tasks:

a) Rationalize, improve, and make transparent procedures and administrative processes in state agencies and inter-agency processes to effectively apply information technology, ensuring that procedural rationalization is implemented before investing in information technology systems.

b) Build upon achieved results, continue to develop and perfect digital information systems serving government guidance, administration, and management, including at minimum the following contents:

- Electronic system.

- Document management and administrative information system.

c) Continue to develop and perfect electronic information portals (or web pages) of all Ministries, provincial People's Committees, centrally governed cities to provide information and online public administrative services, serving citizens and businesses, including:

- Providing information of Ministries, equivalent Ministries, provinces, centrally governed cities on the online environment.

- Providing electronic forms instead of paper forms for citizens, businesses, and organizations in transactions with state agencies. This should be closely integrated with tasks under the Simplification of Administrative Procedures Project in various fields of state management from 2007 to 2010.

- Establishing channels for receiving opinions and suggestions from citizens and businesses on the online environment regarding the activities of state agencies.

d) Develop, expand, supplement, and upgrade internal networks and other infrastructure conditions to serve the application of information technology in agency and local activities.

đ) Implement or prepare investment for certain special projects and programs at the sectoral level, unified from Ministries, equivalent Ministries to provinces, centrally governed cities, and certain common projects and programs for Ministries, equivalent Ministries, and provinces, centrally governed cities according to the contents in Appendix I.

e) Ministries, equivalent Ministries are responsible for guiding localities technically, in terms of progress and methods of cooperation and implementation of special projects to successfully carry out special projects managed by the Ministry or equivalent Ministry.

g) Train all civil servants to use email, exploit the Internet, and use deployed application software in the agency.

h) Organize propaganda in agencies, enhance understanding, awareness, responsibility, and information technology capabilities for civil servants, officials, and citizens.

i) Before June 30, 2008, Ministries, equivalent Ministries, provinces, centrally governed cities develop the Plan on the Application of Information Technology for the period 2009-2010 to send to the Ministry of Information and Communications for consolidation, review, and approval.

2. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall be responsible for:

a) Propose to reorganize the National Steering Committee on Information Technology (to be completed in the first quarter of 2008).

b) Establish a Management Board responsible for implementing the application of information technology in the activities of state agencies led by the head of the Ministry of Information and Communications, with members being representatives at the Department level from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Government Office (to be completed in the first quarter of 2008).

c) Develop regulations and mechanisms for managing investment projects applying information technology using state budget funds (to be completed in the first quarter of 2008).

d) Develop a list of technical standards and norms on information technology to be applied in state agencies (to be completed in the first quarter of 2008).

đ) Develop technical standards and requirements for common projects used by Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and localities.

e) Organize summaries of experiences, transfer technological solutions, and organizational methods from information technology application projects.

g) Support experts for Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and localities in developing and implementing the Information Technology Application Plan for the operation of Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and localities in 2008.

h) Lead the collection and evaluation of reports on the level of information technology application and periodic progress summaries of the Plan's implementation. Urge, inspect the progress of tasks under the Plan, and promptly report to the Prime Minister with appropriate measures for organizations and individuals who fail to complete their assigned tasks in the Plan. Based on evaluations during the Plan's implementation, if significant issues affecting the completion of the Plan's objectives are discovered, the Ministry of Information and Communications will lead and coordinate with relevant agencies to propose adjustments and supplements to the Plan's objectives and tasks, to be submitted to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision.

i) Direct the implementation of exemplary models of information technology applications at some Ministries and provinces/cities with different regional characteristics.

k) Direct the deployment and completion of Phase I (connecting all Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, provinces, and cities) and Phase II (connecting all Departments, Districts, and Counties) of the Specialized Data Transmission Network Project for Party and State Agencies before September 30, 2008 (in accordance with the Government's Circular No. 228/CP-CN dated February 19, 2004) to ensure fast data transmission speed, stable quality, security, and safety within the network.

l) Lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Home Affairs to develop and promulgate industry standards, job titles, and management positions related to information technology in state agencies (to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2008).

m) Select the most effective software for managing documents and operations at district and county People's Committee offices nationwide and upgrade it to become a common software for managing documents and operations at district and county People's Committee offices.

n) Organize evaluations of electronic information websites and portals of Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and localities to improve the quality and effectiveness of these electronic information websites and portals.

o) Coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance to review and approve the Information Technology Application Plan for state agency activities for the period 2009-2010 of Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and centrally-administered provinces/cities.

p) Lead the development and submission to the Prime Minister for approval of the Information Technology Application Plan for state agency activities for the period 2009-2010 nationwide (to be completed before July 31, 2008).

q) Monitor and compile the implementation status of information technology application projects (as detailed in Appendix IV) that are being implemented by Ministries and sectors but are not within the scope of this Plan's organization.

3. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall be responsible for

a) Balancing and allocating the state budget for the Information Technology Application Plan for state agency activities in 2008.

b) Lead the mobilization of assistance programs and official development assistance from sponsors for information technology application projects in state agency activities.

4. The Ministry of Finance shall be responsible for

a) Ensuring funding from the central government budget for the Information Technology Application Plan for state agency activities in 2008.

b) Coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Planning and Investment to guide the management and use of funds allocated for information technology application in state agency activities.

5. The Ministry of Home Affairs shall be responsible for

a) Developing and promulgating standards and job titles for Chief Information Officers and guiding Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and localities to implement them uniformly (to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2008).

b) Building and developing a team of Chief Information Officers, training and enhancing knowledge of information technology for civil servants and public officials.

c) Developing and promulgating regulations on the storage of digital information in state agencies.

6. The Office of the Government shall be responsible for

a) Leading and coordinating with the Ministry of Home Affairs and relevant agencies to unify electronic forms for transactions between Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and government bodies and between state agencies and organizations and individuals.

b) Leading and coordinating with the Ministry of Home Affairs and relevant agencies to guide improvements, standardization, and application of common work procedures, ensuring synchronization of work processes among state agencies.

c) Leading and coordinating with relevant agencies to build a multimedia conference system serving the direction and management of the Government and Prime Minister to Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and localities.

d) Leading and coordinating with Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and localities in establishing a database on administrative procedures, forms, and declarations to be publicly disclosed on the Internet.

đ) Guide Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and localities in establishing databases on administrative procedures, forms, and declarations.

e) Develop and submit to the Prime Minister for promulgation the Regulation on the management, exploitation, and operation of the database on administrative procedures, business conditions, forms, and declarations.

7. For Ministries and centrally-administered provinces/cities implementing model projects

a) Implement exemplary models of information technology applications at some Ministries (Ministry of Information and Communications, Ministry of Education and Training, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice) and provinces/cities with different regional characteristics (Lao Cai, Dak Lak, Nghe An, Quang Ninh, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City), thereby building, learning from experience, and perfecting information technology products for application across all Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and provinces directly under the Central Government nationwide.

b) The Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Justice, the People's Committees of Lao Cai, Dak Lak, Nghe An, Quang Ninh provinces, and the cities of Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City shall be responsible for coordinating with the Ministry of Information and Communications to determine the objectives, contents, and scale of implementing information technology applications in the activities of state agencies under their management for the period from 2009 to 2010.

c) The Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Justice shall be responsible for quickly implementing the following information systems in 2008:

- Electronic portal (or electronic website).

- Email system.

- Document management and administrative operation system at the Ministry Office.

- Electronic meeting system between the Ministry and its subordinate units.

- Special sector projects.

d) The People's Committees of Lao Cai, Dak Lak, Nghe An, Quang Ninh provinces, and the cities of Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City shall be responsible for quickly implementing the following information systems in 2008:

- Electronic portal (or electronic website).

- Email system.

- Document management and administrative operation system at the People's Committee Office.

- Document management and administrative operation system at a typical district or county.

- Electronic meeting system between the provincial People's Committee and districts or counties.

III. IMPLEMENTATION COSTS

1. Financial sources from the central budget to implement the Plan

The central budget to implement the Plan on applying information technology in the activities of state agencies will be allocated from the national budget reserve for the year 2008.

2. Financial principles and investment management

a) Ministries and ministerial-level agencies shall be provided with funds from the central budget to rationalize, improve, and make transparent work procedures and administrative procedures in state agencies, inter-agency processes so that information technology can be effectively applied; to implement or prepare for investment in special sector projects and shared projects; to serve the application of information technology in the activities of ministries and ministerial-level agencies, training information technology skills for staff, and other expenses.

b) Ministries shall prioritize funding for pilot models for the application of information technology according to the proposal of the Ministry of Information and Communications. Provinces shall prioritize support from the central budget for the application of information technology according to the proposal of the Ministry of Information and Communications.

c) Localities facing financial difficulties (as per Appendix III) shall be supported from the central budget.

d) Funds for the operation of the Steering Committee (monitoring, supervision, evaluation, reporting, supporting experts, learning international experiences, examining mechanisms and policies, etc.) shall be guaranteed by the central budget.

đ) The mechanism for allocating funds shall be jointly developed by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Information and Communications.

IV. SOLUTIONS

1. Close integration with the implementation of the administrative reform program:

The National Steering Committee on Information Technology shall coordinate with the Steering Committee of the Administrative Reform Program to apply information technology in the activities of state agencies, truly promoting administrative reform, and conversely, administrative reform contributing to enhancing the effectiveness of information technology application.

2. Monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the Plan

a) Agencies primarily responsible for implementing tasks and projects of ministries and ministerial-level agencies, provinces, and centrally governed cities shall report periodically every three months and at any time on the implementation of the Plan according to the guidance and requirements of the Ministry of Information and Communications.

b) Based on reports from ministries and ministerial-level agencies, provinces, and centrally governed cities, the Ministry of Information and Communications shall compile and submit periodic reports every three months to the Prime Minister.

c) The Ministry of Information and Communications shall organize monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the Plan by ministries and ministerial-level agencies and localities.

d) The People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities shall organize regular inspections, monitoring, and evaluations of the implementation of the Plan in their respective localities.

Article 2

1. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall take the lead and coordinate with ministries, ministerial-level agencies, localities, and businesses to organize the implementation of the "Plan on Applying Information Technology in the Activities of State Agencies in 2008".

2. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, provinces, and centrally governed cities assigned to primarily manage tasks in Section II, Article 1 and primarily manage shared projects and special sector projects in Appendix I shall be responsible for building and implementing specific projects in 2008.

Article 3.

Article 4.