Joint Circular No. 79/TTLT guiding the implementation of Decision No. 874/TTg dated November 20, 1996 of the Prime Minister on cadre training and civil servant capacity building.

CIRCULAR JOINT CIRCULAR

Guidelines for Implementing Decision 874/TTg dated November 20, 1996 of the Prime Minister on Cadre Training and Capacity Building for State Civil Servants

Pursuant to Article 8 of Decision 874/TTg dated November 20, 1996 of the Prime Minister on Cadre Training and Capacity Building for State Civil Servants, the Government Organizational and Cadre Department, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Education and Training hereby provide guidelines

for ministries, sectors, and localities to implement this Decision as follows:

1. OBJECTIVES, TARGETS FOR TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING OF STATE CIVIL SERVANTS

1.1. Objectives of training and capacity building:

Decision 874/TTg of the Prime Minister has affirmed that the objectives of training and capacity building for state civil servants are: "To build a cadre of state civil servants who are proficient in their specialties, loyal to the Socialist regime, dedicated to their duties, have good management skills, and meet the requirements for improving and enhancing the effectiveness of the state administrative apparatus." To achieve these objectives, it is necessary to closely adhere to the following specific contents:

- Training and capacity building for state civil servants aims to ensure that they meet the standards prescribed for each rank of state civil servant and each position of managerial cadre, according to the "Professional Standards for Ranks of State Civil Servants and Public Officials" issued by the State.

- Training and capacity building for state civil servants aims to ensure that they meet the standards prescribed for each rank of state civil servant and each position of managerial cadre, according to the "Professional Standards for Ranks of State Civil Servants and Public Officials" issued by the State.

- In the current phase, the work of training and capacity building for state civil servants focuses on addressing deficiencies in professional qualifications and limitations in management capabilities so that state civil servants can effectively perform their assigned tasks; concentrating on equipping and supplementing basic knowledge and skills in specialties, professions, and management, especially administrative management of the state, closely aligned with job requirements and standards for state civil servants, to meet the needs of improving and enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the state administrative apparatus.

1.2. Targets for training and capacity building:

The targets of training and capacity building are state cadres and civil servants, including: elected cadres; administrative civil servants; specialized and professional civil servants; economic management cadres and enterprise managers; grassroots administrative cadres.

For the immediate future, the two main groups that need priority and focused training and capacity building are:

- Administrative civil servants working in state administrative agencies, Party agencies, mass organizations, the National Assembly, People's Councils, People's Courts, and People's Procuratorates at all levels.

- Grassroots administrative cadres, including: Chairpersons, Deputy Chairpersons, and members of People's Committees; Chairpersons, Deputy Chairpersons of People's Councils, and various professional positions such as office, finance, judiciary, land administration, culture-society, etc., of communes, wards, towns.

The training and capacity building programs for these two groups are the focus of the training and capacity building of state cadres and civil servants from now until the year 2000. To achieve the target of "at least 20% of administrative civil servants and grassroots administrative cadres being trained and capacity built annually," ministries, sectors, and localities must concentrate on training instructors, developing curricula and textbooks, strengthening material and technical infrastructure, and allocating appropriate financial resources to implement these key programs.

2. CONTENTS AND FORMS OF TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING FOR STATE CIVIL SERVANTS

2.1. Contents of training and capacity building:

Decision 874/TTg has determined the basic contents of training and capacity building for state cadres and civil servants, which include: theoretical knowledge about political ideology, administrative management of the state, economic management, foreign languages, and information technology. When implementing, attention should be paid to:

- The dissemination of the Party and State's policies, guidelines, and policies should be timely and regular during training and capacity building courses for state cadres and civil servants.

- Training and capacity building for state cadres and civil servants in foreign languages shall be carried out in accordance with Directive No. 422/TTg dated August 15, 1994 of the Prime Minister and Circular No. 171/TTLB dated November 4, 1994 of the Government Organizational and Cadre Department - Ministry of Education and Training guiding the implementation of the aforementioned directive.

- Among the contents of training and capacity building specified in Decision 874/TTg, there should be a focus on training and capacity building for state cadres and civil servants in administrative management and state management to meet the current situation and tasks. Along with providing theoretical knowledge, practical aspects (management skills, operational methods, practical tools, etc.) and disseminating domestic and international management experiences should be given particular emphasis. Practical skills are an important part of the training and capacity building content for state cadres and civil servants, and should be appropriately proportioned in the training and capacity building programs for different target groups.

These contents are implemented through the following types of training and capacity building:

- Training and capacity building for the examination and recruitment of state cadres and civil servants; testing and assessing those temporarily recruited into state agencies before being appointed to a specific rank of civil servant, to continuously replenish human resources for state organizations and agencies, ensuring the requirements and standards of each rank of civil servant and each position of managerial cadre.

- Training and capacity building for state cadres and civil servants to be appointed to leadership and management positions or higher ranks of civil servants.

- Training and capacity building to enhance political, professional, and management skills, as well as supplementary knowledge such as foreign languages and information technology, to meet the continuous development requirements of tasks.

These types of training and capacity building are organized in various forms: centralized, semi-centralized, self-study, or under the form of on-the-job mentoring (during work, guided by experienced and qualified colleagues).

3. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN TRAINING AND IMPROVEMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVANTS

- International cooperation in training and improvement of state civil servants is now an important part of the work on training and improving state civil servants. International cooperation activities in training and improving state civil servants must be planned and included in the overall training and improvement plan for state civil servants; funds to implement these tasks are included in the total training and improvement budget for state civil servants. The dispatch of state civil servants abroad for training and improvement using the training and improvement budget for state civil servants must be approved by the Government's Organization and Cadre Board.

- Training and improvement programs for state civil servants abroad or involving foreign participation must ensure practicality, content relevant to job requirements, aligned with economic and social goals, and suitable for the conditions and capabilities of the participants.

- Ministries, sectors, and localities must develop plans for international cooperation in training and improving state civil servants, specifying the content, target groups, implementation conditions, and annually submit them to the Government's Organization and Cadre Board for consolidation and presentation to the Government for consideration and decision. The Government's Organization and Cadre Board, based on the approved plans by the Government, will coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Education and Training to develop cooperation programs and guide ministries, sectors, and localities in their implementation.

- In the short term, ministries, sectors, and localities with projects or courses for training and improving state civil servants involving foreign participation must inform the Government's Organization and Cadre Board about the content, program, teaching and learning targets, ensuring strict management, regular compilation, reporting to the Government, and seeking permission from the Government when necessary.

4. ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES

4.1. State Management of Training and Improvement of State Civil Servants:

- The system of state management agencies for the work of training and improving state civil servants includes:-

+ The Government's Organization and Cadre Board is the central agency for state management of the work of training and improving state civil servants. Alongside the Government's Organization and Cadre Board, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Education and Training also manage this field. The scope of management and specific responsibilities of these agencies have been clearly defined in Decision 874/TTg.

+ The state management agency for training and improving state civil servants at the local level is the Organization Department of provincial and centrally-administered city governments; at the central level, it is the Cadre Organization Department of central ministries and sectors.

+ Agencies, sectors, and localities establish specialized units to carry out the task of directing and managing the work of training and improving state civil servants within their jurisdiction. For localities, a Training and Improvement Department for State Civil Servants may be established under the Organization Department of provincial and centrally-administered city governments.

- State management of the work of training and improving state civil servants is the responsibility of the aforementioned system of management agencies. Within the scope of their delegated authority, the main contents of this work include:

+ Consolidating and developing planning and programs for training and improving state civil servants; monitoring, guiding, and inspecting the implementation of these plans for training and improvement management agencies and institutions.

+ Monitoring and inspecting the development and implementation of training and improvement programs and curricula for state civil servants for training institutions for state civil servants.

+ Establishing annual budget standards and allocations for the work of training and improving state civil servants; allocating, monitoring, and inspecting the implementation of budget standards and systems for training and improving state civil servants.

+ Establishing training and improvement policies for state civil servants; guiding and inspecting the implementation of state policies on training and improving state civil servants.

+ Compiling and developing plans to strengthen and develop material and technical infrastructure for training and improvement institutions for state civil servants.

4.2. Implementation of Training and Improvement Programs for State Civil Servants:

The organization and implementation of training and improvement programs and content for state civil servants must be based on the framework program prescribed by the competent state agency and is the responsibility of training and improvement institutions for state civil servants: the National Academy of Politics under Ho Chi Minh Communist Party Central Committee; the National Academy of Public Administration; provincial and centrally-administered city political schools; training centers for state civil servants under central ministries and sectors.

- The position and tasks of provincial and centrally-administered city political schools have been determined in Decision 874/TTg. Central ministries and sectors should review their training and improvement needs, capabilities, and scale of training and improvement institutions for state civil servants to arrange the organizational positions of these institutions in accordance with the spirit of Decision 874/TTg.

- Under the guidance of the supervising ministry, sector, or locality and the higher-level state management agency for training and improving state civil servants, training and improvement institutions for state civil servants of ministries, sectors, and localities shall cooperate with the same-level state management agency for training and improving state civil servants to implement plans and common tasks related to training and improving state civil servants within their assigned scope.

- The Government Organizational and Cadre Affairs Agency is the coordinating body responsible for managing training and capacity-building institutions for state officials under various ministries, sectors, and localities. These institutions are subject to professional guidance and direction from the National Academy of Political Theory named after Ho Chi Minh, the National Public Administration Academy, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Ministry of Planning and Investment according to the specific fields of training and capacity-building as stipulated in Decision No. 874/TTg.

5. SEVERAL PRIORITIES

In addition to the measures for implementing the training and capacity-building of state officials as determined in Decision No. 874/TTg, the relevant agencies need to coordinate to effectively carry out the following tasks:

- The Ministry of Education and Training, in collaboration with the Government Organizational and Cadre Affairs Agency, shall study, apply, and guide ministries, sectors, and localities in implementing the Party and State's policies regarding teachers engaged in the training and capacity-building of state officials (regime of academic titles, teacher titles, allowances, salaries, promotion, and other incentives), aiming to propose to the Government the issuance of regulations and regimes for the training and capacity-building of state officials and policies for teachers at these institutions.

- The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall take the lead in compiling plans and balancing budgets for the training and capacity-building of state officials, submitting them to the Government for approval, allocating overall targets for the training and capacity-building of state officials, and participating with the Government Organizational and Cadre Affairs Agency and the Ministry of Finance in distributing targets among ministries, sectors, and localities, proposing and participating in the development of training and capacity-building policies for state officials. Ministries, sectors, and localities shall compile and report on the current status of infrastructure, development plans, and upgrades of training and capacity-building facilities, sending this information to the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Government Organizational and Cadre Affairs Agency for consolidation and the development of a comprehensive plan, which will be submitted to the Government for approval according to Decree No. 42/CP dated July 16, 1996, of the Government on investment management and construction, and Decree No. 92/CP dated August 23, 1997, of the Government amending and supplementing certain provisions on investment management and construction.

- The Government Organizational and Cadre Affairs Agency shall take the lead in guiding ministries, sectors, and localities to conduct surveys on the qualifications and training needs of state officials. The survey shall begin in 1997, based on a unified content and methodology to regularly update necessary data, leading to the establishment of a common management network for the training and capacity-building of state officials. Funding for this activity shall be allocated in the annual budget plans of the units.

- The Government Organizational and Cadre Affairs Agency shall take the lead, in coordination with the National Academy of Political Theory named after Ho Chi Minh, the National Public Administration Academy, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the Ministry of Education and Training, to gradually develop appropriate framework programs for the training and capacity-building of state officials according to the requirements and content for each category of officials, avoiding overlap and duplication; standardizing major textbooks, and developing regulations on the use of programs and textbooks and the issuance of diplomas and certificates. In 1997, focus on developing and perfecting training and capacity-building programs for two categories: administrative officials and grassroots government officials, initially standardizing programs and textbooks for these categories.

The Ministry of Finance shall take the lead, in coordination with the Government Organizational and Cadre Affairs Agency, to establish systems for the allocation, management, and use of training and capacity-building budgets for state officials, incentive systems for state officials attending training, and guide ministries, sectors, and localities in their implementation. In 1997, it is necessary to amend Circular No. 37/TTLB dated April 22, 1994, on the management and use of funds for the training and capacity-building of state officials to suit the new situation. Starting from 1998, ministries, sectors, and localities must submit their own plans for the training and capacity-building of state officials (both domestic and international) to the Government Organizational and Cadre Affairs Agency, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the Ministry of Finance within the time frame specified in the Budget Law for consolidation into the budget plan to be submitted to the Government.

6. IMPLEMENTATION ORGANIZATION

- Ministries, sectors, and localities shall base their decisions on Decision No. 874/TTg dated November 20, 1996, of the Prime Minister and this Circular, examining and issuing appropriate decisions to organize the implementation of the training and capacity-building of state officials within the scope of their authority.

- The Personnel Organization Departments, Planning Departments, Financial Departments of central ministries and sectors; the Local Government Organization Departments, Provincial Planning and Investment Departments, Provincial Finance Departments, and Provincial Education and Training Departments shall assist the heads of ministries, sectors, and localities in implementing the Prime Minister's Decision and this Circular.

- This Circular shall take effect fifteen days after its date of signature. During the implementation process, if there are difficulties, suggestions for supplementation or amendment, ministries, sectors, and localities shall promptly reflect these issues to the Government Organizational and Cadre Affairs Agency, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Education and Training for consideration and resolution.