Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Home Affairs plans to introduce a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) system to evaluate the performance of civil servants and public employees, marking a major step toward improving transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the public sector.
At a mid-year review conference held on July 8, Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra emphasised the need to adopt KPI-based assessments in line with the principle of retaining those who work effectively and dismissing those who work ineffectively. This principle underlines a performance-driven approach where personnel decisions are based on measurable outcomes.
The ministry is currently giving advice on the implementation of the Law on Cadres and Civil Servants. As part of this effort, it will pilot monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual KPI assessments within its affiliated departments in the second half of 2025. Once approved by the Politburo, the KPI-based evaluation system is expected to be applied nationwide.
In the first six months of the year, the ministry prioritised restructuring for a leaner and more effective administration. It played a key role in advising the Government on a resolution submitted to the National Assembly that reshaped the structure of the 15th-term Government, reducing it to 14 ministries, three ministerial-level agencies, and five affiliated bodies.
Within ministries and sectors, the reform has led to the dissolution of all 13 general departments, the reduction of 509 departments, 232 divisions, 3,377 sub-departments, and 205 public service units. A total of 22,300 positions have been cut at the central level.
At the local level, as of July 1 when a two-tier local government model was introduced, Vietnam now has 34 provinces and cities with 3,321 commune-level administrative units.
Looking ahead, the ministry will accelerate reforms under the theme “breakthrough momentum,” focusing on institutional improvement and resource mobilization. It aims to submit 27 decrees and 17 circulars to the Government, focusing on ministerial structure, staffing, payroll, social insurance, and policies for surplus personnel.
Administrative reform will continue to focus on streamlining procedures and promoting digital transformation. A national database on public employees is being finalised, with full integration with the national population database expected by the end of the year. This database will automate processes such as personnel downsizing, promotion, and reallocation following administrative mergers./.
