The Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Index (PAPI) 2012 released in Hanoi on May 14 indicates a slight improvement in governance and public services against the previous year.

Conducted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF), the index shows positive signs in the control of corruption, transparency, public services delivery and vertical accountability.

Results of the PAPI survey show that public servants’ expertise and attitude while interacting with citizens shape people’s satisfaction with public services and procedures.

Meanwhile in the health service, treatment quality and medical practitioners’ visits to patients at district hospitals are two major factors affecting public satisfaction. As for state-owned primary education, surveyed respondents are concerned most about teachers’ skills and abilities.

Nguyen Quang Du, Director of the VFF’s Personnel Training and Scientific Research Centre, said PAPI is the largest-ever tool that gauges public service quality in Vietnam . It is also an annual policy monitoring tool with data on land, healthcare and education, which directly impact people’s lives.

Pratibha Mehta, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam , said as a middle-income country, Vietnam increasingly sees the importance of modern tools to monitor and review policies.

On the way to becoming a prosperous and democratic society with a strong market economy, the State administrative system plays a pivotal role in poverty reduction, she said.-VNA