Scientific and Practical Basis for Evaluating Commune-Level Civil Servants.

- About space : Evaluation of civil servants in 07 communes and wards in Phuoc Long town, Binh Phuoc province.

- Time: From 2015 to 2020.

- Regarding content: The research topic is about principles, content, criteria, methods, and procedures for annual evaluation of communal civil servants. Within the scope of this thesis, the focus is on researching criteria for evaluating the quality of communal civil servants (political qualities; ethics and lifestyle; working capacity; task completion results and people's satisfaction).

5. Methodology and research methods of the thesis

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5.1. Methodology

The thesis takes dialectical materialism and historical materialism as the methodological basis for the research.

5.2. Research methods

- Document research method: This method will help the writer approach the problem from a theoretical to practical perspective, combined with other research methods, the writer will have a comprehensive view and from there propose highly feasible solutions;

- Sociological investigation method:

+ Direct investigation and survey by going to the field, observing, recording and directly exchanging with the subjects who are civil servants and public employees of the communes: The author distributed survey forms to 67 civil servants working in the communes and wards of Phuoc Long town, Binh Phuoc province (1).

+ Indirect investigation and research through local citizens' assessment survey of commune-level civil servants: The author distributed survey questionnaires to 123 citizens working in different professions (civil servants, public employees, workers and some other professions) in Phuoc An town.

Long to evaluate the qualifications, capacity, ethics and lifestyle of civil servants; the attitudes and awareness of civil servants in performing public duties (2).

Total (1) + (2): 190 votes.

- In-depth interview method: Consulting the opinions of 02 Chairmen of the People's Committees of communes and wards and a number of commune civil servants belonging to the 05 positions mentioned above and a number of people who have worked in civil servant management.

- Statistical, analytical and synthesis methods : This method is used to systematize secondary and primary data collected during the investigation and research process; analyze the proportion of civil servant qualifications, the proportion of civil servant classification results, and the proportion of application needs through the investigation.

6. Theoretical and practical significance of the thesis

6.1. Theoretical significance

The thesis contributes to systematizing the theoretical basis for civil servant evaluation in general, and annual communal civil servant evaluation in particular, in which it mentions issues that need to be further paid attention to and deepened: criteria, processes, methods, and evaluation subjects. Through the research problem, the thesis provides and supplements the theoretical basis for civil servant evaluation, thereby setting out appropriate requirements for civil servant evaluation as well as content and requirements when researching civil servant evaluation.

6.2. Practical significance

- Provide additional scientific arguments to help leaders and managers at all levels of Binh Phuoc province continue to improve local regulations on evaluating state administrative civil servants in general and commune-level civil servants in particular.

- Through comprehensive research and analysis of the current status of the quality of commune-level civil servants in Phuoc Long town in the 5-year period (2015 - 2020), the author can comprehensively and objectively assess the advantages and disadvantages of the commune-level civil servants in Phuoc Long town.

The results achieved in the work of building a team of commune-level civil servants as well as the existing limitations and causes to find solutions to overcome them. This is the basis for advising and proposing to the Party Committee and the town government long-term orientations and effective solutions to improve the quality of commune-level civil servants in Phuoc Long town in the coming time. In addition, the topic is also the basis for later researchers to refer to, apply and continue to research at a higher level.

7. Structure of the thesis

In addition to the introduction, conclusion, list of references and appendix, the thesis is structured in 03 chapters:

Chapter 1: Scientific and practical basis for evaluating commune-level civil servants.

Chapter 2: Current status of communal civil servants and assessment of communal civil servants in Phuoc Long town, Binh Phuoc province from 2015 to 2020.

Chapter 3 : Viewpoints and solutions to improve the quality of evaluation of commune-level civil servants in Phuoc Long town, Binh Phuoc province in the coming time.

Chapter 1

SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL BASIS FOR EVALUATING COMMUNE-LEVEL CIVIL SERVANTS

1.1. Commune civil servants

1 .1.1. Related concepts

1.1.1.1. Civil servants

The term “civil servant” is defined differently in different countries due to historical conditions, traditional culture, political institutions, ways of organizing the state apparatus... Civil servants are a very important part of the national administration. The French Civil Service Law stipulates.

Civil servants include all those appointed by the state or territorial community (commune, province, region) to work regularly in a public office or self-governing office, including hospitals, and are assigned to a rank of the public administration[21].

According to this understanding, French civil servants are divided into three types: State administrative civil servants, civil servants belonging to territorial communities and civil servants belonging to autonomous agencies. In the UK, the concept of civil servant only includes employees working in the administrative sector. In the US, all employees in the Government's administrative apparatus are generally called civil servants, including those who are politically appointed (also known as political civil servants), heads of independent apparatus and officials of the administrative sector.

According to current law, civil servants are Vietnamese citizens who are recruited and appointed to ranks, positions, and titles in agencies of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the State, socio-political organizations at the central, provincial, and district levels; in agencies and units of the People's Army but are not officers, professional soldiers, or national defense workers.

Department; in agencies and units of the People's Public Security who are not professional officers or non-commissioned officers and in the leadership and management apparatus of public service units of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the State, and socio-political organizations (hereinafter referred to as public service units), on the payroll and receiving salaries from the state budget; for civil servants in the leadership and management apparatus of public service units, salaries are guaranteed from the salary fund of the public service unit according to the provisions of law [26].

1.1.1.2. Commune civil servants

According to the 2013 Constitution and the 2015 Law on Organization of Local Government and a number of articles of the amended Law on Organization of Local Government...., local government includes two types: rural local government and urban local government. In which, rural local government includes local government in provinces, districts, and communes.

Currently, in the legal system and guiding documents of the Ministry of Home Affairs, there is no official concept of communal civil servants. The concept of communal civil servants is included in the concept of "Commune-level civil servants". Article 4 of the 2008 Law on Cadres and Civil Servants and the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the 2019 Law on Cadres and Civil Servants and the 2019 Law on Public Employees stipulates: "Commune-level civil servants are Vietnamese citizens recruited to hold a professional or technical position under the People's Committee of the commune level, on the payroll and receiving a salary from the state budget" [26].

To specify the general provisions in the Law on Cadres and Civil Servants, Decree No. 92/2009/ND-CP dated October 22, 2009 of the Government stipulates the titles, numbers, some regimes and policies for civil servants in communes, wards, towns and non-professional workers at the commune level. Currently, commune-level civil servants include the following titles:

1. Office - statistics;

2. Land administration - construction - urban and environment (for wards and towns) or land administration - agriculture - construction and environment (for communes);

3. Finance - accounting;

4. Justice - civil status;

5. Culture - society.

Depending on the type of administrative unit (commune level type 1, type 2, type 3), the number of commune-level civil servants is allocated appropriately and ranges from 21 to 25 positions.

Unlike district and provincial civil servants, each commune-level civil servant position is only allocated 1 to 2 positions but must perform all assigned tasks in specific areas such as finance - accounting, justice - civil status, etc., so commune-level civil servants are required to have professional qualifications appropriate to the job position and many other necessary skills to serve the task.

Thus, commune-level civil servants are Vietnamese citizens, recruited to work at the People's Committees at the commune level within the payroll and receiving salaries from the state budget; assigned to take on a civil servant position and perform advisory work for the commune-level government on tasks in the assigned field and specialty; commune-level civil servants are the force closest to the people, the bridge between the grassroots government and the people.

1.1.2. Characteristics and roles of commune-level civil servants

1.1.2.1. Characteristics

Commune-level civil servants have the following specific characteristics:

Firstly , in addition to the common characteristics of civil servants and communal civil servants, based on the position, role, and characteristics of the type of government, communal civil servants also have their own unique characteristics. Identifying and specifying these unique characteristics is extremely important for the evaluation work.

From there, competent authorities can develop evaluation criteria suitable to specific requirements to ensure the quality of public service performance.

Second , compared to district and provincial level civil servants, the professionalism and specialization of communal civil servants are often lower, but due to the characteristics of the grassroots government, they often have better skills in handling and solving specific tasks. In addition to performing professional work, communal civil servants also take on many other administrative tasks, which are not as specialized as higher-level civil servants.

Third , compared to higher-level civil servants, communal-level civil servants are generally the closest to the people. This group directly puts the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws into practice, making people understand and implement them. Therefore, their public service activities are often easier to recognize and evaluate than those of higher-level civil servants.

Fourthly , the special characteristic of communal civil servants is that most of them are local people. In addition to understanding customs, cultural traditions, and easily grasping the aspirations of the majority of people, they are more or less influenced by family, clan, and neighbor relationships in the performance of public duties. Therefore, the existence of local localism in the public duties of communal civil servants is inevitable. Although they do not comprehensively manage all aspects of the activities and development of the commune, but stemming from the situation of organizing the economic, cultural, and social life of rural areas that is diverse, concentrated, complex, volatile, and sensitive among the population, the responsibility of communal civil servants is also very heavy. The stability and development of social life activities in the commune is the fundamental basis to ensure the stability and development of the entire district. President Ho Chi Minh once affirmed that "Commune level is the foundation of administration. If the commune level can do it, everything will be done." [5]

1.1.2.2. Role

Commune-level civil servants have the following specific roles:

Firstly , commune-level civil servants are those who have to deal with a large, diverse and complex amount of work every day and every hour to carry out the task of developing the local economy and culture, so the activities of each commune civil servant and the team of commune civil servants are directly related to the quality and efficiency of the commune government's operations as well as affecting the effectiveness and efficiency of the state administrative apparatus in general and the people's trust in that apparatus. Thus, in addition to those elected by local people as representatives, there must be people who carry out local work.

Second , commune-level civil servants are the ones who directly organize, operate, and coordinate activities between departments and people in bringing the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws into practice in local life, and are the force that directly advises and participates in planning and implementing local socio-economic development plans. Commune civil servants directly and daily perform tasks to manage all aspects of socio-economic life, so they grasp the most specific information and feedback on the areas they are assigned to manage. Therefore, they will be the ones to advise and propose to commune leaders specific goals, solutions, and steps to turn plans into actions, contributing greatly to the socio-economic development of the locality. If the commune civil servants are weak, no matter how correct the guidelines, policies, and plans are, they cannot be put into practice. The strength or weakness of a commune depends on the quality of its staff. However, to promote this role in the current period, commune civil servants must adapt to the changes of the new situation, meet the needs of the community.

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