Two-tier local government in Quang Tri: Building a streamlined apparatus and operating efficiently

As the core advisory agency, the Department of Home Affairs is gradually realizing the goal of building a streamlined and efficiently operating apparatus, aiming toward a public administration that serves the people.

Accordingly, after the reorganization, Quang Tri province has 78 commune-level administrative units (CLAUs), including 8 wards, 69 communes, and 1 special zone, representing a reduction of up to 70.45% compared to before. This is a large-scale streamlining step, demonstrating a high political determination in implementing the Central Committee’s resolution on the reorganization of administrative apparatus.

At the provincial level, the number of specialized agencies under the Provincial People’s Committee has been reduced to 14 units — a decrease of nearly 50% compared to before. Other administrative organizations have also been streamlined to avoid overlap in functions and responsibilities. At the commune level, 233 specialized units and 77 public administrative service centers have been reorganized, along with 897 public non-business units, ensuring an organizational structure that is both compact and professionally operated.

Personnel work following the reorganization has been implemented in a coordinated and rigorous manner by the Department of Home Affairs and local authorities. The province currently has over 40,000 officials, civil servants, public employees, and workers (OCSEWs) working across the two levels of government, including 15,198 at the provincial level and 25,755 at the commune level. After three months of operation, the two-level administrative apparatus is fundamentally functioning smoothly, and initial difficulties have gradually been resolved.

The province has timely supported OCSEWs working away from home to stabilize their lives and focus on their work. At the same time, it has directed departments and agencies to assign specialized civil servants to work at communes, wards, and the special zone; implement transfers and receptions of civil servants to communes and wards (from provincial to commune/ward level, from Party apparatus to government apparatus, and between communes and wards); and assign officials to work in positions designated for civil servants… all to balance and consolidate personnel at the commune level, meeting the requirements for an effectively operating and smoothly functioning two-level local government.

In addition, the province has focused on resolving the entitlements and policies for OCSEWs who have left their positions in accordance with regulations. As of the end of August 2025, the province has addressed entitlements and policies for 3,883 OCSEWs, employees, and non-full-time commune-level officials, including 2,245 cases of early retirement or resignation under Government Decree No. 178/2024, and 1,638 cases of resignation under Government Decree No. 154/2025.

After more than three months of operation, the two-tier local government apparatus in Quang Tri province has initially stabilized, yet it still faces numerous difficulties and challenges due to unsynchronized legal regulations and limited resources. The implementation of personnel deployment, reassignment, and arrangement of OCSEWs at the grassroots level has encountered significant obstacles.

Currently, most communes lack specialized human resources in key sectors such as healthcare, construction, transportation, land management, and education. Meanwhile, the workload at provincial-level agencies and units is substantial, and the number of OCSEWs is insufficient to fulfill assigned tasks. As a result, provincial departments and agencies have limited personnel to reinforce or second to support commune-level governance. Furthermore, the recruitment of additional civil servants must follow the roadmap and provisions under Government Decree No. 170/2025, while the staffing plan for commune-level administrative units is still in the development stage.

In the context of implementing the two-tier local government model, enhancing the quality and ensuring adequate numbers of OCSEWs at commune-level administrative units is crucial for effective task performance, improving public service capacity, and contributing to local socio-economic development. The province is currently continuing to focus on solutions for deploying, reassigning, and arranging OCSEWs, as well as ensuring that specialized personnel are adequately assigned to grassroots units.

Accordingly, after the temporary staffing plan for commune-level administrative units is issued, the Department of Home Affairs will advise the Provincial People’s Committee to comprehensively transfer civil servants among commune-level administrative units to align with job positions and professional qualifications. In cases where the number of civil servants does not meet the staffing norms, the province will conduct competitive recruitment, selection, or acceptance of civil servants in accordance with Government Decree No. 170/2025 dated June 30, 2025, for the remaining vacant positions.

In addition to focusing on training and fostering professional expertise, management skills, and public service ethics for commune-level OCSEWs, criteria for regular evaluation and classification of OCSEWs need to be developed to promptly identify and address underperforming personnel, followed by retraining or appropriate replacement. The Department will also continue to propose to the Ministry of Home Affairs and relevant central agencies the early issuance of specific and detailed guidance on decentralization and delegation of authority to commune-level units, avoiding vague or unclear regulations. At the same time, it will coordinate with relevant departments, boards, and agencies to advise on the assignment and delegation of authority in line with local characteristics, providing a solid basis for the synchronized implementation of tasks, and review directives and guidance documents from related ministries and agencies to identify inconsistencies and propose timely adjustments or abolitions.