For a long time, the assessment of the capacity, completion or non-completion of tasks of cadres, civil servants and public employees has been mainly based on voting and self-assessment methods, which are easily influenced by emotional factors, favoritism, and lack of transparency.
Year-end reports often show an unusually high rate of "excellent performance", but when compared with actual results, there are many cases where actual performance does not match the title.
As the pilot test organized by the Department of Home Affairs in coordination with the Department of Finance in mid-November for 178 civil servants and public employees showed, the excellent passing rate was only 5.1%, compared to more than 20% under the old method.
At the same time, 21.3% of those tested failed – a figure much higher than the failure rate of traditional assessments.
These figures not only reflect the inaccuracy of the old method, but also show the urgent need to change the way of doing things to properly assess the actual capacity of cadres.
Quang Tri's proposal for periodic assessment is not only a change in assessment methods, but also a mechanism to encourage cadres and civil servants to improve their capacity, innovate their thinking and take responsibility for their work.
Periodic testing helps to focus on actual performance rather than just on reported performance. Computer-based multiple-choice testing with technical content, professional skills, and public service ethics criteria will create an objective, fair standard for all.
More importantly, the assessment results are not only the basis for classifying staff, but also guide training and education, as well as eliminate weak individuals who do not meet job requirements.
This proposal of Quang Tri is similar to the policies that the Ministry of Home Affairs is building to innovate and improve the quality of the public apparatus in the direction of "up - down, in - out" including: Building a periodic assessment mechanism; Linking work results with benefits; Perfecting remuneration policies...
Quang Tri's proposal, although promising, still needs to be tested for effectiveness in practice.
If successful, lessons from the pilot in Quang Tri will be an important basis for perfecting the method, ensuring feasibility when replicating it to other localities.
At the same time, it will become a premise for the whole country to implement stronger reforms, aiming to build a team of cadres and civil servants who are both competent and ethical, meeting the people's expectations.
