The draft Decree amending Decree 170/2025 on recruitment, use and management of civil servants is being consulted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, proposing to expand the subjects eligible to become civil servants such as experts, scientists, public employees, officers in the armed forces, and leaders of state-owned enterprises.
According to the draft, some cases must have at least 5 years of work suitable to the job position. However, people who were former officials and civil servants but were transferred or rotated to other positions when returning to the public sector do not have to meet the condition of 5 years of work, if there is a decision from a competent authority.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Hoa - Head of Public Management Department - University of Economics and Law, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, assessed that the exceptional mechanism does not require 5 years of full employment for some cases, such as people who were former officials and civil servants being transferred to other positions, which is reasonable in principle.
First of all, these are people who have worked in the public sector, so they basically have knowledge of the administrative system, public service discipline and working procedures.
Therefore, not re-applying the "5 years of service" condition helps avoid cumbersomeness and duplication in standards, while creating flexibility in human resource use.
However, she noted that the issue raised is the need to strictly control the application of exceptions. If there are no clear criteria, it is very easy to lead to the situation of uncontrollably expanding exceptions, reducing the meaning of the general regulations on work experience.
Therefore, in my opinion, this mechanism should only be truly effective when accompanied by a specific assessment of capacity and level of suitability for the job position, instead of just relying on the background of having been a civil servant" - Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Hoa proposed.
To avoid taking advantage of exceptional cases regarding working time, according to her, it is necessary to supplement criteria and control mechanisms in a strict but transparent and measurable direction.
First, clearly stipulate the criteria for assessing actual capacity. Exceptional admission should not only be based on "being a former cadre or civil servant", but needs to have a basis on past work results, level of task completion, professional reputation and ability to meet new positions. This is an important criterion to ensure input quality.
Second, link the reception with a specific job position. Exceptions should only be applied when the recipient is directly suitable for the requirements of the position, avoiding the situation of receiving first and then finding a place to arrange later. This helps limit the "legalization" of personnel.
Third, establish an independent appraisal mechanism. The receiving process needs to have an appraisal stage by a higher-level personnel management agency or a professional council, instead of being completely assigned to a proposal unit, to ensure objectivity.
Finally, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Hoa emphasized strengthening transparency and accountability. Exceptionally received cases need to publicize criteria, procedures and reasons for selection, and at the same time clearly assign the responsibility of the decision-maker, to avoid policy abuse.
