The Public Administration Service Centre of Bắc Giang Ward, Bắc Ninh Province. — Photos courtesy of Bắc Ninh Province

BẮC NINH — The northern province of Bắc Ninh is rolling out a range of measures to resolve difficulties arising from the restructuring of its administrative apparatus and territorial units, to ensure the effective operation of the two-tier local government model.

According to the provincial Department of Home Affairs, a number of challenges have emerged during implementation. Most notably, the education sector is short of 5,311 teaching staff compared to assigned quotas, while commune-level public service delivery centres lack 614 civil servant positions, falling short of the minimum requirement of 15 staff per centre.

In addition, several central ministries and agencies have yet to issue detailed guidance on the functions, tasks and powers of public service units under provincial-level People’s Committees and commune-level authorities following the shift to the two-tier model. This has made it difficult for localities to define institutional mandates in practice clearly.

Challenges have also been identified in election-related work. Compared with previous terms, several stages of the electoral process have been significantly shortened, requiring tasks to be carried out within a much tighter timeframe. This has placed considerable pressure on election organisations and supporting professional agencies.

Staff handle administrative procedures for citizens at the Public Administration Service Centre of Bắc Giang Ward, Bắc Ninh Province.

The election period also coincides with the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday, when multiple tasks converge, further complicating implementation due to dispersed resources and divided attention among election personnel. Moreover, the majority of officials and civil servants involved in election work are participating for the first time and lack practical experience, which is further complicating operations at the grassroots level.

To address these issues, Bắc Ninh is intensifying efforts to remove bottlenecks and ensure the smooth operation of the two-tier local government system in the period ahead.

Once appraisal opinions are received from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the provincial Department of Home Affairs will advise on the reorganisation of public service units and submit proposals to competent authorities in accordance with prescribed procedures.

The department will also review staffing structures and allocate personnel quotas for 2026 based on standards set by the Central Steering Committee, including additional allocations for localities with large populations or extensive areas. Civil servants will be reassigned and rotated to ensure a balanced and harmonious distribution among commune-level administrative units.

At the same time, Bắc Ninh will develop a job-position scheme and submit it to the chairperson of the provincial People’s Committee for approval, serving as a basis for personnel arrangement, rotation among communes and wards, and new recruitment of commune-level civil servants. The province will also conduct competency assessments to recruit contractual teachers into permanent positions in line with Resolution No 19/2017/NQ-HĐND of the provincial People’s Council.

In parallel, the Department of Home Affairs will advise on the timely establishment of election-related bodies and develop training plans on skills, professional procedures and potential scenarios, enabling officials, civil servants and election committee members to fully understand their responsibilities and proactively carry out assigned tasks. Preparatory work will also include defining constituencies for National Assembly and provincial People’s Council elections, determining the number of deputies to be elected in each constituency, receiving candidate dossiers, editing candidate profiles and summary lists, and preparing election-related publications and materials in accordance with regulations.

As of November 1, Bắc Ninh’s total staffing quota from provincial to commune level stands at 65,251 positions, excluding cases of resignation under Government Decrees No 178/2024/NĐ-CP and No 67/2025/NĐ-CP. Of this total, 14,855 positions are allocated at the provincial level, while 50,396 are at the commune level, including education-sector public employees.

The Department of Home Affairs has instructed agencies and local authorities to review and arrange personnel in line with operational requirements. Measures implemented include the reassignment and secondment of 23 civil servants and public employees from provincial departments to commune- and ward-level People’s Committees; the transfer of 24 officials from communes and wards with surplus to understaffed locations; the secondment of 65 suitably qualified public employees from commune-level public service centres to civil servant positions; and the deployment of 76 officials with expertise in construction, land management and information technology from provincial agencies to grassroots administrations. — VNS