A Study On Capacity And Work Performance Of Vietnamese Civil Servants

Abstract

Local civil servants in Vietnam are staffed to work in three provincial, district, and commune tiers of government agencies, in which the provincial one is responsible for overseeing all civil servants in the whole locality. Vietnamese law establishes criteria for judging civil servants’ capacities and competency based on how well they fulfill their tasks. However, the capabilities defined by the statutory criteria for civil servant titles and their actual capacities in the working process varies. When evaluating civil servants, it is crucial to consider these two factors as they have an impact on their actual performance. The authors of this study focus on examining and assessing how "competence under title standards" and "practical capacity" affect the "work performance" of Vietnam's local civil servants. To represent the three regions of Vietnam, we surveyed 300 leaders of government agencies in the provinces of Thai Binh (Northern), Quang Ngai (Central), and Đong Thap (Southern). The reseach findings have demonstrated that local leaders tend to underestimate the Practical capacities of civil servants, confirming that it has not yet met the requirements of public service performance in the context of social development management innovation. From these research findings, we have recommended policy changes for regional civil servants to promote their credentials to provide better public service.