Promote the role of social consultancy and evaluation activities of VUSTA
The social consultancy and evaluation activities of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) and its members, including the provincial unions, have actively contributed to the the formulation of policies and laws. This is the statement of the President of VUSTA Phan Xuan Dung at reviewing workshop on social consultancy and evaluation activities of provincial unions. The workshop was carried out in the form of hybrid on November 30, 2021 in Hanoi.
President of VUSTA Dr. Sc. Phan Xuan Dung gave opening speech at the workshop
President of VUSTA Dr. Sc. Phan Xuan Dung added that, the work of social consultancy and evaluation has always been focused, promoted by VUSTA. It has created favourable conditions for intellectuals to give their objective, frank and high-quality opinions and comments on crucial issues related to national development guidelines and policies, especially on science and technology, education and training, as well as policies for intellectuals. The results of social consultancy and evaluation activities of VUSTA and its member associations have contributed significantly to socio-economic development and have been highly appreciated by the Party, State and people for the past years.
In 2021, despite of the Covid-19 pandemic has severely affected regular aspects of life, the implementation of social consultancy and evaluation activities within VUSTA’s system is still relatively comprehensive and effective. VUSTA has organized series seminars to comment on planning projects such as planning the railway network in the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050; planning of road network for the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050; master plan for development of the national airport system for the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. The leaders of Ministry of Transport expressed their interests on above seminars and they also attended the seminar to receive comments from VUSTA’s scientists and experts for the adjustment of those plans, President of VUSTA Phan Xuan Dung said.
Ms Bui Kim Tuyen – Director General for Social Consultancy and Evaluation Department, VUSTA
Reporting on the results of social consultancy and evaluation in 2021, Ms. Bui Kim Tuyen - Director General for Social Consultancy and Evaluation Department of VUSTA said that despite of Covid-19 pandemic, VUSTA and provincial unions as well as its member professional associations have carried out a number of social consultancy and evaluation activities. In many provincies, people’s committee and competent authorities have assigned the provincial union to undertake the task of social consultancy and evaluation as per request of provincial union. Besides that provincial unions as well as their staff have been built capacity and gained experience for better implementation this activity in the future.
The social consultancy and evaluation activities have become more professional after years and have been highly appreciated by state agencies. Their opinions are an open, independent and objective assessments. One of strength in carrying out this activity is to connect experts and scientists at local and central, to perform well the tasks and maximize expertise achivements. Experts in VUSTA’s system are not only good in their expertise but also enthusiastic to contribute ideas on guidelines, policies, programs and projects set out by the Party and State.
However, according to Ms. Tuyen, professional associations are facing difficulties and challenges in implementing the activity, such as insufficient resources, especially financial resources. For VUSTA and provincial union who have financial support from the State budget, facing low cost norms compared to the current financial regulations on scientific and technological activities. For example: the remuneration for principal investigator of social consultancy and evaluation activities is 7 times lower than that of wage for science and technology activity; secretary’s remuneration is 5 times lower, seminar delegates and scientific report is 2 times lower. It is also difficult to access financial resources to implement social consultancy and evaluation activities for those who do not receive financial support.
The culture of criticism is not really appreciated. The nature of social assessment is to detect the inappropriated, incomplete contents of the project in order to provide analysis, explaining, scientific and practical arguments to propose solutions and recommendations for improvement of mechanisms and policies or improvement of the effectiveness of programs and projects. However, the awareness of many organizations and individuals on social consultancy and evaluation as opposing opinions, therefore they avoid to get opinions from VUSTA and its members. In addtion, the access to information is somewhat limited. There is a fact that most agencies offer VUSTA and its members to provide comments on specific projects, but they do not send enough related information and documents. Therefore, it is unable to give out the expected quality.
Mr. Truong Quang Hai – President of Bac Giang provincial union
Mr. Truong Quang Hai - President of Bac Giang Union of Science and Technology Associations suggested that VUSTA needs to continue to promote the activities of social consultancy and evaluation activity, identifies it as a key task and ensures an effective implementation in order to improve the role and position of VUSTA. It isnecessary to actively propose and register to the National Assembly, the Government assignments the tasks of social consultancy and evaluation at the beginning of each year. At the same time, it is also needed to strengthen communication and dissemination on the mass media, especially on VTV. He added that VUSTA should share and transfer information and database of experts to provincial unions. So that, provincial unions are easier to organize seminar on social consultancy and evaluation at local level with provided expert list. VUSTA continues to support local unions by connecting to experts from central to participate in seminars held by provincial unions.
At the workshop, scientists and experts exchanged, discussed and gave recommendations on the cooperation between VUSTA and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in organizing training courses for fostering skills, professional skills and related courses to meet the requirements and tasks of consulting, supervision, assessment and social criticism in the current period. VUSTA is the flag to propose to the Government to issues mandatory regulations for projects. Before getting approval of the project, the project must be consulted and assessed by an independent agency.
HT
