SOCIAL CONSULTANCY AND EVALUATION ACTIVITIES ALWAYS GET ATTENTION AND SUPPORT FROM PARTY AND STATE

The Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) is a socio-political organization of scientific and technological intellectuals, established in 1983 on the basis of advocacy of the Joint Committee from the Vietnamese scientific and technical associations. Through 37 years of establishment and development, from 15 member associations, up to now, the VUSTA has 152 member associations, including 89 scientific and technical associations nationwide, 63 local associations and 532 affiliated S&T organizations.

Since its inception, social consultancy, criticism and assessment has always been identified as one of the important tasks of the VUSTA and its member associations, as well as responsibility of S&T intellectuals to contribute to national construction and development. The phrase of “criticism and social assessment” was stated for the first time in Directive 35-CT/TW dated April 11, 1988, in the 6th Party Central Secretariat on strengthening the organization and promoting the activities of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations. On the basis of Directive No. 35-CT/TW, Notice No. 37-TB/TW dated November 20, 1992, comments of the Secretariat on the organization and operation of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations, Directive No. 45-CT/TW dated 11/11/1998 of the Politburo on promoting the activities of the Union of Science and Technology Associations of Vietnam, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai issued Decision No. 22/2002/QD-TTg dated 30/01/2002 on social consultancy, criticism and assessment activities of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Association. This is the first time there is a document issued by the Prime Minister on social consultancy, criticism and assessmentactivities for VUSTA. This shows that the Party and State agencies have recognized the contributions made by VUSTA and its member associations to society and the country. Decision No. 22/2002/QD-TTg is an important legal basis for VUSTA and its member associations to organize official and formal social consultancy, criticism and assessment activities.

After the issuance of Decision 22/2002/QD-TTg, social consultancy, criticism and assessment activities of VUSTA and its member associations were deployed more strongly and continued to be affirmed in many important documents of the Party and State, such as Notice No. 145-TB/TW dated 9/7/2004 concluding opinion of the Central Secretariat on continuing to promote the implementation of Directive 45-CT/TW for VUSTA on social consultancy and evaluation activities in the period up to 2010; Decision No. 650/QD-TTg dated 24/4/2006 of the Prime Minister approving the Charter of VUSTA, Decree No. 45/2010/ND-CP dated April 21, 2010 of the Government regulating organization, operation and management of the association ...

In particular, in 2010, on the eve of the VI Congress of VUSTA, the Politiburo issued Directive No. 42-CT / TW dated April 16, 2010 on continuing to innovate, improve quality and effectiveness of VUSTA in the period of accelerating national industrialization and modernization. In addition to recognizing the results of VUSTA, the Directive has asked VUSTA to renew its content and operation methods to "proactively advise, criticize and assess society in the process of building policies and guidelines of the Party and State; major programs, projects on science and technology development, education and training, socio-economic issues before being decided by competent authorities”. At the same time, the Directive also requires to continue: “amending, supplementing and promulgating legal documents, mechanisms and policies related toVUSTA to develop a social consulting, criticizing and assessing mechanism, participating in national target projects and programs for socio-economic development to ensure a favorable environment to promote the creativity of scientific and technological intellectuals in national construction and defense”.

Forum on state administration reform in 2016

Decision No.14/2014/QD-TTg dated February 14, 2014 of the Prime Minister on social consultancy, criticism and assessment activities VUSTA and Decision No. 501/QD-TTg dated April 15, 2015 of the Prime Minister on piloting the organization of professional scientific forums of intellectuals when participating in social consultancy, criticism and assessment activities, policies and projects for socio-economic development are the results of implementing the Politburo's direction in Directive 42-CT/TW and the Secretariat’s at Notice No. 353-TB/TW.

With the attention and support of the Party and State agencies, the social consultancy, criticism and assessment activitiesof VUSTA and its member associations have been increasingly put into order and achieved remarkable results.

During the past term, VUSTA and its member associations have gathered and unite intellectuals to give an objective and straightforward opinion on over 3,000 tasks, including many projects on important guidelines and policies of the Party; many programs, big projects, works of national importance; major programs and projects by industry, field and locality.

Assigned to be one of the three pilot units to organize professional scientific forums under Decision No. 501/QD-TTg, VUSTA has actively implemented 37 forums, of which, there are many high-current forums, receiving attention of the intellectuals and the community. The forum is both an information channel and an environment for intellectuals to express their views, promote their intelligence to advise and propose solutions to Party and State agencies for major problems that arise in social.

National innovation startup forum in December 2017

Promoting the membership of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, VUSTA has participated in many monitoring activities of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front in the implementation of Resolution TW6 (Session XI) on science and technology development and Law on Science and Technology in localities, participated in supervising the implementation of Resolution 29-NQ / TW of the Central Committee of the Party (Session XI) on fundamental innovation, comprehensive education and training; supervised the implementation of policies and legislation on environmental protection and response to climate change, and supervised the implementation of legal policies on private health; supervised the implementation of the food safety legislation, etc.

It can be said that the activities of VUSTA and its member associations have actively contributed to building policies, guidelines, laws and effectively implementing important economic development projects in society and economy of the industry as well as of the country. VUSTA 's social consultancy, criticism and assessment activities have become a reliable communication channel for the Party and State when considering and deciding on important issues of the country.

Forum on downsizing, restructuring the contingent of civil servants, November 2018

At Conclusion No. 93-KL/TW, dated 20/11/2020 of the Secretariat on the continuation of Directive No. 42-CT/TW, dated April 16, 2010 of the Politburo term X on continuing innovating, improving the quality and efficiency of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations in the period of accelerating national industrialization and modernization has concluded: “social consultancy, criticism and assessment activities make important and practical contributions to the formulation of the Party's guidelines, the State's policies and laws, socio-economic development programs and projects of the country". This is also the recognition and encouragement of the Party and State about the results achieved by VUSTA in the activities of social consultancy, criticism and assessment.

In order for VUSTA to do a better job of of social consultancy, criticism and assessment, worthy of the recognition and expectation of the Party and State agencies, we hope that in the future, the Party and State agencies will continue pay attention to and support VUSTA with the following contents:

1. The Politburo and the Secretariat are requested to continue directing central and local State management agencies to improve the legal environment on the organization and operation of VUSTA, creating a favorable environment for intellectuals participate in activities and contribute to the country, especially in local social consultancy, criticism and assessment.

2. The Ministry of Science and Technology is suggested to advise the Prime Minister to amend and supplement the Decision No. 14/2014 / QD-TTg in the direction of more specific provisions on the compulsory contents of the specialized associations, the Party and State's order of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations in the task of social consultation, criticism and assessment;

3. The Ministry of Finance is requested to consider, amend and supplement the Circular No. 11/2015 / TT-BTC for social consultation, criticism and assessment activities in accordance with current regulations on S&T.

It is suggested that experts and member associations need to be more proactive in improving the quality of social consultation, criticism and assessment, advising Party and State agencies on important issues of the country, industry and sectors, operating social consultation, criticism and assessment a reliable channel to help Party and State agencies consult before deciding on important issues on policies and guidelines./.

MSc. Bui Kim Tuyen, Head of Social Consultancy and Evaluation Department Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations