International cooperation on building an excellent civil service and developing public governance capacity in Viet Nam

At the meeting.

Attending the meeting were Mr. Wu Wei Neng, Chief Executive Officer of CIG, and Ms. Wee Teng Ong, CIG Program Manager. Representing APAG were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, APAG President; Dr. Bui Phuong Dinh, APAG Vice President; along with leaders from the Department of Science Management and International Cooperation.

In his welcome remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien emphasized that the presence of Mr. Wu Wei Neng and CIG experts demonstrated the increasingly close cooperation between APAG and CIG. It also opened new opportunities for exchanging international experiences and advancing meaningful initiatives for administrative reform and capacity building for public officials in the context of international integration and rapid digital transformation. This is especially important amid Viet Nam’s current efforts to streamline the administrative apparatus, restructure administrative units at all levels, and build a two-tier local government model. He expressed his belief that with CIG’s expertise and strategic vision, the collaboration between the two institutions would make significant contributions to building an excellent civil service in Viet Nam – a service that is honest, effective, people- and business-centered, while also laying a solid foundation for the country’s sustainable development.

Representatives of APAG.

The working session reaffirmed the shared determination and commitment of both parties to promoting civil service reform and enhancing public governance capacity in Viet Nam, with the goal of building a modern, effective, and service-oriented public administration that better serves citizens and businesses. During the session, the two sides exchanged views on several key topics, most notably the joint development of a Government Performance Index, which focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of provincial-level government operations. This is a highly practical initiative designed to help localities assess their own capacities, enhance governance efficiency, and adapt to the ongoing administrative streamlining and restructuring process. APAG proposed expanding the research scope to include measuring and assessing local governments’ adaptability to change, serving as a tool to support policy planning and the design of tailored training programs.

In addition, both parties discussed plans to co-organize a training course for commune-level leaders and managers in Hung Yen province, aligned with the new roles and responsibilities of the two-tier local government model following restructuring. APAG proposed mobilizing domestic lecturers and experts to directly participate in the training to ensure practicality and feasibility.

Notably, the two sides also reached a consensus on the agenda and content of a ministerial-level workshop titled “Building an Excellent Civil Service to Meet the Demands of National Development in the New Era.” The workshop is scheduled to take place on the morning of June 4, 2025, where Mr. Wu Wei Neng will deliver a keynote presentation on “Building an excellent civil service to promote rapid, sustainable economic growth and enhance national competitiveness.” He has also been invited to join the roundtable discussion and provide input for the policy recommendation report.

The delegation from the Chandler Institute of Governance, Singapore.

Notably, CIG proposed organizing a working session with the leadership of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics to conduct in-depth discussions on the implementation of the Government Performance Index, scheduled for the afternoon of June 4, 2025.

In addition, APAG proposed that CIG collaborate and support the implementation of the project titled “Compilation and sharing of international experiences in building an excellent, citizen- and business-oriented public administration,” in coordination with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (Singapore). APAG also invited CIG to co-organize the Annual Public Governance Forum in July 2025, themed “Enhancing Innovation Capacity Toward National Sustainable Development in the New Era.”

The working session reaffirmed the strong determination and commitment to cooperation between CIG and APAG.

Speaking at the session, Mr. Wu Wei Neng stated that the collaboration between the two parties vividly demonstrates their shared commitment to strengthening civil service capacity, aiming for a modern and effective public administration that better meets public expectations. CIG remains ready to share international experience and provide technical assistance for training programs, institutional reform, and the development of the Government Performance Index, not only at the national level but also at the local level. He expressed hope that these collaborative initiatives will meaningfully contribute to advancing Viet Nam’s administrative reform efforts in the new era.

Meeting participants.