On November 29, the Department of Culture and Sports, the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, the City Labor Union, and the City Commendation and Reward Board collaborated to organize a seminar on Practices and Noteworthy Experiences in implementing the movement “Officials, civil servants, employees, and workers of Hanoi strive to embody culture in office and public spaces.”
Attending and presiding over the seminar were Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee Pham Thi Nguyen Hanh, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports Hanoi Tran Thi Van Anh, Head of the Hanoi City Commendation and Reward Board Nguyen Cong Bang, and Deputy Head of the Mass Mobilization Committee of the City Party Committee Dinh Van Khoa.
An overview of the seminar
In her opening remarks at the seminar, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports Hanoi, Tran Thi Van Anh, emphasized that cultivating a refined and cultured populace in Hanoi is a task of particular concern during the capital’s construction and development process. It is one of the key tasks outlined in the resolutions of multiple Party Congresses of Hanoi, identifying it as one of the three crucial components of implementing Program 06-CTr/TU on “Cultural Development, Improving the Quality of Human Resources, Cultivating Elegant and Civilized Hanoians in the period 2021-2025.” In 2017, aligning with practical requirements, and to enhance the quality and effectiveness of cultivating a refined and cultured population in Hanoi, the City issued two Codes of Conduct (COC) (COC for public spaces in the city and COC for officials, civil servants, and employees in city departments). Subsequently, in 2019, with the aim of enhancing awareness, responsibility, and behavioral culture, setting standards for handling work with citizens and organizations, and serving as role models in families and organizations to contribute to building a professional administrative system that meets the needs of the people and society, the City Commendation and Reward Council issued Plan No. 04/KH-HĐTĐKT dated June 19, 2019, outlining the organization for implementing the movement “Officials, civil servants, employees, and workers of Hanoi strive to embody culture in offices and public spaces.”
Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, Tran Thi Van Anh, delivered the opening remarks at the seminar.
Over the course of more than 6 years implementing 2 Codes of Conduct (COC) and 4 years executing the Movement, significant strides have been made in constructing a professional administrative system and cultivating a disciplined, responsible, dedicated, and friendly cadre of officials, civil servants, employees, and workers in the capital. This effort has set standards for officials in their work interactions with organizations and citizens in both familial and societal contexts. It has contributed to preserving and developing the rich cultural traditions of the capital and the nation, fostering a refined and cultured population of Hanoi. The implementation of COCs has given rise to numerous innovative models and effective practices, with exemplary individuals/collectives recognized, praised, and rewarded by the City People’s Committee and various levels of authorities. The seminar on Noteworthy Experiences in implementing the movement “Officials, civil servants, employees, and workers of Hanoi strive to embody culture in offices and public spaces” was organized with the expectation of uncovering valuable models and effective practices during the movement’s implementation. It also aimed to reflect the local context and units in the execution of the two COCs.
Emphasis was placed on the leadership and guidance role.
Dang Quang Son, Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Dong Anh District, emphasized that the district has prioritized and intensified the dissemination of the two COCs and the Public Service Culture Scheme. This initiative is closely aligned with Program No. 04-Ctr/HU on “Cultural and Social Development, Improving the Quality of Human Resources, and Building Elegant and Civilized Dong Anh citizens.” The district has integrated these efforts with the “People’s Unity Building Cultural Life” movement at the grassroots level. The implementation has seen the active involvement of the entire political system in the district, with close supervision and direction from the District Party Committee and People’s Committee at all levels. The district has issued over 30 directives, and organized seminars on COC implementation, with a focus on role models among officials, civil servants, and workers. Recognition efforts have been a priority, not only through regular acknowledgment at meetings, reviews, and assessments but also through spontaneous commendations to motivate officials, civil servants, and workers to continue their excellent performance and spread positive influence throughout the district.
Dang Quang Son, Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Dong Anh District
Mr. Dang Quang Son stated, “Recently, Dong Anh district held an evaluation seminar on the results of the 5-year implementation of the two COCs and the Public Service Culture Scheme from 2019 to 2023. The district People’s Committee also commended 35 groups and 34 individuals for their achievements during this period of implementing the COCs and the Public Service Culture Scheme.”
Regarding the endeavor to embody office culture in public spaces and the implementation of two Codes of Conduct (COC) in Hoai Duc district, Ms. Ngo Thi Xinh, Deputy Head of the Internal Affairs Department in Hoai Duc district, stated that the district has issued directives and plans, emphasizing the application of models and initiatives at grassroots units. This includes organizing propaganda campaigns, and contests to discover models, initiatives, and effective practices, especially those applicable to units regularly interacting with the public, such as the front office responsible for citizen and business interactions. These initiatives aim to showcase professionalism in executing duties and the attitude of officials during interactions. Annually, the district conducts two inspection delegations, not only evaluating administrative reform and duty performance but also specifically planning inspections related to the cultural office environment. The assessment results from these inspections contribute to correcting the cadre team and enhancing the awareness and responsibility of officials towards their assigned tasks.
Ms. Ngo Thi Xinh, Deputy Head of the Office of Home Affairs in Hoai Duc district.
Appropriate communication methods for each target audience
Emphasizing the role of the Hanoi Women’s Union, mass organizations, and the Head of the Propaganda Department of the Hanoi Women’s Union, Ms. Hoang Thu Hong, noted that the implementation of the office culture movement from the city level to the grassroots has seen concrete actions. Immediately after the issuance of the two COCs, the City Women’s Union had specific plans to implement the COCs, aligning closely with the Program 06-CTr/TU of the City Party Committee. Activities and implementation details are closely linked to various competitive movements. The Union is actively organizing a competition to build women in the capital as “dutiful, creative, reliable, and elegant.” The criteria of the two COCs are also integrated into the movement’s criteria. Additionally, the Union organizes the campaign “Capital Women Behave Beautifully” with specific criteria in families, workplaces, public spaces, and on social media. In the implementation of office culture, the Union focuses on several solutions, such as innovating content and communication methods through contests like the “Short Film Contest on Women’s Culture in Traffic” (2021), featuring competition entries through video clips. There’s also the “Beauty of Capital Women” contest. Moreover, the Union is keen on building models that influence the consciousness and cultural behavior of female officials, employees, and party members. The Union has extended down to grassroots levels with three prominent models: the “Exemplary Cultural Quarter/Commune/Hamlet”; the “Civilized, Safe, and Efficient Market” model; and the “Exemplary Cultural Heritage/Historical Site” model. These are clear implementations of the two COCs of the City. Currently, across the entire City, 47 “Exemplary Cultural Quarter/Commune/Hamlet” models have been implemented, along with 20 “Civilized, Safe, and Efficient Market” models, and 30 “Exemplary Cultural Heritage/Historical Site” models. These results precisely demonstrate the effectiveness of the implementation of the two COCs by women’s unions at grassroots levels.
The Head of the Propaganda Committee of the Hanoi Women’s Union, Hoang Thu Hong, delivered a speech at the seminar.
Emphasizing the need for targeted and precise communication, Mr. Nguyen Hong Dan, Deputy Director of the Department of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs, affirmed that the effectiveness of implementing the two Codes of Conduct (COC) lies primarily in awareness. When the City issued the two COCs, the Party Secretary, and Director of the Department, provided decisive directives for their implementation, assigning tasks to specialized units for each target group. The Department of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs, with its role in assisting the City People’s Committee in managing state affairs in various social welfare areas, has 37 subordinate units, including drug rehabilitation centers, revolutionary contributors’ care centers, social protection centers, vocational schools, and more. Currently, over 86,000 revolution contributors in the city receive monthly allowances, along with more than 202,000 social protection beneficiaries. Hence, if officials lack a deep understanding of service attitude and behavior, it can lead to harm. Officials must internalize the principles outlined in the two COCs.
Deputy Director of the Department of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs, Nguyen Hong Dan.
Stressing the importance of propaganda efforts, Mr. Nguyen Hong Dan stated that each department has different functions and tasks. Therefore, propaganda activities are tailored with different content and forms. The Department not only conducts propaganda for its officials but also extends it to all layers and target groups it serves. For instance, the Hanoi Funeral Service organized propaganda campaigns for citizens regarding civilized funeral practices, incorporating commitments in funeral service contracts, like refraining from scattering gold on the streets. Simultaneously, it promoted awareness among citizens. The Employment Service Center, handling unemployment policies for those who lose their jobs, sees around 1,000 people daily. The center deploys a propaganda team to encourage civilized behavior in public places, emphasizing queuing culture and discouraging pushing and shoving. Notably, the Department oversees nine vocational schools, managing over 300 educational institutions with around 300,000 students. The Department has focused on promoting the implementation of the two COCs and initiating various movements through competitions, performances, and integrating the content of the two COCs. “Depending on each target group, each task of officials and employees, the Department organizes different forms of propaganda using suitable methods to enhance awareness of office culture and the implementation of the two COCs. The results show that when officials internalize these principles, the spirit and service attitude towards all target groups in the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs improve. This is most evident through the administrative reform index of the Department ranking first in the city in 2022. In 2023 and 2024, the Department will continue robustly implementing the two COCs among its officials and employees and integrate propaganda to better serve its target groups,” affirmed Mr. Nguyen Hong Dan.
At the seminar, many contributions from various units and localities proposed effective solutions for implementing the Public Service Culture Scheme and the two COCs of the City. The seminar not only addressed issues related to building standards for cultured and refined Hanoi residents but also served as an opportunity to transmit and elevate the awareness and responsibility of each official in performing their duties.
Thuy Nga