Laws of Vietnam

THE PRIME MINISTER

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To ratify the Project on the State administrative management computerization in the 2001-2005 period (enclosed herewith), which shall serve as basis for the ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies attached to the Government and People’s Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities to elaborate and carry out projects on the State administrative management computerization within the ambit of their respective functions and jurisdiction.

Article 2.- To assign the Government Office to assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, the Government Commission for Organization and Personnel and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment in guiding the ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies attached to the Government and People’s Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities to implement this Project.

Article 3.- This Decision takes effect after its signing.

The ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the heads of the agencies attached to the Government and the presidents of the People’s Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities shall have to implement this Decision.

In 1990, the Government Office was assigned by the Ministers Council’s Standing Board the task of studying and implementing the State administrative management computerization project.

To perform this task, from 1991 to 1997, the Government Office already implemented four projects, two of which were financially supported by the French Government (in the 1991-1993 and 1994-1996 periods); one invested with the State budget under the national IT program (the 1996-1998 period); and another on the Government’s wide area network under the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 280/TTg of April 29, 1997.

The technical infrastructure recently formulated by the above-mentioned 4 projects has laid foundation for the management and administration computerization in the State administrative bodies throughout the country; promoted the establishment of information systems and electronic databases in service of direction and administration of the Government, the Prime Minister and local authorities.

According to the Government’s Working Regulation issued together with its Decree No. 11/CP of January 24, 1998, since 1998 the Government assigned its Office to exercise the unified management over the Government’s wide area network; in other words, to unify the direction of the State administrative management computerization within the Government, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies attached to the Government and local authorities.

In order to make it compatible with the 2001-2010 program on the State administrative reform, the Prime Minister has decided on an overall project on the State administrative management computerization in the 2001-2005 period with the following major contents and assigned the Government Office to assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies attached to the Government and People’s Committees of all levels to implement it:

I. BASES OF THE PROJECT ON THE STATE ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT COMPUTERIZATION IN THE 2001-2005 PERIOD

The Project on the State administrative management computerization in the 2001-2005 period is based on:

1. The Government’s Resolution No. 49/CP of August 4, 1993 on IT development in our country in the 1990’s and the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 211/TTg of April 7, 1995, which determined that State management is a field of top priority in IT application, thereby the Government has decided the initial investment in the State management computerization program within the framework of the 1996-1998 national IT program, including the investment project on the Government’s wide area network (the investment results shall be demonstrated in the sections below).

2. Directive No. 58/CT-TW of October 17, 2000 of the Politburo of the Party Central Committee, VIII^th Congress, which pointed to the task of IT application for the Party and State bodies in the 2001-2005 period as follows: "The Party and State bodies as well as socio-political organizations shall lead the IT application in all activities on the principle of ensuring the thriftiness, practicality and long-term efficiency. Computerization of the Party and State bodies’ activities constitutes an essential part of the national administrative reform, a regular task of the agencies, aiming to enhance the management capability, to raise productivity, quality and efficiency. The Party committees and organizations at all levels shall direct the prompt establishment of necessary information systems in service of the people’s public interests, the Party’s leadership and State’s management. To soon perfect, regularly upgrade and effectively use the Party’s and Government’s wide area networks. To ensure that by 2005 the Party’s and Government’s electronic information system be basically established and put into operation".

3. The Government’s Decision on signing the E-ASEAN Framework Agreement at the 4^th informal summit meeting held in Singapore on April 24, 2000, under Articles 3 and 9 of which Vietnam commits itself to achieve the target of building an electronic Government.

4. The 2001-2010 program on the State administrative reform, which set forth the objective of modernizing the State administration, and under which, by the year 2010, the Government’s electronic-information network shall be uniformly established and put into operation in two periods: 2001-2005 and 2006-2010.

II. GENERAL EVALUATION OF THE STATE ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT COMPUTERIZATION SITUATION IN THE RECENT PAST

1. In 1990, the Ministers Council’s Standing Board ratified the project on the application of informatics and information techniques at the Government Office (Official Dispatch No. 1265/TH of April 24, 1990 of the Government Office announcing the Decision of the Ministers Council’s Standing Board).

The project is tasked to computerize the management information system at the Government Office and at the same time, provide partial support in terms of equipment, technology and personnel training for 10 ministries and 10 key provinces, prepare conditions for the establishment of local area networks in the ministries and localities, then proceed to the establishment of a wide area network connecting all ministries, branches and localities.

At the end of 1993, the Government Office already established a local area network and initially applied modern IT to the direction and control work of the Prime Minister, linking information to a number of ministries and the People’s Committees of key provinces.

Though the informatics application at the Government Office in the initial stage is just beginning with new applied technology, thanks to the Prime Minister’s concern and direction, the State administrative management computerization at the Government Office has laid a groundwork for the computerization of management and administration of the State administrative bodies throughout the country.

2. After promulgating Resolution No. 49/CP on IT development (August 1993), the Prime Minister ratified the five-year (1995-2000) plan on the deployment of the national IT program. In the 1996-1998 period, around 50% of the program’s fund (VND 160 billion) was concentrated on the target of computerizing the State management information system, initially creating technical infrastructure for the State management computerization and IT application in the specialized management activities.

Based on this technical infrastructure, the State administrative bodies have step by step set up information systems and electronic databases in service of management and administration of the Prime Minister, ministries, branches and local authorities of different levels.

To date, the system of local area networks has already been set up in 61 provinces and centrally-run cities and almost all ministries, ministerial-level agencies and agencies attached to the Government. This system also covers operational information systems, file managing systems and databases in service of the research in and support for administrative decision-making process.

The Government’s wide area network was established to link central computer networks of 61 provinces and cities with around 40 key agencies of the Government through 2,500 terminals and 180 servers nationwide and 50 different applied programs. With the Government’s wide area network, the State administrative bodies have effected the multi-directional information transmission and reception, including the legal document system, the system of periodical reports, extraordinary reports and e-mails..., ensuring the promptness, safety and efficient service of direction and administration of the State administrative bodies.

In addition to the Government’s wide area network, 6 national databases have been formulated, including the national databases on finance, socio-economic statistics, laws, land resources and population. At the end of 1999, the feasibility study reports of these national database projects were finalized. Data of two national databases on finance and statistics have well served the Government’s direction and administration work.

The computer training has been conducted in line with the building of computer systems in the State administrative bodies. Ten thousands of experts and employees have gone through fundamental computer courses and in fact, acquired computer command at different levels in their professional activities. Particularly, many of these people can efficiently use informatics instruments to access to and exchange on-line information, thereby well serving the research to fulfill their assigned tasks.

In late 1997, Vietnam joined Internet. A lot of information exploited from the Internet has made considerable contributions in terms of information and documentation, supporting the work of direction and administration of the Government, the Prime Minister and other State agencies in the making of policies.

3. However, compared to the target of computerizing the administration information system set forth in the Government’s Resolution No. 49/CP of August 5, 1993, the actual results are still limited.

This is attributed mainly to the fact that authorities, branches and localities had not clearly recognized the IT’s role in the direction and administration work; had failed to combine the IT application with the process of administrative reform and renovation of the mode of leadership, direction and management. More concretely:

- On macro-administration: The national IT program commenced in 1996 and ended in early 1998 with an investment fund of VND 280 billion, VND 160 billion of which were spent on the performance of the task of computerization at the State administrative bodies. In such circumstance, many big items already ratified by the Prime Minister in the master plan have not been materialized.

The State administrative management computerization projects of the ministries and provincial-level People’s Committees have also been partly realized. The investment capital amount of VND 160 billion for computerization work from 1996 to 1998 satisfied only 20-25% of the demand for capital for the already ratified projects of 100 ministerial- and provincial-level administrative agencies.

According to the Government Office’s survey, most computerization projects have been suspended; a number of agencies are capable of continuing investment in realization of the State management computerization targets but along different technological directions; a number of other agencies are waiting for the Government’s unified development approach. Meanwhile, only 10% of the demand for investment capital (VND 30 billion) for national databases, was satisfied. The national database projects, therefore, have stopped short at the stage of finalizing the feasibility study reports and conducting experimental application, awaiting capital for further implementation.

- The emergence of information localization: Many ministries and branches deem that information under their management is their own information, not the national property, or fail to fully supply general data for other agencies to have enough information for policy elaboration and decision making. Many public servants in the State agencies at the central or local level have a habit of accumulating information for their own use, and when receiving information within the area under their management, deliberately not updating it on the computer network for common use.

- Data on computer network: The system of IT technical infrastructure has reached a certain standard, allowing the multi-directional transmission and reception of information. Though the information arising in the process of administrative management is plentiful, the accumulation thereof in electronic form remains low; to date, only some fundamental information is accumulated on the net. This is mainly due to the fact that authorities and branches of different levels are not determined to attach the IT application to their daily work, the administrative discipline in updating electronic information is not strictly complied with, and the administrative reform is not strong enough to put the computer system into operation of the State administrative apparatus.

- On organizational structure: So far, the general provisions on the position, functions and tasks of the units assuming the prime responsibility for projects on the State administrative management computerization in the system of State administrative bodies have not yet been elaborated; even there have been no ranks and titles for public servants doing informatics jobs. For that reason, the State administrative bodies cannot attract skillful technical experts, thus restricting the acceptance and transfer of technology as well as the direction of implementation of application projects; the open system’s principles and general standards on information and technology have not been tightly controlled.

- On financial mechanism: Since 1998, the fund for the State administrative management computerization has been covered by the budget regular expenditure source. Therefore, the ministries, branches and localities cannot afford the investment in completion of the computerization projects or continue materializing the basic applications in their management and administration activities. The informatics technical infrastructure of many State administrative bodies remains basically the same as it was in 1998.

Because of the too high information transmission charge, those ministries and branches that have to frequently access to the Government’s wide area network, have to spend dozens of millions dong per month for the North-South communication axis. Offices of the People’s Committees of various localities also have to spend several millions dong per month on operation of the wide area network. Meanwhile, the budget regular expenditure source of the administrative bodies is still limited, thus leading to the fact that many ministries, branches and local People’s Committees have to restrict the use of the network due to high transmission charges. This has also restricted the efficiency of the use of computer network as well as of management and administration activities of the State administrative bodies.

- On the public servants’ skills to use computer network in their routine work: Though having been trained, public servants have not actually familiarized with the style of working on the computer network (updating information, coordinating in information processing...), but have mainly processed documents and exploited data available on the net.

Proceeding from the practical situation of implementation of the national IT program in the 1996 – 1998 period, based on the evaluation of achievements as well as remaining problems and shortcomings, we can draw the following lessons:

First, the State administrative management computerization is a complicated job because it is based on high technology and relates to functions, tasks, organizational structure and competence of the State administrative bodies as well as process of administrative reform, which requires high unanimity in the entire State administrative system. Hence, there must be a specialized informatics section to take charge of the unified control of the computerization work.

Second, the computerization of the State management information system cannot be considered a simple service. It is, in fact, a process of creating electronic data aimed at raising the effectiveness and efficiency of administration, the key to the administrative reform. Since the computerization process has just started and still lasts for many years, it cannot be classified as a routine work and accordingly be subject to the funding regulation as the routine affairs.

Third, investment in the State management computerization is too small as compared to that for the systems of computerization of banking, finance and aviation services... It, therefore, must be raised to a level that can assure the system’s synchronous operation.

Fourth, to pay attention to computer training for the contingent of public servants in the State administrative bodies. The system, though it may be well formulated, cannot well operate if the public servants and people working in the administrative system are still unable to operate computers and fail to comply with computer operation discipline.

Fifth, to attach importance to the establishment of databases, especially the national, specialized and territorial ones; to work out mechanism for computerization management in order to strengthen the supervision and inspection of implementation of the computerization plan as part of the socio-economic development plan.

Sixth, to work out measures on organization and personnel for informatics units in the administrative bodies under a unified regulation because a unified system cannot be built up without a unified organization.

III. CONTENTS OF THE STATE ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT COMPUTERIZATION IN THE 2001-2005 PERIOD

1. General objective

The Project is elaborated under the general objective already stated in the Politburo’s Directive No. 58-CT/TW of October 17, 2000, concretely: "by the year 2005, to basically build up and put into operation the Party’s and Government’s electronic information system..." so as to raise the effectiveness and efficiency of administration of the Government, the Prime Minister, leaders of the ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies attached to the Government and local administrations at all levels.

Within the framework of this Project, that general objective is reflected in the following aspects:

- To build up an information system in service of management of the State administrative bodies; by the end of 2005, to put the Government’s electronic information system into operation.

- To strictly adhere to the objectives of the State administrative reform program, strongly promote the modernization of administrative technology, computerize the process of servicing people in the public services, raise the State administrative bodies’ capacity in providing public services to people and enterprises, ensuring the convenience, quickness and high quality.

- To organize informatics training for State public servants, enable them to approach and use new technologies in their routine work, in order to meet the high requirements on the efficiency and quality of work.

2. Concrete objectives:

2.1. To build up the State administrative management computerization systems in direct service of the direction and administration work of the State administrative bodies. To perfect and uniformly apply the application programs in service of management and administration (e-mails, transmission and reception of electronic documents, management of working files and personnel...).

2.2. To organize the establishment and integration of national databases, first of all, in key ministries and branches (including 6 national databases for which projects have already been worked out): Planning and Investment, Banking, Customs, Labor, Justice, Education, Health... for common use.

2.3. To computerize public services with a view to raising the capacities of State administrative bodies in servicing people and enterprises in a convenient and quick manner and with good quality.

2.4. Informatics training: To popularize IT among leaders, experts and professionals of the district- and higher-level administrative bodies so that they are fully capable of using computers and computer network in handling their routine work according to their assigned functions and tasks.

2.5. To boost the reform of administrative procedures in the fields of State management as well as the reform of organizational structure and working style in the State administrative bodies within the Government’s jurisdiction on the basis of linking the objective of the State administrative management computerization to the Government’s administrative reform program.

3. The scope and objects of computerization under the Project include:

3.1. The information system in service of management and administration work of the Government, the Prime Minister, the ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the heads of the agencies attached to the Government and the presidents of the People’s Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities.

3.2. The direction and administration work of the Government, the Prime Minister and leaders at the central and local levels.

3.3. The provision of public services by the State administrative bodies for people and enterprises.

4. The targeted project groups:

Project group 1: State administrative management computerization of the ministries, ministerial-level agencies and agencies attached to the Government:

Each ministry or branch shall have to build up a computerized information system within the ambit of its respective functions, tasks and jurisdictions in service of the direction and administration work of the Prime Minister, the ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies and agencies attached to the Government.

In 2001, to continue developing the results of computerization in the 1996-2000 period, to perfect the network’s technical infrastructure, to put the program on working file and e-mail management into operation, ensuring that all officials and experts can exchange information on the network and access to the Government’s website.

To standardize information in the fields under their management, to coordinate with the Government Office, the General Department of Statistics and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment in promulgating information and technology standards in the State administrative management computerization.

In 2002-2003, to build the ministerial integrated database centers; on the basis of the Government’s wide area network, to expand the ministerial computer networks to the provincial-level People’s Committees in service of the ministries’ professional direction for the provincial/municipal services, departments and branches; to create the ministerial websites in service of the decision-making process; and at the same time, to share general information with other State administrative bodies.

In 2004-2005, to further expand and raise quality of the specialized databases, to put decision-making supportive instruments into the electronic databases.

For the ministries and branches assigned the task of providing public services such as registration, management, licensing..., it is necessary to elaborate separate projects for the computerization of such public services so as to raise the quality of services for people and enterprises.

Project group 2: State administrative management computerization of the People’s Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities:

Every province or centrally-run city should build up a computerized information system in service of the direction and administration work of the president of the provincial/municipal People’s Committee.

In 2001, to continue developing the results of computerization in the 1996-2000 period, to perfect the network’s technical infrastructure, to put the programs on working file and e-mail management into operation, ensuring that all officials and experts can exchange information on the provincial computer network and access to the Government’s website.

In 2002-2003, to set up integrated database centers of the provincial-level People’s Committees, linking the departmental and district-level units to the centers of provincial computer networks for administrative management; depending on their capabilities and conditions, to gradually expand the net to the units of grassroots authorities. By the end of 2003, to formulate the provincial/municipal socio-economic data centers.

In 2004-2005, to continue perfecting and expanding information and technology infrastructure of the earlier period, to step by step computerize the process of servicing in service of people in the field of house and land management, construction, business registration..., thus creating conditions for people to exchange information and receive information directly from the system of the State administrative bodies.

By the end of 2004, to computerize a number of public services: granting of land use right and dwelling house ownership right certificates, construction licenses, business registration, population management and secured transaction...

Project group 3: Building of the national database system and specialized database systems in service of the management and administration computerization

The national database system means information stores serving the Government’s management and administration, ensuring the prompt and timely supply of necessary economic, cultural and social information, supporting the State management agencies in issuing decisions on management and administration. In the 1996-1998 period, the State already invested in 6 national databases and assigned 6 agencies to assume the prime responsibility therefor. In the 2001-2005 period, it is necessary to continue implementing the already ratified feasible projects of the national databases and a number of new national databases, including:

- The national socio-economic database

- The national database on the system of legal documents

- The national database on public servants,

- The national database on population,

- The national database on natural land resource,

- The national database on finance,

- The national database on import-export information,

- The national database on secured transaction.

The above-mentioned databases should, besides serving the State management and administration activities, be fully exploited (according to necessary regulations and convenient procedures) for subjects being enterprises and people with a view to serving production and research activities, cultural and social development.

The other ministries and branches shall, basing themselves on their respective functions and tasks, build up the specialized databases and integrate them on the Government’s wide area network, thereby creating the national information resource.

In 2001, the ministries and branches assuming the prime responsibility for projects on the establishment of national databases, which have already been implemented, should complete their technical infrastructure, concentrate on the creation of database information, aimed at meeting the information exploitation demands of the agencies within the State administrative system.

In 2002-2005, to focus on the performance of the task of setting up databases and integrating them on the Government’s wide area network.

Project group 4: Training of State administrative officials and employees

From 2001 to 2005, the ministries, branches and local People’s Committees shall have to ensure that most of the public servants are trained in computers and grasp the skills of working on computer networks; to give priority to the public servants and experts who directly create database information sources on the computer network.

The Government shall elaborate programs for training public servants to be able to work in the computerized environment; to train a contingent of IT engineers in the State administrative bodies, ensuring that they are updated to keep pace with the hi-tech development speed, capable of analyzing the system, efficiently managing and developing the management information system.

Project group 5: Upgrading the Government’s wide area network (CPNET), ensuring that it plays the leading role in the computer systems of the State administrative bodies.

The CPNET shall play the role of a communication axis of the State administrative bodies, connecting the computer networks of the ministries, branches and localities in service of the direction and administration work of the Prime Minister, ministers and presidents of the provincial-level People’s Committees.

In 2001-2002, to proceed with the expansion of the CPNET, upgrading of data transmission lines linking to the ministries, branches, offices of the provincial-level People’s Councils and People’s Committees, establishing an e-mail system in service of the direction and administration work, and to meet the information exchange demands of the administrative bodies of different levels that participate in the CPNET.

In 2002-2003, to set up the Government’s integrated database center, ensuring that it is capable of integrating the integrated database centers of the ministries and provincial People’s Committees; to experiment video conferences.

In 2004-2005, to perfect the CPNET, to integrate it with the Party’s wide area network; to ensure the communication servicing capacity of the State administrative bodies and the network access frequency of the Party agencies.

The Government Office shall assume the prime responsibility for the establishment and development of the CPNET.

Project group 6: Building of safety and confidentiality system for the State management computer networks in the State administrative bodies

In 2001-2002, to elaborate a project on ensuring safety and information confidentiality for computer networks of the State administrative bodies, ensuring the truthfulness in the exchange of electronic documents and signatures.

In 2003-2005, to develop the information confidentiality system, preparing conditions for putting the Party’s and Government’s electronic information system into operation with high reliability.

The Government’s Cipher Commission shall coordinate with the Government Office in elaborating and implementing the project on ensuring safety and confidentiality for the Government’s electronic information system.

IV. INVESTMENT (THE 2001-2005 PERIOD)

1. Architectural requirements on the State administrative management computerization system:

The system is composed of the fairly independent information database systems of the ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies attached to the Government (hereafter called ministries for short) and People’s Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities (hereafter called provinces for short). The system’s components are bound together in their horizontal and vertical relationship.

The horizontal relationship means the relationship of exchanging and sharing specialized information among branches.

The vertical relationship means the relationship based mainly on the delegated competence structure and State management functions within the system of the State administrative bodies.

Proceeding from the requirement that information serves the performance of the management task in each organizational system, the computerization must be conducted right in the ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies attached to the Government and provincial-level People’s Committees. At the top level of each system (ministry, province), an integrated database center shall be set up under the management of the concerned ministry or province. Such a center shall be the place not for updating or storing the control data but for connecting operational databases of the units in each system. The center shall function to supply and share general information, transmit management orders through legal documents and administrative official dispatches of the competent administrative levels.

The integrated database center of every system shall horizontally relate to the same center of another system via the Government’s integrated database center.

Therefore, the integrated database centers shall be set up at the following levels:

a/ The Governmental level: The integrated database center shall be placed at the center of the CPNET (the Government Office);

b/ The ministerial level: The integrated database centers shall be placed at the ministries, ministerial-level agencies and agencies attached to the Government;

c/ The provincial level: The integrated database centers shall be placed at the offices of the People’s Councils and People’s Committees.

The Government’s integrated database center functions to connect databases of the ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies attached to the Government and provincial-level People’s Committees, to share general information among these units in service of the direction and administration work of the Prime Minister and the ministerial-, provincial-level State administrative bodies. The governmental-level integrated database center shall provide a common communication infrastructure for the ministries, branches and provincial-level People’s Committees via the CPNET.

The ministerial-level integrated database center shall connect the control databases of the ministry, including units subject to the ministry’s vertical professional direction but attached to the provincial People’s Committee; supply and share information among units of the ministry and with other ministries and provincial People’s Committees via the governmental-level integrated database center.

The provincial-level integrated database center shall function to connect the operational databases of the provincial/municipal services, departments, branches, urban districts, rural districts, provincial towns and capitals as well as communes and wards within a province; to share information in service of the direction and administration work of the president of the provincial-level People’s Committee and units within the province. The provincial integrated database center shall also provide the common communication infrastructure for the provincial/municipal services, departments, branches, urban districts, rural districts, provincial towns and capitals as well as communes and wards through the province’s wide area network.

On the basis of analyzing the above-mentioned State administrative management computerization system, investment priority shall be given to integrated database centers and communication axes in support of the horizontal connection between the ministries and provincial-level People’s Committees.

2. The Government’s wide area network

The CPNET, established under the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 280/TTg of April 29, 1997, is designed and built up according to the divisible architecture of the State administrative bodies and divided into the following levels:

Level A: The Government

Level B: The ministries, provinces

Level C: The provincial/municipal services, departments, branches, districts, provincial towns or departments and units attached to the ministries.

Level D: Communes and wards.

At levels A and B, integrated database centers shall be set up.

The ministerial- and provincial-level administrative units shall connect with one another through the CPNET via the network’s center placed at the Government Office.

The provincial-level administrative units shall contact one another through the provinces’ wide area network centers placed at the offices of the provincial People’s Councils and People’s Committees.

The units attached to the ministries, the provincial/municipal services, departments and branches shall contact the ministries through the provinces’ and Government’s wide area networks (illustrated by the following diagram).

The CPNET has already been designed according to the general architecture of the State management computerization system, including:

- A North-South communication axis, with a speed of 64KB, X25 model,

- 35 ISDN lines linking 35 ministerial offices with the Government Office,

- To connect 61 offices of the provincial People’s Councils and People’s Committees with the CPNET; many provincial People’s Committees have expanded the CPNET to the departmental, district, commune and ward-level bodies.

So, the CPNET has already constituted the technical infrastructure for the State administrative management computerization system in the new investment period.

3. Investment estimates

3.1. Investment requirements:

- The investment in the establishment of the State administrative management computerization system must comply with the principle that the formation of database information is considered the main objective; and informatics instruments are important means to achieve that objective. Before deciding investment, it is necessary to clearly determine: what is the information database and information volume to be managed; who will manage it and how; what are the service purposes and how are the administrative bodies ready to participate in the system; the extent of attachment of the computerized information system with the process of the units’ administrative reform; the procurement of complete equipment is effected only after the job’s objectives and to-be-achieved information volume are clearly determined

- The computerization at the State administrative bodies must comply with the principle of uniformity of network technology (according to the CPNET’s standards) and applications used commonly in the State administrative bodies under the professional guidance of the Government Office. It is necessary to carry out the experimental deployment in a number of ministries and provincial People’s Committees so as to supply technological solutions and common programs for the whole system of the State administrative bodies.

- The establishment of the information system must ensure the divisibility and uniform integrity of information resources on the ministerial and provincial networks as well as the CPNET, preventing the information localization.

- The investment in network expansion must be based on the availability of IT personnel, the demand for exploitation and creation of information sources in service of management and administration.

- The investment must be made in the spirit of thriftiness and fullest use of equipment, techniques and information resources already built up in the earlier period.

3.2. Division of responsibility for investment

The governmental level:

The Government shall invest in the main items such as:

- The Government’s integrated database center, national databases, communication axes and data transmission lines from the Government’s integrated database center to integrated database centers of the ministries and provinces.

- Investment in a number of fundamental items under the ministries’ and provincial People’s Committees’ computerization projects in order to unify technologies and application programs

The ministerial and provincial levels:

The ministries, branches and provincial People’s Committees shall invest in the expansion of network centers and other databases, depending on the financial capacity, personnel and scale of information system of each agency.

To invest in the expansion of computerization of public administrative services on the basis of the Government’s initial investment.

3.3. Funding

- The total fund of the Project shall be summed up from funds of projects on the State administrative management computerization of the ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies attached to the Government and People’s Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities.

- Particularly for the central State budget’s fund to be invested in the main items of the system, including the governmental, ministerial and provincial integrated database centers; national databases; the main communication axis of the CPNET and a number of other fundamental components, the total fund is estimated to be no less than VND 1,000 billion for the whole 2001-2005 period.

V. ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION

1. The State administrative management computerization must be organized synchronously in the State administrative bodies and the project implementation must be based on the existing administrative apparatuses of the ministries and provinces. The responsibility for organization is divided among different levels as follows:

a/ General direction:

The Government shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with a number of relevant agencies in:

- Organizing the coordination, guiding the elaboration and implementation of the State administrative management computerization projects at the ministries, branches and provincial People’s Committees.

- Coordinating inter-ministerial and inter-provincial projects on the State administrative management computerization.

- Determining the national administrative information standards.

- Building a safety protection system for the computer network of the State administrative system.

- Integrating national databases, including databases of the national target programs, into the CPNET in order to supply information for the State administrative bodies and other researching subjects.

- Presiding over the compilation, submission and issuance of legal documents to ensure legal bases for the exchange and exploitation of electronic information on the CPNET.

b/ The ministerial level:

- Analyzing the computerization demand of the ministries, elaborating the ministerial projects on the State administrative management computerization.

- Urging, inspecting the implementation of the computerization projects within the ministries.

- Creating and archiving electronic information within the ambit of their competence.

- Applying information standards and protecting information.

c/ The provincial level: The provincial-level People’s Committees shall be the investment management bodies; the offices of the provincial-level People’s Councils and People’s Committees shall be the investors, taking responsibility for:

- Analyzing the computerization demand of provinces, elaborating the provincial projects on the State administrative management computerization;

- Urging, inspecting the implementation of computerization projects in the provinces;

- Creating and archiving electronic information within the ambit of their competence;

- Applying information standards and protecting information;

- Taking initiative in coordinating national target programs in their respective localities so as to implement the provincial projects on the State administrative management computerization in a thrifty and efficient manner.

2. On organizational structure

2.1. To reorganize informatics units in the State administrative bodies:

- The ministries and branches shall have to set up informatics center under their management, which shall assume the prime responsibility for elaboration and implementation of the State administrative management computerization projects in service of the ministers’ management and administration.

- The People’s Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities shall set up informatics centers under the offices of the provincial-level People’s Councils and People’s Committees, which shall assume the prime responsibility for elaboration and implementation of the State administrative management computerization projects in service of management and administration of the presidents of the provincial-level People’s Committees.

2.2. To set up an Executive Board for the State administrative management computerization Project in the 2001-2005 period, which shall be presided over by the Government Office and joined by representatives of the following agencies:

- The Government Commission for Organization and Personnel,

- The Ministry of Planning and Investment,

- The Ministry of Finance,

- The Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment.

The Executive Board shall be answerable to the Prime Minister for organizing the implementation of the 2001-2005 Project on the State administrative management computerization already ratified by the Prime Minister.

3. Policies and implementation measures:

a/ Creating information sources and standardizing information

The Government Office shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the General Department of Statistics, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment in issuing the regulations on information standards for the executive activities. The ministries and branches shall promulgate the specialized information standards;

To adopt policies to encourage the creation of information sources, to build up electronic databases.

b/ Exchanging information and keeping confidentiality

- The Government Office shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Ministry of Justice in submitting and issuing legal documents on the exploitation and exchange of electronic information between the State administrative bodies, between the State and enterprises as well as people and international organizations; and at the same time, ensure the ownership right and confidentiality of information of the State, socio-economic organizations and individuals.

c/ Policy to support and mobilize capital sources for the development and expansion of the management information system.

The State encourages all economic sectors to invest in IT application in order to establish and expand the State’s computerization system. To collect charges on public administrative services for reinvestment in the system. To encourage investment in computerization in order to supply and popularize legal, economic and social information as well as information on activities of the State administrative bodies to the public.

d/ Policy on the use of data transmission telecommunication network

The State shall adopt policy on preferential telecommunications charges for the management and administration activities in the State administrative bodies and activities of popularizing legal information to the public and enterprises.

e/ Policy on the procurement of IT products and services

All procurements for the State administrative management computerization must go through bidding and contracts under the guidance of the Finance Ministry and the Government Office. The organization of bidding for procurement may be concentrated so as to reduce expenses and prices of products and services; and at the same time, to ensure the selection of the right technologies and quality.

4. Implementation schedule:

4.1. Preparation stage (2001):

From August to December of 2001, the ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies attached to the Government and People’s Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities shall elaborate their own State administrative management computerization projects under guidance of the Government Office and submit them to the competent authorities for evaluation and ratification before December 2001.

The Government Office and the Finance Ministry should provide detailed guidance on technology and finance for the ministries, branches and localities to elaborate projects with high feasibility.

4.2. The implementation stage:

From January 2002, to start the implementation of the State management computerization Project. The ministries, branches and provincial People’s Committees shall base themselves on the ratified projects to deploy their own computerization work.

5. Responsibilities of the ministries and branches:

The responsibilities for implementation of projects, supervision, urging, guidance and inspection thereof are assigned as follows:

5.1. The Government Office:

- To uniformly manage the State administrative management computerization in the whole country; to guide and inspect the implementation of computerization projects by ministries, branches and provincial People’s Committees;

- To coordinate with the General Department of Statistics, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment in issuing regulations on the standardization of information for the most important management and administration activities of the State;

- To sum up the situation on implementation of computerization projects of the ministries, branches and localities so as to make and submit quarterly reports thereon to the Prime Minister;

- To coordinate with the Office of the Party Central Committee in organizing the efficient exploitation and use of the Party’s and Government’s wide area networks.

5.2. The Ministry of Planning and Investment:

- To assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Government Office and the Finance Ministry in including the 2001-2005 the State administrative management computerization project into the annual State plan to ensure basis for the implementation thereof.

5.3. The Finance Ministry:

- To assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Government Office in balancing the State budget fund for the State administrative management computerization project and submit it to the Government for consideration and decision;

- To make annual allocation for each of the already ratified projects; to guide and inspect the financing for the implementation of projects; to sum up the situation on the annual allocation of fund for each project and approve the final settlement of expenditures for the already completed projects and report to the Prime Minister thereon.

5.4. The Government Commission for Organization and Personnel:

- To issue a Regulation on organization of specialized informatics units in service of the State administrative management computerization; to promulgate criteria and titles for IT personnel working in the State administrative bodies.

- To act as coordinator in combining the State administrative management computerization project with the Government’s 2001-2010 program on administrative reform.

Prime Minister
PHAN VAN KHAI