Ha Minh Hai, Head of the Hanoi Party Committee's Organization Commission, on May 13 presented Guideline No.09-HD/TU on the reassignment and restructuring of officials, public servants, and employees in line with the upcoming reorganization of commune-level administrative units.

Under the direction of the Central Government, operations at the district level will conclude by July 1, 2025, he said.

Hanoi will reorganize its personnel system to align with a two-tier local government model, which is leaner, more efficient, and geared toward promoting initiative, creativity, and accountability at the grassroots level.

According to Hai, the guideline outlines three core principles and three main objectives.

It emphasizes that the Party must maintain comprehensive and direct leadership over personnel work, and that the quality of the official contingent is a decisive factor for the effective operation of a close-to-the-people, service-oriented local government system.

All personnel arrangements must be completed before July 1, 2025, to ensure continuity in leadership and administration.

The document outlines six principles for assigning officials in the new communes and wards.

The process will take a citywide, strategic approach, taking into account the actual status of the current workforce and aligning it with preparations for the 2025-2030 Party Congresses and the congresses of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and other political and social organizations.

Key district-level leaders will serve as the core human resources for the newly established commune and ward governments.

The city will promote the policy of assigning Party secretaries who are not from the local area, particularly for key leadership roles, to enhance objectivity and reduce localism.

Officials may be transferred between districts, towns, communes, and wards to ensure consistency, synchronization, and overall quality across the city.

Hanoi will also rotate and assign officials from the city-level agencies to grassroots units and vice versa, in line with Decree No.45/2025/ND-CP issued by the Government on February 28, 2025. This includes members of the Hanoi Party Committee and candidates for key leadership roles in priority areas.

The reshuffling process will be closely tied to a comprehensive review and evaluation of personnel to ensure quality, eliminate unqualified individuals, identify potential candidates for leadership, and develop young talent.

It aims to "put the right people in the right positions" and avoid tokenism, favoritism, local protectionism, or vested interest in personnel decisions.

The Hanoi Party Committee requires that Party secretaries and standing committees at the district level be fully responsible for proposing and preparing staffing plans for the new communes and wards.

Guideline No.09-HD/TU also details selection criteria, age requirements, and qualifications for leadership positions.

Regarding age limits, those newly joining Party committees, governments, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, or political-social organizations must have at least one full term of service remaining by the time of the Party Congress in July 2025. Re-elected officials must have at least 48 months of remaining service as of that time.

For those re-elected to leadership positions in government or Vietnam Fatherland Front organizations, the minimum remaining service must be at least 36 months. The age cutoff for leadership positions in People's Councils and People's Committees is March 2026, and for Vietnam Fatherland Front and political-social organizations, it will follow the Party Congress schedule.

For members of the Party Inspection Committees at all levels, the guideline follows separate instructions issued by the Central and Hanoi Party Inspection Commissions, with a general requirement of at least 42 months of service remaining at the time of the Party Congress in July 2025.

The guideline outlines priority criteria for assigning key positions in the new administrative units.

For Party Secretary roles, the city will give preference in the following order: members of the Hanoi Party Committee, current district Party Secretaries, Vice District Secretaries and equivalents, members of the District Party Standing Committee, and Deputy Chairpersons of district-level People's Councils or People's Committees.

Other qualified officials, such as district Party Committee members, department heads, and current commune-level Party Secretaries, may be considered based on their performance, leadership capabilities, and notable achievements. Young officials and women will be prioritized.

For Vice Party Secretary positions, priority will be given to Vice District Secretaries and equivalents, members of the District Standing Committees, Deputy Chairpersons of the district-level People's Council and People's Committee, and senior commune-level leaders with outstanding records.

For leadership positions under the management of the Hanoi Party Committee Standing Committee, such as Party Secretaries, Vice Secretaries, and Standing Committee members, if there are more eligible candidates than available positions, the Standing Committee will decide on assignments across the city.

In case of insufficient personnel, proposals can be made to consider other qualified candidates or to transfer officials from other locations.

As part of its broader plan, Hanoi will also assign capable officials from city-level departments and agencies to leadership roles at the grassroots level.

For Party Secretary positions in the new communes, top priority will be given to department heads or those on the list for the 2025-2030 Hanoi Party Executive Committee.

This will be followed by deputy department heads or other officials with strong potential who are included in the development plans for higher leadership roles.

Finally, the city will select a number of highly capable and reputable officials – those known for innovation, bold thinking, and strong leadership – to take on key roles in the most critical new administrative units.

These officials may also be appointed as Vice Party Secretaries of the new communes or wards, following similar priority criteria.