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Citizens happier with public services yet more concerned about environment, poverty, corruption

7/4/19
Citizens becoming more satisfied with public services but still concerned about the environment, poverty and corruption were the key findings of the 2018 Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) report, which was released on April 2 in Hanoi.

UNDP Expert Paul Schuler highlights the improvement in all six dimensions in Core 2018 PAPI__Photo: thanhnien.vn

This year’s report marks a decade since the first PAPI research was carried out in 2009. Over the past decade, some 117,000 Vietnamese citizens from all walks of life around the country have been interviewed in person and shared their experiences with national and local authorities in governance, public administration and public services.

Speaking at the report’s launching ceremony themed “10 years of listening to the voices of Vietnamese citizens”, UNDP Vietnam Resident Representative a.i Caitlin Wiesen said PAPI continued to serve as a powerful instrument to promote good governance in Vietnam, providing a tool for listening to citizens’ expectations of government and enabling them to participate in the governance process.

Regarding the key findings at the national level from 2011-18, Dr. Paul Schuler, UNDP International Expert on Quantitative Research and Quality Control for PAPI, praised the improvement in all six dimensions in Core 2018 PAPI, namely participation at local levels, transparency in local decision-making, vertical accountability, control of corruption in the public sector, public administrative procedures and public service delivery.

Accordingly, citizens have reported less corruption in health care and education, greater satisfaction with most basic public services, and more interactions with local officials. Scores also rose for the processing of construction permits and municipal single-window services. However, the results show no progress in levels of bribery for obtaining land use rights certificates, or in diversion of public funds by officials, and more than half of the respondents said water quality in their localities had worsened over the past three years.

The 2018 report also examines public views on gender equality and leadership positions, showing that a majority of voters have no preference for either male or female candidates. Commenting on this, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Craig Chittick said the findings highlight important opportunities for more women to be elected to political positions, however suggested more efforts made to end societal stigma against women in elected positions, especially among female voters.

Regarding the provision of basic public services, the 2018 results reveal a striking divergence. The public health care, for example, saw continued improvement, especially in the increased number of respondents covered by health insurance, with the coverage rate rising from 80 percent in 2017 to 87 percent in 2018.  However, the general progress in this area is not necessarily enjoyed equally by all groups, especially ethnic minorities, Ambassador of Ireland to Vietnam Cait Moran stressed.
 
Experts at the ceremony agreed that PAPI Index serves as a forum for citizens to express their interests and concerns, for the authorities to better understand citizens’ expectations, and for central and local authorities and citizens to work together towards a constructive government, a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
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