Decentralisation in State Management in Vietnam

Abstract

Decentralisation has become a crucial policy of public sector reforms in many countries. In Vietnam, decentralisation started as a part of the national innovation programme (Doi moi) since 1991 in order to grant powers to local government. Studies on decentralisation in Vietnam has significantly increased over the last years. However, there is still a lack of consensus on nature, characteristics, implications and outcomes of decentralisation. Through an integrated approach, this paper presents a concept of decentralisation, and its dimensions and degrees within the particular context of Vietnam. This study also provides a primary comparison between decentralisation and some related terms, such as division of powers, allocation of functions. Next, the paper presents an overview of the process of decentralisation in Vietnam during the past years. After that, this research proposes some key solutions in order to ensure decentralisation in the context of Vietnam in the future. Keywords: Decentralisation, public administrative reform, local government, Vietnam.