Decision No. 32/2010/QD-TTg dated March 25, 2010 of the Prime Minister approving the Scheme on the development of the social work profession during 2010-2020

DECISION

APPROVING THE SCHEME ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOCIAL WORK PROFESSION DURING 2010-2020

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to the Government's Resolution No. 22/NQ-CP of May 28, 2009, promulgating the Government's plan of action to implement the

Resolution of the 9'1' Plenum of the Party Central Committee, Xth Congress, on a number of major tasks and solutions aiming to continue the successful implementation of the Resolution of the Xth National Party Congress,

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve the Scheme on the development of the social work profession during 2010-2020 with the following principal contents:

I. OBJECTIVES

A. General objectives

To develop social work into a profession in Vietnam. To raise public awareness about the social work profession; to build up a contingent of social work cadres, employees, workers and collaborators sufficient in quantity and satisfactory in quality in association with developing a system of social work service establishments at all levels, contributing to building up an advanced social security system.

B. Specific objectives:

1. The 2010-2015 period

a/ To formulate and promulgate rank codes and titles and professional standards of social work public employee ranks; ethical standards of social work cadres, public employees and workers, standards and process of providing social work services; and apply salary ranks and grades to social work public employee ranks;

b/ To formulate and promulgate new legal documents or amend and supplement relevant ones in order to create a complete and uniform legal environment conducive to the development of the social work profession;

c/ To develop the contingent of social work cadres, public employees, workers and collaborators nationwide, striving to increase this contingent around 10% by 2015. Each commune, ward or township will have at least 1-2 part-time social work cadres, public employees and workers or social work collaborators enjoying a monthly allowance equal to the common minimum wage level stipulated by the Government.

d/ To build at least 10 pilot models of social work service center in a number of districts, towns and provincial cities of provinces and centrally run cities representing different regions and areas nationwide;

e/To provide training, retraining and refresher training to raise professional qualifications and skills for 50% of social work cadres, public employees, workers and collaborators currently working in communes, wards and townships, social work service establishments and Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs offices at all levels;

f/ To develop and complete programs and contents of education and vocational training in social work at basic, intermediate, collegial, tertiary and postgraduate levels; to improve the quality of social work lecturers;

g/ To raise public awareness about the social work profession.

2. The 2016-2020 period

a/ To formulate and promulgate professional standards of social work cadres, public employees, workers and collaborators based on types of social work service establishments and groups of beneficiaries; to formulate and promulgate legal documents and further complete relevant ones in order to create a complete and uniform legal environment conducive to the development of the social work profession;

b/ To develop the contingent of social work cadres, public employees, workers and collaborators at all levels, striving to increase this contingent by 50%; to support the wide application of the model of social work service provision in districts, towns and provincial cities;

c/ To further provide training, retraining and refresher training to raise professional qualifications and skills for 50% of social work cadres, public employees, workers and collaborators currently working in communes, wards and townships, social work service establishments and Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs offices at all levels;

d/To socialize social work in the direction of encouraging domestic and overseas organizations and individuals to participate in the training, retraining and refresher training to raise professional qualifications and skills and to provide social work services;

e/To further raise public awareness about the social work profession.

II. MAJOR ACTIVITIES OF THE SCHEME

1. Formulating and promulgating legal documents on social work

a/ To amend and supplement legal documents concerning the role and tasks of social work cadres, public employees and workers and procedures for providing social work services for individuals, families, groups or communities, and deprive the caretaking right of those infringing upon or using violence against women, children and others, causing serious consequences;

b/To promulgate rank codes and titles of and professional criteria for social work public employee ranks;

c/ To promulgate ethical standards of social work cadres, public employees and workers;

d/ To promulgate standards and process of providing social work services;

e/ To study and apply the ranks and wage grades of social work public employees suitable to their professional characteristics, ensuring balance with other professions;

f/ To promulgate professional standards of social work cadres, public employees and workers of social work service establishments, including social security establishments, medical treatment, education and social labor centers, social work service establishments and establishments providing consultation and counseling for different target groups of social work, namely the old, persons with disabilities, orphans, persons with HIV/AIDS, mental patients, drug addicts and others;

g/ To study and complete mechanisms and policies for expanding social work services for beneficiaries toward flexibility and higher support levels suitable to socio-economic conditions in each period.

2. Consolidating and developing the network of social work service establishments and the contingent of social work cadres, public employees, workers and collaborators.

a/ To study, plan and develop the network of social work service establishments along the line of closely associating state social security establishments with those founded by organizations and individuals under permits and social work service centers with the social security network;

b/ During 2010-2015, to support the formulation of pilot models of social work service centers. During 2016-2020. to support the wide application of the model of social work service centers in districts, towns and provincial cities; universities and vocational schools to provide social work services for individuals, groups, families and communities facing social problems.

The establishment of social work service centers, as a new model, is subject to permission of People's Committees of districts, towns and provincial cities at the proposal of functional agencies or socio-political organizations. Their managerial and executive officials shall be appointed by these People's Committees.

Funding sources for the centers include state budgets, revenues from contracts to provide services for domestic and international programs and projects; voluntary contributions of beneficiaries; and supports of domestic and international organizations and individuals. Central budget supports shall be provided for the construction of and purchase of initial equipment for the centers in the period of pilot implementation.

c/ To increase the number of social work cadres, public employees, workers and collaborators working in state management agencies at central, provincial, district and communal levels, non-business organizations providing social work services and universities providing social work training, and independent social workers;

d/ During 2010-2020, to conduct training, retraining and refresher training to raise professional qualifications and skills and build capacity for 60.000 social work cadres, workers and collaborators, including:

- Training and retraining at basic, intermediate, collegial and tertiary levels for 35,000 social work cadres, public employees, workers and collaborators (an annual average of 3,500);

- Skill training for 25,000 social work cadres, employees, workers and collaborators (an annual average of 2,500).

3. Developing and completing a framework program and contents of social work profession training

a/ To develop and promulgate a framework program and textbooks of training in the social work profession at intermediate and collegial levels, ensuring transferability with the tertiary level;

b/ To develop and complete the framework program and textbooks of training in social work at tertiary and postgraduate levels;

c/To support training institutions' social work training faculties;

d/ To build capacity for social work lecturers.

4. Propaganda and public information work to raise the awareness of cadres, civil servants
and public employees about the social work profession.

III. SOLUTIONS

1. To review, amend and supplement existing legal documents or promulgate new ones according to competence or submit them to competent agencies for promulgation so as to form a complete and uniform legal corridor conducive to the development of the social work profession.

2. To investigate, scrutinize and classify social work cadres, public employees, workers and collaborators; social work beneficiaries and services for planning social work training and retraining. To raise the capacity of collecting and processing information on social work to meet direction and management requirements.

3. To increase supervision and evaluation of social work cadres, public employees, workers and collaborators to ensure their observance of professional ethics and social work policies and laws.

4. To carry out scientific research in combination with reviewing and evaluating practical work in order to improve development mechanisms and policies on social work, the contingent of social work cadres, employees, workers and collaborators, and social services.

5. To promote cooperation with international organizations, multilateral, bilateral and non-
governmental, in all three areas of technology, experience and finance, to develop the social
work profession.

IV. FUNDING SOURCES FOR THE SCHEME'S IMPLEMENTATION

The total fund for the Scheme is VND 2,347.4 billion, including:

1. State budget:

a/ Central budget allocations, which shall be included in annual budget estimates of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs: VND 590.4 billion, including VND 180 billion to support localities.

b/ Local budget: VND 1.715 billion.

2. ODA capital and international donations: about VND 42 billion.

Article 2. Assignment of responsibilities to ministries and branches

1. The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with ministries and branches in, preparing plans to implement the Scheme; coordinate activities of the Scheme; assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Home Affairs in, directing the building of the network of social work service establishments and the network of social workers and collaborators; build the capacity of social workers and collaborators; plan the network of social work schools; formulate and promulgate programs and textbooks of training in the social work profession up to collegial level; study and promulgate standards and process of providing social work services, and ethic standards of social work cadres, public employees, workers and collaborators; and monitor activities of the Scheme.

2. The Ministry of Home Affairs shall promulgate titles and codes of social work public employee ranks; study and apply salary ranks and grades and salary allowances and salary and income management mechanisms applicable to social work public employees; and coordinate with the Ministry of Labor. War Invalids and Social Affairs in directing and guiding localities in building social work counseling and service centers.

3. The Ministry of Education and Training shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries and branches in, planning the network of universities and colleges which train social work bachelors, masters and doctors; study and improve training programs, textbooks and methods toward international integration; improve the quality of social work lecturers and form the network of social work public employees in schools.

4. The Ministry of Justice shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries and branches in, reviewing and proposing plans to formulate legal documents and amend relevant ones according to its assigned functions and tasks for developing the social work profession.

5. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Investment shall allocate funds for the Scheme to annual budget estimates of central agencies and localities under the law on the state budget.

6. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned agencies in, stepping up public information work on the development of the social work profession.

7. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies and government-attached agencies shall, according to their assigned functions and tasks, implement the Scheme; study and formulate legal documents and amend and supplement relevant ones and promulgate them according to their competence or submit them to competent agencies for promulgation to develop the social work profession.

8. Provincial-level People's Committees shall:

a/ Formulate programs, plans and objectives for incorporating the Scheme in local socio­economic development plans;

b/ Direct the implementation of the Scheme in their provinces or cities;

c/ Arrange budgets, human resources and physical foundations for the Scheme's implementation.

9. The Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with its member organizations in, promoting public information work to change awareness of their members about the social work profession; and rally and mobilize their members to voluntarily participate in social work and implementing this Scheme.

Article 3. This Decision takes effect on May 10, 2010.

Article 4. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies and chairpersons of provincial-level People's Committees shall implement this Decision.-

FOR THE PRIME MINISTER

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

NGUYEN SINH HUNG