PHOTO: VSS Deputy General Director Tran Dinh Lieu

Could you elaborate on the survey that evaluates the satisfaction of individuals, organisations and enterprises with the VSS services?

Resolution No 28-NQ/TW of the 12th Party Central Committee on Social Insurance Policy Reform, dated May 23, 2018, was the first to specify the evaluation.

The resolution has established certain goals for the satisfaction rate. Therefore, by 2020 and 2025, we need to reach a satisfaction rating of 80 per cent and 85 per cent, respectively.

We need to reach a minimum of 90 per cent satisfaction by 2030.

One of the sector's key responsibilities has been to evaluate how satisfied individuals, organisations, and businesses are with the VSS services in order to concretise Resolution No 28-NQ/TW in the amended Social Insurance Law No 41/2024/QH13, which was passed on June 29, 2024.

The VSS conducted a survey in 2020 to evaluate the satisfaction level in accordance with the Central Steering Committee for Administrative Reform's directives.

Because it was the first implementation and there was no experience, we only organised the survey in 10 provinces and cities selected as representative areas for six economic regions.

The feedback collection was also carried out in the form of hiring a third party.

The set of evaluation criteria closely follows the set of criteria issued with the Ministry of Home Affairs’s Decision No 2640/QD-BNV dated October 10, 2017.

By sending survey questionnaires directly to more than 17,000 people and organisation representatives, we were able to gather a number of significant feedbacks.

Approximately 81.4 per cent of respondents expressed satisfaction or high satisfaction with the VSS services, 1.4 per cent higher than the target set by Resolution 28-NQ/TW.

More importantly, we learned legitimate proposals and desires of individuals and representatives of organisations on all evaluation factors including infrastructure, ease of access to services, professional capacity, problem-solving skills of VSS staff.

Many participants, who were recipients of health, unemployment, and social insurance, communicated candidly and honestly during in-depth interviews and "secret customer" programmes.

Numerous viewpoints expressed great appreciation for the VSS's active changes, which included information technology application, administrative procedure reform, and a shift in work attitude.

Additionally, respondents shared their recommendations for policies and how they should be implemented.

They would also provide the VSS with a practical basis for consulting with the appropriate Government and National Assembly agencies to amend the laws and policies pertaining to unemployment, health, and social insurance.

PHOTO: Illustrative photo

The VSS has recently issued Plan No. 3500/KH-BHXH on evaluating the satisfaction of individuals, organisations and enterprises with its service in 2024. What distinguishes this survey from the one previously conducted?

The 2020 survey and the updated one in 2024 differ in several ways.

First, it is the survey’s scale and comprehensiveness. This year's study will encompass all 63 provinces and cities, whereas the 2020 survey only chose 10 provinces as typical places for the nation's six economic zones. In 2024, all social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance participants and beneficiaries who engage with the VSS will have the chance to provide comments and suggestions.

Because this poll is so thorough, we also anticipate that the data will provide a picture of the satisfaction rate across 63 cities and provinces.

Not only will the thorough survey help us determine the similarities and differences between the criteria/factors that make people and businesses in each locality satisfied, but we will also plan groups of solutions that are both diversified and specific for each group of beneficiaries in different fields, different provinces and cities.

Second, I really value the survey criteria's openness and scientific nature.

This set of survey criteria inherits the core criteria of the 2020 set of criteria, closely follows the latest set of criteria issued with Decision No 1001/QD-BNV dated December 11, 2023 of the Ministry of Home Affairs, and at the same time, fully reflects the unique characteristics in the provision of VSS administrative services.

On the other hand, to ensure objectivity and scientificity, the criteria have been developed from a scientific research result. Each criterion included in the survey has been consulted by individuals and organisations.

Third, the 2020 survey was all conducted directly. We plan to broaden the survey access channels in 2024, with 50 per cent of them to be done online.

Every year, hundreds of millions of individuals receive health insurance and benefit from social insurance programmes, and there are over 90 million health insurance and over 18 million social insurance participants. Respondents to the survey are incredibly varied.

As a result, integrating in-person and online surveys must guarantee the most convenience for survey participants, gather the most unbiased, objective feedback, and ensure that "no one is left behind”.

The online survey is available to those who lack the time to do it in person. Individuals who reside in regions with inadequate information technology infrastructure and lack the necessary equipment to complete the online survey will be asked to take part in the in-person survey instead.

Fourth, about the opportunity to accumulate experience for civil servants and public employees. As previously said, this is the first nationwide poll that we have carried out. With around 50,000 responses overall, the survey sample size is significant and approximately three times larger than the 2020 sample size.

The survey will be carried out entirely by ourselves. The VSS has organised three training sessions on survey techniques for civil servants, public employees and staff directly performing this work in order to carry out the plan in a methodical and seamless manner. There were two in-person training sessions in the northern and southern regions, as well as one online training session conducted nationwide.

In order to guarantee that the survey is conducted in a public, transparent, objective, and scientific manner, the VSS leaders directed the Customer Support and Care Service Centre and associated units to keep a close eye on the task implementation progress at localities, remove any obstacles as soon as they arise, and improve inspection and supervision.

Fifth, regarding the survey's efficiency and cost-effectiveness, it will be carried out in accordance with the professional procedure outlined in Article 8 of the VSS General Director's July 9, 2021, Decision 681/QD-BHXH.

To guarantee scientificity, the sample size is determined using the Slovin formula. To maintain objectivity, the sector's database system is randomly sampled. Every phase is rigorously regulated and includes an impartial, open monitoring system. The online surveys are also expected to save costs.

What suggestions does the VSS offer to respondents of health, unemployment, and social insurance regarding this survey, and how long will it be conducted?

We will carry out the plan from now until the end of November 2024. The survey is scheduled to take place from October 25 to November 15, 2024.

The link to the survey and the QR code will be sent from the VSS official mailbox, which has the domain name structure “provincial social security office..@vss.gov.vn”, to make it easier for everyone to recognise the VSS survey.

All survey forms are designed on the VSS brand identity with its logo attached.

The provincial social security office where the survey is being conducted will stamp all individual survey forms.

Your insightful thoughts will serve as a crucial practical foundation for the VSS as it works to enhance our service quality and better satisfy participants and beneficiaries./.