Abstract

As Vietnam enters a period of rapid population ageing and faces increasingly urgent demands for national governance reform, restructuring the central state administrative apparatus has become a major priority of institutional reform. This article examines the context, principal measures, and initial outcomes of the recent restructuring process, particularly civil service downsizing and the reallocation of functions and responsibilities among central government agencies. Drawing on modern public governance approaches and an analysis of the current legal framework, the article identifies key issues arising from the restructuring process, with particular attention to public-sector workforce reductions. It subsequently proposes orientations and solutions for further improving the restructuring of Vietnam’s central state administrative apparatus.

Keywords: Administrative apparatus, central government, civil service downsizing, restructuring, streamlining.