Giant Department Reform Study In Local Govenment Of Foshan City

Since the reform and opening-up of China, there is an increasing call for the reform of the government’s administrative system. The reports of the J 7th and 18th party congress put forward clear requirements on giant department reform. There are problems existing in the Foshan City’s governmental departments, such as the functional overlap, functional unclearness and absence, etc. Some problems are conspicuous in governmental decentralized functions, overlapping administration, multiple management, market intervention, lack of proper solution to public services issues, and so on. In order to meet the needs of social and economic development and to conform to the cali of transforming the governmental functions, Foshan City, including its 5 districts, has started to explore the giant department reform since 2009. The 5 districts (Shunde, Nanhan, Chancheng, Sanshui, Gaoming) have established the working patterns of integrated culture, unified planning, cooperative economy, unified supervision, integrated construction, comprehensive security, and the chief executive responsibility system which helps to flatten the decision-making system and improve the decision-making and executive ability of the Party and Governmental Department. The administrative authority on people’s livelihood is transferred to towns and subdistricts. By speeding up the progress of administrative service center in towns and villages to promote the public services, the goal of streamlining the governmental administration will come true. By a range of reform in "three limits" on examination procedures, materials and time, the progress of government’s administrative examination and approval has been optimized effectively. The essence of the reform in the five districts is to promote the reform through the Party and the Government’s cooperation and coordination. In order to integrate the organizations and functions to the best, the reform of the 5 districts is more specific and substantial than other places in depth and scope. There is great difference between cities and districts in their reform projects. Institutional reform is just put into effect in the governments, but not in the department of the party committee of the city.At present, progress has been achieved in the reform of Foshan’s giant department system, but there are still many problems. The relationship between the establishment of giant department reform and the coordination and restriction of three powers of decision-making, execution and supervision need to be improved. The process of functional integration and horizontal coordination doesn’t go on smoothly. The working pattern form bottom up leads to ineffective communication. Comprehensive supporting facilities are not able to follow up. There are mainly seven reasons for the above problems. Firstly, unitary political system has a limit on Bottom-up reform. Secondly, the top-level design is lack of full consideration and integration of the local actual situation. Thirdly, contradictions grow because of the way of "one size fits all". Fourthly, the functions of government have not been completely transformed. Fifthly, the social security system reform is lagging behind. Sixthly, giant department system works hardly because of cultural conflicts. Lastly, the weakness of cooperation awareness and the official mentality slow the reform down.Above ali, by learning form the domestic and foreign effective experience, the author puts forward the following suggested countermeasures for exploring and promoting the giant department reform in consideration of Foshan City’s local situation. Firstly, the top- level design should be scientifically upgraded and the up-down coordinating relationship needs to be improved. With practical targets and plans, the reform can be advanced by up-down integration, clear classification and graduate progression. Secondly, focusing on transforming government’s functions, we need to rationalize the horizontal coordinating mechanism, further specify the government’s functions and reduce the functions overlap. By the way of rationalize the functional relation, it’s significant to clearly define the governmental and departmental authority, straighten out the relationship between government and enterprises. It’s suggested to apply the concept of public services to help rationalize the functions and build a typical "Limited Government". Forming the integrated organizational culture to strengthen the departmental cohesion is also recommended. The third point is to rationalize the relationship of "three powers" and to fully exert the role of the department of reform and supervision. Lastly, the reform system and supporting facilities need to follow up simultaneously. It’s important to develop and regulate the social organizations and speed up the reform of functionary and personnel system.