The grassroots level is the "nerve ending" of the national governance system and the "last mile" for the implementation of various policies and plans. Its operation directly affects governance effectiveness and the people's sense of gain. The "Suggestions of the CPC Central Committee on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development" proposed to "deepen the work of rectifying formalism and reducing the burden on the grassroots." Only by removing the burdens that should be reduced can governance effectiveness be improved.
In recent years, through continuous efforts, the work of reducing the burden on grassroots levels has achieved phased results, and phenomena such as excessive paperwork and meetings have been effectively curbed. At the same time, we must also be soberly aware that some deep-seated path dependencies have not been eradicated, the mindset of "judging performance by documentation" has not been completely reversed, and the risks of hidden variations of formalism and a "rebound" of the burden on grassroots levels still exist. We must relentlessly promote the work of reducing the burden on grassroots levels.
The root of formalism lies in a distorted view of performance, a warped view of power, and a flawed perspective on career. Some cadres still cling to the misconception that holding meetings and issuing documents equates to prioritizing implementation, and that record-keeping equates to fulfilling responsibilities. This reflects a lack of innovation and rigid working methods. We must address this at its source, reconstructing performance evaluation standards and work orientations, and using public opinion, actual development achievements, and the effectiveness of conflict resolution as the fundamental benchmarks. We must encourage and guide cadres at all levels, especially leading cadres, to conduct on-site investigations and visits, studying problems and formulating policies based on a thorough understanding of the realities and circumstances, thus fostering a culture of seeking truth from facts and taking concrete actions.
Reducing burdens does not mean shirking responsibility or relaxing efforts; rather, it means streamlining processes, removing unnecessary burdens, and improving core performance efficiency. It is necessary to leverage modern information technology to empower grassroots work. We can explore deepening data sharing and business collaboration reforms, focusing on breaking down "data silos" and institutional barriers between departments, building a unified, standardized, secure, and efficient government data sharing and exchange system, promoting on-demand data sharing and online business collaboration across levels, systems, and departments, and transforming "multiple reports from the grassroots" into "data-driven collaborative processes." We should promote the intelligent, lightweight, and adaptable use of tools for fulfilling duties, developing and applying convenient, easy-to-use, and practical digital tools and platforms for high-frequency, urgent, and challenging work scenarios at the grassroots level, coupled with regular training, guidance, and maintenance support to ensure that these tools are usable and effective, truly liberating grassroots cadres from repetitive and tedious work so they can better focus on their primary responsibilities.
Fundamentally reducing the burden on grassroots levels relies on concerted efforts and overall optimization between higher-level authorities and grassroots units. For example, when deploying tasks, strengthen overall coordination, enhance the coordination, supporting measures, and operability of policy releases, and avoid multiple departments issuing conflicting policies and excessive layers of bureaucracy. Actively build a grassroots governance community, respect the pioneering spirit of the grassroots, encourage differentiated exploration within the legal framework and authority, and promptly summarize and promote effective grassroots practices. Improve cross-departmental coordination and linkage mechanisms, strengthen work integration and resource coordination, and avoid multiple commands and redundant inspections of the grassroots. Actively facilitate feedback channels from the grassroots and improve rapid response mechanisms, ensuring that reasonable demands and suggestions from the grassroots can be promptly conveyed and effectively addressed, forming a closed loop of problem identification, feedback, and resolution, and stimulating the intrinsic motivation and creativity of the grassroots.
Reducing the burden on grassroots levels is a profound transformation concerning the modernization of the governance system and governance capabilities. It involves not only "slimming down" and "subtraction," but also "addition" to improve efficiency and "multiplication" to stimulate vitality. Only by adhering to a systematic approach that addresses both the symptoms and root causes, and promoting a coordinated upgrade from concepts to tools to the ecosystem, can we truly lighten the burden on grassroots levels and unleash the enthusiasm and initiative of grassroots cadres in their work. These achievements will further manifest in improved people's well-being and enhanced development quality, providing lasting momentum for building a strong nation and achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Author: Li Sixian (Expert of the Applied Expert Think Tank of the CPPCC of Qiannan Prefecture, Guizhou Province)
