Suwon City Leads Positive Administration to Drive Citizens' Tangible Change

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] The Suwon City Proactive Administration Committee announced on the 28th that it has submitted opinions on four cases for which public officials requested opinion submission this year.

The cases on which the Proactive Administration Committee submitted opinions include ▲retroactive payment of child allowance and parenting allowance during the COVID-19 social distancing period ▲special allowance payment for medical personnel during closure of COVID-19 vaccination centers ▲overtime allowance payment for excessive workload at COVID-19 vaccination centers ▲relaxation of distance measurement designation standards between tobacco retail business locations to actively resolve difficulties for small business owners.

The ‘Proactive Administration Committee Opinion Submission’ system is designed to support and protect civil servants practicing positive administration and to assist public officials in making swift and proactive decisions.

When civil servants find it difficult to actively push forward with their duties due to regulations or unclear laws related to licensing, permits, registration, or notification, they can request the Proactive Administration Committee, which includes experts, to submit opinions regarding the direction of handling the relevant work.

Civil servants who perform their duties in accordance with opinions submitted by the Proactive Administration Committee are exempt from disciplinary recommendations in internal audits. When civil servants receiving opinions are audited by superior agencies, the Proactive Administration Committee recommends exemption.

The city has established and implemented the ‘2021 Proactive Administration Implementation Plan’ with the vision of ‘substantial change in the public sector and citizens’ clear tangible experience,’ leading the way in ‘positive administration.’

The 2021 Proactive Administration Implementation Plan consists of 21 detailed implementation tasks in four areas: ‘proactive administration promotion system and capacity strengthening,’ ‘proactive administration civil servants,’ ‘strengthened protection and support for proactive administration civil servants,’ and ‘elimination of passive administration,’ along with seven ‘priority implementation tasks.’

Priority implementation tasks include ▲resource circulation sharing system! pilot project for reusable packaging materials ▲first among local governments nationwide! ‘Suwon e-taxi’ enabling automatic payment and mileage accumulation ▲construction of smart safety services to prevent drowsy driving on intercity buses ▲zero blind spots! safe housing Suwon-Holmes! ▲construction and operation of big data-based digital outdoor advertising system ▲safe tap water management! smart pipeline management infrastructure construction ▲smart marketplace platform service (ON Market) showcasing markets.

The ‘resource circulation sharing system! pilot project for reusable packaging materials’ received the Prime Minister’s Award at the ‘2021 First Half Proactive Administration Competition’ hosted by the Ministry of Interior and Safety, and the ‘first among local governments nationwide! ‘Suwon e-taxi’ enabling automatic payment and mileage accumulation’ was selected as Suwon City’s 2021 first half ‘best proactive administration.’

In June, two Suwon City proactive administration cases—‘pilot project for reusable transport packaging materials to reduce packaging waste’ and ‘report inconveniences with city buses via QR code’—were selected for the ‘Local Government Proactive Administration Hot Spot’ hosted by the Ministry of Interior and Safety.

Mayor Yeom Tae-young and Suwon City continue to make efforts to establish proactive administration in the public sector. In November last year, all ordinances related to proactive administration, including the ‘Suwon City Proactive Administration Operation Ordinance,’ were reorganized, and to support and protect civil servants practicing positive administration, the city operates opinion submission by the Proactive Administration Committee, preliminary consulting, and exemption systems.

Additionally, the city independently selects outstanding proactive administration cases in the first and second half of the year, selects and awards outstanding civil servants, and grants incentives.

In June, six civil servants who developed five projects selected at the ‘Suwon City First Half Proactive Administration Outstanding Cases Competition’ were chosen and granted incentives including the highest grade of performance pay, performance bonus points, commendations, and award leave.

The city also published ‘The Power to Change the World, Proactive Administration Outstanding Cases Collection 2,’ introducing 21 excellent proactive administration cases in Suwon.

In the second half, the city plans to select outstanding proactive administration cases through written review, online voting, and deliberation by the Proactive Administration Committee.