CAG and Vietnam Government Conclude Second Leadership Programme, Expanding Partnership

September 15, 2023
Closing ceremony of the second run of the Modern and Effective National Governance Programme for Emerging Leaders (MENGPEL) graced by the Vietnam Vice Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Trieu Van Cuong

  • 24 senior Vietnamese public sector leaders successfully completed the second run of the Modern and Effective National Governance Programme for Emerging Leaders (MENGPEL), delivered in collaboration between the Chandler Academy of Governance (CAG) and the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) of Vietnam.


  • The four segments in the programme were meticulously designed to address key themes tailored to the Vietnamese context, encompassing leadership, international engagement, institution-building, policy analysis and systems thinking.


  • The final segment of MENGPEL focused on understanding the process of policy design, and applying these skills to solving real-world policy challenges in Vietnam.   


HANOI (VIETNAM), 15 September 2023 — 24 senior Vietnamese public sector leaders successfully completed the final segment of the Modern and Effective National Governance Programme for Emerging Leaders (MENGPEL). The programme, a collaborative effort between the Chandler Academy of Governance (CAG) and the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) of Vietnam, aims to enhance the capabilities of the public sector and contribute to the development of strong nations.

Conducted across four segments, MENGPEL was tailored to the Vietnamese context whilst drawing on good practices in Singapore and around the world. The key themes included: enhancing personal and organisational leadership; responding effectively to the key trends of internationalisation and digitalisation; building strong institutions and systems; and developing skills in policy analysis and systems thinking.

During the closing ceremony of MENGPEL, Minister for Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA), Dr Trieu Van Cuong, emphasised the crucial role of good national governance in a country’s success. He expressed his gratitude to CIG for the programme's success and indicated that it would serve as a solid foundation for future training initiatives. In addition, he highlighted positive feedback from the participants, and that the programme had successfully achieved its objectives of enhancing the capacity of Vietnamese leaders to meet the demands of modern and effective national governance.

Dr Trieu Van Cuong, Vice Minister, Ministry of Home Affairs (Vietnam), delivering the closing remarks

On behalf of CIG, Kenneth Sim, Dean, CAG expressed his gratitude to NAPA and MOHA for the longstanding partnership, and for entrusting CIG to run this important leadership programme. He noted that this programme was part of a much broader and deepening relationship between CIG and the Vietnamese government.

In his closing remarks, Dr Nguyen Ba Chien, President of NAPA affirmed that good governance is a decisive factor in the success of countries. He thanked CIG for respecting and listening to the needs of partners, and for working closely with NAPA to design the programme and involving qulified international experts with rich practical experience to participate in the programme.

Programme Highlights

The second segment of MENGPEL, which took place from 11 to 14 July 2023, focused on supporting participants to develop capabilities to better operate within an international context. As part of this segment, participants engaged in discussions on international trends and their implications for Vietnam and to better understand the opportunities arising from digital transformation. In addition to classroom discussions, participants were also introduced to experiential learning methods such as role-playing and simulations. They also went on a study visit to Vinh Phuc Province.

Participants discussing how business etiquette in other countries differ from that in Vietnam in Segment 2 of the programme

Segment 3 of the programme was held in Singapore from 31 July to 4 August 2023, and focused on the theme of building strong government institutions and systems. Drawing on the Singapore experiences in governance and public service delivery, the participants engaged in expert-led discussions on Singapore’s public sector human resource management and corruption control. In addition, they also attended learning journeys to the Singapore residential heartlands, institutes of higher learning and industrial parks to understand how policies on economic and social development were implemented on the ground. 

Participants learnt how design has evolved and contributed to Singapore’s economy and development during their visit to the National Design Centre  

The final segment of MENGPEL took place from 9 to 15 September 2023 in Vietnam, and focused on skills in policy and programme design. Participants were introduced to different tools for analysing policy challenges and crafting policy solutions in response. The participants visited Ninh Binh and Lao Cai provinces, where they had the opportunity to engage with local government officials on the policy challenges they faced, in myriad areas including urban planning and conservation, sustainable tourism development, and vocational training. Through these learning journeys, participants were able to better appreciate the nuanced complexities and trade-offs in policy design, and to apply the tools and skills that were introduced to them as part of the training programme.  

Participants visiting the Department of Construction of Ninh Binh to understand the development planning and heritage conservation in Ninh Binh province


Participants presenting their solutions for the policy challenges

Participants of MENGPEL have expressed their appreciation for the knowledge and practical experiences gained across all four segments of the programme, and looked forward to apply these insights to their roles as educators, public sector leaders, and policymakers. Representing the class at the closing ceremony, Mr Hong Van Duong, Chairman of Si Ma Cai district in Lao Cai province, expressed his appreciation for the valuable leadership and management insights gained, and the practical knowledge and skills the participants acquired during the programme. He underscored the value of such programmes in developing a pipeline of effective leaders for the public service in Vietnam.


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About the Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG)

The Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG) is an international non-profit organisation, headquartered in Singapore. We believe in a world where citizens have a deep sense of trust in their governments and public institutions, and where nations are governed by principled, wise leaders supported by an effective civil service. Trust and effective governance serve as a strong foundation for national development and prosperity. CIG supports governments in building government talent, leadership and public service capabilities through training programmes, research initiatives and advisory work. We are not affiliated with any national government or political party, and we do not represent any partisan or commercial interests.

For more news and information, visit https://www.chandlerinstitute.org/ or follow CIG on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn @ChandlerINST

About the Chandler Academy of Governance (CAG)

The Chandler Academy of Governance (CAG) is part of CIG. CAG complements and supports CIG’s work by designing and delivering training programmes that are practitioner-oriented, to equip government leaders with capabilities required to meet the realities and demands of public service work. CAG works with its panel of adjunct trainers and subject matter experts in the design and delivery of these programmes.

For more information about CAG, please visit https://www.chandleracademy.org
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Dominic GABRIEL (Mr)
Communications Manager
Chandler Institute of Governance
ONG Wee Teng (Ms)
Manager, Programmes
Chandler Institute of Governance