Chapter 615

The annual target responsibility assessment is a massive undertaking; the Organization Department handles the 'five-in-one' comprehensive assessment, and there are many individual assessments that require the standing committee members and provincial government division leaders to oversee, after which the Organization Department consolidates everything, producing the results and rankings.

After the 15 assessment teams returned to the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department, the busy consolidation work began, and the Organization Department turned into a market; some city Organization Department heads simply 'stationed' themselves in the department, closely watching the rankings of each assessment indicator. They didn't come for nothing—various shopping cards and specialty cards were handed out like freebies, stuffed directly into file folders, ostensibly as New Year benefits for comrades, though such a 'practice' had indeed existed before.

There are 68 provincial assessment indicators, of which 42 are hard indicators, ranked according to feedback data from the National Bureau of Statistics with no falsification. However, another 26 are 'soft indicators,' whose scoring and ranking are quite 'mystical,' making them the key targets that all levels and departments focus on 'strategizing.' Moreover, the ranking of these indicators requires the signature of the division leader in charge, and can thus be seen as a manifestation of the will of the standing committee members and deputy provincial governors, with greater subjectivity and arbitrariness.

Lu Fan kept a close watch on these 26 'soft indicators,' constantly communicating with the leaders, striving to have them score and rank fairly and justly; the work could only go this far.

On January 20, Provincial Party Committee Secretary-General Ma Yuze personally came to summon Lu Fan to the secretary's office, informing him that a five-person group meeting would be held that afternoon to specially hear the Organization Department's assessment work and the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee's handling opinions on Yiyang City and the Provincial Agriculture Department.

Ten minutes later, Lu Fan arrived at the secretary's office holding a water cup and a notebook.

After entering, he naturally sat opposite Wang Jingchen, smiling and saying, 'Secretary, what instructions do you have?'

Wang Jingchen put down his pen, gave a slight smile, and said, 'This afternoon we will study the assessment work; I'll first brief you and unify our thinking.'

The target responsibility assessment aims to motivate the work enthusiasm of leading cadres at all levels across the province, effectively improve work quality and standards, and use the annual target responsibility assessment work to drive an overall uplift of all provincial work.

Assessment is not the goal but a means; it is intended to better promote work, motivating departments that rank low in assessment to identify gaps, make timely corrections, and catch up.

At the same time, we must do well in the 'latter half' of applying assessment results, implementing the Provincial Party Committee's intentions, and laying a solid foundation for the next step of cadre appointments.

This year, Sanmen City has been enterprising and proactive, taking the construction of the business environment year as its main focus, with highlights emerging frequently, rallying efforts to promote high-quality development, driving comprehensive strength to achieve a new leap, with the vigor of a dragon soaring and a tiger leaping, pushing economic construction toward higher quality and higher levels; my personal opinion is to place Sanmen City among the top three.

Lu Fan furrowed his brow slightly and replied, 'Secretary, according to the current scoring results, Sanmen City is second-to-last, and in many areas it lags behind the province; many comrades participated in the evaluation, and the adjustment would be too large, which I fear could cause negative repercussions, given that all cities are closely watching the assessment indicators and many achievements are plain for all to see. Moreover, Sanmen City's hard indicators cannot be raised, and relying on adjustments to those 'soft indicators' would not have a fundamental effect.'

Having said this, Lu Fan finds himself unable to refute; no matter how strongly he objects, the conflict must be brought into the open, after all, he is the top leader!

After a moment of thought, Lu Fan responded, 'Secretary, Nanyuan City's first place is beyond dispute; indeed we need to raise Sanmen City's ranking, but I can only disrupt the assessment system, go with the flow, and reorganize the scoring. However, there is no impenetrable wall—much work is out in the open—I still worry that other cities will have objections, given that the assessment involves the vital interests and political futures of many leading cadres.'

Wang Jingchen said in a deep voice, 'Sanmen City must be in the top three; you handle it, and if anyone has objections, let them come to me to voice them!'

'Alright, Secretary, I will do my utmost. The scoring for Sanmen City's group will be handled by Lan Guoxing, head of the Cadre Division Four; this comrade has solid political quality, strong ability, and strict discipline, having served as division head for many years with good feedback all around, and should be able to implement the Provincial Party Committee's instructions well.'

'If there is a suitable opportunity, it can be given priority consideration! Oh, right, this afternoon's meeting will discuss the handling opinions on Yiyang City and the Provincial Agriculture Department; the Discipline Inspection Committee's preliminary opinion is to give each a warning admonition and a cautionary talk—what is your view?'

"If there is a suitable opportunity, it can be given priority consideration! Oh, right, the meeting this afternoon will discuss the handling opinions of Yiyang City and the Provincial Department of Agriculture; the Discipline Inspection Committee's preliminary opinion is to give separate warnings and admonitory talks, what is your opinion?"

Upon returning to the office, Lu Fan suddenly discovered Governor Liu Linghao seated on the sofa; he hurriedly said, 'If there's anything, just give me a call—I'll go report to the provincial government; I dare not waste the governor's time!'

Liu Linghao laughed and said, 'It's all the same; I've been sitting all morning, my waist is a bit uncomfortable, walking a few steps counts as exercise.'

Lu Fan asked, 'Governor, what are your instructions? Please direct me directly.'

'No beating around the bush—this afternoon's meeting will study the assessment work; have the points been split out yet?'

'Ah!' Lu Fan sighed, saying, 'The secretary just gave new instructions; we need to adjust accordingly!'

'How high can Yinyang City rank?'

'Probably in the middle.'

Liu Linghao said, 'This year, Yinyang City has risen to the challenge and made proactive efforts, striving to convert all positive factors into development achievements; the economy runs steadily overall, making progress amid stability, high-quality development is solidly advanced, and the main goals and tasks of economic and social development have been smoothly fulfilled. I think it deserves encouragement—could we consider placing it in the top three?'

Lu Fan pondered, then replied, 'Governor, I'll give it my best shot!' One cannot favor one over the other—listen to the secretary but not the governor.

But what meaning does such an assessment still hold? In life and work, everyone has too much helplessness and being forced by circumstances!

Lu Fan couldn't help but wonder, if he himself became the top leader, would the assessment be fair, just, and open, without any subjective bias? How high must one rise in office to reach a limit!

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Secretary Wang Jingchen convened the five-person group meeting to hear the Provincial Discipline Inspection Committee's handling opinions on relevant personnel and to listen to the report on the annual target responsibility assessment.

While reporting on the assessment work, Lu Fan said, 'Based on the information currently available, the top three on the 'red list' are Nanyuan City, Sanmen City, and Yinyang City; the bottom three are still being tallied, and the assessment of provincial-level departments is also proceeding in a tense yet orderly manner…'

Returning to the Organization Department, Lu Fan summoned Deputy Minister Gao Shu to the office for a private briefing, delineated the top three in the assessment, and demanded that the remaining cities, counties, and provincial-level departments be scored strictly, eliminating any falsification or 'favoritism scoring.'

Absolute fairness cannot be achieved; we can only pursue relative fairness within the limits of our authority.

Leaders open their mouths, while subordinates wear their hands down to the bone and run their legs ragged. At Lu Fan's command, Gao Shu sprang into action, gathering the Provincial Assessment Office, assessment teams, and relevant divisions, and based on the work advantages of Sanmen City and Yinyang City, readjusted the assessment indicators and rescored.

On February 1, the Provincial Party Committee convened a standing committee meeting to review the 'Work Priorities of the Hua Yuan Provincial Party Committee Party Building Work Leading Group for 2026' and the '2026 Task Arrangements for the Provincial Party Committee's Implementation of Full-Strict Governance of Party Responsibilities,' to report on the 2025 annual target responsibility assessment situation, and to study and finalize the province's 2025 assessment results. Secretary Wang Jingchen presided over the meeting.

At the meeting, Lu Fan reported, 'This assessment, following procedures such as work summary reporting, democratic evaluation, democratic deliberation, political quality assessment, individual talks, Provincial Party Committee plenary evaluation, superior evaluations, departmental evaluations, public opinion surveys, routine assessments, soliciting opinions on 'one-veto' matters, and comprehensive analysis and judgment, we have studied and determined the assessment grades.'

A total of 305 leadership teams were assessed, rated excellent 90, good 210, fair 5; 2,038 provincial-level leading cadres were assessed, rated excellent 456, competent 1,560, incompetent 1, uncertain 21.

From the assessment results, 98% of leadership teams were rated good or above, and 98% of provincial-level cadres were rated competent or better. This fully shows that the vast majority of leadership teams and leading cadres faithfully fulfill their duties, take initiative and responsibility, and their ability to create work achievements has seen a new improvement, while work style construction has seen new progress.

Adhering to the principle of judging merits and faults by actual performance, we commend excellent leadership teams and appropriately raise the proportion of excellent members within them; we reward excellent leading cadres, and those who have been excellent for three consecutive years receive a third-class merit, and under equal conditions are given priority in use.

We strictly combat mediocrity and laziness: for leadership teams rated fair, we require them to submit a written report to the Provincial Party Committee, analyze the causes, and make corrections; for leading cadres rated incompetent, we demote them by one post or rank according to prescribed procedures; for the principal leaders of the province's lowest-ranked cities, counties, and provincial-level departments, we must adjust their positions!

Secretary Wang Jingchen solemnly said, 'The Provincial Party Committee must strengthen the application of assessment results to promote cadres' ability to rise and fall. Based on the assessment results, we will specifically strengthen leadership team building; for teams with poor operational status, weak cohesion and combat effectiveness, lack of responsibility and initiative, and considerable complaints from cadres and the masses, we will resolutely adjust them.'

Based on the assessment results, we precisely identify cadres for evaluation: for those found to be politically steadfast, daring to take responsibility, adept at action, and outstanding in performance, we prioritize recommending them for excellence and for use; for those who are mediocre, lack ambition, merely put on a show, and drift through days, we promptly make organizational adjustments; for cadres who do not think to act, are not diligent, not skilled, not daring, not meticulous, not willing, not proper, we promptly make organizational adjustments or take organizational action, promoting cadres' ability to rise and fall, advance and retreat.

The secretary and deputy secretary both signaled adjustments to cadres in their speeches; everyone understood clearly that a new round of cadre adjustments is about to begin.

The Secretary and Deputy Secretary both released signals of cadre adjustment in their speeches; everyone understood implicitly that a new round of cadre adjustments was about to begin.