Deepening Reform of the Cadre Personnel System Guided by Solving the “Four Inabilities” Problem

The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC emphasized that Party leadership is the fundamental guarantee for further deepening reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese-path modernization. The Party leading reform must govern the Party with a reform-oriented spirit and strict standards in order to meet the requirements of leading reform on the new journey of the New Era. The “Decision” [1]1 The "Three Distinctions" (三个区分开来) is a policy principle proposed by Xi Jinping to encourage responsible innovation and risk-taking by cadres. It distinguishes between: (1) mistakes made in exploring new paths and reforms without clear precedents, versus violations of discipline; (2) errors arising from experimental breakthroughs in binding institutional mechanisms, versus willful violations of rules; and (3) unintentional mistakes in advancing development, versus deliberate misconduct for personal gain. proposes to focus on solving the problem of cadres acting recklessly, failing to act, daring not to act, and acting incompetently, and to deepen reform of the cadre personnel system, which is the key point of Party building system reform. On the new journey of the New Era, it is necessary to take solving the “Four Inabilities” problem as the guide, clearly establish the correct orientation for selecting and appointing personnel, and vigorously select cadres who are politically solid, dare to take responsibility, are keen on reform, have outstanding practical achievements, and are clean and honest.

党的二十届三中全会强调党的领导是进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化的根本保证。领导改革的党，必须以改革的精神和严的标准管党治党，才能适应新时代新征程领导改革的要求。《决定》提出着力解决干部乱作为、不作为、不敢为、不善为问题，深化干部人事制度改革这一党建制度改革的重点。新时代新征程，必须以解决“四为”问题为导向，鲜明树立选人用人正确导向，大力选拔政治过硬、敢于担当、锐意改革、实绩突出、清正廉洁的干部。

Guided by solving the problem of “acting recklessly,” improve the working mechanism for effectively preventing and correcting deviations in the outlook on political performance. Overall, the vast majority of cadres have earnestly implemented the strategic deployments of the Party Central Committee and achieved remarkable results. At the same time, it should be noted that the phenomenon of acting recklessly also exists prominently. Some localities, divorced from reality and regardless of cost, blindly borrow to build; some engage in grand spectacles and spread out large operations, creating “image projects” and “face projects”; some falsify statistics, exaggerate and boast, and engage in “digital political achievements” and “false political achievements.” Behind reckless action lies a distorted outlook on political performance, which has not solved the problems of “for whom are political achievements established,” “what kind of political achievements to establish,” and “by what means to establish political achievements.” It is necessary to take solving this problem as the guide, regard benefiting the people as the most important political achievement, unswervingly implement the new development concept, work hard and grasp implementation, and resolutely prevent formalism and bureaucracy. To this end, in the reform of the cadre personnel system, it is necessary to improve the working mechanism for effectively preventing and correcting deviations in the outlook on political performance. First, strengthen education on the outlook on political performance. Through in-depth study of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political performance, help cadres enhance their ability to promote high-quality development and serve the masses. Second, strengthen the orientation of selecting and employing personnel that emphasizes practical work and practical achievements, vigorously select cadres who firmly establish a correct outlook on political performance, work hard, and have outstanding practical achievements, and resolutely not use cadres with an incorrect outlook on political performance. Third, improve the assessment of political performance for promoting high-quality development, and give play to the constraining role of supervision and management. It is necessary to optimize political performance assessment, draw bottom lines and red lines, improve laws, regulations, and systems, perfect the supervision and restraint system, enhance the precision and scientific nature of assessment, encourage the advanced and spur on the backward, promote genuine action, and solve reckless action.

以解决“乱作为”为导向，健全有效防范和纠治政绩观偏差工作机制。总体上看，广大干部认真落实党中央战略部署，成绩显著，同时应看到，乱作为的现象也突出存在。一些地方脱离实际、不计成本，盲目举债搞建设；有的搞大场面、铺大摊子，搞“形象工程”“面子工程”；有的统计造假、虚报浮夸、搞“数字政绩”“虚假政绩”等。乱作为的背后，是错误的政绩观在作祟，没有解决“政绩为谁而树”“树什么样的政绩”“靠什么树政绩”的问题。必须以解决这一问题为导向，把为民造福作为最重要的政绩，坚定不移贯彻新发展理念，真抓实干抓落实，坚决防止形式主义、官僚主义。为此，在干部人事制度改革中，必须健全有效防范和纠治政绩观偏差工作机制。一是加强政绩观教育。通过深入学习习近平总书记关于树立和践行正确政绩观的重要论述，帮助干部增强推动高质量发展和服务群众本领。二是强化重实干、重实绩的用人导向，大力选拔那些牢固树立正确政绩观、真抓实干、实绩突出的干部，坚决不用那些政绩观不正的干部。三是改进推动高质量发展的政绩考核，发挥监督管理的约束作用。要优化政绩考核，划出底线红线，完善法规制度，健全监督制约体系，提高考核的精准度和科学性，鼓励先进、鞭策落后，促进真作为、破解乱作为。

Guided by solving the problem of “failing to act,” form a favorable situation where the capable are promoted and rewarded, and the mediocre are demoted and the inferior are eliminated. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, leading cadres at all levels have been invigorated, taken on responsibilities, and strived to be the first, comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society and pushing the Party and the state onto a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. At the same time, in actual work, there are also phenomena of failing to act. Some cadres have ideological tendencies such as waiting and relying, guarding their positions, enjoying themselves, standing by, and being departmentalist, reciting the “push” formula and the “delay” formula, acting as “hands-off managers” and “setters,” being “good old guys” and “peace officials,” worrying that “the more bowls you wash, the more you break,” believing in “plant more flowers and fewer thorns, don’t reach out when encountering difficulties,” and “to avoid trouble, it’s better not to do anything,” resulting in phenomena such as “unwilling to act” when there is no profit, “unwilling to think about acting” when muddling along, and “unnecessary to act” when supervision is weak. Compared with “acting recklessly,” the harm of “failing to act” is more insidious and even more harmful. General

以解决“不作为”为导向，形成能上优奖、庸下劣汰的良好局面。党的十八大以来，各级领导干部振奋精神，担当作为，奋勇争先，全面建成小康社会、推动党和国家迈上全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程。与此同时在实际工作中，也存在不作为的现象。有的干部存在等靠、守摊、享受、旁观、本位等思想倾向，念起“推”字诀、“拖”字诀，当“甩手掌柜”“二传手”，做“老好人”“太平官”，顾虑“洗碗越多摔碗越多”，信奉“多栽花少种刺，遇到困难不伸手”“为了不出事，宁可不干事”，出现无利可图“不愿为”、得过且过“不思为”、监督不力“不必为”等现象。与“乱作为”相比，“不作为”的危害更具隐蔽性，甚至危害性更大。习近平总书记强调，为官避事平生耻，不能只想当官不想干事，只想揽权不想担责，只想出彩不想出力。为此，干部人事制度应着眼于使干部鼓足干事创业的精气神，迸发攻坚克难的战斗力，坚决破除干部拈轻怕重、躺平甩锅、敷衍塞责、得过且过的“不为”心态。要落实《推进领导干部能上能下规定》，制定务实有效的考评机制，明确“下”的情形、优化“下”的程序、压实“下”的责任，把敢不敢为、能不能为、想不想为作为识别干部、评判优劣的重要标准，把为了什么、为了多少、为成了多少作为选拔干部的基本依据，切实解决为与不为、为多为少，为好为差都一样的问题。

Guided by solving the problem of "daring not to act," optimize the fault-tolerance and error-correction mechanism of the "Three Distinctions." As comprehensive deepening of reform and opening up enters the deep-water zone and critical period, many fields face a situation of "the old house has been demolished, but the new house has not yet been built," leading to an erroneous mentality among some leading cadres of "seeking stability and fearing mistakes" and "the more one does, the more mistakes one makes." Some cadres look ahead and behind, are overcautious and indecisive, and are full of misgivings, adhering to the idea that "less trouble is better than more" and "the more one does, the more mistakes one makes," daring not to act or assume responsibility. Analyzing the reasons for "daring not to act," the main ones are unclear guidance, imprecise, unscientific, and non-standard accountability and punishment, a lack of deep and rational understanding of "taking responsibility and acting," an insufficient atmosphere of responsibility in some places and a suboptimal environment for performing duties, failure to truly shield and support those who take responsibility and to back up and encourage those who do practical work, and an unscientific and imperfect institutional system for assessment and evaluation, positive incentives, and supervision and management, with incentives being "a light drizzle" and accountability being "crude and simplistic," and so on. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out that Party members and cadres must have the sense of responsibility to "take responsibility for the territory under one's jurisdiction, be accountable for it, and fulfill one's duties to the utmost." The arduous and heavy tasks of domestic reform, development, and stability require that all cadres cultivate the boldness to "dare to be the first," the ambition to overcome difficulties, the sharpness to dare to try and explore, and the courage to boldly assume responsibility, forge the character of "being as firm as a rock" in loyalty to the Party, firmly establish the orientation of "sticking to the front line" by immersing oneself in practical work, and forge the "strong and solid" ability to start undertakings and do work, so as to climb over slopes and cross hurdles, move forward tenaciously, and strive to be at the forefront and make contributions in advancing Chinese-path modernization. To this end, the reform of the cadre and personnel system should refine, concretize, and optimize the fault-tolerance and error-correction mechanism of the "Three Distinctions." The key to implementing the "Three Distinctions" is to correctly view the mistakes and errors of cadres in performing their duties, and to grasp specific policies by examining whether they are based on public interest or private gain; whether they are unintentional mistakes or intentional faults; whether they follow procedures or violate rules; and whether they abide by laws and discipline or break laws and violate discipline. Shield those who take responsibility, support those who do practical work, so that cadres have "backing," "armor," and "light" in their eyes, fully release the courage to break through and the drive to strive, and promote the creation of a good atmosphere where cadres dare to act, localities dare to break through, enterprises dare to innovate, and the masses dare to create.

以解决“不敢为”为导向，优化“三个区分开来”的容错纠错机制。随着全面深化改革进入深水区、攻坚期，许多领域面临“老屋已拆，新屋未建”的情况，导致出现有些领导干部产生“求稳怕错”“多干多错”的错误心态。有的干部瞻前顾后，畏首畏尾，患得患失，秉持多一事不如少一事、干得多错得多的思想，不敢作为、不敢担责。分析“不敢为”的原因，主要是导向不明，追责问责不精准、不科学、不规范，对“担当作为”缺乏深刻理性的认识，有些地方担当氛围不够浓、履职环境不够优，为担当者担当护航、为干事者撑腰鼓劲还没有真正做到位，考核评价、正向激励、监督管理的制度体系还不够科学完善，激励“雨点小”、问责“简单粗暴”，等等。习近平总书记指出，党员干部要有守土有责、守土负责、守土尽责的责任担当。艰巨繁重的国内改革发展稳定任务，要求广大干部必须树立“敢为人先”的豪气、攻坚克难的志气、敢闯敢试的锐气、大胆负责的勇气，铸就对党忠诚“坚如磐石”的品格，树牢扑下身子“坚守一线”的导向，锻造干事创业“坚强过硬”的本领，才能爬坡过坎，坚韧前行，在推进中国式现代化建设中奋勇争先、建功立业。为此，干部人事制度改革要细化实化优化“三个区分开来”的容错纠错机制。落实“三个区分开来”，关键是要正确看待干部履职中的失误和错误，把握具体政策要看是出于公心，还是源于私利；是无心之失，还是有心之过；是履行程序，还是破坏规则；是遵纪守法还是违法乱纪。为担当者担当、为实干者撑腰，让干部背后有“靠”、身上有“甲”、眼中有“光”，充分释放闯的魄力、拼的劲头，推动营造干部敢为、地方敢闯、企业敢干、群众敢首创良好风气。

Guided by solving the problem of "being not good at acting," improve the training mechanism for comprehensively enhancing modernization capabilities. Chinese-path modernization is an unprecedented pioneering undertaking, which places new and higher demands on the abilities, qualities, work style, and mental state of cadres. Some leading cadres have the problem of "being not good at acting." To this end, we must make great efforts to empower through training, diligently hone our internal skills, comprehensively enhance modernization capabilities, and demonstrate new achievements and open up new prospects with excellent skills. "To establish oneself in all walks of life, learning is the foundation"; cadres must cultivate excellent skills. Cadres must have a sense of urgency about insufficient knowledge, insufficient skills, and insufficient abilities, clearly understand "why to improve, what to improve, and how to improve," consciously strengthen ideological tempering, political training, practical exercise, and professional training, strive to enhance learning skills, political leadership skills, reform and innovation skills, scientific development skills, law-based governance skills, mass work skills, skills in grasping implementation, and risk management skills, comprehensively improve political ability, investigation and research ability, scientific decision-making ability, reform and tackling tough problems ability, emergency response ability, mass work ability, and implementation ability, and strive to forge the "hard backbone," "iron shoulders," and "true skills" for starting undertakings and doing work. We must improve the mechanism for regular training, especially basic training, strengthen professional training, precisely formulate training plans, organically unify organizational needs, post needs, and cadre needs, fill in knowledge gaps, make up for quality shortcomings, strengthen ability weaknesses, and achieve a major improvement in capacity building. We must strengthen practical exercise, systematically and plannedly place cadres in the "main battlefield" of reform and development, the "forefront" of serving the masses, the "front line" of rural revitalization, and other places most needed by the Party and the people to weather storms, see the world, strengthen their bones, and grow their talents, comprehensively enhancing the modernization capabilities of cadres.

以解决“不善为”问题为导向，完善全面提高现代化建设能力的培训机制。中国式现代化是前无古人的开创性事业，对干部的能力素质、工作作风和精神状态都提出了新的更高要求，部分领导干部存在“不善为”问题。为此，必须下大气力培训赋能、苦练内功，全面提高现代化建设能力，以过硬本领展现新作为、开创新局面。立身百行，以学为基，干部要练就过硬本领。干部要有知识不足、本领不足、能力不足的紧迫感，明确“为什么提升、提升哪些、怎样提升”，自觉加强思想淬炼、政治历练、实践锻炼、专业训练，努力增强学习本领、政治领导本领、改革创新本领、科学发展本领、依法执政本领、群众工作本领、狠抓落实本领、驾驭风险本领，全面提高政治能力、调查研究能力、科学决策能力、改革攻坚能力、应急处突能力、群众工作能力、抓落实能力，努力练就干事创业“硬脊梁”“铁肩膀”“真本事”。要健全常态化培训特别是基本培训机制，强化专业训练，精准制定培训计划，把组织需求、岗位需求、干部需求有机统一起来，填知识空白、补素质短板、强能力弱项，在能力建设上来一次大提升。要强化实践锻炼，有组织有计划地把干部放到改革发展“主战场”、服务群众“最前沿”、乡村振兴“第一线”等党和人民最需要的地方经风雨、见世面、壮筋骨、长才干，全面提高干部现代化建设能力。

The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC [2]2 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC: A major meeting of the Communist Party of China held in July 2024, focused on further deepening reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese-path modernization. has drawn up a grand blueprint for further deepening reform comprehensively, charted a new chapter for advancing Chinese-path modernization on the new journey, and demonstrated our Party's firm resolve and strong sense of mission to carry reform and opening up through to the end. Once the political line is determined, cadres are the decisive factor, and the reform of the cadre personnel system is the key. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC clearly stated that it is necessary to deepen the reform of the cadre personnel system, clearly establish the correct orientation for selecting and appointing cadres, vigorously select cadres who are politically solid, dare to take responsibility, are determined to reform, have outstanding practical achievements, and are clean and honest, and focus on solving the problems of cadres acting recklessly, failing to act, daring not to act, and acting incompetently. This requires improving the whole-life-cycle system for selecting, educating, managing, and using cadres that is compatible with further deepening reform comprehensively, putting into use those cadres who want to reform, plan reform, and are good at reform, and encouraging cadres to further take on responsibilities and act. On the great journey of advancing Chinese-path modernization, cadres must firmly establish the concept that there are no outsiders or bystanders in reform. Through the continuous deepening of the reform of the cadre personnel system, a good atmosphere for undertaking work and starting businesses should be created, so that cadres always maintain the political essence and mental state of putting "action" first and "performance" as the key, dare to gnaw on hard bones, and implement the major reform tasks deployed by the Party Central Committee on the ground.

党的二十届三中全会擘画了进一步全面深化改革的宏伟蓝图，谋划了新征程推进中国式现代化的新篇章，彰显了我们党将改革开放进行到底的坚强决心和强烈使命担当。政治路线确定之后，干部就是决定的因素，干部人事制度改革更是关键所在。党的二十届三中全会明确指出，要深化干部人事制度改革，鲜明树立选人用人正确导向，大力选拔政治过硬、敢于担当、锐意改革、实绩突出、清正廉洁的干部，着力解决干部乱作为、不作为、不敢为、不善为问题。这就要求健全与进一步全面深化改革相适应的干部选育管用全生命周期体系，把那些想改革、谋改革、善改革的干部用起来，激励干部进一步担当作为。在推进中国式现代化的伟大征程中，干部要牢固树立改革没有局外人、旁观者的观念，通过干部人事制度改革的不断深化，营造良好的干事创业氛围，让干部始终保持“干”字当头、“为”字为要的政治本色和精神状态，敢于啃硬骨头，把党中央部署的重大改革任务落地落实。

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧