More Effectively Address Outstanding Problems of Formalism

Formalism is fundamentally incompatible with the nature, purpose, and fine traditions of our Party. It is a “stumbling block” that hinders the grassroots from implementing the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and from connecting with and serving the masses. Only by breaking the shackles of formalism and unleashing the vitality of grassroots work can the “last kilometer” of policy implementation be unimpeded, and can the Party’s heart be closely linked with the people’s heart.

形式主义与我们党的性质宗旨和优良作风格格不入，是阻碍基层一线贯彻党中央决策部署、联系服务群众的“绊脚石”。破除形式主义枷锁，释放基层干事创业活力，才能让政策落地的“最后一公里”畅通无阻，让党心与民心紧紧相连。

In August this year, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council issued the full text of the *Several Provisions on Addressing Formalism to Reduce Burdens at the Grassroots* (hereinafter referred to as the *Several Provisions*). This is the first time an institutional regulation has been formulated and issued in the form of intra-Party regulations to reduce burdens at the grassroots. From the approval of the *Several Provisions* at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee last year, to the full text’s public release to society and the issuance of a notice requiring all regions and departments to earnestly implement it, this demonstrates our Party’s clear stance and firm resolve to persistently correct the “Four Forms of Decadence”[1]1 The *Several Provisions*: Refers to the *Several Provisions on Rectifying Formalism to Reduce Burdens at the Grassroots Level* issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. and unremittingly reduce burdens at the grassroots.

今年8月，中共中央办公厅、国务院办公厅印发《整治形式主义为基层减负若干规定》（以下简称《若干规定》）全文，这是首次以党内法规形式制定出台为基层减负的制度规范。从去年中共中央政治局会议审议批准《若干规定》，到如今全文向社会公开发布，并发出通知要求各地区各部门认真遵照执行，彰显了我们党持之以恒纠“四风”、坚持不懈为基层减负的鲜明态度和坚定决心。

The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has always attached great importance to addressing formalism to reduce burdens at the grassroots. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC

以习近平同志为核心的党中央始终高度重视整治形式主义为基层减负。党的十八大以来，习近平总书记多次作出重要指示，明确要求对形式主义、官僚主义要毫不妥协，让基层干部从繁文缛节、文山会海、迎来送往中解脱出来。党中央把解决形式主义突出问题和为基层减负结合起来，作为党的作风建设重要内容统筹谋划、一体推进，专门印发《关于解决形式主义突出问题为基层减负的通知》，建立中央层面整治形式主义为基层减负专项工作机制、为基层减负反面典型案例通报曝光机制等，一系列举措有的放矢、持续发力。为深化拓展整治形式主义为基层减负的实际行动和成效，《若干规定》进一步针对突出问题提出7方面21条具体措施要求，聚焦小切口设定硬约束，把近年来整治工作的制度规定贯通起来，推动为基层减负工作向治本深化。

Through unremitting efforts, rectifying formalism to reduce burdens at the grassroots level has become a routine task for Party conduct building in all regions and departments, and a powerful lever for advancing comprehensive and strict governance of the Party in depth. All 38,000 township (sub-district) duty item lists nationwide have been compiled, clearly delineating what tasks should be undertaken, what should be coordinated, and what should be withdrawn, thereby clarifying the boundaries of grassroots powers and responsibilities. Grassroots cadres have shed many unnecessary burdens, gaining more time and energy to serve the masses, and the effectiveness of grassroots governance has significantly improved. Statistical analysis of questionnaires from relevant departments shows that in the year since the issuance of the *Several Provisions*, grassroots cadres have fully affirmed the effects of rectifying formalism to reduce burdens at the grassroots level, while generally expressing the hope that the burden-reduction work can be sustained over the long term without rebounding. The voices from the grassroots both confirm the achievements already made and reflect the problems that still need to be resolved.

经过不懈努力，整治形式主义为基层减负已成为各地区各部门抓作风建设的常态化工作，成为推动全面从严治党向纵深发展的有力抓手。全国3.8万个乡镇（街道）履职事项清单全部编制完成，清晰厘定该干什么、配合什么、收回什么，明确基层权责边界。基层干部卸下了不少无谓的负担，有更多时间精力服务群众，基层治理效能显著提升。有关部门调查问卷统计分析显示，《若干规定》出台一年来，基层干部对整治形式主义为基层减负效果给予充分肯定，同时普遍期盼减负工作能长期抓下去，别反弹。基层的心声，既印证了已取得的成效，也反映出仍需破解的问题。

It must be clearly recognized that formalism possesses characteristics such as stubbornness, recurrence, and variability; the slightest relaxation will lead to a resurgence. Judging from typical cases reported by the central government and various localities, the stubborn malady of formalism still exists covertly in some areas. For example, while study and training arrangements have indeed become more substantial, the phenomenon of studying for the sake of studying, divorced from actual needs, still persists, and problems such as idle software subscriptions, duplicate training, and inefficient seminars are not uncommon. While itineraries unrelated to the research topic have indeed been reduced, the problem of insufficient depth in investigative research has not been completely resolved; phenomena such as one-sidedly pursuing the number of sites visited and pre-arranging rehearsals of exchanges with the masses for scripted responses still exist. The vicious cycle of "documents—meetings—documents" has been resolved to a certain extent, but the problem of implementing work through issuing notices and submitting materials has not yet been eliminated. Moreover, some localities have even evolved new forms of formalism in the process of rectifying formalism. For instance, to implement burden reduction, they require "retrospective checks over three years" to supplement materials against a problem checklist. Another example: when higher-level departments conduct grassroots research on burden reduction, they require the grassroots to "report their own problems and solve their own problems." These phenomena not only disgust grassroots cadres and the masses but also run counter to the spirit of the central authorities.

必须清醒看到，形式主义具有顽固性、反复性、变异性等特征，稍有放松就会反弹回潮。从中央和各地通报的典型案例来看，形式主义顽疾在一些领域仍隐蔽存在。比如，学习培训确实安排得更充实了，但脱离实际需要、为了学习而学习的现象仍然存在，空挂软件、重复培训、低效研讨的问题也不少见。与调研主题无关的行程确实减少了，但调查研究深入性不够的问题没有彻底解决，仍存在片面追求点位数量、提前安排交流群众对词预演等现象。“材料—会议—材料”恶性循环得到一定程度解决，但以发通知、报材料等形式落实工作的问题尚未杜绝。更有一些地方，为整治形式主义而又演化出新的形式主义。比如，为了落实减负，要求对照问题清单“倒查三年”补材料。再如，上级部门下基层调研减负情况，却要求基层“自己上报问题，自己解决问题”。这些现象不仅令基层干部和群众反感，更与中央精神背道而驰。

Everyone says "formalism kills people," yet why is it so difficult to eradicate after long-term efforts? Tracing the root cause from an ideological perspective, as General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out, "The essence of formalism is subjectivism and utilitarianism, and its root cause is a distorted outlook on political performance and a lack of a sense of responsibility." Some Party members and cadres do not place the people in the highest position in their hearts; when carrying out work, they do not think about how to solve difficulties for the masses or promote the long-term development of the locality. Instead, they are driven by selfish thoughts and distractions, only considering the immediate interests of their own "patch of land," seeking benefits for themselves or small circles, and calculating how to curry favor with superiors and accumulate "political capital." Observed from the reality of work, as the economy and society undergo accelerated transformation, new governance problems have emerged, placing higher demands on all aspects of work. However, some Party members and cadres lack capability, have few methods for dealing with complex problems, do not actively learn new knowledge and skills, and instead resort to formalism to cope. They either shift thorny problems onto others or delegate them downward to the grassroots, or they mechanically copy and implement higher-level directives. Analyzing from the perspectives of assessment, evaluation, and supervision mechanisms, the grassroots bear the heavy responsibility of implementation, often described as "a thousand threads above, one needle below"; task indicators often expand geometrically as they go down. Faced with assessment pressure, some grassroots cadres, fearing trouble or accountability, choose to "put materials first, take photos as proof," adhering to a mindset of "more work, more mistakes; no work, no mistakes," using paperwork as a shield to avoid responsibility and using formality to hedge against risk.

都道“形式主义害死人”，却又为何久治难除？从思想上找根源，正如习近平总书记指出的，“形式主义实质是主观主义、功利主义，根源是政绩观错位、责任心缺失”。一些党员、干部没有将人民放在心中最高位置，开展工作不是想着如何为群众排忧解难、推动地方长远发展，而是私心杂念作祟，只想着自己“一亩三分地”的眼前利益，为个人或者小圈子谋利，盘算着怎样迎合上级、积累“政治资本”。从工作实际中观察，经济社会加速转型，出现了一些新的治理问题，对各方面工作提出更高要求，但一些党员、干部能力不足，面对复杂问题办法不多，不主动学习新知识新技能，反而借助形式主义来应付，要么把棘手的难题转嫁给他人或下移至基层，要么照抄照搬、机械执行上级指令。从考核评价、监督机制等方面剖析，基层承担着“上面千条线、下面一根针”的落地重任，任务指标往往越往下越呈几何级数膨胀。面对考核压力，一些基层干部因怕出事、怕问责而选择“材料先行、拍照为证”，秉持“多干多错、不干不错”的心态，用痕迹换取免责，用形式对冲风险。

Rectifying formalism to reduce burdens at the grassroots level is a systematic project that requires facing problems squarely and adopting comprehensive measures. It is necessary to treat the symptoms based on external manifestations, but more importantly, to treat the root causes based on substance and origins. The *Several Provisions* adhere to a systematic approach, strengthen source governance, and provide important institutional guidance for deepening and expanding the work of rectifying formalism to reduce burdens at the grassroots level. The vitality of institutions lies in their implementation. To ensure the *Several Provisions* are effectively put into practice, we must closely monitor both old problems and new manifestations of formalism, clearly identify which heavy burdens the grassroots should not bear, which have been alleviated, and which still exist in new guises. We must take the "pain points" of the grassroots as the "target points" for rectifying formalism. For problems that are most intuitively felt and most strongly reflected by the grassroots, we must hold on to them tightly and strike as soon as they emerge, treating both symptoms and root causes, governing at the source, and solving problems such as the resurgence, hidden variation, and latent growth of stubborn formalism maladies.

整治形式主义为基层减负是一项系统工程，需要正视问题、综合施策，既根据其外在表现治标，更要针对实质和根源治本。《若干规定》坚持系统观念，强化源头治理，为深化拓展整治形式主义为基层减负工作提供了重要制度遵循。制度的生命力在于执行，确保《若干规定》落到实处，必须紧盯形式主义老问题和新表现，清晰梳理基层还有哪些本不应承担的重负，哪些已减轻，哪些还以新面目存在，把基层的“痛点”作为整治形式主义的“靶点”。对基层感受最直观、反映最强烈的问题，扭住不放、露头就打，标本兼治、源头治理，破解形式主义顽瘴痼疾反弹回潮、隐形变异、潜滋暗长等问题。

It needs to be made clear that reducing burdens does not mean reducing responsibility or reducing accountability. The *Several Provisions* clearly establish a work orientation of using reform and innovation to reduce burdens and empower the grassroots, and to motivate cadres to take on responsibilities and act. This must be implemented effectively, so that burden reduction and empowerment work in the same direction. When formulating and implementing policies, the complexity of local governance should be fully grasped, allowing the "baton" of supervision and assessment to return to its proper function. For example, the weight of summaries, reports, ledgers, and forms in assessments should be reduced in a targeted manner, focusing instead on actual work performance, the effectiveness of problem-solving, and genuine evaluations by the masses. Another example: effectively optimize assessment methods and approaches, reduce unnecessary steps and cumbersome procedures, so that assessment and evaluation truly play a role in promoting practical work. At the same time, show more understanding and care for the vast number of grassroots Party members and cadres, step on the accelerator more and the brake less, and improve the scientific and reasonable fault-tolerance and correction mechanism, so that everyone can shed their burdens and work steadfastly, and let go of their inhibitions to boldly forge ahead.

需要明确的是，减负不是减责任、减担当。《若干规定》鲜明树立了以改革创新的办法为基层减负赋能、激励干部担当作为的工作导向，必须抓好落实，让减负和赋能同向发力。在政策制定与执行时，应充分把握地方治理的复杂性，让监督考核“指挥棒”回归本位。比如，有针对性地降低总结汇报、台账报表在考核中的权重，将焦点对准工作实绩、问题解决实效和群众真实评价。再如，切实优化考核方式方法，减少不必要的环节和繁琐的程序，让考核评价真正发挥对实际工作的促进作用。同时，对广大基层党员、干部多加体谅、多加爱护，多踩油门、少踩刹车，健全科学合理的容错纠错机制，让大家卸下包袱踏实干，放开手脚大胆闯。

Rectifying formalism to reduce burdens at the grassroots level is not a one-day effort; we must maintain the tenacity of driving a nail, persistently grasping it without letup, and making sustained efforts over time. Unswervingly strengthen the construction of work style, establish a clear orientation that values practical work, actual results, and a sense of responsibility, educate and guide Party members and cadres to firm up their ideals and convictions, further establish a correct outlook on political performance, not covet vanity, not engage in empty work, not seek false reputation, and solidly do things that lay the foundation, benefit the long term, produce tangible results, and create real achievements.

整治形式主义为基层减负，非一日之功，必须拿出钉钉子的韧劲常抓不懈、久久为功。坚持不懈狠抓作风建设，树立重实干、重实绩、重担当的鲜明导向，教育引导党员、干部坚定理想信念，进一步树牢正确政绩观，不慕虚荣、不务虚功、不图虚名，扎扎实实做打基础、利长远、出实效、创实绩的事。

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心