| The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China pointed out that "the overall goal of comprehensively deepening reforms is to improve and develop the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and advance the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity." Administrative approval is the most direct and tangible mode of governance felt by market entities and serves as strong evidence for creating a first-class business environment in a region.The approval of engineering construction projects is a systematic undertaking involving numerous government departments and broad participation of market entities.For a long time,challenges such as multiple approval processes,lengthy timelines,and lack of standardized regulations have not been fundamentally resolved,affecting government efficiency.Further reforming the approval system for engineering construction projects and improving approval efficiency have become an inevitable trend and the aspiration of the people.The reform of the approval system for engineering construction projects is a major decision made by the Party and the country in the new era of reform and opening up.It is a crucial step in optimizing the business environment,promoting the transformation of government functions,deepening the"streamlining administration,delegating powers,and improving regulation and services"reform,as well as an effective means to stimulate the intrinsic motivation of market entities.It is also a significant reform aimed at introspection and improvement within the government.Taking socially invested civil construction projects in City W as an example,this study employs a semi-structured interview method and thematic analysis,based on the multi-stream theory model,to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the reform of the approval system for engineering construction projects in China.Based on interview data from approval service providers at the municipal and district levels in City W,including departments such as approval services,development and reform,natural resources and planning,housing and urban-rural development,and ecological environment,the research thoroughly explains the current status of the reform of the approval system for socially invested civil construction projects in City W.The study finds that the "main process" of approval for socially invested civil construction projects in City W has been completed within 45 working days,achieving the established reform objectives and further streamlining the approval process while improving efficiency.However,the effectiveness of the reform must be evaluated by market entities,and the level of satisfaction among market entities participating in the reform is an important criterion for judging its true effectiveness.Therefore,in order to further promote breakthroughs in the reform of the approval system for engineering construction projects based on the existing achievements,this study,based on interview data from recipients of approval services at the municipal and district levels in City W(including employees of state-owned enterprises and private enterprises handling approval procedures for socially invested civil construction projects),combines their real experiences in the process of receiving approval services to deeply analyze the problems existing in the approval of socially invested civil construction projects in City W from aspects such as service concepts,service processes,service efficiency,and approval supervision.The study found that there are still issues in the approval of socially invested civil construction projects in City W,such as low enthusiasm for horizontal communication and collaboration among departments,room for improvement in approval process reengineering,incomplete information technology construction,and a disconnect between approval and supervision.This article believes that the underlying causes of these problems are multifaceted,mainly including the difficulties in breaking down departmental barriers,insufficient public participation in the reform,varying degrees of information barriers,and the need to strengthen in-process and post-process supervision.At the same time,this article proposes targeted and feasible countermeasures and suggestions for further deepening the reform of the approval system for engineering construction projects:strengthening departmental coordination and linkage,systematically promoting process reengineering,accelerating information system construction,and seamlessly integrating approval and supervision,in order to provide reference for government decision-making. |
