Transformation of digital processes essential for efficient operation of two-level community administration model
Vietnam has embarked on a significant shift in its governance structure with the implementation of a two-tier local government model, which took effect nationwide on July 1, 2025. This restructuring eliminates the district-level middle tier, consolidating administrative functions into provincial/city and commune levels to bring government closer to citizens and improve public service delivery.
Steps in the Digital Transformation Process
The digital transformation process supports this model by consolidating administrative structures at the ward and commune levels, streamlining operations, and clarifying roles to reduce redundancy. Public service centres have been established at the commune level to handle administrative procedures digitally for both citizens and businesses, integrated with the National Public Service Portal to facilitate seamless processing.
The Ministry of Science and Technology has provided guidance and directives to upgrade and unify local digital infrastructure, ensuring interoperability across provinces and communes to enable smooth and uninterrupted administrative operations in the new model. Digital tools and platforms have been deployed, enabling online document submission, progress tracking, and results delivery, thereby reducing paperwork, in-person visits, and administrative delays.
Challenges and Solutions
The consolidation of thousands of communes and specialized agencies into a coherent two-level system without disrupting services presents a significant challenge. Upgrading digital infrastructure across diverse localities with varied capacities while ensuring data integration and avoiding fragmentation is another hurdle. Managing change for local officials and citizens accustomed to the old three-tier system, particularly in technology adoption and public service delivery practices, is another challenge.
Strong leadership and coordination from central ministries and local government, direct engagement with residents through digital platforms, continuous capacity building for local officials, and enhancing data management and analysis capabilities are identified as solutions for effective operation.
Initial Assessments
Initial assessments after about three weeks of implementation indicate that the digital transformation has been key in enabling the two-tier model’s success. Improvements in administrative efficiency, transparency, and citizen satisfaction have been observed across multiple provinces.
This model, coupled with digital transformation, represents a significant shift in Vietnam's governance designed to overcome prior structural inefficiencies and better meet public needs through streamlined and tech-enabled local government. Support for the transition process has come from public security forces, the military, and student volunteers. Ha Noi has issued a series of action programmes from the municipal to the grassroots levels since the Politburo issued Resolution No 57.
Nguyễn Quang Đồng, director of the Institute for Policy Studies and Media Development, recommended a broader, more comprehensive policy approach to data-related issues, suggesting policies on data classification and privacy protection to ensure data security in the current context. Trịnh Ngọc Trâm, deputy chairwoman of Cửa Nam Ward People's Committee, mentioned increased workload pressure on civil servants at the ward level, while Trương Việt Dũng, deputy chairman of Ha Noi People's Committee, emphasized the importance of transforming both thinking and practice.
Vietnam's focus on synchronization, data, and proactiveness in its digital transformation process, along with efforts to assist underprivileged groups in the process of administrative service delivery, with initiatives to assist residents in their homes, is commendable. With more than 12,000 personnel from digital technology enterprises working alongside 3,219 communes to support the transition process following the nationwide restructuring, the future of Vietnam's governance looks promising.
- The Ministry of Science and Technology, along with public security forces, the military, and student volunteers, have been providing support for the transition process of the two-tier local government model, which was implemented on July 1, 2025.
- In order to address the challenge of upgrading digital infrastructure across diverse localities, strong leadership and coordination from central ministries and local government, continuous capacity building for local officials, and enhancing data management and analysis capabilities are being identified as solutions.
- The digital transformation process, by streamlining operations, reducing paperwork, and enabling online document submission, progress tracking, and results delivery, has been instrumental in the success of the two-tier government model.
- Nguyen Quang Dong, director of the Institute for Policy Studies and Media Development, has suggested a broader, more comprehensive policy approach to data-related issues, including policies on data classification and privacy protection to ensure data security.
