Solving problems close to people’s daily lives
Reporting uncollected rubbish in their neighbourhoods or checking where the ingredients in their children’s school meals come from are everyday needs for many residents. Yet finding the right authority to contact, or obtaining reliable information, can require navigating multiple channels.
Recognising these practical challenges, the Ha Noi Department of Science and Technology has set up a convenient, unified access channel.
Nguyen Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Ha Noi Department of Science and Technology, said the city has brought these services together on a single digital platform, iHanoi. Residents can use their phones to submit reports and feedback, attaching descriptions, photographs and location information.
iHanoi’s HanoiCheck mini-app enables parents to view school menus and meal information and trace the origins of food ingredients. Overall, iHanoi has received and processed 263,395 reports and complaints to date.
HanoiCheck also covers nearly 1.5 million students and recorded 247,339 visits between September 1 and October 8. Integrating services from 73 previously separate applications and access points into iHanoi has reduced the effort users spend searching for the right channel.
In Ha Noi’s Viet Hung Ward, the challenge is different and lies at the residential group level. Following the reorganisation of residential areas, the ward’s administrative coverage has expanded, its population has grown and its workload has increased. Announcements posted in shared messaging groups can get buried among numerous other messages, making feedback hard to compile.
Building on an initiative by Giang Bien 4 Residential Group, the ward has introduced a digital residential group model supported by a mobile app. Information is sent to residents by topic, while reports on environmental sanitation, repairs and community activities can be received, classified and tracked.
Officials in charge can use the system to see which tasks are under way, completed or still outstanding. Management data is gradually being organised on a shared digital platform, making it easier to retrieve and compile.
In Binh Phuoc Ward in Dong Nai, the main barriers lie in residents’ habits and ability to use technology. Many own smartphones but remain reluctant to submit applications online, either for fear of making mistakes or because they find the procedures hard to navigate. Others have installed apps but have yet to make full use of their features.
The ward has concluded that support must help residents understand digital services, practise using them and gradually use them independently. It has launched a digital literacy programme with this aim.
According to the ward’s report, in the first nine months of 2026 its Public Administration Service Centre received and processed 19,028 online applications, a digitisation rate of 100%. More than 18,600 of these have been completed, all on time or ahead of schedule.
Ngo Hong Khang, Chairman of the Binh Phuoc Ward People’s Committee, said the ward has mobilised support teams in residential communities to guide residents so that they can complete administrative procedures on their own, with particular attention to older people, vulnerable people and those unfamiliar with technology.
Clear responsibilities and measurable results
Drawing on the experience of iHanoi, leaders of the Ha Noi Department of Science and Technology have identified three key conditions: starting from users’ needs; establishing clear operational procedures and responsibilities; and ensuring that data is regularly updated, standardised and put to practical use.
Even when residents can submit reports easily, the reports must still be directed to the right authority, assigned for follow-up and answered with information on the outcome.
Data quality determines the reliability of services, from school meal information to administrative management data.
Data must be accurate, complete, clean, up to date and consistent, and shared according to access permissions. Digitisation must go hand in hand with restructuring procedures, ensuring interoperability and reusing information already held by state agencies.
Tran Duy Ninh, Director of the National Digital Transformation Authority under the Ministry of Science and Technology, said the National Digital Architecture Framework serves as a governance tool for digital development. It provides a basis for building, upgrading and operating systems while drawing on existing resources and avoiding duplicated investment.
According to the documents guiding implementation of the National Digital Architecture Framework, the target operating model assigns distinct responsibilities to each administrative level.
Central authorities provide shared components; ministries and sectoral agencies deploy specialised components; provincial authorities integrate and operate systems within their jurisdiction; and commune-level administrations use digital platforms, update data and deliver digital services.
Effectiveness must also be measured using real operational data.
The same documents identify satisfaction among people and businesses, processing times, compliance costs and the efficient use of public resources as key performance indicators.
A set of indicators is being developed to ensure that results are quantifiable and verifiable, with priority given to collecting data automatically from operational systems.
Scaling up successful models must also take account of local conditions. A representative of Viet Hung Ward said residential groups differ in size and demographic make-up, so simply transferring software from one area to another does not guarantee similar results. Each model requires suitable procedures, designated personnel, well-organised data and clearly defined coordination mechanisms.
Binh Phuoc Ward’s experience also shows the importance of providing direct support at community level so that residents can gradually learn to use technology independently, safely and responsibly.
The 2026 National Digital Transformation Forum emphasised that people should benefit from the once-only principle for data submission, the reuse of existing data and the proactive delivery of public services.
Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Duc Long said the problems facing people and businesses must be resolved thoroughly.
In 2027, the Ministry of Science and Technology will work with localities to implement the commune-level digital transformation model and evaluate its effectiveness before scaling it up. Workforce training must also be closely tied to practical job requirements.
Long said it was necessary to identify the specific tasks performed by specialist commune-level officials and the skills they need, and then provide hands-on training that equips them to carry out their duties effectively.
The ministry plans to pilot training programmes in about 20 communes, evaluate the results and then expand them.
For community digital technology teams, the approach will involve reviewing existing models, assessing needs and the skills required, and developing short lessons and training videos to support grassroots staff.
Localities can begin by addressing the everyday problems residents need solved, monitoring the results and adjusting their approaches accordingly.
A report that receives a clear response, an administrative procedure that takes less time and a resident who learns to use a digital service independently are all tangible outcomes against which the effectiveness of implementation can be judged.
