An essential requirement
According to Dr. Tran Kim Ba, a public policy expert at the Institute for South Asia, West Asia, and Africa Studies (the Viet Nam Academy of Social Sciences), officials and civil servants in the current technological era need to ensure basic digital competencies such as general competence, professional competence, and leadership and management competence.
This is a mandatory requirement in many regulations of the state and government to help successfully implement the national digital transformation. The prime minister’s e-Government Development Strategy for the 2021-2025 period, with a vision to 2030, emphasised that the team of officials and civil servants needs to be trained in knowledge and skills in applying information technology and digital technology.
One of the key components of the National Digital Transformation Programme, as approved by the prime minister, is the development of new training programmes and the updating of professional human resource training curricula at universities, colleges, and vocational schools, focusing on data and digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, data science, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, blockchain, and big data.
Simultaneously, it aims to establish research and training centres for artificial intelligence and related digital technologies to support the digital transformation process.
Government Decree No. 171/2025/ND-CP (dated June 30, 2025) on the training and professional development of civil servants identifies several important aspects, emphasising the strengthening of training in science and technology, innovation, digital skills, and digital technology for officials and civil servants.
The Party, state, and government have long recognised the importance of training and enhancing the digital capacity of officials and civil servants, especially those at the grassroots level. This is because they are the core force that directly handles administrative procedures and paperwork daily, frequently interacts with citizens, and operates digital platforms within the national digital network.
Many training programmes have been implemented; however, in reality, the digital capacity of some local officials remains limited, while the volume of administrative procedures handled by the two-tiered local government system is enormous.
Dr. Trinh Thi Tuyet Dung, from the Institute of Human Geography and Sustainable Development (the Viet Nam Academy of Social Sciences), argues that in the context of promoting local governance under a two-tiered model, the digital capacity of local officials is a mandatory requirement for a streamlined and efficient administrative apparatus.
Mastering technology facilitates seamless data flow, eliminates administrative barriers, and shifts the focus from passive management to modern governance, serving citizens more promptly and effectively.
In the context of promoting local governance under a two-tier model, the digital capacity of local officials is a mandatory requirement for a streamlined and efficient administrative apparatus. Mastering technology helps ensure seamless data flow, removes administrative barriers, and shifts the focus from passive management to modern governance, serving citizens more promptly and effectively.
Dr. Trinh Thi Tuyet Dung, Institute of Human Geography and Sustainable Development (Viet Nam Academy of Social Sciences)
The current situation reveals a significant gap between awareness and practical skills. Most officials are proficient in office tools and electronic document management systems (E-office), meeting the basic requirements for the operation of a two-tier government.
However, specialised digital capabilities such as data analysis, GIS usage, and information security still have many limitations. Digital thinking is not yet synchronised, leading to the application of technology sometimes being reactive rather than truly becoming a core tool in modern local governance.
Strengthening training
In many developed countries, digital skills training for officials and civil servants is concentrated in leading educational institutions, showing the special attention of governments to this issue.
For example, Canada has the Government Digital Service Academy, the US has the University of Digital Technology, Russia has the National Academy of Economics and Public Administration, Sweden has the Swedish Academy of Public Administration, the Netherlands has the European Academy of Public Administration, etc. In Asia, Singapore has the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, while the Republic of Korea has the National Institute for Human Resource Development. Several major training centres around the world have recently opened undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
In Viet Nam, Dr. Tran Kim Ba suggested that it is necessary to design digital skills training programs tailored to different workforce groups, create a legal framework, build cooperation with educational technology and service providers, and combine monitoring of the training process and implementation results.
Training programmes should be designed with an application-oriented approach, providing more practical benefits for learners. Furthermore, research and development of new majors within undergraduate and postgraduate training programs on digital skills are needed.
Sharing this view, Dr. Trinh Thi Tuyet Dung noted that current training mainly focuses on basic courses for a wide range of people, lacking differentiation according to job positions. This leads to a situation where employees, even with certifications, still struggle to apply technology to their professional work, especially in specialised areas.
Experts emphasised that digital capacity training for local officials needs to simultaneously enhance both digital skills and mindset — skills must be proficient to increase the efficiency of handling administrative procedures; mindset must shift from an adaptive approach (using alternative tools) to a proactive approach of optimisation and innovation as the core foundation of their work.
Changing teaching methods is also a crucial issue. Instructors must be capable of using digital technology in their lectures, such as designing presentation slides and utilising AI, and effectively teaching on online platforms.
Training institutions must be at the forefront of digital transformation, providing opportunities for trainees to hone their practical skills by working with modern management systems at the training facility.
Only then can they effectively contribute to improving the digital capacity of officials and civil servants, enabling them to operate the administrative apparatus efficiently on digital platforms and make a positive contribution to the national digital transformation process.
