The changing role of technology under the two-tier government model
Previously, citizens had to travel to district level and down to commune level to complete administrative procedures. Now, everything has changed as Viet Nam implements an unprecedented reform of its administrative apparatus, shifting from a three-tier model (province–district–commune) to a two-tier model (province–commune/ward).
This change has created a new reality: the scale and workload at the commune and ward levels have expanded many times over. According to Duong Cong Duc, Director of the Smart City Operations Centre (IOC) at Viettel Solutions, around 85% of administrative service tasks previously handled by districts have now been transferred to communes and wards.
For example, in Ha Noi, with a population of over 8.8 million, after restructuring, the city now directly manages only around 126 communes and wards instead of 526 units previously. This means each commune/ward now bears a workload multiple times greater, and the system must receive and process a sharply increased number of transactions, dossiers and public service requests from citizens.
“Because of this, if we continue to work manually as before, the four core functions of government — serving citizens and enterprises, administrative governance, promoting socio-economic development and planning for the future — would become impossible,” Duc observed.
Amid such challenges, the role of technology has been firmly established — not as a set of isolated support tools, but as indispensable “soft infrastructure”, a vital foundation for the functioning of the apparatus. “Previously, digital transformation provided partial support, but now technology demonstrates absolute strength in supporting the operations of the government apparatus,” the expert noted.
This strength lies first in the ability to standardise and automate all procedural workflows between provinces and communes/wards. As a result, cumbersome procedures are transformed into seamless digital workflows. Data is connected and shared through 12 national databases and 330 sectoral databases, eliminating informational “islands”.
This significantly shortens dossier processing time and enables citizens to be served immediately at the local level. At the same time, the system allows centralised monitoring and administration via Intelligent Operations Centres (IOCs) in each province or city, while still personalising services to local characteristics.
Digital transformation in Da Nang
Among the localities successfully applying digital technology when shifting to the two-tier government model, Da Nang is a typical example. The city has not only applied technology but has turned it into an effective assistant in management and administration, generating impressive results previously considered unattainable.
Before the transition to two-tier governance, Da Nang had already successfully implemented a city-level IOC model and had seven district-level IOCs operating effectively. Additionally, the city had developed an integrated and interconnected data system, along with readiness to optimise suitable digital processes.
In Da Nang, the Department of Science and Technology advised city leaders to use the IOC to monitor and manage public service delivery rates. The IOC helps design KPIs (total procedures, on-time rate, overdue rate, emerging issues) and track performance through the system.
Thanks to this, Da Nang’s leaders can monitor daily operations at each service centre (whether crowded or not, whether backlog levels are high or low) and promptly adjust personnel or introduce appropriate solutions. Previously, on-time service delivery rates were not high and information was not updated promptly. Since adopting the IOC, the rate of on-time public service processing in Da Nang has improved significantly: many areas exceed 90%, with some nearing 100%.
The greatest breakthrough is the model of proactive public administration in Da Nang (new), piloted earlier in Quang Nam Province (over two months before the administrative merger). Proactive public administration is an entirely new concept in which the system automatically identifies citizens’ needs and proactively provides public services.
The city is implementing eight proactive public administrative services across 16 communes/wards. These services include: proactive birth registration; proactive school admissions and enrolment records; renewal of medical practice licences; renewal/replacement of tour guide licences; support for poor and near-poor households; renewal of veterinary practice certificates and veterinary drug trading licences; renewal/replacement of transport business permits; support for compiling house-construction dossiers and related services.
The difference brought by proactive public administration may surprise many people elsewhere. For example, with proactive birth registration — piloted at Quang Nam General Hospital — previously, parents had to bring the birth certificate to the ward office to apply for a birth certificate. Now, after the hospital issues the birth record, parents only need to provide their citizen ID numbers.
The hospital system then automatically connects to the national population database and sends a text message to the father’s phone asking for the intended name of the child. After naming the child and confirming via text message, the system automatically transfers the information to the civil status division to issue the birth certificate. A few days later, the certificate is delivered directly to the family.
Currently, Da Nang is piloting 27 proactive public administrative services. This expansion is not just a number, but a confirmation of a forward-looking vision in which technology is deeply and synchronously integrated to serve citizens and enterprises. From here, the two-tier government can serve citizens proactively instead of reactively, turning administrative procedures into genuine digital experiences.
