A recent study reveals that while a majority of citizens support government efforts to streamline its apparatus and transition to a two-tier local government model, challenges and dissatisfaction persist, particularly at the commune level. The Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the Mekong Development Research Institute (MDRI), with technical support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), released a report on 12/5, based on a survey of nearly 5,000 citizens nationwide. This report, titled "Rapid assessment of the current state of public service delivery in the context of two-tier local government", highlights public sentiment.

The study found positive feedback regarding the simplification of the administrative structure and the elimination of intermediate layers. Among the changes examined, the option of not organizing district-level administration received praise for improving access to public services and interactions with authorities.

However, the research also highlighted unfavorable experiences during the transitional phase, especially at the commune level. These local administrations now handle a larger workload, contributing to citizen dissatisfaction.

Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Manh Hung, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, emphasized at the seminar that public service quality extends beyond mere procedural correctness. He stated, "A good system is not one without problems, but one that detects problems early, responds quickly, corrects errors promptly, and does not burden citizens with costs due to lack of synchronization."

Despite the increased workload, the survey indicates that administrative procedures at the commune level generally receive positive feedback, with an average satisfaction score of 4,1 out of 5. Approximately 94% of citizens reported receiving results on time, and over 91% rated staff as "proficient".

Nevertheless, the one-stop mechanism has not been fully effective in some areas, notably land administration. Around 26,27% of individuals applying for land use certificates reported navigating multiple offices or interacting with several people to complete procedures. Only 71,1% received their results on schedule, and 12% resorted to using "brokers" or intermediaries for assistance, which is 10 percentage points higher than for other administrative procedures.

Civil servants working at the one-stop shop in Da Nang City. Photo: Nguyen Dong

Beyond the growing volume of applications, commune-level authorities face a major challenge in digital transformation. From 1/7/2025, the National Public Service Portal will become the sole point of contact for online public services, replacing provincial portals. Yet, the survey reveals that only 21,8% of citizens have used this portal since the transition. About 27% encountered difficulties during use, and nearly 34% expressed concerns about personal data security.

A digital divide also exists among different demographic groups. The usage rate of the National Public Service Portal reached 41,18% among the highest-income group, compared to only 6,88% for the lowest-income group. For the 18-34 age group, the usage rate was 40,86%, nearly four times higher than for those over 60 years old.

Research conducted in Hung Yen highlighted that many commune-level officials must directly guide citizens in logging into VNeID, completing online declarations, or performing digital procedures. This is often due to elderly individuals and manual laborers being unfamiliar with digital operations. Some locations also reported issues such as slow systems, OTP authentication errors, or unsynchronized data.

Furthermore, people with disabilities encounter barriers in accessing digital public services. Only 6,4% of disabled individuals reported using the National Public Service Portal, significantly lower than the 21,8% among non-disabled individuals.

According to Ms. Ramla Khalidi, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam, the reform process can only be effective if it is citizen-centric and ensures accessibility for vulnerable groups. She stated, "The core of reform is to bring the government closer to the people, improving service delivery efficiency right from the grassroots level."

The report also noted pressures on other essential public services. After 1/7/2025, approximately 34,47% of respondents indicated they sought medical examination and treatment at provincial or city hospitals, while only 1,4% visited commune or ward health stations.

In public primary education, crowded classrooms and a lack of supportive infrastructure for students with disabilities remain weaknesses. Nearly 30% of respondents stated that schools lacked ramps or handrails for students using wheelchairs.

The research team concluded that the transition to a two-tier local government model represents "not just an organizational change but a comprehensive restructuring of how the administrative system operates." This implies that the effectiveness of the reform will heavily depend on the implementation capacity at the grassroots level, which currently faces burdens of increased responsibilities and expectations to serve citizens, amidst challenges in human resources, digital infrastructure, and coordination mechanisms.

Gia Chinh