Numerous tasks and powers have been decentralized and delegated to the commune tier; alongside these come challenges concerning economic development, site clearance, livelihood transitions, population rearrangement, social welfare assurance, and public order preservation - matters that cannot be resolved solely through administrative fiat. In this context, government mass mobilization does not stop at dissemination and campaigning, but must engage with concrete deeds so that the administration understands the people, the people understand policies, and both sides work together to resolve issues at the grassroots level.

Part 1: Expansive jurisdictions, distinct accountability

Late afternoon on the slopes of A Pa Chải, intermittent gusts sweep through the forest belts of the Sín Thầu valley. On the desk of the commune cadastral officer, three detailed planning dossiers handed over from the district tier lie beneath flickering fluorescent lights. Accompanying these thick stacks of paperwork is an unprecedented governance challenge: this border commune must independently manage, operate, and directly disburse up to VND 4.9 billion for unfinished infrastructure projects.

Prior to the rollout of the two-tier local governance model, projects valued at billions of VND fell primarily under the responsibility of specialized district offices and departments. The commune level only assisted with site clearance, compiled household rosters, and took over finished works upon completion. But with the district tier eliminated, all project files have been transferred directly to the grassroots level, bringing along operational pressures and direct accountability.

While one tier of government was removed in the organizational structure, workloads and emerging grassroots level issues did not decrease. Administrative procedures, land disputes, compensation, site clearance, infrastructure development, and local livelihoods must all be addressed directly at the grassroots level. The commune has become the direct recipient of files and the administrative authority held responsible for implementation.

The newly consolidated Sín Thầu commune was established by merging the entire natural area and population of three former communes: Sen Thượng, Leng Su Sìn, and Sín Thầu. The new administrative territory is expansive, spanning more than 516km² with over 6,000 residents living scattered across mountainous terrain. The total administrative staffing quota assigned to the commune government in 2026 is 41 cadres and civil servants, tasked with managing 23 subordinate Party cells and committees with 572 Party members.

Sharing the demands encountered when operating under the new model, Pờ Mý Lế, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Sín Thầu commune, noted: “While geographic distance was already a constraint, the greater test lies in specialized operational competency and the pressure of accountability. Commune cadres previously accustomed to verifying standard applications and handling basic administrative paperwork must now act as project investors, manage detailed planning projects for the A Pa Chải Border Gate, and calculate compensation for road clearance. There is no longer an intermediary district tier to submit files to or forward dossiers whenever bottlenecks arise; we are compelled to roll up our sleeves and tackle issues directly wherever problems appear.”

Following its consolidation from three former communes - Tả Sìn Thàng, Lao Xả Phình, and Sín Chải - Sín Chải commune confronts similar demands. Its natural area spans nearly 19,000 hectares with 15 villages and nearly 13,300 residents, over 90% of whom belong to the Hmông ethnic group. The commune headquarters is 157km away from the provincial center. Immediately upon commencing operations, the People’s Committee of Sín Chải commune confronted an array of emerging challenges: district cadres reassigned to the commune faced accommodation shortages and cramped working quarters; public assets and land plots of two former tea-processing workshops had not completed handover procedures; and the arterial road connecting Sính Phình to the commune center was severely degraded.

Discussing early hurdles during initial operations, Giàng A Páo, Secretary of the commune Party Committee, shared: “Stepping out of the conference room and visiting each village to assess conditions, we realized that rearranging the apparatus was merely the starting line. There is no longer room to pass the buck or delay action. All matters concerning the people, from terrace boundary disputes to multi-billion-VND infrastructure projects, must be resolved definitively at the grassroots level by commune cadres; otherwise, the entire administrative machinery faces immediate paralysis.”

With growing workloads and new duties delegated down to the grassroots level, the imperative for communal authorities is not only timely execution, but generating public consensus. Therefore, mass mobilization cannot be viewed strictly as the mandate of a single department, sector, or specialized force. Under the new model, cadres executing assignments are themselves mass mobilization workers; they must proactively initiate dialogue, explain guidelines, listen to concerns, and clear up bottlenecks right at the grassroots level.

This serves as the method for local governments to eliminate execution roadblocks, ensuring policies and plans reach the people, foster agreement, and resolve emerging community issues on site.

Restructuring under the two-tier local governance model, Điện Biên reduced its commune-level administrative units from 129 to 45 communes and wards. The entire province allocated nearly 3,800 cadre and civil servant positions, with 2,600 assigned to the commune tier. Concurrently, 460 tasks have been decentralized and delegated to specialized provincial departments, sectors, and commune-level People’s Committees - spanning areas directly affecting citizens’ daily lives, such as land administration, public investment, construction, education, healthcare, justice, agriculture, and the environment.