Present at the Public Administrative Service Center of Chiềng Sinh commune in mid-July, citizens arriving to process document authentication, civil registration, land record verification, or social protection applications had all their needs received and resolved through a single window. Tasks that previously required reporting or transferring to higher administrative tiers are now handled proactively by the commune government within its authorized remit, significantly streamlining procedural steps.

Lò Văn Đoàn, a resident of Chiềng Sinh commune, shared that while carrying out agricultural land transfer procedures, he received enthusiastic and thorough guidance from cadastral officials without having to make multiple trips. Previously, such paperwork required traveling to the district level, but now almost all procedures are settled directly at the commune level, including the issuance of Land Use Rights Certificates. He noted that decentralizing authority to the commune level is highly practical, eliminating intermediaries and reducing both travel time and expenses for residents.

Many administrative tasks that previously forced citizens to travel to higher levels are now settled directly at commune-level public administrative service centers. After over a year of operating under the new model, the People’s Committee of Chiềng Sinh commune has processed more than 11,000 document authentications and over 700 civil status files, while promptly resolving numerous citizen petitions and feedback right at the grassroots level.

The effectiveness of administrative empowerment is demonstrated clearly in practical reality. Recently, a land dispute occurred among households in Khong Tở village. Upon receiving the petition, the commune People’s Committee promptly instructed specialized civil servants to verify the situation, conduct field inspections, and organize conciliation in full compliance with procedures stipulated by the Land Law. By proactively resolving matters at the grassroots level, the entire verification and conciliation process was completed swiftly, preventing prolonged disputes and petitions.

As an official directly providing counsel on land affairs, Lò Văn Thanh, a specialist at the Economic Office of Chiềng Sinh commune, stated that in cadastral and land management, the office not only processes dossiers but also directly advises the commune People’s Committee on appraisals, verifications, land dispute conciliations, cadastral record management, and the settlement of numerous authorized matters right at the grassroots level.

Đỗ Văn Sơn, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Chiềng Sinh commune, stated that under the two-tier local government model, the most notable improvement is that grassroots administrations have gained enhanced initiative in management and administration. Decentralization and delegation of authority not only assign more tasks but also establish higher demands regarding the responsibility of leaders and the contingent of cadres and civil servants.

Previously, several matters related to cadre management, social security policy execution, or specific administrative procedures required submission to higher echelons for approval. Currently, for matters within its authority, the commune People’s Committee directly reviews, processes, and issues decisions in accordance with regulations. In social protection, for example, applications for monthly allowances formerly required district appraisal and decision-making; now, citizens need only submit their dossiers at the commune public administrative service center, and upon appraisal by specialized units, the Chairman of the commune People’s Committee holds full authority to issue decisions, shortening processing cycles and facilitating faster policy access for residents.

To fulfill these new operational requirements, the People’s Committee of Chiềng Sinh commune has restructured its administrative methods. Tasks are assigned following the “six clears” principle, information technology applications are strengthened, and commune leaders routinely convene briefings and inspect progress. Expanded authority naturally entails greater demands regarding professional capacity, sense of responsibility, and public service ethics among civil servants.

Nguyễn Tiến Đạt, Director of the provincial Department of Home Affairs, stated that decentralization and administrative authorization have been deployed synchronously and decisively across multiple domains. To date, the provincial People’s Committee has issued 24 decentralization decisions covering a total of 144 tasks, including 70 tasks decentralized to the commune level, alongside 22 authorization documents covering 316 tasks. Comprehensive decentralization across home affairs, finance, agriculture and environment, science and technology, and industry and trade has created favorable conditions for grassroots administrations to proactively execute tasks and handle administrative procedures.

Moving forward, the provincial People’s Committee will continue empowering grassroots administrations with tasks directly related to citizens and enterprises under the principle of “clear personnel, clear duties, clear responsibilities, clear authority, clear resources, and clear outcomes.” Decentralization must be accompanied by resource allocation, enhanced cadre training, finalized information technology infrastructure, and reinforced inspection and supervision to ensure substantive effectiveness.

The most transformative outcome of the two-tier local government model lies not merely in the volume of transferred tasks, but in the paradigm shift of local governance. Commune-level administration does not simply execute administrative orders from above; it has become the direct governing tier closest to the people and the primary point of contact for resolving their concerns. Stronger administrative empowerment for the commune level is steadily narrowing the distance between the government and the people.