At the Public Administration Service Center in the highland commune of Na Son, in the early days of October, a considerable number of people came to carry out administrative procedures. Most people came to register births, certify copies, apply for social assistance, or for land use right certificates.

To ensure the new government apparatus operates effectively, Na Son commune had prepared well in terms of facilities and personnel at the Public Administration Service Center. Commune officials are assigned to be directly in charge of the center’s activities. The commune’s community digital technology group and the youth volunteer team are on hand to guide and serve the people in handling administrative procedures in the electronic environment through the VNeID system and on the National Public Service Portal. Thanks to this, the operation of the two-tier government apparatus and the processing of records and administrative procedures for the people in the area have been generally convenient and smooth, creating satisfaction among the residents. Specifically, from July 1 to now, the commune’s Public Administration Service Center has received 645 administrative procedure applications from the people, of which 156 were received online. One hundred percent of the applications were processed correctly and ahead of schedule.

Mr. Quàng Văn Nọi, Head of Na Cảnh village, Na Son commune, shared: “Since the implementation of the two-tier government apparatus, I have found that administrative procedures are resolved more quickly and conveniently, and people don’t have to travel as much. The procedure resolution process is transparently disclosed. We, the people, have great trust and expectation that the two-tier government will be closer to the people and more in touch with the grassroots, bringing even more practical efficiency.”

From July 1 to now, the entire province has received about 30,000 administrative procedure applications, of which commune and ward People’s Committees have received and processed over 22,000. The reception and resolution of administrative procedures at provincial departments, sectors, and commune-level People’s Committees have been ensured to follow the correct sequence, application components, implementation method, resolution deadline, fees, charges, and requirements of the procedures. The processing progress of 100% of administrative procedure applications has been fully and promptly disclosed on the province’s information system for resolving administrative procedures and is integrated and synchronized on the National Public Service Portal.

Alongside the achieved results, since coming into operation, the two-tier local government apparatus has also revealed shortcomings and inadequacies that need to be addressed soon. These include difficulties in consolidating, arranging, and organizing personnel in communes and wards due to a surplus in numbers but a shortage of civil servants with deep expertise in fields such as information technology, construction, and transport. Some communes lack both the required number of staff and civil servants with specialized skills. Some former commune-level officials have limited capacity in leadership, information technology, and applying digital transformation and innovative implementation methods. Infrastructure conditions are not yet guaranteed; equipment is lacking, not synchronized, and not modern, causing difficulties for interoperability.

For example, the IT system is weak, the data management system is not synchronized, many operations are still manual, and data is not interconnected. The software for work records and document processing still has system errors. Some communes lack facilities and work equipment, or what they have has deteriorated. There is a shortage of office space, and staff being arranged at two separate offices far from each other leads to difficulties in coordination and task implementation.

The implementation of the Agricultural Service Center model under the Department of Agriculture and Environment has led to a shortage of personnel for agricultural work at the commune level, causing difficulties in implementing agricultural programs and projects. The centers have not yet stayed close enough to the grassroots to be suitable for the two-tier local government model. Similarly, the model of the Regional Project Management and Land Fund Development Board under the provincial People’s Committee has revealed inadequacies, such as ineffective coordination between the regional boards and local authorities in compensation and site clearance. The regional boards handle large projects, while small repair projects and production support projects have not received proper attention, and the communes do not have enough personnel to implement them. Some tasks transferred from the district to the commune level have not been clearly delineated, and in some fields, regulatory documents and professional guidance have not been issued fully or promptly, leading to slow implementation.