Amid efforts to streamline the administrative apparatus, reform public administration and accelerate digital transformation, Điện Biên province is setting higher expectations for its officials, guided by the principle of “six clear priorities”: clear people, clear tasks, clear timelines, clear responsibilities, clear results and clear authority. This approach is gradually changing working practices, placing greater emphasis on individual accountability, seeing tasks through to completion and bringing public services closer to the people.

In late September, Nguyễn Hà Tuấn Minh from Na Khoang village, Mường Nhà commune, visited the commune’s Public Administration Service Center to complete land-related procedures. For procedures carried out online, he received detailed, step-by-step guidance from the civil servants there and was able to complete them with ease. Minh said: “After receiving dedicated guidance from the officials, I now know how to complete forms, submit documents and track the results online myself. I can handle simple procedures from home, which saves me time and travel.”

To ensure applications are processed on time, staff receiving applications must have a firm grasp of regulations and be proficient with technology, while also taking the initiative in dealing with technical problems that arise. Over the past nine months, the Mường Nhà commune Public Administration Service Center has received and processed nearly 2,000 applications, with almost 100% completed ahead of schedule and all applications submitted online.

Đỗ Xuân Bang, a civil servant at the Mường Nhà commune Public Administration Service Center, said: “When helping residents complete procedures online, we try to provide clear, specific guidance and immediately address anything they find difficult so that they can complete the process themselves. I regularly update my knowledge of regulations, learn from colleagues and research unfamiliar issues on my own so that I can handle my work more accurately.”

A proactive approach to public service is also evident in agricultural production. Điện Biên is restructuring agriculture toward concentrated, green, smart and sustainable commodity production, with coffee and macadamia identified as key crops. To put this direction into practice, the provincial People’s Committee issued Plan No. 1850, setting a target of planting around 12,000ha of new coffee and macadamia in 2026. To turn the policy into reality, Party committees and local authorities at the commune level have stepped up their direction and mobilized specialized staff to stay closely connected with local communities, intensify communication and outreach to build public support, and review individual land areas to plan growing zones suited to local conditions.

Mường Lạn commune currently maintains more than 500ha of coffee, including 176ha of newly planted area. The commune’s Party committee and authorities have mobilized the entire political system, together with specialized staff, to work alongside residents from identifying suitable land and digging planting holes to selecting seedlings and caring for the crops.

As a staff member at the commune’s General Services Center responsible for livestock production and veterinary services, Lương Thị Thu Hà has proactively broadened her knowledge of crop cultivation to support communication and technical guidance at the grassroots level. Hà said: “When working at the grassroots level, it is difficult to provide comprehensive support to local residents if you only know about your own assigned duties. So I make time to study relevant materials and learn from colleagues about crop cultivation, so that I have a firm grasp of techniques for caring for coffee and macadamia trees and controlling pests and diseases. When we go to the villages, people are more likely to trust us and feel confident about expanding their plantations when officials explain things clearly and provide hands-on guidance.”

Thanks to the proactive approach and close engagement of grassroots officials, the province’s policy of developing key crops has produced impressive results. In 2026, more than 12,000ha of new coffee was planted province-wide, bringing the total area to over 20,500ha. Nearly 7,000ha of new macadamia was also planted, bringing the total to around 19,300ha. Both figures exceeded the targets set for the year.

The effectiveness of work at the grassroots level depends greatly on the organizational and management capacity of those in charge. When tasks are assigned clearly, with clear responsibility for each person, task and locality, inspection and follow-up become more systematic, while emerging problems can be addressed at an early stage.

In Tìa Dình commune, following the reorganization that reduced the number of villages from 20 to 15, the commune assigned 27 officials and civil servants to positions in line with their job descriptions, with individual responsibility linked to specific areas of oversight. This close management has produced clear results. In the third quarter of 2026 alone, the commune’s Public Administration Service Center processed 737 applications, including 706 submitted online. Since the beginning of the year, 100% of residents’ feedback and petitions have been received and fully addressed.

Bùi Xuân Thức, Chairman of the Tìa Dình commune People’s Committee, said: “We assign specific duties to each official, civil servant and public employee, linking them to particular areas and localities in accordance with the “six clear priorities”. Commune leaders regularly monitor progress to promptly resolve difficulties. Officials responsible for each area must proactively study the issues, keep abreast of developments and go directly to local communities to handle their work.”

Accountability in public service is also reflected in citizen reception, the handling of complaints and denunciations, and administrative procedures. After more than a year of operating under the two-tier local government model, Điện Biên province has held more than 1,000 citizen-reception sessions. Nearly 130 complaints and denunciations falling within the authorities’ jurisdiction have been reviewed and addressed, including 118 newly arising cases. More than 80 cases have now been fully resolved, while 38 are being handled according to schedule, with no cases left unresolved. In August 2026 alone, the province’s administrative-procedure information system and those of central ministries and agencies received nearly 7,700 applications. Nearly 80% were processed ahead of schedule or on time, while online applications accounted for more than 70% of newly received applications. These results show how requirements for timeliness, discipline and accountability are being translated into the day-to-day work of officials and civil servants.

Amid efforts to streamline the organizational apparatus, reform public administration and accelerate digital transformation, Điện Biên is gradually renewing its working methods, strengthening accountability at each position and reinforcing the role of those in leadership. When responsibilities are clearly assigned, progress is closely monitored and emerging issues are addressed promptly, effective public service becomes visible through concrete results. This provides a foundation for building a more people-centered administration that stays close to local needs and delivers better services to residents.