Seconded from the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province to assist Pa Ham commune with preparations for the 16th National Assembly election and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term, Trịnh Văn Quyết quickly grasped local conditions and proactively coordinated with the commune’s Party committee and authorities to carry out assigned tasks.

Quyết shared: “Working in an especially disadvantaged area, many commune officials were participating in election work for the first time, so they were unfamiliar with legal documents and procedures, while requirements for documentation demand strict accuracy. Therefore, I carefully reviewed each task and provided detailed guidance so officials could understand the process. I also went directly to villages to conduct outreach, supporting election teams in preparing ballot boxes and publicly posting voter lists in accordance with regulations. On election day, we inspected polling stations, monitored progress, and promptly addressed any issues that arose.”

Thanks to the support of seconded officials and the efforts of local authorities, by 3PM on March 15, 2026, all 4,527 voters in Pa Ham commune had cast their ballots for the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term, achieving a 100% turnout.

In Búng Lao commune, seconded officials also proved effective in supporting election work. With years of experience, Nguyễn Minh Tuấn, Deputy Head of the Division of Party Organization and Membership Affairs under the provincial Party Committee’s Organization Commission, worked with the commune’s Election Committee to review and update data, guide procedures, and handle emerging tasks, ensuring smooth and timely implementation. As a result, the election in the commune was conducted safely, in compliance with the law, with voter turnout reaching 100%.

Tạ Mạnh Cường, Secretary of the Búng Lao commune Party Committee and Chairman of its People’s Council, said: “Under the two-tier local government model, the commune has a specialized unit advising on election work. However, practical experience remains limited, especially in implementing new procedures and regulations. Therefore, the support of seconded officials from the province is crucial, particularly in providing technical guidance and reviewing and completing documentation to ensure compliance.”

At the initial stage of implementing the two-tier local government model, the workload increased sharply. In some remote communes with large areas, handling administrative procedures related to land, justice-civil status, and social policies simultaneously required officials to work at a much higher intensity. At times, staff at Public Administrative Service Centers had to work through lunchtime to receive, review, input, verify, and process procedures under new workflows. Facing mounting pressure, in late October 2025, the provincial People’s Committee seconded 52 civil servants and public employees from various departments to work at communes across the province.

Upon taking up their assignments, seconded officials quickly adapted, directly handling administrative dossiers while transferring experience and working methods to local staff. As a result, many tasks that previously required higher level approval can now be resolved at the commune level, reducing processing time and improving service delivery for citizens.

At a meeting with seconded officials assigned to commune level People’s Committees on February 28, 2026, organized by the provincial People’s Committee, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Lê Văn Lương commended their strong sense of responsibility at the grassroots level. He emphasized that they are a key force in helping localities address difficulties, improve the quality of administrative processing, and ensure the smooth and effective operation of the two-tier government system.

Chairman Lê Văn Lương urged communes and wards to proactively receive and closely coordinate with seconded officials, making the most of this support period to learn from their experience and strengthen the capacity of local staff, gradually mastering procedures and professional skills. This would ensure that once the secondment period ends, localities can maintain effective operations.

Despite these positive changes, secondment remains a short term solution to ensure uninterrupted government operations. In the long term, localities need to proactively review and restructure their workforce, assigning civil servants with appropriate expertise and experience to each position, while proposing transfers, recruitment, or additional staffing where necessary. At the same time, training and capacity building efforts must be intensified to enhance the qualifications of commune level officials and civil servants to meet new demands.