Village voices shape local governance

ĐBP - In the early days of operating under a newly streamlined government structure, local leaders across various communes in Điện Biên province are hitting the ground running. Despite tight schedules and initial challenges, many have prioritized making their presence felt at the grassroots level: visiting villages, listening to residents, and gaining firsthand understanding of local needs. These visits are not symbolic: they lay the groundwork for concrete solutions and realistic development plans tailored to each community.

Leadership starts with listening

Despite a packed agenda, Nguyễn Văn Toản, the newly appointed Party Secretary of Thanh Yên commune, has managed to visit 16 out of the 40 villages under his jurisdiction. He doesn’t just meet village leaders in conference rooms - he walks the narrow village paths, engages directly with residents, and sits down with local management teams to understand each community’s situation. These trips have brought a wave of feedback from villagers: from calls to upgrade rural roads and repair irrigation canals, to improving drainage systems and supporting community-based tourism.

Party Secretary Nguyễn Văn Toản meets with the management board of U Va village in Thanh Yên commune.

Instead of avoiding these challenges, local leaders have made it clear, they are listening and committed to acting. For issues within their jurisdiction, solutions are already being initiated; for broader concerns, they’re bringing recommendations to higher authorities. The commune Party Secretary also urged village management boards and grassroots self-governing teams to step up their roles and work more effectively to help build thriving, peaceful, and environmentally clean communities.

In one recent example, following a site visit, Thanh Yên’s leadership directed the local Youth Union and Veterans’ Association to join forces and expand a muddy, slippery road connecting On village to Thanh Trường hamlet. Gravel was laid to improve access and safety.

“Our leadership must be rooted in the people. We have to listen, understand, and act in service of the community”, said Party Secretary Nguyễn Văn Toản. “By visiting each village, I can tailor our strategy more effectively, aligning it with local conditions, strengths, and needs. These conversations are sparking ideas for long-term socio-economic development”. He plans to visit all 40 villages to gather direct feedback from residents.

Chairman Đỗ Văn Sơn inspects the demolition of dilapidated homes in Hua Sát village.

Where leadership meets the people

In Chiềng Sinh commune, the new leadership team has also prioritized on-the-ground work. On July 12, Party Secretary Hà Cầm Hồng and People’s Committee Chairman Đỗ Văn Sơn led a field visit to the Mường Thín waterfall, a site with strong potential for community-based tourism.With its untouched beauty, terraced fields, and surrounding Thai ethnic minority villages, Mường Thín could become a model of eco-cultural tourism.

Right at the site, commune leaders affirmed their commitment to this development path and outlined plans to collaborate with specialists and agencies to draft a formal proposal. Training programs will be organized to equip locals with the skills to develop homestays while preserving natural and cultural heritage.

Leaders of Chiềng Sinh commune survey a landslide-prone area.

The leadership team isn’t focused solely on economic development. They’re actively involved in social issues, such as inspecting progress on eliminating makeshift homes and coordinating landslide prevention in high-risk areas to ensure community safety. Their prompt, visible presence is strengthening public confidence in the new commune government.

“Chiềng Sinh commune was formed through the merger of Nà Sáy, Mường Thín, Mường Khong, and Chiềng Sinh communes”, explained Chairman Đỗ Văn Sơn. “We’re operating across a large, challenging area, and many of us were transferred from different districts. So it’s crucial to get out there, talk to residents, understand the local context, and lead with clarity and relevance.”

A new era of grassroots-level governance

Not only in Thanh Yên or Chiềng Sinh, local leaders across Điện Biên province are actively surveying villages, hosting public meetings, and listening to feedback. These efforts go beyond administrative reform; they represent a litmus test for grassroots leadership. True and effective progress only happens where leadership renewal is backed by practical, down-to-earth actions, and where local officials remain close to the people and grounded in real-life conditions.

Bringing experienced and forward-thinking officials from provincial and district levels to commune leadership roles has helped shift the mindset from management to service. Today, the success of local governance is increasingly measured by practical outcomes and public satisfaction.

Party Secretary Giàng A Dế of Quài Tở commune checks on the development of coffee and pear crops.

That said, challenges remain. Some commune officials struggle to adapt, lag in digital skills, or retain outdated bureaucratic thinking. In the context of ongoing personnel restructuring and efficiency-driven downsizing, failure to innovate could mean being left behind.

But when local leaders make regular village visits, conduct hands-on fieldwork, and make sincere commitments to their communities, these actions must become routine. From economic development to poverty alleviation, tourism promotion, or disaster response, grassroots government must be visibly and actively involved. Ultimately, when officials truly engage with the people, trust is built. And with trust, residents become active partners in realizing the promise of an effective, responsive two-tier local government system.

Nguyễn Hiền
Comment

You have 500/500 characters left

Please enter 5 or more characters!!!

Recent news

  • 'Ensuring personnel work for the upcoming Điện Biên provincial Party Congress

    Ensuring personnel work for the upcoming Điện Biên provincial Party Congress

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    ĐBP - Recognizing that personnel preparation for the 15th Điện Biên provincial Party Congress, 2025-2030 term, is a decisive and central task, the provincial Party Committee has focused on reviewing standards and conditions for officials expected to be re-elected and for those eligible to join the Party Committee and the Inspection Commission for the first time in the new term. Up to now, personnel preparations have been carried out in line with the plan, ensuring compliance with Party regulations and the Party Charter.
  • 'Potential for developing smart rice farming in Mường Thanh field

    Potential for developing smart rice farming in Mường Thanh field

    BUSINESS -
    ĐBP - This crop season, 76 hectares of rice in the Mường Thanh field in Điện Biên province are being cultivated under the “Smart Rice Farming to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Promote Green Growth” model, an increase of 19 hectares compared to the 2024-2025 Winter-Spring season.
  • 'Điện Biên ready for the new school year

    Điện Biên ready for the new school year

    SOCIAL AFFAIRS -
    ĐBP - With only one week left before the official start of the 2025-2026 academic year, more than 200,000 students in Điện Biên province, together with millions nationwide, are preparing to return to school after the summer break. At this point, schools across the province have essentially completed preparations and are ready for the new school year.
  • 'Prioritizing capital for agricultural and rural development

    Prioritizing capital for agricultural and rural development

    BUSINESS -
    ĐBP - In recent years, Agribank’s Tuần Giáo Branch has prioritized credit flows for the “three rural sectors” (agriculture, farmers, and rural areas) through various preferential loan programs. As communes across the district accelerate agricultural restructuring, Agribank’s timely capital has become an important “lever” helping farmers maintain production, care for, and expand areas of high-value crops.
  • 'Military troops joining hands to help people settle down

    Military troops joining hands to help people settle down

    SOCIAL AFFAIRS -
    ĐBP - In recent days, officers and soldiers of the armed forces in Điện Biên province have been actively working alongside local authorities and residents to overcome the aftermath of natural disasters. With the spirit of “serving the people,” hundreds of officers and soldiers have gone directly to affected areas, transporting materials, laying foundations, pouring columns, building new houses, and repairing damaged ones. Their efforts have helped families stabilize their lives sooner while also demonstrating the close bond between the military and the people.
  • 'Reading culture in the digital era

    Reading culture in the digital era

    CULTURE - TOURISM -
    ĐBP - Social networks, short videos, and electronic games are increasingly dominating leisure spaces, making reading a less common choice. Yet instead of standing aside, authorities, sectors, and educational institutions have been carrying out various programs and models to promote a culture of reading, inspiring interest and gradually forming reading habits within the community.
  • 'Passing on the flame of pride from the historic land of Điện Biên

    Passing on the flame of pride from the historic land of Điện Biên

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    ĐBP - In the historic days of August, as the entire nation looks back on the milestone of 80 years of Independence, people’s hearts are once again filled with sacred emotions. Sharing in that pride, the young people of Điện Biên province’s ethnic communities have been carrying out meaningful programs that spread the spirit of patriotism and deep gratitude to the generations who sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland.
  • 'Ensuring security and safety at the commune-level congresses

    Ensuring security and safety at the commune-level congresses

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    ĐBP - With a spirit of proactiveness and high responsibility, the commune and ward police forces across Điện Biên province have synchronously implemented measures to ensure public security and order as well as traffic safety, thereby making an important contribution to the successful, safe, and well-organized commune-level Party congresses.
  • 'Supporting students ahead of new school year

    Supporting students ahead of new school year

    SOCIAL AFFAIRS -
    ĐBP - In just a few days, the 2025-2026 school year will officially begin. Alongside the excitement and joy of students is the concern of many families facing difficult circumstances, especially in areas heavily affected by recent floods. In response, local authorities, organizations, and donors have been implementing a variety of practical programs and activities to help students return to school.
  • 'Untangling bottlenecks in Điện Biên’s market development

    Untangling bottlenecks in Điện Biên’s market development

    BUSINESS -
    ĐBP - In recent years, authorities in Điện Biên province have launched repeated campaigns to clear makeshift and temporary markets that obstruct traffic and disrupt urban order. The province has also pushed to modernize market management, upgrading facilities to meet standards for trade, food safety, environment, and fire prevention. Yet several long-standing obstacles remain unresolved.
  • 'Promoting role of youths in new working environment

    Promoting role of youths in new working environment

    NEWS - POLITICS -
    ĐBP - With the implementation of the two-tier government model, young civil servants in Điện Biên province are showing their active spirit, creativity, and continuous learning in adapting to the challenges of a new work environment. They are playing a key role in administrative reform while proactively supporting people in remote areas, asserting the role and responsibility of the younger generation in the province’s development.
  • 'Điện Biên eyes sustainable development through green tourism

    Điện Biên eyes sustainable development through green tourism

    CULTURE - TOURISM -
    ĐBP - The heroic history of Điện Biên province, with its world-renowned victory in the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ, continues to stand tall. Today, this land is donning a new coat, as visitors traverse smooth concrete roads leading through villages, where they can enjoy and experience products crafted by the hands of local people, a unique “specialty” driving the allure of rural agricultural tourism.
  • 'Overcoming challenges to speed up key projects

    Overcoming challenges to speed up key projects

    BUSINESS -
    ĐBP - Despite major obstacles in land clearance, adverse weather, and heavy workloads, strong direction from Điện Biên province and close coordination among project management units, government agencies, and local authorities have helped remove bottlenecks and keep projects on track. As a result, many projects have seen positive progress, meeting both schedule and quality requirements.
  • 'Policy credit capital makes strides in poverty reduction in Điện Biên

    Policy credit capital makes strides in poverty reduction in Điện Biên

    BUSINESS -
    ĐBP - Điện Biên province has a population of over 80% from ethnic minorities, facing challenging living conditions and a high poverty rate. The lack of production capital, insufficient livelihood tools, and outdated farming practices are barriers that make poverty reduction efforts in the region quite challenging. In this context, policy credit capital has played an essential role in promoting sustainable poverty reduction.