In the context of the digital age being present in every corner of life, the grassroots government in Ho Chi Minh City is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. No longer cumbersome procedures, thick stacks of paper dossiers or the scene of people having to wait tiredly at headquarters, instead is an "untouched" administrative ecosystem. Here, the concept of "civil servants" is no longer associated with fixed desks, but they have truly become "servants" in the digital space, wholeheartedly supporting people through continuous data flows.
The transition from "paper" administration to digital space
To have "peace" for people today is a continuous effort of the grassroots government system in changing management thinking. Sharing with Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Pham Hoang Khanh, Vice Chairman of Binh Hung Hoa Ward People's Committee, said that the implementation and operation of the local government at 2 levels has now become stable, smooth and brought clear effectiveness and efficiency. However, to achieve that "stable" state, the locality had to overcome significant barriers in the initial transition phase.
Mr. Pham Hoang Khanh recalled the early days of operating the new model, the biggest challenge did not lie in machines or technology, but in habits. The habit of submitting applications directly, the mentality of "seeing firsthand, delivering directly" of the people is still very large. Besides, the pressure from the fact that the data of specialized software is not really synchronized has caused no small difficulties for the work of searching and processing.
Facing this "bottleneck", Binh Hung Hoa ward determined that people are the key to opening the door to digitalization. The ward has mobilized a powerful force including civil servants and non-specialized workers to closely coordinate with the Youth Union to perform the task of guiding online application submission. The most notable is the presence of 81 Community Digital Technology Teams in the neighborhoods. They have become "extended arms" of the government, going through every alley, knocking on every door to disseminate digital knowledge to each household.
A methodical and large-scale propaganda campaign was launched. More than 3,000 leaflets were distributed, along with 15 clips of detailed instructions on legal procedures and how to operate on the National Public Service Portal that were visually and easily understood. Those persistent and persistent efforts have bear fruit with telling numbers.
According to statistics, from July 2025 to now, the Public Administrative Service Center of Binh Hung Hoa ward has received 20,055 dossiers. Of which, the locality has resolved about 19,859 dossiers with an absolute 100% on-duty and ahead of schedule rate, with no dossiers being delayed.
To achieve this absolute rate, Mr. Khanh said that every step in the process is strictly controlled on the digital system. From receiving specialists to approval leaders, all are clearly delegated powers. The system is set up with a warning system for upcoming deadlines, helping officials identify and handle them promptly, avoiding any administrative errors that may cause delays and troubles for individuals and organizations.
The service mindset has changed significantly, from'people asking for permission' to'government supporting and serving'. Dossiers are circulated by data to help shorten time and minimize paperwork pressure for both sides," emphasized Pham Hoang Khanh, Vice Chairman of Binh Hung Hoa Ward People's Committee.
Satisfaction from transparency and convenience
The change in management thinking has brought joy to the people - those who used to be hesitant when mentioning the two words "procedure".
At a small corner in the Public Administrative Service Center of Binh Hung Hoa ward, the working atmosphere is orderly and quiet. Mr. Tran Hoang Quan (resident of Binh Hung Hoa ward) is using his smartphone to scan the code to look up application results. His face exuded excitement, he shared about this new experience: "The thing I am most satisfied with is transparency. Since using the VNeID account to submit applications online, I sit at home and know what stage my application is at, who is processing it and when there will be results".
For people like Mr. Quan, eliminating geographical distance and waiting time is a real revolution. "Not having to carry a stack of photocopied papers or have to go back and forth many times to supplement documents helps me save a lot of time and effort. Everything is now neatly in my phone," Mr. Quan added.
However, digital technology is not only for young people or those who understand technology. Binh Hung Hoa Ward authorities also show deep humanity when paying special attention to vulnerable groups. The "3T" shock squad with the action motto "Access - Communication - Practice" was born to spread the spirit of leaving no one behind in the digital transformation.
For the elderly, people with disabilities or policy families facing difficulties in traveling, the ward organizes forces to go to their homes to support the implementation of procedures. Ms. Le Thi Mai (70 years old, residing in Binh Hung Hoa ward) is one of the people directly benefiting from this policy.
Recalling the initial feeling of anxiety, Ms. Mai confided: "I am old, my eyes are poor and I don't know much about smartphones, I thought receiving social protection allowances through bank transfer would be very difficult. But unexpectedly, the children in the 3T Shock Team of the ward came to my house, held my hand and guided me to do it right on my phone.
The dedication of the young staff has erased the technological barrier in the eyes of the elderly. Ms. Mai emotionally said: "I am really touched to see the government not only sitting at the headquarters but also coming to the alley to help the elderly and weak like us.
Smart governance and the power of data
Sharing the beat of innovation with Binh Hung Hoa, in Tan Hung ward, the story of digital technology has a modern color in management and administration. Mr. Nguyen Minh Thien, Vice Chairman of Tan Hung Ward People's Committee, said that after 6 months of operating the 2-level government model, the apparatus here has operated stably and smoothly thanks to the strong support of technology.
The ward proactively restructures the work process, applies digital technology and clearly assigns responsibilities to each department. Through this, we reduce intermediate levels, handle work faster and more realistically," Mr. Thien shared about the operating secret.
The breakthrough point in Tan Hung ward is the application of digital signatures and full electronic dossier processing. This helps people not have to go back and forth many times, all processes are transparent and officials can proactively handle work completely on the network environment, minimizing the use of manual paperwork.
The change in the digitalization process has helped busy business people like Ms. Nguyen Thu Thuy (resident of Tan Hung ward) feel much lighter when performing administrative obligations. Just receiving the electronic board results on her phone, Ms. Thuy could not hide her satisfaction: "The way civil servants work is very proactive, they play the role of supporting and answering enthusiastically. Everything is faster and more professional than before".
Besides professional service attitude, modern support equipment invested right at Tan Hung ward headquarters also creates a strong impression on local people. No longer is there a scene of people struggling with pens and complicated forms, now machines have done that part of the work.
Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Thanh, a resident of Tan Hung ward, who came to apply for a certificate of marital status, expressed surprise and satisfaction at this convenience. "Previously, I had to fill out many forms by hand, which were quite complicated and easy to make mistakes. But now, I just need to put in my citizen ID card, the machine automatically extracts data and fills in information. I find it very convenient and fast," Ms. Thanh excitedly said. She also said that this model is very good, practical and needs to be replicated nationwide, contributing to promoting the national digital transformation.
At the main hall of the Ward People's Committee, the image of people confidently operating on large touch screens is no longer unfamiliar. Mr. Ngo Van Hai (resident of Tan Hung ward) is operating on the electronic screen of the administrative procedure lookup kiosk system. He shared: "I am very impressed with the check-in kiosk right in the ward hall. Just a few touch operations and you can get all the information you need, without having to ask or bother anyone.
In particular, Mr. Hai highly appreciated the two-way interaction that technology brings. The ward's deployment of the reflection channel through the application and the immediate feedback mechanism made him feel that people's opinions are respected and listened to. "Digital technology has helped close the gap between the government and our people," Mr. Hai assessed.
To control and operate the huge workload smoothly, Tan Hung ward has pioneered the deployment of an intelligent Dashboard operating system combined with artificial intelligence (AI) applications in the document storage. This is considered a digital "brain" to help ward leaders make accurate and timely decisions.
According to the analysis of Mr. Nguyen Minh Thien - Vice Chairman of Tan Hung Ward People's Committee, AI helps leaders quickly find core content, compare and contrast resolutions and legal documents in just a few seconds. Instead of spending hours searching in physical storage, decision-making is now based on accurate and instant data. The Dashboard system helps leaders monitor task progress in real time, ensuring the principle: Clear assignment of tasks - clear tasks - clear time.
When the indicators of progress and work efficiency are publicly displayed on the dashboard, the responsibility of each official is clearly improved. The assessment of official capacity is also based on substantive and more fair results, avoiding subjectivity," said the Vice Chairman of Tan Hung Ward People's Committee.
Also according to Mr. Thien, in the near future, Tan Hung ward's ambition is to upgrade the Dashboard system not only to the function of monitoring progress. The system will become the core platform for evaluating the work performance index (KPI) for each individual and department, creating a healthy emulation motivation within the agency.
It can be seen that from Binh Hung Hoa to Tan Hung, although the approach has its own characteristics, the common denominator is to take people as the center of digital transformation. When civil servants truly become service providers in the digital space, the rigid boundaries of administrative procedures are gradually removed, giving way to convenience, transparency and trust. That is the solid foundation for Ho Chi Minh City to successfully build a modern and civilized urban government model.
