Expected completion of village arrangement task
According to the Action Program to implement Conclusion No. 210-KL/TW associated with Resolution No. 105/NQ-CP, the Government has mentioned a number of contents related to the arrangement of villages and residential groups in the coming time.
In which, the Ministry of Home Affairs is assigned to preside over and coordinate with ministries and ministerial-level agencies to advise on issuing a Decree regulating the organization and operation of villages and residential groups, along with a number of regimes and policies for non-specialized workers in villages and residential groups. This task is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2026.
Currently, the Ministry of Home Affairs is developing a new Decree on the organization and operation of villages and residential groups, and at the same time preparing a nationwide review plan from 2026. The Ministry also proposed that localities temporarily maintain the stability of village and residential group organizations until new regulations are issued by the Government.
Public Policy expert, Master Nguyen Minh Nhut, said that the policy of arranging villages and residential groups is the right direction, in line with the streamlined, effective, and sustainable orientation in the two-level local government model.
He believes that this is a suitable time to reposition the role of village heads and neighborhood group leaders, meeting the requirements of modern public governance.
Previously, the election of village heads and residential group leaders often relied on prestige and long-term attachment to the locality. However, in the current context, this position requires higher requirements, in which digital transformation capacity is indispensable.
“It can be seen that the determination to build a digital government has significantly changed the way the government interacts with the people. The "digital literacy" movement has spread in the community, so the group leaders and village heads themselves need to be pioneers in accessing technology, thereby guiding and supporting the people,” he emphasized.
Village chief is not just a bridge
Experts cited the report "Provincial Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) 2024" showing that village heads and residential group leaders are still the first people people turn to when facing difficulties.
People expect them to not only be bridges, but also to be able to explain and guide legal regulations, administrative procedures, or represent and reflect pressing issues in the locality.
Therefore, units can consider arranging non-specialized personnel at the commune level to participate in the neighborhood and village management boards in the spirit of Decision No. 759, in order to take advantage of their understanding of the system and practical experience" - M.A. Nguyen Minh Nhut contributed his opinion.
He also noted that when issuing new regulations on arranging villages and residential groups, competent authorities need to prioritize criteria of geographical and community connection.
After merging communes and wards, the scale of management areas increases, villages and residential groups are considered as a "satellite office" of the commune-level People's Committee.
According to experts, each village and residential group should be planned according to residential clusters, with clear criteria on household size and natural boundaries. This is to ensure that the distance from households to neighborhood offices is close enough, so that people can go to any point to perform some online public services at the commune level, similar to the one-stop mechanism at public administrative service centers.
Along with that, the arrangement also needs to take into account the community factor, avoiding mechanical methods, administrative cutting and pasting that ignore socio-cultural characteristics, especially in residential areas with many ethnic minorities, religious areas or mountainous and island areas.
Residential communities formed from common customs and cultures often have stronger connections than being mechanically separated" - the expert emphasized.
