The standards for Village Heads and Residential Group Leaders are specified in Decree No. 185/2026/ND-CP of the Government stipulating the organization and operation of villages and residential groups and regimes and policies for non-specialized personnel in villages and residential groups.
According to Article 7 of the Decree, people elected as Village Heads or Residential Group Leaders must meet 5 basic criteria.
First, they must be Vietnamese citizens permanently residing in communes, wards or special zones, from 21 years of age or older. The regulation also prioritizes people of working age according to the provisions of law, and must be healthy enough to perform assigned tasks.
Second, candidates must have good moral qualities, be exemplary, have prestige in the community and be trusted by the people. In addition, themselves and their families must well comply with the Party's guidelines, policies and laws of the State, and maintain morality and a healthy lifestyle.
Third, people holding the title of Village Head, Residential Group Leader need to have cultural knowledge, capacity, experience as well as methods of mass mobilization. This is an important factor to effectively organize self-management activities in residential communities and implement tasks assigned by local Party committees and authorities. The Decree also encourages the selection of people with professional qualifications suitable to the operating requirements of villages and residential groups.
Fourth, in the context of digital transformation being promoted at all levels of government, village and residential group leaders must have the ability to apply information technology in accordance with work requirements. At the same time, they must have skills in planning, summarizing data, statistics, reporting and performing tasks according to regulations.
Fifth, candidates are not allowed to be in cases of being disciplined, being prosecuted for criminal liability or serving sentences or decisions of the Court.
Compared to before, the new regulations show that the requirements for Village Heads and Residential Group Leaders are increasingly high, not only in terms of prestige and moral qualities but also in terms of management capacity, ability to use information technology and work management skills. This is considered a step to improve the quality of the grassroots cadre team, meeting the requirements of local governance in the new period.
