Village heads and residential group leaders will have to meet additional requirements for the ability to apply information technology when performing tasks. This is one of the notable new points in Decree 185/2026/ND-CP just issued by the Government, regulating the organization and operation of villages and residential groups and regimes and policies for non-specialized workers in villages and residential groups.
According to Clause 4, Article 7 of the Decree, Village Heads and Neighborhood Group Leaders must be able to apply information technology in accordance with task requirements; and at the same time be able to plan, summarize, statistically, report and perform tasks according to regulations.
In addition to the requirements for digital skills, the person holding this title must still meet the conditions of age, health, prestige, moral qualities and capacity to mobilize the People.
The new regulation was issued in the context of promoting digital transformation from the grassroots level. According to Clause 5, Article 3 of Decree 185/2026/ND-CP, the activities of villages and residential groups must strengthen the application of information technology and digital transformation to improve the efficiency of community self-management.
Not only stopping at using technology in work, villages and residential groups are also assigned the task of supporting the implementation of digital transformation in the locality. Point e, clause 2, Article 5 stipulates that these units are responsible for propagating and guiding people to use digital platforms and online public services.
Notably, point g, clause 2, Article 6 directly assigns village heads and neighborhood group leaders the task of supporting people to access and use digital platforms, digital utilities and online public services. This means that grassroots cadres will become an important bridge between digital government and people.
To meet new requirements, Clause 2, Article 16 of the Decree also stipulates that non-specialized workers in villages and residential groups are trained and fostered in skills in applying information technology, digital transformation and using digital platforms for work.
Compared to the provisions of Decree 33/2023/ND-CP, this is a noteworthy new point when previously there was no separate requirement for the capacity to apply information technology as well as the role of supporting digital transformation in the community.
The addition of this standard shows the trend of improving the quality of the grassroots cadre team, while promoting the digital transformation process to become substantive right from the village and residential group. In the coming time, Village Heads and Residential Group Leaders will not only take on the role of managing and operating activities in the area but also become "digital nuclei", supporting people to access and effectively exploit the utilities of digital government.
