A staff at Bắc Ninh Provincial Public Administration Service Centre assists a local with processing paperwork. — Photos courtesy of Bắc Ninh Province

BẮC NINH — Bắc Ninh Province has led the national ranking in terms of public service delivery in administrative procedure processing for 12 consecutive weeks.

The achievement underscores the northern province’s commitment to administrative reform and its focus on improving the investment and business environment.

Amid a nationwide drive for administrative reform and digital transformation, Bắc Ninh has stood out. After just over five months operating under the two-tier local government model, the province has reported substantial progress in digitalising administrative procedures.

Its service delivery for citizens and businesses has been assessed as the best in the country for 12 straight weeks. Provincial officials attribute the results to methodical implementation, continuous innovation and clear, decisive policymaking from the provincial level to grassroots authorities.

The real-time index for service delivery in administrative procedure processing evaluates the quality of public services provided by State agencies. It includes five component indicators: transparency and disclosure, processing progress, digitalisation of dossiers, provision of online public services and satisfaction levels.

The index is an important measure of each locality’s administrative reform efforts. Results are publicly displayed on the National Public Service Portal and other platforms, allowing agencies and units to assess their performance and identify areas needing improvement.

In late July to early August 2025, shortly after the two-tier government model took effect, Bắc Ninh ranked 23rd out of 34 participating cities and provinces, revealing shortcomings that required immediate attention.

Following strong direction from the provincial People’s Committee, a coordinated set of solutions was put in place. The province rapidly improved its standing and by mid-August rose to first place nationwide for the first time. It has maintained that position for 12 consecutive weeks.

The Public Administration Service Centre of Kép Commune, Bắc Ninh Province.

To achieve these results, Bắc Ninh implemented a set of determined measures. The province prioritised upgrading its administrative processing systems and strengthening data connectivity with the national public service portal to make online procedures more accessible for citizens and businesses, reducing direct contact and saving time and costs. Internal regulations were reviewed and streamlined to remove cumbersome or overlapping steps and shorten processing times wherever possible.

The strong, coordinated involvement of grassroots authorities has also been central to improving the quality of online public services and has contributed significantly to the province’s performance on the index.

Nguyễn Ngọc Nam, Director of the Bắc Ninh Provincial Public Administration Service Centre, said: “The first thing is technological competency. The provincial public administration service centre is the pioneering unit in mastering technology and adjusting processes to keep pace with central-level directives.

“The next thing is the strong and unwavering support from the provincial leadership, especially the provincial People’s Committee standing vice chairman Mai Sơn, who oversees this area.

“With decisive direction, provincial departments and commune-level governments have acted in unison, creating positive and comprehensive transformation across the province. These are crucial factors behind Bắc Ninh’s achievements today.”

The Bắc Ninh Party Committee and People’s Committee have also placed strong emphasis on training and building the capacity of officials and civil servants directly responsible for implementation, with the satisfaction of citizens and businesses used as the main benchmark.

Immediately after the rearrangement of administrative units, the province issued a series of plans with clear timelines, including measures to cut administrative procedure time and costs by 30 to 50 per cent.

The plans also aimed for all business-related procedures to be conducted online and for single-window and interconnected single-window procedures to be standardised in line with the Government’s Decree 118.

Each task has a designated lead agency, a completion deadline and set deliverables to ensure consistency from the provincial level to the grassroots.

The building of Bắc Ninh Provincial Public Administration Service Centre.

Results show that Bắc Ninh is among the earliest provinces to fully complete 17 shared information systems and 95 per cent of specialised systems.

The province now has 4G coverage across 99 per cent of its territory and 5G coverage across 53 per cent. All communes and wards are equipped with online meeting systems and the use of electronic documents has reached 100 per cent.

Notably, 94.7 per cent of administrative dossiers are issued with electronic results, 93.5 per cent are digitalised and 85.4 per cent of digital data is reused.

These figures indicate a public administration system increasingly freed from paper-based procedures, reducing the burden on both citizens and government agencies.

At the provincial level, 99.7 per cent of dossiers are processed on time or ahead of schedule. At commune level, the rate is 99.5 per cent.

Đinh Văn Lượng, an official in charge of justice-civil status at the Mỹ Thái Commune Public Administration Service Centre, said: “Citizen satisfaction is our top priority. With that in mind, staff at the centre proactively guide locals through administrative procedures, help them log into the public service portal to submit dossiers online, and ensure timely processing.

“We also work overtime and during weekends to process paperwork, so that citizens can receive results on schedule the following week.”

Nguyễn Văn Xiêm, a resident of Trung Hamlet in Mỹ Thái Commune, said: “They [the commune-level public administration service staff] work very conscientiously. If something is incorrect, they tell us right away. If everything is in order, the process is smooth and straightforward. They are very productive and we are satisfied.” — VNS