Digital transformation applications at the Quang Thiện Communal Public Administrative Service Centre in Ninh Bình Province help residents complete procedures more quickly and conveniently. — VNA/VNS Photo Thùy Dung

NINH BÌNH — The digital transformation is becoming a powerful driving force in Ninh Bình, helping the province build a modern administration, improve service efficiency and deliver increasingly convenient, transparent experiences for residents.

Taking the digital leap not only enhances the efficiency of local management, but also facilitates access for residents and businesses, aiming to build a smart and modern society.

After it was put into place last year, the two-tier local government model has led to a marked increase in the number of administrative procedures transferred to the communal level.

Lai Thành Commune's Public Administrative Service Centre officially started operations on July 1 last year.

On average, the centre receives and processes around 60–80 administrative dossiers per day.

With traditional manual methods, residents commonly experienced issues like long queues, lack of information, errors in declarations and even the need to return multiple times to submit additional documents, leading to reluctance to access public services and eroding trust in the local administrative apparatus.

Phan Thị Nhàn, an officer of justice at the centre, said that processes most effectively supported by technology include online dossier submission and information lookup.

The use of tech for these tasks has reduced a lot of the workload, allowing officers more time to guide residents through the correct procedures, minimise errors and cut down on repeated dossier supplements.

Lai Thành Commune's resident and business service index score of 94.04 points last year demonstrated that reforms go beyond mere slogans and are quantified by tangible results.

This enables the authority to identify strengths and weaknesses, while residents see real improvements in the quality of services.

Centre deputy director Nguyễn Văn Bắc said that applying digital technology has brought clear improvements to local administrative procedures.

Dossiers are digitised and centrally stored for easy retrieval, reducing errors. Residents can now handle many administrative procedures online, saving time and costs, conveniently tracking progress and receiving results, while data integration minimises the need for multiple document types.

Khánh Hội Commune has also seen similar results. Officials there view the use of digital technology not as a trendy initiative, but as a fundamental solution to alleviate pressure, standardise processes and boost the efficiency of problem solving.

The commune's Public Administrative Service Centre has ramped up online reception and processing of public service dossiers, installed an automatic number system for queues, adopted digital signatures and implemented electronic dossier storage.

Authorities in Khánh Hội have also created QR codes for the commune's administrative procedures, enabling residents to scan, look up and prepare dossiers in advance.

Centre official Lê Quang Huy said that digitising administrative procedures and publicising processes, timelines and fees have made transactions more transparent, as residents can easily monitor progress.

Digital transformation shortens dossier processing times while also enhancing administrative discipline, reducing mistakes and ensuring clarity in guidance and execution of procedures.

In the next few years, Khánh Hội Commune plans to research more smart technology solutions suited to local conditions that are user-friendly to help officers with procedures, enabling faster resident service, fewer errors, reduced delays and an improved experience for local administrative tasks.

Towards digital authorities

Following the Politburo’s Resolution 57-NQ/TW issued on December 22, 2024, Ninh Bình Province has intensified efforts to strengthen political resolve and raise awareness throughout society about breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and digital transformation.

Authorities are actively pursuing initiatives to develop science and technology, innovation, digital infrastructure and digital government for a digital society.

They are also promoting the use of digital transformation to support operations of agencies and organisations in the political system and the two-tier local government.

To date, 100 per cent of the province's communes have ticked the boxes for all 16 digital transformation promotion criteria in phase one of the initiative, laying a solid foundation for breakthroughs to come.

At the provincial level, a monitoring map for science, innovation, creativity and digital transformation development is awash in green, showing that all criteria have been met.

Significant improvements have also been made in rankings for the Local Innovation Index, with Ninh Bình placing 14th out of 34 provinces and cities nationwide.

The quality of administrative procedure resolution has improved, with better resident services helping drive socio-economic momentum. Meanwhile, the online dossier submission rate has reached 98.1 per cent.

Tạ Quang Phương, deputy director of Provincial Department of Science and Technology, said that digital transformation is not just moving administrative processes online, but represents a comprehensive shift in leadership and management methods towards building a transparent, data-driven government.

Over the past few years, the department has coordinated training sessions to guide agencies and units, especially at the communal level, in effectively using new digital administrative systems.

It also regularly monitors agencies and provides support in resolving issues.

Deputy Secretary and permanent member of the Ninh Bình Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee Đinh Thị Lụa said that in the next few years, the province will focus on concretising central directives through programmes suited to local realities.

In the immediate term, the province will perfect mechanisms and policies to accelerate digital transformation across three pillars: digital economy, digital government and digital society linked to smart cities, while enhancing workforce quality.

It will also apply science and technology to all spheres of social life, contributing to rapid, sustainable socio-economic development.

The results from local administrative reforms and digital transformation in Ninh Bình are turning Politburo's Resolution 57-NQ/TW into reality.

Digital transformation is emerging as a powerful driver, helping Ninh Bình build a modern government, enhance service efficiency and deliver ever more convenient and transparent experiences for residents. — VNS