Vietnam online public administrative services improve, with much left desired

Vietnam has recorded improvement in the provision of online public administrative services (OPASs) compared to 2023 findings, but there remains significant room for betterment, according to a study.

Many provincial e-service portals (PESPs) performed well in the "Providing supporting information" and "Ease of use of lookup tools" criteria, a review of 63 PESPs finds.

The results of the review were made public at the thematic discussion "Review of 63 Provincial Online Public Service Portals from a User-Centric Perspective in 2024," jointly hosted by the UNDP in Vietnam and the Institute for Policy Studies and Media Development (IPS). This marks the second year that IPS has undertaken this review.

According to the evaluation outcomes, all 63 PESPs have inconvenient aspects, whether for government officials or the public, especially for users in remote areas, islands, and people with disabilities.

There is much left desired in terms of convenience, user-friendliness, and accessibility. All provinces and cities need to invest in improving their PESPs in terms of convenience, user-friendliness, and accessibility, meeting the needs of all users, it says.

In general, PESPs have not served users effectively and have yet to achieve the primary goal of providing convenience for users in performing administrative procedures. Most users must rely on direct guidance or assistance from civil servants at one-stop shops.

Nguyen Minh Hong, chairman of the Vietnam Digital Communications Association and former Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, highlighted that in the context of the rapidly developing digital government, PESPs play a crucial role in connecting the government with citizens and businesses. "Although there have been many improvements since 2021, the rate of online applications still falls short of expectations and service quality remains limited."

UNDP Resident Representative Ramla Khalidi noted that compared to 2023, more provincial e-service websites are now accessible to persons with disabilities.

“However, there is still substantial room to make e-services more convenient, more user-friendly, and more accessible to all. The assessment has provided valuable insights on how to improve accessibility and usability for citizens, particularly those at risk of being left behind in the digital transformation,” said the representative.

More improvements needed

There are key reasons explaining why PESPs have been rated low in their performance. Users have still struggled with varying interfaces and implementation methods on PESPs in a single session due to the lack of linkage between PESPs and the National E-Service Portal (ESP) or with ministries’ ESPs.

Additionally, the administrative procedure handling process is not fully transparent, not presented in a clear and easily accessible manner, and cannot be tracked on the PESPs, making it difficult for users to understand the necessary steps for using PESPs and monitor the progress of their applications.

The research results indicate that up to 60 PESPs did not meet the "Personal data protection and privacy" criterion, and 39 PESPs did not meet the "Access for people with disabilities" criterion. Most PESPs were at the average level in terms of compatibility with both computers and smartphones.

None of the 63 PESPs have attained more than 50% of the evaluation criteria at a “good” level. Additionally, the differences between PESPs’ evaluation scores are minimal.

However, these issues are only the "tip of the iceberg" in the provision of online public administrative services. One of the roots of these shortcomings and challenges is the complexity of the public administrative processes and procedures, which are unsuitable for online services.

Meanwhile, OPASs on PESPs are still processed based on the administrative processes and procedures being applied for traditional, in-person interactions. Furthermore, the technical infrastructure in many localities has limitations, the digital competency of public officials, civil servants and public employees across different government levels is inconsistent, and support measures for performing OPASs are not yet effective, all of which are also significant challenges to the widespread implementation of PESPs.

To enhance the effectiveness of PESPs and improve the delivery of OPASs, the report recommends specific actions, including the Digital-First Approach, with a user-centered focus.

First and foremost, provinces should conduct self-reviews of their OPAS platforms. The effectiveness, quality, transparency, and publicity of information on the OPSPs should be ensured to improve user-friendliness, particularly for ethnic minorities and people with disabilities.

Financial resources need to be diversified for OPAS delivery, the OPAS capacity of public officials, civil servants, and public employees should be enhanced, and public awareness of PESPs should be increased.

The report stresses the importance of embracing a Digital-First Approach, focusing on developing OPS policies from a “digital governance” mindset, which emphasizes natural interaction in the digital environment between service providers and users.

Leveraging digital technology, connecting digital data must be implemented flexibly to eliminate geographical administrative barriers while ensuring effective data sharing and data integration.

Legal documents related to administrative procedures need to be revised to better align with the digital environment. Furthermore, the implementation of administrative procedures that are not bound by administrative boundaries should also be prioritized, according to the report.