Xuan Hoa commune promotes digital transformation to serve residents

Following its establishment through the merger of three communes, Xuan Hoa, Xuan Hung, and Xuan Tam (formerly part of Xuan Loc district), Xuan Hoa commune has faced many challenges due to its large administrative area, dispersed population, and growing demand for public services.

Residents are guided by local officials in completing online administrative procedures. Photo: To Tam

In this context, the locality chose a clear direction: taking digital transformation (DT) as a driving force for development, starting with initiatives closest to the people. Rather than lofty slogans, DT in Xuan Hoa has been realized through practical models, from a “paperless” government and online public services to mobile technology assistance vehicles reaching hamlets.

“Paperless” government

Since officially coming into operation on July 1, 2025, Xuan Hoa commune has encountered many new challenges. The three merged communes cover a large area, with many residential clusters far from the center, while most residents rely on agriculture, and access to technology remains limited.

In light of this reality, the Party Committee and local authorities have determined that DT must begin with practical, accessible initiatives closely connected to people’s daily lives. One notable highlight is the implementation of the “paperless” government model. To date, 100% of agencies within the commune’s political system have adopted operational management software, paperless meeting rooms, and an electronic working environment.

At the same time, the electronic dossier reception and processing system at the Commune Public Administration Service Center has been implemented synchronously. Residents’ dossiers are digitized immediately upon receipt and processed directly on the electronic system. Residents can track the status of their dossiers online using a dossier code, helping reduce repeated travel and avoid document loss.

The locality has also stepped up the provision of online public services through the National Public Service Portal. With guidance, residents can create accounts, submit dossiers, and track processing progress directly on their phones. Electronic payments have also been implemented for administrative procedures. At the Commune Public Administration Service Center, smart information kiosks (self-service electronic devices with touch screens for information lookup) have been installed, helping residents easily look up procedures, print forms, or check the status of their dossiers.

In addition, the Technology Bus (Mobile Task Force for online public services) is the initiative most often mentioned by residents. On Saturday morning (March 7), the Technology Bus in Xuan Hoa commune once again stopped at the commune cultural house, where officials guided residents in carrying out administrative procedures using only a smartphone or a computer. Commune officials repeat this every week, with a different stop each time: sometimes at the cultural house yard, at other times in front of a garment enterprise, where workers use their break time to receive guidance on online procedures. The journey does not stop in residential areas but also extends to markets, religious establishments, and other familiar community spaces.

Le Quyet Thang (63 years old, a resident of Xuan Hung 3 hamlet) said that previously, he was reluctant to travel and was not familiar with using a phone to provide information. Now that officials are coming directly to provide on-the-spot, step-by-step guidance and support, it has become very convenient.

Not only Thang but also other elderly residents without smartphones can borrow devices from the task force to complete procedures. Shift workers can also handle their dossiers right at their workplaces without having to go to the Commune People’s Committee during office hours.

Many DT indicators in Xuan Hoa commune have achieved positive results. Currently, nearly 99.5% of dossiers are resolved on time, nearly 99.9% are digitized, nearly 98.3% of eligible residents have VNeID electronic identification accounts, and all transactions in administrative procedure settlement are conducted without cash.

DT as a community effort

According to leaders of Xuan Hoa commune, DT is not only about technology application but also about changing management methods and service delivery to the residents.

Le Van Nam, Chairman of the Xuan Hoa Commune People’s Committee, said that DT has brought clear changes to grassroots governance. Traditional management would struggle to be effective, but DT in Xuan Hoa commune helps shorten the management distance, enhance transparency, and speed up citizen services.

The most important thing is to help residents clearly see the tangible benefits of DT in daily life. Only when residents can submit dossiers from home, make online payments, or track the progress of administrative procedures on their phones does administrative reform truly become substantive.

Ta Quang Truong, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Council of Xuan Hoa commune, said that DT must begin with changes in officials' mindsets. From the commune’s early days, the movement “Every official is a DT ambassador” was widely launched with mass organizations acting as “extended arms” to guide residents in installing and using digital applications.

“The goal of the locality is not only to deploy technology but also to create a modern, transparent, and convenient management environment for residents. We want people to see DT as simple, useful, and close to their lives. When residents can complete procedures online right at home or within their residential areas, administrative reform truly deepens,” Ta Quang Truong emphasized. From a purely agricultural commune, Xuan Hoa is gradually asserting its own approach: DT does not start with complex systems but with the smallest and most practical tasks closest to residents. Technology buses going directly to hamlets, and grassroots officials patiently guiding residents step by step on their phones, are concrete actions that create change. Through these efforts, Xuan Hoa is gradually becoming one of the bright spots in grassroots DT in Dong Nai province.

By To Tam - Translated by Minh Hong, Minho