As Dong Nai steps up efforts to build a modern, effective, and efficient government and implements the special 500-day-and-night emulation campaign, grassroots democracy is also being advanced through new approaches that emphasize accountability and concrete outcomes in addressing specific issues.
This approach has been further reinforced by the Dong Nai City People's Council's issuance of Resolution No. 16/2026/NQ-HDND on July 9, 2026, on measures to ensure the implementation of grassroots democracy in the city (referred to as Resolution No. 16). The resolution sets out specific requirements regarding accountability, transparency, dialogue, and the reception and resolution of public feedback.
Linking democracy with accountability
Resolution No. 16 was issued by the City People's Council on July 9, 2026, and took effect on July 20, 2026, replacing previous resolutions of the People's Councils of the former Dong Nai and Binh Phuoc provinces regarding measures to ensure the implementation of grassroots democracy.
 |
| Residents of Quarter 1, Bao Vinh Ward, view information about the ward and their quarter publicly posted at the quarter’s Community Center. |
At the third session of the City People's Council, Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs Ha Thanh Tung said the measures focus on training and enhancing the capacity of those directly responsible for implementation; strengthening information, communications, dissemination, and legal education; and increasing the accountability of agencies, units, and organizations, with particular emphasis on the exemplary role of leaders. The resolution also supports and encourages the application of information technology and scientific and technical advancements, provides technical equipment and necessary conditions, and recognizes and rewards collectives and individuals for their good performance, while identifying and strictly handling violations.
At the same time, the level of grassroots democracy implementation by commune-level governments, agencies, units, and organizations serves as a basis for evaluating the results of task implementation. The resolution also emphasizes organizing dialogues and two-way information exchanges; receiving and resolving recommendations and feedback from the grassroots; and promoting the supervisory role of the People's Council, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and the people.
These requirements are in line with the spirit of the special 500-day-and-night emulation campaign themed “Unity – Discipline – Efficiency – Breakthrough, building a civilized and modern Dong Nai,” which the city is currently implementing with a focus on innovating methods and improving performance efficiency. Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the City People's Committee Nguyen Van Ut has requested agencies, units, and localities to innovate their thinking and working methods, remain focused on core tasks, build a modern, effective, and efficient government, and make a strong shift from a "management" mindset to a “service-oriented" one, with citizens and businesses at the center.
In line with these requirements, localities are concretizing grassroots democracy through more practical methods, focusing on creating conditions for citizens to directly discuss issues and provide feedback, thereby enabling the government to promptly grasp issues at the grassroots level.
Expanding channels for public participation
From direct meetings to communication channels tailored to each locality, communes and wards are opening more avenues for residents to participate, contribute opinions, and raise issues from the grassroots level. One of the approaches being adopted is to create additional time and space for residents to meet and exchange ideas directly with leaders and officials. Accordingly, depending on actual conditions, the "Morning with the People" citizen reception model is held from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. or during other suitable time slots, in addition to regular citizen receptions, dialogues, and other channels for receiving public feedback.
In Song Ray Commune, "Morning Coffee with the People" sessions provide a friendly setting for residents to directly discuss issues with commune leaders, including land, environmental sanitation, security and order, and problems arising in the locality. Pham Duc Huy, a resident of Song Ray Commune, said, "The model is very practical and fosters closeness between the government and the people. Through these meetings, many issues are identified and resolved promptly, and it is easier for citizens to share their opinions."
Beyond direct meetings, residential areas have also adapted the way information is gathered from the grassroots to better suit the post-merger landscape. Following the reorganization, Quarter 1 in Bao Vinh Ward has nearly tripled in size. Vu Van Nhat, Deputy Secretary of the Party Cell and Head of Quarter 1, noted, "Along with maintaining closer contact with the grassroots, the quarter applies information technology to its work; directives are disseminated via Zalo groups with residential groups, helping to convey tasks faster and grasp the situation in the area more promptly."
Alongside direct contact and information gathering in residential areas, authorities, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and socio-political organizations at all levels in the city are diversifying methods for receiving citizens' feedback and reflections in ways tailored to local conditions.
In Nhon Trach Ward, for example, the Ward Vietnam Fatherland Front has launched the "Listening to the People" digital mailbox, integrated with a QR code for residents to submit feedback and suggestions. The content focuses on daily-life issues such as environmental sanitation, security and order, construction, urban order, and traffic. Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nhon Trach Ward Ho Thi Kim Ngan emphasized, "Once citizens submit feedback, the Vietnam Fatherland Front must follow up until there is a result; we cannot just receive it and leave it there."
Grassroots democracy is not only about ensuring that people are informed, involved, and able to provide feedback; it must also create a connection between public opinion and the responsibility to resolve issues and monitor outcomes.
From direct meetings and information pieces exchanged via Zalo groups to feedback submitted via QR codes, the methods may differ, but they all aim to channel information and opinions from the grassroots to the appropriate place for resolution. Through these methods, localities have additional ways to fulfill the requirements for dialogue, two-way information exchange, and the reception and resolution of petitions and feedback as stipulated in Resolution No. 16.
For grassroots democracy to become a reality, the ultimate goal of these channels must be tangible results in addressing the issues raised. An opinion heard, feedback directed to the right place, a petition addressed, and the result communicated back to the citizen – these provide concrete evidence of the effectiveness of grassroots democracy in practice, contributing to improving the quality of service for the people.
By Thao Lam – Translated by Minh Hong, Thu Ha
Thông tin bạn đọc
Đóng Lưu thông tin