Two-tier local government model: From expectations to operational challenges (Final part)

FINAL PART: ADDRESSING CHALLENGES FROM THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL

After nearly one year of operating under the two-tier local government model, the bottlenecks at the grassroots level have been clearly identified. For Dong Nai, the challenge now is no longer how to reorganize the administrative apparatus, but how to operate it effectively to drive new momentum for development.

The target of achieving 10% GRDP growth and state budget revenues of VND150 trillion in 2026 reflects Dong Nai’s strong determination in this new breakthrough phase. To realize these goals, besides leveraging potential from investment, infrastructure and industrial production, the efficiency of grassroots administrations is becoming a decisive factor, as they are the level directly responsible for handling administrative procedures, resolving difficulties for residents and businesses, and translating policies into practice.

Grassroots administrations facing new demands

Practical implementation has shown that, together with expanded authority, the role of commune- and ward-level governments is undergoing significant changes.

Cadres and civil servants of Dau Giay Ward handle administrative procedures for citizens. Photo: Ho Thao

According to Mai Van Hien, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the Dau Giay Ward People’s Committee, the transfer of more responsibilities to the grassroots level means ward authorities are no longer limited to routine administrative duties. Instead, they are now more deeply involved in land management, construction, planning and the organization of socio-economic development tasks within their localities.

Hien noted that stronger decentralization has enabled grassroots administrations to become more proactive in governance while enhancing their role as the level handling most issues arising for residents and businesses. To meet new demands, Dau Giay Ward has identified administrative reform and digital transformation as two key priorities to improve governance efficiency. In 2025, the ward ranked fourth citywide in the administrative reform index and aims to further improve its ranking in 2026.

Drawing on practical experience, the ward has proposed that the city continue refining decentralization mechanisms while simultaneously investing in digital infrastructure, upgrading specialized software systems and strengthening data connectivity among agencies to improve the efficiency of administrative procedures.

Dau Giay is not alone. Across many localities, the implementation of the two-tier local government model is placing new demands on grassroots administrative systems. From primarily handling basic administrative tasks, commune- and ward-level governments are now expected to take on broader responsibilities in local development management and administration.

Tran Viet Tu, an official at the Public Administration Service Center in Bau Ham Commune, said the workload at the grassroots level has increased considerably since many responsibilities were transferred directly to communes and wards. “Grassroots officials now have to handle multiple tasks simultaneously instead of focusing on a single field. They must also constantly update their technological knowledge and adapt to new procedures to meet work requirements,” Tu said. According to Tu, along with assigning additional responsibilities, authorities should continue improving policies and benefits to help grassroots officials feel secure in their work and remain committed over the long term.

Residents perform administrative procedures at the Dong Nai City Public Administration Service Center. Photo: Hoang Loc

Reality shows that if grassroots administrations process tasks slowly or lack coordination, the impact extends beyond residents and directly affects the investment environment and business operations.

Ho Tan Tung, Director of Luc Dong Tam Inox Co., Ltd. in Phuoc Tan Ward, said that when more authority is delegated directly to the grassroots level, smooth procedures and capable officials can significantly reduce the time and costs businesses spend on administrative procedures. “When procedures are resolved quickly, businesses can also become more proactive in production and investment,” Tung said.

From the perspective of residents, Nguyen Thi Linh of Long Hung Ward said the biggest expectation surrounding the new model is faster, more convenient and more transparent handling of administrative procedures. “If grassroots authorities are given more authority together with greater responsibility and stronger professional capacity, residents will receive better services while reducing travel time and procedural costs,” Linh said.

According to many experts, the great challenge of the two-tier local government model does not lie in streamlining the administrative apparatus itself, but in whether grassroots administrations have sufficient resources and personnel to shoulder an increasingly heavy workload. As more responsibilities are delegated directly to communes and wards, the requirement is not only to process tasks faster, but also to ensure professionalism, consistency and accountability in implementation.

Enhancing capacity for effective operation

Alongside improving mechanisms and operational procedures, the quality of grassroots officials has been identified as the key factor determining the effectiveness of the two-tier local government model.

Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of Dong Nai City People's Committee Nguyen Van Ut speaks at the conference reviewing one year of implementing the arrangement of administrative units at all levels and the operation of two-tier local government in the city, held on May 8. Photo: Ho Thao

Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of Dong Nai City People's Committee Nguyen Van Ut emphasized that after Dong Nai became a city, all levels and sectors must fundamentally change their management mindset and operating methods toward greater proactiveness and flexibility, abandoning dependence and passivity while placing service efficiency for residents and businesses at the center. The Chairman of Dong Nai City People's Committee  stressed that in the coming period, departments, agencies and local authorities must coordinate more closely to resolve problems right from the grassroots level. At the same time, the city will continue investing in information technology infrastructure, accelerating data digitization, improving the quality of officials and refining decentralization mechanisms in line with practical demands.

Many experts believe that, alongside improving decentralization mechanisms, it is necessary to further professionalize grassroots officials by enhancing their technological capabilities and equipping them with the ability to handle multi-sector tasks under modern governance conditions.

From the perspective of state management over organizational reform, Minister of Home Affairs Do Thanh Binh stressed that against the backdrop of Dong Nai becoming a city and increasingly demanding urban governance requirements, the locality must place special emphasis on improving human resources quality, particularly among grassroots officials, civil servants and public employees. According to the minister, Dong Nai should proactively develop specialized training and retraining plans based on job positions while standardizing management skills, professional expertise and digital capabilities for grassroots personnel.

The issues arising from Dong Nai’s practical experience also reflect broader challenges faced by many localities nationwide in implementing the two-tier local government model.

At a voter meeting in Dong Nai following the first session of the 16th National Assembly, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Party Central Committee’s Internal Affairs Commission Le Minh Tri said the Central government would soon conduct a one-year review of the implementation of the two-tier local government model to comprehensively evaluate results and continue refining mechanisms and policies in line with practical needs. Along with expanding responsibilities for communes and wards, authorities must also review staffing arrangements and job positions while strengthening training and retraining programs to ensure grassroots officials can meet new task requirements.

Improving the quality of grassroots personnel has also become a key priority for the Government in the current period. On April 20, 2026, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 700/QD-TTg approving a project to strengthen training for officials and civil servants in communes, wards and special administrative zones to meet the operational requirements of the two-tier local government model during the 2026-2031 period.

Under the project, by the end of 2028, 100% of commune-level officials and civil servants who do not yet meet professional requirements for their positions will receive further training. By the end of 2031, all commune-level officials and civil servants will have updated knowledge, skills and professional expertise. In addition, the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 14/CT-TTg on promoting digital skills training and assessment continues to set requirements for standardizing the public-sector workforce in the context of digital transformation. Most recently, on May 8, 2026, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra signed Directive No. 18/CT-TTg on improving the quality of local government officials and civil servants at commune level to meet new requirements.

Leaders of An Vien Commune People's Committee inquire about citizens coming to perform administrative procedures at the commune Public Administration Service Center. Photo: Ho Thao

These requirements demonstrate that as the two-tier local government model is implemented more broadly, the key issue is not simply about reorganizing the administrative apparatus, but about enhancing the operational capacity of grassroots personnel. When greater authority is delegated to the grassroots level, the capability of officials and the modernization level of the administrative system will directly affect administrative processing efficiency, the investment environment, and local development effectiveness.

As Dong Nai has now become a city with increasingly demanding urban governance requirements, grassroots administrations are no longer performing merely routine administrative functions. They must adapt to modern governance methods, digital transformation and faster work-processing demands. Only when grassroots administrations are empowered with both adequate resources and qualified personnel can the two-tier local government model truly operate effectively, meeting the requirements of modern urban governance and creating momentum for Dong Nai’s next phase of development.

By Ho Thao - Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha