Enhancing leaders’ accountability in administrative reform

As Dong Nai accelerates the development of digital government, administrative reform and digital transformation continue to be identified as key priorities in the leadership and governance of authorities at all levels. This is also one of the important solutions supporting the implementation of the city People's Committee's action program on carrying out the Resolution of the City Party Committee’s Executive Board, which launched a special 500-day-and-night emulation campaign.

To ensure that administrative reform initiatives deliver substantive results, the Dong Nai City People’s Committee has continued to emphasize the role and accountability of leaders of agencies, units and localities, with a view to ensuring that policies and solutions are implemented effectively and consistently from the grassroots level.

Linking leaders’ responsibility to administrative reform outcomes

Following the issuance of Resolution No. 05-NQ/TU by the Dong Nai City Party Committee on May 1, 2026, launching the special 500-day emulation campaign under the theme “Solidarity – Discipline – Efficiency – Breakthroughs for a Civilized and Modern Dong Nai,” the City People’s Committee promptly translated the resolution into Action Program No. 01/CTr-UBND dated May 28, 2026.

Leaders of the Administrative Reform Department (Ministry of Home Affairs) and leaders of the Department of Home Affairs exchange views with citizens performing administrative procedures at the City Public Administration Service Center. Photo: Ho Thao

From that orientation, a series of guiding documents continued to be issued to promote administrative reform, such as: Directive No. 03/CT-UBND, dated June 15, 2026, on implementing the goals and tasks of administrative procedure reform in 2026; Document No. 3351/UBND-HCC, dated June 18, 2026, on promoting key administrative reform tasks; Document No. 3488/UBND-HCC, dated June 19, 2026, on thoroughly ensuring the progress of resolving administrative procedure dossiers for citizens and businesses, along with many specialized documents in each field.

One of the key requirements emphasized throughout the directives is strengthening the accountability of heads of agencies, units and localities in leading, directing and organizing the implementation of administrative reform initiatives. To put this requirement into practice, agencies, units and local authorities are required to strictly apply the “six clarities” principle: clear personnel, clear tasks, clear accountability, clear timelines, clear outcomes and clear coordination mechanisms. They are also expected to eliminate any tendency to avoid responsibility, shift blame or hesitate in decision-making and task execution. At the same time, authorities must proactively identify and remove bottlenecks and obstacles in administrative procedure processing, improve the quality of administrative reform criteria, and make comprehensive preparations for the 2026-2030 reform phase in tandem with digital transformation efforts.

When leaders personally drive reform

The emphasis on leadership accountability has not remained confined to the city government’s guiding documents. Many localities have translated this spirit into practical actions. As one of the localities that has achieved notable results in administrative reform in recent years, Tri An ward considers the role of leaders a decisive factor in the successful implementation of reform initiatives.

Leaders of the Administrative Reform Department (Ministry of Home Affairs) and leaders of the Department of Home Affairs exchange views with citizens performing administrative procedures at the City Public Administrative Service Center.

Sharing experiences at the conference reviewing administrative reform work in 2025 and assessing performance in the first quarter of 2026, Nguyen Thi Dung, Deputy Secretary of the ward Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Tri An ward People’s Committee, emphasized that effective direction and management serve as the initial step in transforming higher-level policies and regulations into concrete action programs at the localities. “This serves as the guiding principle for the entire operational process. In Tri An ward, our leadership team has determined that guidance must be close and management must be practical,” Dung said.

Based on this approach, since the early days of operating under the new local government model, the ward People's Committee has issued numerous plans and directives on administrative reform and digital transformation. It has also launched a 30-day campaign to increase the digitization rate of administrative records, online public services and electronic payments across the locality.

Beyond assigning tasks, local leaders regularly inspect and monitor implementation progress, requiring cadres and civil servants as well as community digital technology teams to directly assist residents in completing administrative procedures through digital platforms. Oversight of public service delivery has also been strengthened through electronic one-stop-shop systems, enabling authorities to promptly address emerging shortcomings. Thanks to this decisive and coordinated direction from local heads, Tri An Ward was ranked among the top-performing localities in the 2025 Administrative Reform Index. The ward continues to build on these achievements while implementing its 2026 reform agenda.

Similarly, in Da Kia Commune, leadership accountability has also been identified as a key factor driving positive changes in administrative reform. According to Dang Huu Khoai, Deputy Secretary of the commune Party Committee, Chairman of the Da Kia commune People’s Committee, administrative reform was designated as a priority task from the outset. Local leaders directly oversee implementation, clearly assign responsibilities to each department, regularly monitor progress and link results to individual accountability.

Under this consistent direction, several practical initiatives have been introduced, most notably the “Morning with the People” model, which enables local authorities to engage directly with residents, listen to their concerns and resolve issues right at the grassroots. Administrative procedure reform has also been identified as the backbone of broader administrative reform efforts, with standardized processes at the commune Public Administrative Service Center, the public disclosure of procedures, and regular surveys measuring citizen satisfaction.

From January 1 to May 20, 2026, the city received nearly 592,000 administrative procedure applications, the majority of which were submitted online. At the departmental level, the rate of on-time or ahead-of-schedule processing reached nearly 99.8 percent, while the figure recorded at the commune level stood at approximately 99.37 percent. These results underscore the effectiveness of direction and management tasks, as well as the critical role played by agency heads in advancing administrative reform.

The commune has paid particular attention to supporting vulnerable groups, including providing at-home assistance with administrative procedures when necessary, ensuring all citizens can conveniently access public services. Meanwhile, digital transformation has been implemented in a practical manner through community digital technology teams operating under a hands-on guidance approach, helping residents gradually access and utilize online public services. With comprehensive solutions and decisive direction from local heads, Da Kia was ranked among the top localities in the 2025 Administrative Reform Index and has continued to record positive improvements during the first months of 2026.

The experiences of Tri An ward and Da Kia commune demonstrate that where leaders take decisive action, provide effective direction and assume responsibility for outcomes, administrative reform delivers clear and measurable progress. As Dong Nai continues to accelerate the development of digital government and digital transformation, strengthening the role of the heads will remain a decisive factor in improving the effectiveness of administrative reform at the grassroots level.

By Ho Thao - Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha