Building a comprehensive data foundation to better serve the people

In early June, Bu Dang commune launched a 30-day-and-night campaign to collect and build a database to support the leadership and direction of socio-economic development in 2026. This marks a peak phase in the implementation of Resolution No. 05-NQ/TU issued by the Dong Nai City Party Committee (CPC)’s Executive Board on the special 500-day-and-night emulation campaign, themed "Solidarity – Discipline – Efficiency – Breakthroughs for a civilized and modern Dong Nai."

Residents of Vinh Hoa hamlet in Bu Dang commune provide information to a data collection team. Photo: Hien Luong

The campaign focuses on reviewing, updating and standardizing data on population, employment, education, land, agricultural production and other key sectors, laying the groundwork for better governance and more evidence-based policymaking.

Knocking on every door to build a digital foundation

Rather than dry administrative forms or figures on paper, the 30-day-and-night campaign has become a large-scale grassroots review, sending officials into every hamlet and household to better understand residents' living conditions and identify their actual needs.

With 22 hamlets, more than 7,700 households and over 32,000 residents, over 18 percent of whom belong to ethnic minority communities, the campaign extends far beyond collecting demographic information. It gathers comprehensive data on housing, land use, employment, education, income, health insurance, social welfare and agricultural production. To ensure the timely implementation of the campaign, the commune People's Committee established multiple task forces responsible for specific localities. Throughout the campaign, police officers, military personnel, mass organizations and hamlet officials joined forces to encourage residents to provide complete and accurate information.

A residential area in Bu Dang commune.

Ta Ngoc Phu, Head of Vinh Hoa hamlet, said the campaign had received strong public support.

"Residents have embraced the campaign because they understand the campaign's significance. Task force members have visited every household to verify and update residents' information, making it easier for people to access administrative services in the future," he said.

Recognizing the importance of the initiative, many residents proactively prepared documents and cooperated in providing information and cross-checking their data. This is expected to help the locality build a reliable digital database for more efficient local management and governance.

Pham Thi Nguyet, a resident of Duc Phong hamlet, said the campaign enabled families to fully declare information on their homes and land holdings, helping local authorities build a more accurate and comprehensive database.

When data becomes the cornerstone of governance  

The campaign aims not only to complete a digital database but also to help local authorities gain a clearer understanding of residents' living conditions so that problems can be identified and resolved at an early stage.

One such case is the family of Vo Thi Den in Thien Tan hamlet. Despite cultivating about 1,200 square meters of perennial cropland for more than 40 years, her family had never received a land-use rights certificate.

After her case was identified during the survey, commune officials and the hamlet head conducted a field inspection, verified the information and guided her through the application process.

"I've farmed this land since 1984 but never received a land certificate. I'm very happy that local authorities are now helping me complete the necessary procedures," Den said.

A similar case involved Bui Xuan Quang, whose family has farmed about one hectare of farmland for decades without completing the necessary legal documentation. Following the campaign's review, officials visited his home to help verify information and complete procedures for obtaining a land-use rights certificate. "We've farmed this land for decades, but completing the paperwork was always difficult. Now that officials have come to guide us directly, the process has become much easier. I hope many other families will soon receive their land certificates as well," Quang said.

The campaign has also uncovered numerous cases in which residents' health insurance cards had expired or they had yet to enroll. Task force members have since assisted residents in renewing their coverage and completing the necessary procedures to ensure continued access to healthcare benefits.

One such case involved Thi Cay from Thien Tan hamlet. Unaware that her health insurance card had expired, her family had to pay VND18 million in medical expenses when her son required surgery after an accident. "I had purchased health insurance but didn't realize it had expired. The officials came to my house and helped me renew it. I'm truly grateful," she said.

"The campaign gives the commune a comprehensive database for analysis and evaluation, enabling local authorities to develop socio-economic plans, targets and development priorities in line with the roadmap set out under the CPC's 500-day-and-night emulation campaign."

Nguyen Canh Thao, Vice Chairman of the Bu Dang commune People's Committee

Data paves the way for development

After 30 days, the campaign successfully updated information for more than 6,800 households and nearly 28,400 residents, achieving 100 percent of its target. The data has provided local authorities with a comprehensive picture of socio-economic conditions, creating an important foundation for governance and policymaking.

The survey found that the commune still has 214 people without birth registration, more than 5,000 residents without health insurance, over 13,100 people not participating in social insurance, and more than 10,000 residents who have not activated their electronic health records. Among more than 17,300 working-age residents, over 1,800 are seeking employment or looking to change jobs.

In the areas of land management and public infrastructure, the commune identified more than 2,000 land parcels that have yet to receive first-time land-use rights certificates, while over 1,700 households continue to dispose of household waste within their gardens or farming areas. In education, more than 3,200 residents have not completed secondary education. These findings will help local authorities develop targeted plans and assign responsibilities to relevant agencies and officials, enabling them to provide better public services for residents and businesses while steadily improving living standards.

The 30-day-and-night campaign is not the destination but the starting point of Bu Dang's journey toward digital government and data-driven governance. As every piece of information is accurately updated and every need of residents is clearly identified, policymaking can become more responsive, public investment more precisely targeted, and public services more effective.

Today's door-to-door campaign is facilitating the formation of a digital data platform, which enables local authorities to pursue smarter, data-driven governance, supporting faster, more efficient and more sustainable development in Bu Dang in the years ahead.

By H. Luong - Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha