Administrative reform starts with people-centered service

By keeping its public administration center open on Saturday mornings, mobilizing additional personnel to assist residents with online public services and introducing the “Morning with Residents” model, Minh Hung ward is gradually changing the way it serves the public, with reforms shaped by residents’ practical needs.

Residents receive assistance with administrative procedures at the Minh Hung ward Public Administration Service Center.

Together with efforts to promote digitalization and simplify procedures, these initiatives aim to make it easier for residents to access public services.

Making public services more accessible

The Minh Hung ward Public Administration Service Center (Minh Hung PASC) remains opens on Saturday mornings. Nguyen Minh Hoa, Director of the center, said the Saturday working hours were introduced because the ward is home to a large number of workers who work regular hours and have difficulty taking time off to handle administrative procedures on weekdays. Every Saturday morning, the center receives around 60-100 applications, with the number reaching 130-140 on some days.

Nguyen Ba Thanh, who works at an industrial park in the ward, said his regular working hours made it difficult for him to take time off during the week to handle administrative procedures. “The Saturday morning service means I do not have to take time off work or risk losing my attendance bonus, helping me maintain my income. The staff are helpful and provide clear guidance, while applications are processed on time. I find the service very convenient,” Thanh said.

The ward has also changed the way local leaders engage with residents, giving them opportunities to meet people directly and listen to their concerns. Nguyen Van Dien, Vice Chairman of the Minh Hung ward People’s Committee, said the “Morning with residents” model was launched in November 2025, allowing ward leaders to meet residents directly from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. every weekday.

According to Dien, direct meetings help ward leaders gain a clearer understanding of problems arising in the community, particularly cases in which residents are unsure about or do not fully understand regulations governing administrative procedures. Relevant departments can then provide timely explanations, guidance and coordinated support to resolve each case.

Through these meetings, many issues involving civil status, birth and marriage registration have been promptly clarified and addressed. Some residents delayed registering their children’s births because they were concerned about being fined, while some elderly couples who had lived together for many years without registering their marriage were guided through the necessary procedures to ensure their legal rights.

Direct engagement with residents has also given the local administration a clearer picture of practical problems and helped it devise timely solutions. According to the ward’s administrative reform report for the first half of 2026, resident satisfaction with the handling of feedback and petitions, as well as the receipt and processing of administrative procedures, reached 100%. Of the 3,495 applications recorded, 3,487 were processed on time, equivalent to 99.82%.

Reform starts with dedicated service

Alongside administrative reform, Minh Hung ward has stepped up digital transformation. However, experience at the PASC shows that not all residents, particularly older people, are able to complete online procedures on their own. In response, the ward has mobilized youth union members, volunteers and other support personnel to assist residents throughout the process, from filling out forms and submitting applications to completing procedures.

Lu Ngoc Sinh, a volunteer working at the center, said young people generally adapt quickly to online public services, while older residents often need step-by-step guidance to complete their applications. “Some people live far away and arrive late, so we try to assist them until their applications are completed. On some days, our work continues until noon or even later,” Sinh said.

Alongside improvements in service delivery, Minh Hung ward is also working to make administrative procedures less restrictive and more accessible. According to the ward’s digital transformation report, during the first six months of 2026, 20 administrative procedures were made available without being restricted by administrative boundaries, and the ward received applications for one procedure under this mechanism.

For residents who are unfamiliar with online procedures, direct assistance enables them to complete their applications at the center instead of having to learn the process themselves or make multiple trips. During the first half of 2026, the ward organized training courses on online public services and digital payment skills for around 360 officials, Youth Union members, members of mass organizations and other local support forces.

The digital transformation results show that 100% of the ward’s administrative records have been digitized, while the rate of electronic result issuance reached 91.1% and the rate of data reuse stood at 98.56%. The ward has also drawn on national databases on population, civil status and land to facilitate the processing of administrative procedures.

According to Nguyen Van Dien, digital transformation must go hand in hand with support for residents, particularly those who are not familiar with electronic transactions. Therefore, alongside investment in and maintenance of digital platforms, the locality is focusing on improving digital skills among officials, support personnel and residents so that technology can genuinely reduce the time and steps required to complete administrative procedures.

Technology is changing the way administrative procedures are handled, but people who provide direct guidance remain a crucial link in the process. Nguyen Minh Hoa said the center began operating on July 1, 2025, under the two-tier local administration model. Despite limited human resources, its staff handle multiple tasks while making every effort to ensure that the receipt, guidance and processing of residents’ applications continue without interruption.

Nguyen Thi Thuy Ngoc, a specialist at the Justice-Civil Status Division of the Minh Hung PASC, said Saturday morning service was necessary to make it easier for residents to handle administrative procedures. “For me and other specialists at the center, providing residents with courteous, attentive and responsible assistance is an essential part of our work,” she said.

From Saturday morning service and direct meetings with local leaders to patient guidance on online procedures, administrative reform in Minh Hung ward is taking shape through practical initiatives designed around residents’ needs. These efforts are giving residents greater flexibility and support when accessing public services.

By H.Thao – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha