Hà Nội aims to elevate service satisfaction amid impressive administrative reforms

At the conference. Photo kinhtedothi.vn

Hà Nội — While Hà Nội’s administrative reform index stands at an impressive third out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide for managing administrative documents and procedures, reflecting commendable accuracy and timeliness, city leaders are not satisfied and are determined to achieve even better results.

The Hà Nội People’s Committee held a scientific conference earlier this week, addressing the issue under the theme “Improving and Enhancing the Satisfaction of People and Organisations with the Services of Agencies and Units in Hà Nội City.”

Speaking at the conference, Trần Đình Cảnh, head of Hà Nội’s Department of Home Affairs, highlighted the centrality of administrative reform in recent years for Hà Nội. The city has undertaken a holistic approach, encompassing institutional reform, streamlining administrative procedures, restructuring organisations, reforming civil services, and advancing public finance. Additionally, there is a notable focus on the development of e-government and digital government.

Since 2019, continuous surveys and evaluations of satisfaction among residents and organisations regarding administrative services have been regularly conducted across Hà Nội’s 30 districts and 22 departments and branches. These initiatives empower state administrative agencies to grasp the needs and expectations of the people, facilitating targeted solutions to enhance service quality and overall satisfaction.

Speaking at the conference, Hà Minh Hải, Vice Chairman of the Hà Nội People’s Committee, emphatically stated that enhancing satisfaction with the services provided by Hà Nội’s administrative agencies is a central goal and leadership requirement for the city.

The capital city has issued comprehensive directives, ensuring understanding at all levels and branches, as well as among each cadre, civil servant, and public employee. These directives emphasise administrative discipline and are coupled with efforts to improve the service quality of state administrative agencies throughout the city.

The objective is to enhance the satisfaction of people and organisations with government services at all levels. The city’s administrative system is progressively advancing towards more professionalism, modernisation, integration, and service excellence, with a vision to establish a “Digital government” and a “Smart city.”

Despite these strides, there are still areas where people’s satisfaction and concerns need more focused and decisive attention from all levels and sectors within the city, Hải said. Practical solutions and implementation roadmaps are essential, particularly in critical areas that significantly impact social life and security.

In addressing forthcoming responsibilities, Vice Chairman Hải stressed the imperative of active engagement from the entire political system and the public in the governance activities across all government levels. The primary focus will involve scrutinising and integrating crucial policy content into the revised draft of Capital Law.

Moreover, there will be an emphasis on advancing digital infrastructure, information technology infrastructure, and information systems to streamline administrative procedures, facilitate feedback, and enhance recommendation channels, ultimately elevating people’s satisfaction.

“To enhance people’s satisfaction, the city must advance the construction of a digital government and prioritise the human factor,” he said.

He also highlighted the importance of Hà Nội’s civil servants clearly understanding their mission, ensuring the implementation of three fundamental principles: respecting the law, actively listening, and maintaining a positive attitude towards seeking advice and serving.

Simultaneously, Đỗ Thanh Huyền, a public policy analyst at UNDP Việt Nam, emphasised that Hà Nội’s 2022 PAPI (Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance) index reached 43.9 points, positioning it within the “high” scoring group. However, specific indices, including “Public administrative procedures,” “Electronic governance,” “Public service provision,” and “Environmental management,” are categorised into the “medium” and “low” groups.

Based on the outcomes above, Huyền suggested that Hà Nội should pinpoint weak areas and notable declines during the 2021-2022 period.

This identification will enable the city to prioritise specific areas and implement impactful solutions to improve and enhance people’s satisfaction significantly. In addition to earnestly implementing anti-corruption measures within the public sector, Hà Nội City, along with its agencies and units, should establish effective communication channels between the government and the public. She said these channels should not only disseminate information but also offer detailed explanations regarding existing issues. VNS