Ha Noi pioneers digital transformation of public services
VGP - Ha Noi emerged as a leading locality in implementing the Politburo's Resolution No. 57 on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation, proactively introducing policies, digital platforms and governance models while only seeking central support for issues beyond its authority.
The capital translated the Resolution into concrete actions tailored to local conditions, helping distinguish tasks that can be carried out independently from those requiring national-level coordination. The approach is expected to provide a model for other localities implementing the Resolution.
Building an innovation ecosystem
Leveraging the special mechanisms provided under the Law on the Capital, Ha Noi has established a comprehensive policy framework to promote innovation and digital transformation.
In addition to allocating more resources than the budget earmarked for science, technology and digital transformation, the city has established a technology exchange, a venture capital fund, a science, technology and innovation development fund, and mechanisms for procuring digital products from enterprises and testing new technologies.
These initiatives are intended to strengthen the city's innovation ecosystem, mobilize financial resources, and attract high-quality human resources.
Three guiding principles
Drawing on practical experience, Ha Noi has identified three core principles for delivering digital public services effectively at the grassroots level.
The first is the "once-only" principle, under which citizens provide personal information only once, while State agencies reuse existing data from national databases instead of requesting duplicate information.
The second is the "one-stop shop, one application, no wrong door" model, ensuring that all administrative procedures are received, processed and returned through a single commune-level administrative service center.
The third is the application of artificial intelligence in document processing, helping reduce administrative processing time by 60–70 percent and allowing civil servants to devote more time to serving citizens.
The city is also developing a set of criteria enabling provinces and cities to assess their readiness for digital transformation, covering budget allocation, institutional reforms, digital infrastructure, innovation funds and the effectiveness of online public service delivery.
Seeking greater policy support
While highlighting its achievements, Ha Noi also identified several legal and institutional bottlenecks requiring central support.
The city has asked the Ministry of Finance to provide clearer guidance on distinguishing investment expenditure from recurrent expenditure for information technology projects, determining rental prices for IT services, and allowing recurrent expenditure to finance terminal equipment for commune-level authorities.
It also proposed that the Ministry of Science and Technology develop pricing norms, technical standards and acceptance mechanisms for digital products and services, particularly those involving artificial intelligence and data, noting that existing regulations remain largely designed for traditional science and technology projects.
To facilitate digital services, Ha Noi called on the Ministry of Public Security to expand access to national databases and provide free integration of citizens' digital signatures through the VNeID application.
The city also requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to accelerate integration of land data into local databases and issue standards for digitizing land records, while proposing that the Ministry of Justice revise regulations to allow authentication of electronic copies of land-use right certificates.
At the legislative level, Ha Noi recommended amendments to the Law on Public Investment, arguing that current procedures designed for construction projects are ill-suited to rapidly evolving digital technologies. The city proposed classifying IT service procurement as recurrent expenditure and raising spending thresholds for contractor appointment to improve implementation efficiency.
In addition, Ha Noi suggested that the Central Steering Committee on Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation establish a unified framework for assessing digital transformation outcomes based on tangible products and practical impacts rather than administrative task completion. It also called for standardized indicators to measure the number of fully online public services and the disbursement of IT-related investment.
The city further proposed that the Government consider extending policy mechanisms similar to those under the Law on the Capital to other localities, enabling successful digital transformation models to be replicated nationwide./.
Implementation of Community Digital Transformation Team Activities in Ha Noi in 2026
Empowering community digital support teams
Alongside institutional reforms, Ha Noi accelerated the deployment of digital platforms serving both citizens and public administration.
The iHanoi mobile application functions as a unified digital platform where residents can submit feedback, report incidents, monitor administrative procedures, pay public service fees and access information on transport, healthcare, education and urban planning.
For public administration, the Ha NoiWork platform enables authorities to monitor workload and service quality through real-time electronic dashboards, shifting performance evaluation from time-based assessment to results-based management using key performance indicators (KPIs) and objectives and key results (OKRs).
The city is also developing a shared data lakehouse integrating information from departments, agencies, communes and wards under a unified data governance mechanism to improve consistency and data sharing.
Meanwhile, electronic health records are being integrated with both iHanoi and VNeID, allowing healthcare providers to access citizens' medical histories more efficiently while supporting the development of a centralized health database.
To improve digital inclusion, Ha Noi established community digital support teams in communes and residential areas under the Ministry of Public Security's "Digital Literacy for All" movement. Comprising digitally skilled volunteers, these teams assist residents—particularly vulnerable groups—in accessing digital public services.
From August 2026 through the end of 2030, Community Digital Transformation Teams across Ha Noi will receive financial support worth VND2 million (US$77), operational equipment, and capacity-building training to enhance their performance.
100-day push to speed up digital transformation
The Capital also launched a 100-day campaign to accelerate digital transformation, setting targets to improve public services, integrate government databases and boost the digital economy.
The campaign, which began on July 14 and finalize on August 30 under a plan issued by the municipal People's Committee, aims to remove longstanding bottlenecks in data management and digital governance while speeding up the implementation of key digital projects.
Authorities have been instructed to complete all assigned tasks on schedule, with progress measured by tangible outcomes rather than administrative reporting.
A central objective is to build a shared citywide database by cleaning, standardising and integrating data from multiple sectors, including public investment, businesses, land administration, planning, construction, healthcare, education and public administration.
