Operating a two-tiered government model: Untangling the knots for sustainable development.

July 1st, 2025, marks a major turning point in the organization of the new commune-level administrative apparatus under the two-tiered government model nationwide.

For Quynh Mai ward, the newly established administrative unit was formed by merging four old units: Mai Hung, Quynh Xuan, and Quynh Phuong wards, and Quynh Lien commune. This represents not only a change in geographical boundaries, population, and development space (nearly 80km², nearly 58,000 inhabitants), but also an urgent need for innovation in leadership thinking, methods of guidance, and modern social governance.

The new organizational structure must aim for synchronization, streamlining, effectiveness, and efficiency, not simply a consolidation of geographical areas and personnel. The Party Committee of Quynh Mai Ward clearly defines its overarching guiding principle as building a strong sense of unity and cohesion throughout the entire political system, from thinking to action. The Party Committee must truly be the center of comprehensive leadership, proactively issuing practical thematic resolutions, and effectively exercising its role in inspection, supervision, and comprehensive development orientation for the locality.

In the new model, ward authorities must shift strongly from "management" to "service," from purely administrative to creating a development environment. Administrative management needs to be open and transparent, using the satisfaction of citizens and businesses as a measure. At the same time, the role of the Fatherland Front and other political and social organizations must be effectively promoted to bring policies to the people in a timely and effective manner.

To realize that goal, Quynh Mai ward focuses on arranging and assigning civil servants according to their abilities and strengths; especially selecting talented individuals to fill key positions, crucial areas, and strategic tasks of the locality. Besides organizational arrangements, the Party committee also requires civil servants to uphold a strong sense of self-learning and self-improvement, possessing solid professional skills, good digital skills, and especially the ability to organize and implement tasks in a large area with a dense population and diverse public service needs. It is impossible to manage a large ward effectively if the administrative apparatus is stagnant, thinking is outdated, or there is a lack of innovation.

The ward has also identified the key task of building a digital administration, a digital society, and digital citizens. The goal is that by 2030, each household will have at least one person who knows how to use technology to access administrative services.

With a sense of responsibility, determination, and a strong commitment to innovation and creativity from the political system, and with the consensus of the people, Quynh Mai ward is moving towards a new path of development with many breakthroughs and sustainability, based on effectively exploiting its potential in areas such as coastal tourism, spiritual culture, trade and services, and clean, high-quality agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. The goal is to build Quynh Mai ward into a civilized, modern, and sustainably developed urban area by 2030.

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The merger of administrative units and the operation of a two-tiered government model is a major shift, marking a comprehensive reform of the organizational structure of commune-level governments. As individuals directly involved in preparing for the operation of the new government, we understand both the immediate challenges and the need to proactively overcome them to avoid being caught off guard during the transition.

Firstly, the grassroots political system in its initial stages could not operate smoothly because some officials and civil servants at the commune and village levels were not yet able to keep pace with the operation of the two-tiered government system. Furthermore, the infrastructure supporting the operation of the apparatus also did not meet the requirements.

The workload at the newly established communes is particularly heavy; previously, there was an intermediate level – the district level – providing guidance and direction, but now all the work has been concentrated at the commune level, requiring them to "think for themselves, decide for themselves, do it themselves, and take responsibility for it." Meanwhile, the qualifications and capabilities of the staff and civil servants are not uniform or consistent; those transferred from the district may lack grassroots experience, while those already at the commune level may not have sufficient capacity to fulfill the specialized tasks delegated from the district to the commune.

Based on proactively anticipating difficulties and challenges, and to effectively respond to and operate the new apparatus, the Party Committee and government of Yen Trung commune have developed scientific and clear working regulations and rules, assigning responsibility to each organization, department, and individual. This avoids the situation where "those who are capable are overloaded, while those who are incompetent are idle," affecting the progress and quality of leadership, direction, and management in carrying out political tasks, especially serving the people and businesses, including the handling of administrative procedures.

Local authorities also require officials and civil servants to proactively conduct in-depth research in their assigned professional fields, ensuring a firm grasp and thorough understanding of the Party's policies, the State's laws, and the local realities in order to effectively advise and implement professional tasks, especially handling the affairs of the people, including difficult and sensitive areas such as investment, finance, land, resources, and environment…

The commune also focuses on training and developing professional skills, information technology skills, digital transformation, and public relations skills, while simultaneously monitoring, evaluating, and selecting personnel to ensure smooth operation and effective service to citizens and businesses.

Building on a stable administrative structure, Yen Trung commune is focusing on comprehensively reviewing and assessing the potential of the three former communes: Hung Yen Nam, Hung Yen Bac, and Hung Trung (Hung Nguyen district) to connect and consolidate strengths, and build a breakthrough development strategy for the new term 2025-2030. The key development direction in Yen Trung commune prioritizes the development of industry, services and trade, and high-tech agriculture; focusing on improving the quality of life for the people; and building a modern, people-oriented, and people-serving government.

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In just one day, the two-tiered administrative model will officially be implemented in Quy Hop commune – the newly formed administrative unit from the merger of four units: Chau Quang, Chau Dinh, Tho Hop, and Quy Hop town. This is a major initiative aimed at streamlining the administrative apparatus and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of government operations. However, it also presents numerous challenges given the large geographical area, diverse population, and uneven infrastructure conditions.

One of the pressing issues is how to meet the needs of people, especially in remote villages, for public services and procedures. Quy Hop district has identified digital transformation as a breakthrough direction and a key solution to better serve the people in the new context. However, the effectiveness of digital transformation largely depends on people's access to these services, and ethnic minorities still face many limitations in digital skills.

In light of this situation, the local solution is to leverage the role of community technology groups – the core force that goes door-to-door, guiding people through each step of the process – to support them in using online public services. Simultaneously, they organize basic digital skills training courses, prioritizing youth union members and village officials, to form a network of digital communicators at the grassroots level.

In addition, the locality is stepping up investment in digital infrastructure, expanding internet coverage, building a Public Administrative Service Center, providing equipment to support citizens at the "one-stop" service counter, and integrating many essential services into the digital platform.

A key priority for Quy Hop commune is building a team of capable officials and civil servants to manage a large area with a large population, while also effectively carrying out public relations, propaganda, administrative management, and handling practical situations.

The process of reviewing and assigning the "right person to the right job" is carried out rigorously, linked to intensive training courses on management and operational skills, administrative procedures, and the application of digital technology. The employee evaluation mechanism will be based on work performance and citizen satisfaction, creating a fair and transparent working environment and fostering a spirit of dedication.

With thorough preparation and a spirit of innovation, Quy Hop commune expects to create a breakthrough in the operation of the two-tiered government system, promote comprehensive digital transformation, develop sustainable socio-economic conditions, preserve national cultural identity, and ensure national defense and security in the area.

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Through monitoring information from newspapers and local propaganda, I learned that Nghi An commune (Vinh City) will be merged with Ha Huy Tap, Nghi Phu, and Nghi Duc wards to form Vinh Phu ward - a new administrative unit. At the same time, a two-tiered government model will be implemented, eliminating the intermediate city level.

I completely agree with this policy. This is a necessary step to streamline the administrative apparatus, reduce administrative costs, and allocate more resources to investment and development, directly serving the people. The free tuition for students from preschool to high school, and the ongoing research into policies to support medical examinations and treatment, have greatly encouraged the public. This shows that streamlining the administrative apparatus can bring tangible benefits to the people if it is organized and operated systematically and effectively.

From a citizen's perspective, the most anticipated outcome is that with the elimination of the district level, people will receive services right at the commune level, eliminating the need to travel long distances for administrative procedures. Now, obtaining land titles, business licenses, or handling land-related matters, household registration, etc., if resolved locally, would be incredibly convenient, saving both time and money. Furthermore, policies from the central and provincial governments, bypassing intermediaries, will reach citizens more quickly, accurately, and consistently.

The establishment of a new administrative unit with a large geographical area, a large population, and a heavy workload will also pose a significant challenge for the commune government. Therefore, I expect the selected officials and civil servants to be truly responsible, honest, close to the people, understand the people, and fulfill their responsibilities to the people correctly and completely. If officials are not impartial or are negligent, the people will face many more difficulties, especially in complex matters such as issuing land use right certificates - an area that still has many obstacles.