After a year of operating the two-tier local government model, Dak Lak province is focusing on improving administrative performance. In particular, building a team of capable officials along with civil servants adapting to modern governance methods has been identified as a decisive factor in ensuring the novel system operates effectively and efficiently.

To meet the requirements of the two-tier local government model, building a team of capable officials alongside civil servants has been asserted as a primary task. Therefore, a wide range of solutions has been simultaneously implemented, including: perfecting job positions coupled with competency frameworks; reforming recruitment methods to prioritize practical skills; training and development tailored to the specific requirements of each job position; strengthening cadre rotation; together with accelerating digital transformation (DX) in public administration, etc.

According to the Director of the Department of Internal Affairs, comrade Truong Ngoc Tuan, as of May 4th, 2026, there were provincially 9,230 civil servant positions. Under the novel governance model, officials are expected to move beyond traditional administrative practices toward modern public administration, focusing on serving citizens and businesses; enhancing autonomy, accountability, the ability to handle multi-disciplinary tasks, combined with applying digital technology in public service.

Handling administrative procedures for citizens at the Public Administrative Service Center in Buon Ma Thuot ward.

Following the administrative merger, Tan Lap ward affirmed restructuring the staff as a breakthrough to ensure the smooth, effective, and efficient operation of the apparatus. The Ward Party Committee together with People’s Committee reviewed as well as assigned officials according to job positions aligned with new task requirements; consolidating the apparatus into three multi-disciplinary specialized departments and two specialized units, capable of handling numerous tasks delegated from the district level. Work assignments are carried out according to the “Six-Know” principle: knowing person, knowing task, knowing progress, knowing outcomes, knowing responsibility, and knowing product; simultaneously applying a evaluation system based on output results alongside KPI indicators in a digital environment.

Chairman of Tan Lap Ward People’s Committee, comrade Tran Duc Nhat, said that the locality places special emphasis on training and developing its staff towards enhancing modern management capabilities, DX skills, together with the technological application in performing duties. The introduction of AI virtual assistants to support officials has contributed to shortening the time for processing administrative procedures, improving the advice quality along with public services.

One of the breakthroughs in reforming public administration is to implement the system for evaluating civil servants based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Currently, 100% of the provincial civil servants have been granted accounts to use the system; more than 4,200 job categories and outputs have been developed as a basis for assigning tasks, monitoring, combined with evaluating. From July 1st, 2026, evaluating civil servants based on KPIs was officially deployed, shifting from evaluation primarily based on comments to evaluation based on data, outcomes, along with task performance outcomes.

According to Deputy Head of the Provincial Party Committee’s Organization Department, comrade Nguyen Ba Kim, reforming the civil servant evaluation is one of the key aspects of administrative reform coupled with building a professional, responsible, transparent, alongside efficient public service. Agencies, units, and localities are compiling job descriptions for each position, submitting them to the Provincial Party Committee’s Organization Department in coordination with the Department of Internal Affairs for appraisal coupled with standardization province-wide before integrating them into the evaluation software. Once completed, the Provincial Party Committee’s Organization Department will continue to coordinate with the Department of Internal Affairs and VNPT Dak Lak to operate the system; units will proactively review as well as overcome difficulties to ensure that the evaluation is conducted in accordance with regulations, is substantive, and on schedule.

Translated by TRINH THUY