At the one-stop service center of the People's Committee of Ngoc Chien commune, Son La province, Ms. Vang Thi Pang from Pu Danh village came to register her child's birth. Contrary to her initial worries, after just a few minutes of guidance from the staff and filling out the information on the computer at the public service counter, her application was accepted and processed on the same day. Immediately after receiving her child's birth certificate, with a joyful expression, Ms. Pang said: "I find the procedures much more convenient now; the staff are very helpful, and there's no longer the long wait like before."

The small story in Ngoc Chien commune illustrates the significant changes in the province's administrative reform efforts in recent times, especially after the implementation of the two-tiered local government system. Son La is gradually realizing its goal of building a service-oriented administration, with citizens and businesses at its center.

2025 is a pivotal year as Son La province, along with other provinces and cities nationwide, officially implements the two-tiered local government model. In the third quarter alone, the Provincial People's Committee issued several important documents, including the Son La Provincial Administrative Reform Plan for 2025, clearly assigning responsibilities to each department, sector, and locality. As a result, the province has completed 50 out of 72 tasks, achieving nearly 70% of the plan. Propaganda, inspection, and supervision have been carried out synchronously, creating widespread impact.

With the goal of "Reforming administrative procedures, using satisfaction as a measure," the province has clearly identified the need to accelerate administrative procedure reform. Accordingly, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2160/QD-UBND announcing the list of procedures that can be received and processed regardless of administrative boundaries. This means that people anywhere in the province can complete the procedures, without being bound by the boundaries of communes or districts. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Cong, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, said: The province has issued directives to departments, agencies, and organizations on accelerating administrative procedure reform. Among these, the issues of greatest concern to businesses and individuals are those related to land and mineral procedures. The province has resolutely directed that these procedures must be resolved according to regulations, without causing inconvenience, delays, or affecting organizations and individuals.

From the beginning of the year until now, the entire province has received more than 88,300 applications, resolving more than 83,800, achieving a timely completion rate of over 99%. Notably, the province received and processed 87 complaints and suggestions from citizens, publicly disclosing the results on the electronic system. This is a step forward in transparency, contributing to strengthening people's trust in the government. However, the online payment rate is only about 30%, indicating the need for further solutions to promote digital habits among citizens and businesses.

Therefore, in implementing the Central Government's policy, Son La province has carried out a large-scale administrative restructuring, reducing the number of commune-level units from 200 to 75; 12 districts have been merged and transitioned to a two-tiered government model. Along with this, mass organizations and public service units have also been significantly streamlined, with the number of public service units decreasing from 715 to 688. Regarding the civil servant staffing target for 2025, it is 5,124 people, of which nearly 3,800 are at the commune level. The province has streamlined more than 1,100 civil servants and 128 public employees in a short period of time. This is a decisive step, demonstrating the spirit of "reducing personnel, increasing efficiency," while also ensuring social welfare policies for redundant staff.

The People's Committee of Son La province has approved numerous job position schemes, guided communes and wards in identifying civil servant positions, and organized 91 training courses for nearly 7,000 trainees. The computer skills of officials generally meet the requirements, but due to the new two-tiered model, many commune-level officials are still struggling and need more time to improve. This is why the province is paying special attention to training digital skills and online document processing for grassroots civil servants.

Viewing digital transformation as a breakthrough driving force, the province has so far digitized over 90% of administrative procedure documents and over 93% of document processing results; and issued and renewed thousands of digital certificates for organizations and individuals. The province's smart operation center is operating and connecting data from departments, agencies, and commune/ward People's Committees, ensuring the principle of "accuracy, completeness, cleanliness, and relevance".

Full-process online public services are developing rapidly, with over 25,000 applications submitted online, accounting for nearly 81%. This is a positive sign, affirming the effectiveness of e-government moving towards digital government.