The significance of Hanoi's 100-day campaign to implement key digital transformation tasks lies not in the number of software programs deployed or documents digitized, but in a more important test: whether technology truly improves the service delivery system, makes the city operate more intelligently, and allows citizens to more clearly perceive the benefits of digital transformation.
Hanoi City People's Committee's Plan No. 277/KH-UBND dated July 14, 2026, on the implementation of a 100-day intensive campaign to carry out key tasks in digital transformation, sets out a very clear requirement: to remove bottlenecks in data, public services, and digital infrastructure; to accelerate the construction of a shared database; and to improve the efficiency of digital government and the digital economy. However, the greater significance of these 100 days lies not in the number of software programs deployed or documents digitized, but in a more crucial test: whether technology truly makes the service system better, the city operate smarter, and citizens more clearly perceive the benefits of digital transformation.
100 days - a test of organizational implementation capacity.
In digital transformation, the gap between sound policy and actual results often lies not in a lack of technology, but in the capacity for implementation. Therefore, Hanoi's implementation of the 100-day intensive campaign under Plan No. 277 is significant primarily because it creates a new pace of action, forcing tasks to be quantified, linked to specific products, deadlines, and responsibilities.
The plan directly addresses existing bottlenecks in the digital transformation process: data remains fragmented and its quality is not guaranteed to be "accurate, complete, clean, and active"; data connectivity, sharing, and reuse are limited; information systems and digital platforms are fragmented in some areas; and the quality of online public services is uneven. These are all very real issues. If they are not resolved, digital transformation is likely to stall at "digital islands" - each place using its own software, each agency using its own database, citizens still having to repeatedly provide the same information, and officials still having to process multiple layers of procedures as before.
Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo identified the development of science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation as a top priority breakthrough, while emphasizing that the people and businesses are the central focus, the main source of resources, and the driving force. Placing Plan 277 in this spirit, it's clear that the 100-day period should not be simply understood as a technical acceleration campaign, but rather as a review and renewal of the capital's governance methods. Notably, at the thematic session on digital transformation in the political system on July 30, 2026, General Secretary and President To Lam requested "tightening implementation discipline, clearly defining responsibilities, and evaluating based on outputs." This directive is very close to the spirit that Hanoi is setting out in Plan 277: shifting from talking extensively about tasks to measuring results, products, and specific responsibilities.
Hanoi is a megacity with a large population, high density of administrative transactions, and a very complex infrastructure and socio -economic relationship. Therefore, if digital transformation is successful in Hanoi, its value lies not only in facilitating individual administrative procedures, but also in upgrading the city's overall governance capacity: from transportation, environment, healthcare, and education to planning, social welfare, and urban space management.
The key takeaway is that digital transformation demands a different approach: instead of reporting progress by the number of documents, meetings, or software purchased, it needs to be measured by usable products, shareable data, and specific problems solved. When data truly becomes the "production tool" of urban governance, each government decision can be more evidence-based, more responsive, and resources allocated more accurately.
In that sense, 100 days is a test of organizational capacity for implementation. A smart city is not the city with the most applications, but rather the city that knows how to use technology to better understand the city, predict problems earlier, and serve its citizens more effectively.
Don't "digitize the hassle".
After a peak period of digital transformation, we can have many indicators to evaluate: the percentage of online applications, the amount of data cleaned, the processing time, the number of connected platforms, or the level of cost savings. These indicators are all necessary. But if we had to choose a final measure, I believe it should be the extent of change that people actually feel in their daily lives.
Do citizens have to re-enter information that government agencies already have? Do they still have to carry multiple paper documents to various locations? Has waiting time actually decreased, or has it simply shifted from queuing at counters to waiting online? Will a report about flooding, traffic congestion, or pollution be detected and processed more quickly through a data system? These are the questions that reveal the extent to which digital transformation has integrated into daily life.
The most important thing to avoid is transforming a cumbersome paper-based administrative process into a cumbersome screen-based process. If previously citizens had to fill out 10 forms manually, and today they still have to re-enter those 10 forms into an electronic portal, then we have only changed the means, not the way of governing. This could be called "digitizing the hassle," and this is precisely what digital transformation must overcome.
Therefore, digitalization must begin with redesigning processes. Information that the State already possesses should not be required from citizens. Unnecessary intermediaries must be eliminated. Procedures that can be interconnected must be genuinely interconnected. Data must be shared according to regulations to serve the people, and cannot continue to be fragmented by administrative boundaries between agencies. This is also a requirement emphasized by General Secretary and President To Lam at the July 30, 2026 session: for information and data that are already available and can be exploited and reused, "citizens and businesses should not be required to declare or provide them again." A short directive, but one that hits the core of digital reform: data should help reduce the workload for citizens, not create more.
Behind the technological issue lies a deeper problem: the mindset of the staff. Digital transformation only creates a service-oriented administration when public officials shift from a "file management" mindset to a "problem-solving" mindset; from a mentality where each agency holds only a portion of the information to a responsibility to share data; and from the idea that "citizens need government agencies" to the understanding that "government agencies have a responsibility to serve the people."
Plan 277 emphasizes the need for clear tasks, clear responsibilities, clear outputs, and clear timelines. This spirit is crucial because a digital administration cannot operate effectively if responsibilities remain vague. Technology allows us to track progress, measure processing time, and identify bottlenecks more accurately; but it is the people who must take responsibility for improving these indicators.
Also in the aforementioned conclusion, the General Secretary and President requested that the task be considered completed only when there is a concrete, operational product, verifiable data, a target audience, and tangible results. For Hanoi, this should be a consistent principle for monitoring after 100 days: not just ask what has been done, but also answer what changes have been made in the quality of service to the people and the effectiveness of urban governance.
From this perspective, digital transformation is first and foremost a transformation of mindset, followed by a transformation of technology. Software can be purchased, infrastructure can be invested in, but it is the service culture, execution discipline, and willingness to take responsibility that determine whether technology creates value.
A digital city must be an inclusive and humane city.
Another issue that cannot be overlooked is that the faster we move towards digital transformation, the more we must pay attention to those at risk of being left behind. The elderly, people with disabilities, those in disadvantaged circumstances, and those with limited smartphone use or digital skills may face significant obstacles as public services shift heavily to online environments.
Without careful design, technology can create a new "digital divide." Those who need support the most could become the most inaccessible. Therefore, digital transformation should not be about shifting responsibility from government agencies to citizens, nor should it automatically require all citizens to become technology experts in order to exercise their rights and fulfill their obligations.
The consistent principle is that technology must adapt to people, not that people should chase after technology. Digital services must be simple, intuitive, and easy to use; minimizing the number of operations and data re-entry requirements. Direct support points at the grassroots level must be maintained, especially in communes, wards, and residential areas. Community digital technology teams, youth union members, students, and volunteers can continue to play the role of a "digital bridge," supporting the elderly and those unfamiliar with the digital environment.
Along with infrastructure investment, Hanoi needs to consider the popularization of digital skills as an essential social infrastructure. A citizen who knows how to use online public services, protect personal data, identify fraud, and utilize digital tools that are useful for work, study, and healthcare is also a component of a smart city.
At a higher level, cities need to leverage data to solve complex urban problems. A well-connected traffic data system not only helps process records faster but can also help regulate traffic flow. Environmental data should not only serve reporting purposes but also provide early warning of pollution. Population, health, education, and social welfare data, when managed safely and legally, can help policies reach the right target groups and reduce unnecessary social costs.
This is also the time to address the issue of digital trust. People are only willing to use digital platforms when they believe their personal data is protected, transactions are secure, and their feedback is handled responsibly. Therefore, rapid development must go hand in hand with ensuring information security, safety, and accountability. Public trust is not a "byproduct" of digital transformation; it is a condition for successful digital transformation.
Hanoi is facing a great opportunity to use digital transformation to create a new development model: more modern yet closer to the people; smarter yet more humane; data-driven governance but never forgetting that people are at the center. When an elderly person can complete procedures without fear of technology; when a business no longer has to repeatedly provide the same information; when a community problem is detected and resolved faster thanks to data; when officials know exactly their responsibilities in each stage of their work – these are the most vivid images of digital transformation.
Therefore, after 100 days, the important thing is not how many more software programs or how many documents are uploaded online. The most important question remains: do citizens find life more convenient, do businesses find the operating environment more transparent and efficient, and does the government better address the complex problems of a city with over ten million people?
The ultimate measure of digital transformation is not how "digital" the government has become, but how much the people have benefited. If we maintain that metric, Plan 277 and the 100-day campaign will not only create an acceleration in technology, but could also become a significant shift in the governance culture of the capital city.
---
Dieser Artikel ist neu veröffentlicht von / This article is republished from: Vietnam.vn, 05.10.2026
Bitte besuchen Sie/Please visit:
