Enhance the User-friendliness and Policies on Promoting E-government Services

This information was presented during the Thematic Discussion titled “First Review of Accessibility and User-friendliness of 63 Provincial E-Service Portals in 2023,” co-hosted by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Viet Nam and the Institute for Policy Studies and Media Development (IPS).

The Thematic Discussion was attended by nearly 200 representatives of the Office of the People’s Committee, the Department of Information and Communications, and the Department of Justice from various provinces and cities across the country. Representatives from the Authority of Information Technology Application, along with many experts, researchers, and the media, were also present.

The research group from the UNDP in Viet Nam and IPS identified five key issues regarding the user-friendliness of provincial ESP. These include:
1. Inadequate features for implementing end-to-end ESPs
2. Suboptimal processes for conducting administrative procedures on the electronic platform
3. Challenges in connecting data, user accounts, and interfaces between central and local ESP systems
4. Difficulty in accessing ESPs for visually impaired individuals and ethnic minorities
5. Insufficient commitment to protecting personal data and ensuring information security.

The report offers two sets of recommendations to enhance the user-friendly and easy-to-use interface of ESPs and improve policies on EGS development. Notably, the report recommends making EGS more accessible for people with disabilities by utilizing automatic scanning tools to review, detect, and improve accessibility for those using screen readers. It is also crucial to enhance data connectivity between the National ESP and provincial ESPs and establish regulations on technical standards for connecting and interoperating e-service delivery systems.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Hong, Chairperson of the Viet Nam Digital Communications Association, acknowledged the Government’s prioritization of EGS in building a digital government. He recommends that the Government, with the National Digital Transformation Committee as the focal point, focus on two key areas: enhancing the provision function for the 25 most essential e-services and improving user experience through more user-friendly and easier-to-use interfaces. “Achieving these goals will help Viet Nam increase its score and accomplish the goal of reaching the top 50 countries in the UN e-Government ranking,” said Mr. Nguyen Minh Hong.

Mr. Patrick Haverman, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Viet Nam, emphasized the importance of making e-services more accessible and usable by citizens, especially those who are being left behind in the digital transformation processes, as highlighted in the 2022 Digital Transformation Index Report.