Online Public Services: Stories along localities

Policy Stories

Chatbot Not Working: During an IPS survey in a northern coastal province, a civil servant shared: “We have implemented a virtual assistant (chatbot) on the province's DVC portal, but it doesn't work well. If you ask simple questions like 'How many steps to get a birth certificate?', it can answer because the information is available from the documents on the portal. But if you ask something more complex, like 'How do I apply for a birth certificate in Bac Giang if I live in Lang Son?', it freezes and cannot respond."

This story about a chatbot that can't chat properly to assist users is a typical example showing that DVC portals have not yet achieved depth or effectiveness in delivering online public services. As of April 2024, out of 37 DVC portals with chatbots, only 23 were operational, and all they did was retrieve basic information available on the portal. None of the chatbots could answer questions requiring contextual processing. Other tools and features were also not yet specialized, such as file creation or online procedures, which merely converted paper forms to digital forms without optimizing data use to simplify the process. User guides were not helpful, and privacy protection was rudimentary and superficial.

Where Is My File? “When we go there, we can still see the civil servants in person. If we have any questions, we can ask directly and know if the file has been submitted or not. But when submitting online, we don’t know where our file is, whether it’s been accepted, when it will be completed, or who to ask…” This statement from a resident in a central coastal province reflects the concerns of many others across the country, as revealed during the survey.

The worry about Where Is My File? clearly highlights a major issue regarding the lack of transparency in delivering online public services. In many cases, users are unsure of the progress of their application, why it is delayed, when it will be completed, and who is responsible if issues arise. The inability to “track” the administrative process on DVC portals is one of the main reasons people prefer to handle procedures in person at the one-stop shop. They feel safer and more confident submitting documents in person, as they can ask questions, exchange information, and provide additional details to the civil servant. Additionally, many DVC portals have other weaknesses, such as incomplete contact information for relevant agencies, difficulty finding administrative procedure search tools, and the absence of feedback from government agencies or satisfaction surveys from users.

Online Files Done In-Person: In the surveyed areas, civil servants responsible for DVCTT across all levels reported overload, particularly at the commune level. Instead of working regular hours, many civil servants mentioned having to work overtime until noon or late afternoon, on weekends, or even at home, not only to guide citizens but also to catch up with daily work that had not been completed. This was largely due to the increasing number of online applications, many of which citizens could not complete themselves on DVC portals. Civil servants not only guided users but also had to fill out and submit applications on their behalf, resulting in a low rate of online submissions.

In-person submission of online files is more common than official statistics show. This reflects the inefficiency of online public services and the failure to meet the ultimate goal of providing convenience for users, especially those living in remote areas far from administrative centers.

Moreover, due to the need for assistance, the time to complete an application is significantly longer. When citizens submit in person, it takes about 15-20 minutes to complete a file, but online submission can take about an hour. A civil servant said: “If done in person, one civil servant can process many files a day, but now online, only 4-5 files can be processed. This drastically reduces the effectiveness of DVCTT in terms of time and the number of completed applications. The processing of online files is slow, affecting both users' work and daily life."

Lost Connection During Submission: In an island district, the Internet connection is unstable, especially during bad weather. Civil servants at the one-stop shop and communes on the island shared that sometimes, just before completing a procedure on the DVC portal, the Internet would be cut off, forcing users to wait until the connection is restored before they can start again. Civil servants themselves often had to take files home and wait until late at night, when Internet access was available, to fill out and submit them on behalf of citizens.

Similar stories have become common in areas with infrastructure challenges, especially in poor communes, mountainous regions, island areas, and places with poor mobile signal coverage. The operation of DVC portals and the delivery of online public services are difficult due to limitations in equipment, Internet connectivity, geographical distance, access to electronic devices, and the ability of both civil servants and citizens to use information technology (IT). According to the Ministry of Information and Communications, by mid-2024, only 256 of the 1,077 communes and hamlets (23.8%) had mobile network coverage. Unstable Internet connections in many areas cause delays in completing files or require users to re-enter information, leading to files not being saved or returned. These issues increase the time needed to process administrative applications compared to the online process.

Complex “Root” Procedures: "I am a civil servant, I read and process many administrative documents every day, but I still struggle and encounter many difficulties when doing online procedures. How much more so for the elderly, people with low education levels, and those who are unfamiliar with the procedures or technology?" This statement was made by a civil servant in charge of monitoring administrative procedures at a provincial People's Committee office in a coastal region. Interestingly, many civil servants at both local and central levels also reported difficulties in doing online procedures, despite being experts who deal with administrative processes and procedures in the digital environment on a daily basis.

Such reflections indicate that the administrative procedures themselves are complex, overlapping, with many layers, intermediaries, and unnecessary documentation requirements. Especially, there is still a tendency to design processes in the traditional in-person manner rather than for the digital environment. This is the root cause of many issues and obstacles in the delivery of online public services today.

Changes from Specific Points to a Digital Mindset

To ensure the above stories are only exceptions in delivering online public services, changes are needed at the DVC portals, in policy, and in mindset.

First, localities can review and improve the errors on DVC portals based on standards, guidelines, and technical instructions for providing online public services. Prioritize improving features and tools that help users complete applications and procedures fully online without having to go in person. Increasing the connection, sharing, and utilization of existing information and data, as well as gradually expanding features, tools, and apps that provide user-friendly online services for smartphones, are practical and feasible solutions that meet the needs of a large number of users.

DVC portals should provide complete contact information, such as emails and phone numbers, for all agencies responsible for delivering online public services, so citizens know who to contact when they need help or want to file complaints. The search tools for information and administrative procedures should be more accessible and user-friendly. Publicizing responses from government agencies to feedback and suggestions, as well as the results of DVCTT evaluations, is something that can be implemented. DVC portals can apply tools similar to those used by delivery apps or ride-hailing services, so users can track the progress of their files.

Second, at the national policy level, practical implementation requires concretizing and fully executing policies from the 2023 Electronic Transactions Law, which aims to lay the foundation for digital transformation, including online public services: the legal value of electronic transactions, data messages, and full electronic transactions. The government can review, streamline, shorten, or eliminate entirely administrative procedures that require citizens to be physically present, allowing them to be completed online. Both public procedures for citizens and internal procedures for government agencies should be simplified by removing unnecessary steps, reducing time limits for processing administrative applications that frequently generate files.

In the long-term direction, consideration can be given to standardizing the provision of online public services at a unified DVC portal, like those in leading e-government countries such as South Korea, the UK, and Australia. To achieve this, many factors need to be reviewed, evaluated, and improved, including regulations, infrastructure capabilities, technology, interoperability, data sharing, the operational capacity of government agencies, and the habits and needs of users.

For these policies to succeed, the mindset behind constructing and implementing public service policies, including online services, should be centered on the principle that “the user is at the center,” with user satisfaction as the key measure. This includes accessibility, ease of use, consistency, continuity, depth, professionalism, and overall effectiveness. Special attention must be given to vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities, the elderly, ethnic minorities, and citizens in remote, mountainous, and island areas.

Finally, the construction and implementation of policies on online public services and administrative procedures should be based on a digital governance mindset. Administrative boundaries for many procedures are no longer relevant, and many previous document and procedural requirements are no longer necessary. A "digital" mindset implies that data, data sharing, and connectivity are the prerequisites for delivering online public services. This approach also requires interaction between governments and citizens on digital platforms, gradually reducing direct interactions between individuals in delivering and using public services.

Nguyen Duc Lam - Institute for Policy Studies and Media Development.