During the discussion, 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. 

The research group from the UNDP in Viet Nam and IPS identified five key issues regarding the user-friendliness of provincial ESP. These include inadequate features for implementing end-to-end ESPs, suboptimal the processes for conducting administrative procedures on the electronic platform, challenges in connecting data, user accounts, and interfaces between central and local ESP systems; difficulty in accessing ESPs for visually impaired individuals and ethnic minorities; and insufficient commitment to protecting personal data and ensuring information security.

The test results for the “Issuance of Judicial Records Certificate” service further confirmed the aforementioned issues. Among the findings, 26 ESPs required users to submit original documents for verification, even if scanned or online copies were provided. Additionally, 24 ESPs did not offer online delivery of the certificate and instead required users to choose between receiving the result by mail or in person at the receiving agency. Notably, 17 ESPs demanded online payments before accepting documents.

Furthermore, the in-depth analysis of 200 user feedback and recommendations on the National ESP revealed numerous limitations technology, human resources, and processes. Technical issues included faulty ESPs; difficulties submitting, updating, and providing additional documents, and viewing application status; inability to make online payments, and rejected digital signatures. Human-related shortcomings included officials returning applications without sufficient reasons, failure to explain or guide citizens when applications were incorrect, delayed response times on hotlines, officials lacking clarity about the processes, and inappropriate attitudes from officials. Process and procedural limitations include delays in application acceptance, requests for online applicants to provide additional documents in person, and unclear processes for online submission, acceptance, return, and rejection of applications.

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. Additionally, the report recommends involving groups of people with disabilities in evaluating the user experience of ESPs. 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.