Administrative reform marks clear progress

The Ministry of Interior’s recent announcement on the Satisfaction Index of Public Administrative Services (SIPAS) and the Public Administration Reform Index for 2025 brings good news for Khanh Hoa province. Both indices have improved, signaling that the administrative system is becoming more efficient and closer to the citizens.

Transactions at the Provincial Public Administrative Service Center.

SIPAS: Among top 10 provinces and cities nationwide

SIPAS is an important tool for comprehensively and objectively assessing the outcomes and impacts of administrative reform. It helps localities identify strengths as well as shortcomings in governance, with citizen satisfaction serving as the ultimate measure of effectiveness. By 2025, nine key policy groups were selected to gauge satisfaction: economic development, medical care, general education, water and electricity supply, social order and safety, road transport, social security, and administrative reform.

Khanh Hoa Province recorded a SIPAS 2025 score of 84.57%, ranking 7th among 34 provinces and cities, a year‑on‑year increase of 0.91% and above the national average of 83.09%. Regarding Public Policy Development and Implementation, the province scored 84.21%, up 1.97%, while Public Service Delivery reached 85.1%, nearly 2% higher than the national average. Notably, almost 91% of surveyed citizens reported no instances of harassment or inconvenience by public officials. These results are especially significant given that national averages in both areas declined compared to 2024.

Staff at the Provincial Public Administrative Service Center guide citizens through the procedures.

PAR Index: ranking 13th nationwide, continuing its upward trend

Khanh Hoa's PAR Index 2025 reached 91.03%, a year-on-year increase of 0.54%, above the national average of 89.96%, ranking 13th among 34 provinces and cities in the group scoring over 90%. The province outperformed the national average in 7 of 8 component indices: leadership and management (up by 3.87%), public finance reform (up by 3.48%), civil service reform (up by 2.25%), digital transformation (up by 1.48%), impact on people and socio‑economic development (up by 1.2%), administrative procedure reform (up by 0.79%), and organizational structure reform (up by 0.29%). These results highlight Khanh Hoa’s strong efforts to enhance the efficiency of its administrative apparatus.

Following the administrative reorganization, Khanh Hoa quickly set up a Steering Committee for science, technology, innovation, digital transformation, and Project 06; pioneered the KPI toolkit to evaluate civil servants; and launched a 30‑day “Paperless Day/Week” campaign tied to public service KPIs and reform goals. The province issued a resolution targeting double‑digit growth for 2025–2030, created a task force to support businesses, prioritized “green lane” application processing, and developed criteria for investment projects in the Van Phong Economic Zone. The launch of the Smart Monitoring and Operating Center marked a major step in digital transformation. By 2025, Khanh Hoa had completed all 47 administrative reform tasks and achieved or exceeded 21 of 22 annual targets.

Assisting citizens in carrying out online administrative procedures at Nha Trang Ward Public Administrative Service Center.

Vo Chi Vuong, Director of the Department of Internal Affairs, emphasized that the 2025 PAR Index and SIPAS reflect citizens’ and businesses’ recognition of improved service quality in Khanh Hoa’s administrative agencies. The results affirm significant progress in reform, digital transformation, and building a service‑oriented administration, while also calling for continued innovation. Going forward, departments will provide consultancy for the Provincial People’s Committee to streamline procedures, reduce delays, and enhance one‑stop service. The province will prioritize support for aging adults and those less familiar with modern technology; strengthen digital government built on data, and foster a citizen-centered professional, responsible service with greater supervision and responsiveness to public feedback as a foundation for better policies and governance.

N.V

Translated by N.T