In the face of the robust developments of information and communication technology, the building of e-Government, digital transformation, in which the development of online public services is an objective and increasingly urgent requirement. Fully aware of this issue, in recent years, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence have always paid great attention to leading and directing the development of this important service and achieved initial results. This is an important basis for agencies and units to actively develop synchronous and practical solutions to improve the quality of military administrative reform.

Online public service on the network environment of the Ministry of National Defence (MND) is responsible for providing administrative procedures to people and businesses online. Fully realising the position and role of this service, MND has adopted many guidelines and solutions to lead and direct the promotion of administrative reform, building an e-Government towards a digital government; promote online public service activities through plans, programs, schemes, etc. To date, MND’s Public Service Portal has reviewed and provided 47 administrative procedures at level 4 (full process) out of a total of 246 administrative procedures that need to be uploaded to the MND’s Public Service Portal by 2025; 100% of online applications are resolved early and on time, the integration rate of level 4 online public services on the National Public Service Portal reaches 88.9%. MND’s public service portal has also provided other utilities, such as: file lookup, statistics, surveys, staff evaluations, questions and answers, instructions, etc., to facilitate people and businesses to carry out online administrative procedures.

In order to overcome the shortcomings and limitations, continue to promote the introduction of administrative procedures in the network environment, meeting the requirements and tasks in the new situation, agencies and units need to focus on directing the synchronous implementation of the following solutions:

Firstly, developing a standard process of online public services, putting people and businesses at the centre, prioritising investment in building essential public services with a large number of users. In the context of increasingly deep and wide globalisation and international integration, it is imperative to be transparent in the implementation of administrative procedures in the network environment, including in the military and defence sectors. At the national level, the Government has issued many documents directing the application of the quality management system in order to transparently process processes and responsibilities, and improve management efficiency in the field of administrative procedures. In the field of military and national defence, MND has issued decisions on the quality management system framework model according to national standards TCVN ISO 9001: 2008, ISO 9001: 2015 in the Army and for the Provincial Military Command and Provincial Border Guard; hold many training courses, refresher courses, update and improve knowledge on building and applying the quality management system in the whole army and publish documents instructing the implementation according to ISO 9001:2015. At the same time, a standard process has been developed in the implementation of online public services in a transparent and convenient manner. Accordingly, users can see their records at each stage and step when the competent authorities are handling. What’s more, the connection and smoothness between agencies and units in handling administrative procedures in the network environment have been maintained.

In developing a standard process, the motto that puts people and businesses at the centre is reflected in the full implementation of steps, such as: surveying, collecting opinions, building simulations, drawing feedback of people and businesses, and putting online public service provision into practice. Thereby, agencies and units providing MND’s online public services will know the issues people and businesses are more concerned about, the shortcomings in each stage and step during the implementation of the online public service, as the basis for building standard procedures. Regularly review and classify administrative procedures with a large number of records, essential areas for building plans, processes and publicising suitable administrative procedures in network environment, with consideration to the specificity of military and defence activities.

Second, building a synchronised, modern, convenient and user-friendly online public service system. Along with developing the e-Government towards a digital Government, over the past time, MND has directed to strengthen the construction of systems to administrative procedures in the network environment, meeting the requirements of doing administrative procedures of people and businesses. Building an electronic information system in the inter-connected, integrated, unified, synchronous and modern directions, taking the MND’s Public Service Portal and the MND’s electronic one-stop information system, the MND’s Portal as the centre to build a "decentralised data sharing and connection platform that meets security and transparency requirements"; promoting the application of information technology and public service software on the cloud computing platform, meeting the current requirements and regulations of the Government and the Ministry. Diversify means and forms of online public service provision via mobile phones, computers,...; via social platforms, such as: Facebook, Zalo,…; strictly implementing safety solutions, not revealing or leaking military and defence secrets. 

Third, promoting propaganda and raising awareness of the whole army and people about online public services. Party committees and commanders of agencies and units need to direct the promotion of information and communication on the implementation of administrative procedures in the network environment, the construction of e-Government, towards a digital Government in MND, etc. to all officers and staff, thereby raising their awareness and responsibility in handling administrative procedures in the network environment. MND’s web portal should cooperate closely with websites and portals in the whole army, and press agencies inside and outside the Army to continue to promote propaganda of the Party's and Government's directive documents, programs and plans to build an e-Government towards a Digital Government of MND to make cadres and employees understand the meaning, importance, tasks, and roadmap for online public service and the benefits that online public services bring to people, businesses and the country. Closely combining forms of propaganda, make the most of information technology and applications on social platforms so that people and businesses understand the steps and procedures for carrying out administrative procedures in the network environment, especially the publicity of the process of handling administrative procedures of the authorities. Regularly hold refresher courses and training courses at agencies and units, and cooperate with schools in the Army to equip them with knowledge and develop skills on building e-Government and handling administrative procedures in the electronic environment. The Steering Committee on administrative reform and e-Government building towards Digital Government at all levels, and the functional agencies must regularly inspect, supervise and learn from the limitations and shortcomings in a timely manner; promptly reward and replicate good and creative practices in performing online public services. In addition, focusing on training and fostering human resources in administrative reform and e-Government building as a basis for performing the task of handling administrative procedures in the electronic environment; regularly upgrade the system in the direction of unity, modernity, connectivity, smoothness, and ensure network security and safety. 

Improving the efficiency of online public service delivery in the network environment is an inevitable trend, an important content in administrative reform, building e-Government, towards a Digital Government in the MND. Therefore, MND’s functional agencies and Party committees and commanders of agencies and units need to actively research, deploy and apply the measures flexibly and appropriately, contributing to speeding up the process of building the Army revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern, meeting the requirements of tasks in the new situation.

Major General, Dr. NGUYEN VAN CHINH, Vice Chief of the Office of the Central Military Commission - Office of the Ministry of National Defence