Risk of ministries and provinces not completing digital data targets

Digital transformationwould not be possible without data. Data is considered a resource, an asset, a “land of new space”; a raw material, fuel, as well as a product of the digital transformation process, the development of digital government, digital economy and digital society.

The National Committee on National Digital Transformation has identified 2023 as the year of creating and exploiting data to create new values, with the key tasks of digitizing, building, connecting, and sharing data between ministries, branches, and localities; protecting personal data; exploiting and using data to increasingly better serve people and businesses.

In the 2023 work plan, the National Committee on Digital Transformation has clearly stated 8 important targets on digital data that need to be achieved, such as: 100% of ministries, branches and localities issue a list of databases under their management and a specific plan and roadmap for building and deploying databases in the list; 100% of ministries, branches and localities issue a plan on open data, including a list of open data, publishing open data of state agencies under their management and the minimum level to be achieved in each stage of the plan; providing open data for the first time according to the plan.

Along with that, over 30% of ministries, branches and localities deploy a platform for analyzing and processing aggregated data at the ministry and provincial levels, with artificial intelligence applications to optimize operations; 100% of ministries, branches and localities deploy the electronic data warehouse function of organizations and individuals on the administrative procedure settlement information system at the ministry and provincial levels so that people and businesses only have to provide information once to state agencies when performing online public services...

Also in the above plan, the National Committee on Digital Transformation has set out a roadmap for implementing key actions in the National Digital Data Year on a monthly basis, from April to December, focusing on the following main topics: Open data, specialized databases; data analysis and processing; data management; data human resources; national data infrastructure; data connection and sharing; personal data protection.

Assessing digital data, at the conference to review digital transformation in the first 6 months of 2023, the Ministry of Information and Communications - the Standing Agency of the National Committee on National Digital Transformation, said that in recent times, national databases have prioritized deployment, connection, and sharing to serve basic and essential services for people and businesses, improving the efficiency of management, direction, and operation based on data, which have been promoted by ministries and branches. Notably, the national population database; insurance database; national electronic civil status database; national database on business registration; national database on cadres, civil servants, and public employees.

Along with that, the connection and sharing of data through the National Data Integration and Sharing Platform - NDXP has continued to be promoted.

In the July digital transformation report, the Ministry of Information and Communications said that the NDXP platform has connected to the systems of 90 agencies and units; 9 databases and 14 information systems ranging from central to local levels. As of July 31, 2023, the total number of transactions conducted through NDXP in July 2023 reached over 41 million, bringing the total number of transactions in the first 7 months of this year to over 333.8 million, with an average of about 1.59 million transactions conducted through NDXP every day. Since its launch, the total number of transactions conducted through NDXP has reached over 1.41 billion.

In the past, the NDXP platform has also supported the completion of connecting the national database on cadres, civil servants, and public employees with the systems of ministries, branches, and localities; connecting the online social assistance policy registration and settlement system with the systems of 57 localities.

However, according to the assessment of the standing agency of the National Committee on Digital Transformation, one of the limitations is that the sharing and opening of data by state agencies has not yet been fully effective.

Notably, in the document urging ministries, branches and localities to implement the tasks of the National Digital Data Year, the Ministry of Information and Communications said that through synthesizing the current implementation status, the Ministry found that the implementation results of ministries, branches and localities are still very low compared to the target set for 2023.

With this current situation, the Ministry of Information and Communications recognizes the risk that ministries, branches, and localities will not complete the tasks directed by the Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Committee on Digital Transformation in Decision 17 dated April 4, 2023 of the Committee.

Therefore, the Ministry of Information and Communications requests ministries, branches and localities, based on research and guidance on requirements for digital data targets stated in Decision 17, to urgently direct, organize and complete assigned targets and tasks; and take full responsibility before the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the National Committee on Digital Transformation if the above targets are not completed on time.

Ministries, branches and localities are also requested to study the Thematic Report on connection and data sharing up to the end of June 2023 and organize the implementation of connection and data sharing to serve the processing of administrative procedures, providing online public services, handling specialized operations and directing and operating effectively.

The Ministry of Information and Communications also added that the Ministry will base on the results of implementing the National Digital Data Year tasks to assess the level of digital transformation and evaluate the 2023 administrative reform index of ministries, branches and localities.