Digital Government Development Program: The goal of building a smart government powered by data and AI

The Digital Government Development Program recently approved by the Prime Minister aims to form a smart government based on big data and artificial intelligence by 2030, aiming to provide inclusive and personalized digital services and improve national governance efficiency.

Digital government helps save time and resources for the Government effectively.

On December 1, 2025, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung signed Decision 2629/QD-TTg approving the Digital Government Development Program, opening up an overall framework for transforming the administrative apparatus' operating model to one based on data and AI.

According to the program's orientation, the digital service ecosystem must be designed to be inclusive, with people and businesses at the center. Users are not only the service objects but also the subjects participating in co-creating digital services. The biggest goal is to build a digital environment in which "no one is left behind", public services are organized in a unified and consistent manner from the central to local levels.

Along with that, the Program requires comprehensive transformation of state agencies: Consulting activities, work processing, internal administration, direction and operation must all rely on real-time data. Existing information systems and platforms will continue to be inherited but must be reorganized in a synchronous and interconnected direction between government levels, avoiding fragmentation, dispersion and wasted investment.

Regarding infrastructure, the program aims to develop a synchronous, modern and safe digital infrastructure, focusing on building large-scale data centers according to green standards, linked to national energy planning. Along with that is the completion of national digital platforms and shared digital platforms for each industry and field according to a centralized, unified, shared model nationwide and deployed throughout the province and commune levels.

Another important content is the development of digital data, considering data as a strategic resource of the Digital Government. The program prioritizes the construction, upgrading and effective exploitation of national databases, specialized databases and shared databases according to the principles of "correct, sufficient, clean, alive, unified, shared". At the same time, it promotes open data to increase transparency, enhance accountability and create motivation for innovation.

The program also strongly encourages public-private partnership models so that domestic digital technology enterprises can deeply participate in the process of building platforms and applications serving the digital government. Vietnam will expand international cooperation to acquire standards, good models and advanced experiences in this field.

A highlight of the Program is the AI-First orientation, prioritizing the application of artificial intelligence in providing online public services throughout the process to improve efficiency, transparency and personalize user experience. AI will be strongly deployed to smarten business processes, optimize resources and support decision-making based on big data analysis, towards a proactive and predictive Government model.

The program aims to complete the construction of a digital government by 2030, forming a smart government operating on the basis of big data and artificial intelligence; a system of state agencies operating on centralized digital platforms, connected vertically and horizontally. Requirements on cybersecurity, personal data protection and digital sovereignty are given top priority throughout the entire implementation process.

Regarding specific targets, in the 2025-2027 period, 100% of public services must be provided online throughout the entire process for eligible procedures, 95% of people and businesses must be satisfied; 100% of documents related to production and business must be provided only once; 100% of work records (except confidential records) must be processed in the electronic environment and use personal digital signatures. In the 2028-2030 period, the satisfaction rate must reach 99%; 50% of essential public services must be actively supported by AI throughout the life cycle; 100% of administrative procedure records must be digitized; at least 80% of digitized data must be re-exploited.

In the data governance pillar, the goal for the 2025–2027 period is that 100% of ministries, branches and localities must reach level 3 in data governance maturity, and from 2028–2030 must reach level 4, of which 90% must reach level 5. Each agency must use at least one AI application for direction and administration; 25% of leaders must have appropriate knowledge of science, technology and digital transformation; all information systems serving the digital government must be assessed, approved for cybersecurity and periodically inspected.

To achieve these goals, the Program sets out 9 key groups of tasks: Perfecting institutions; developing digital data; building digital applications and platforms; developing digital government infrastructure; ensuring cyber security; training digital human resources; international cooperation; ensuring financial resources; and establishing a measurement, monitoring and evaluation mechanism. In particular, digitizing all records and results of administrative procedure settlement, publishing open data according to standards, standardizing and putting qualified data on the Data Exchange and promoting the formation of a transparent data market are considered key solutions to ensure effective and sustainable digital transformation.

Center for Science and Technology Communication

Source: https://mst.gov.vn/chuong-trinh-phat-trien-chinh-phu-so-muc-tieu-xay-dung-chinh-phu-thong-minh-van-hanh-bang-du-lieu-va-ai-197251202051915596.htm