An app providing solutions for the improvement of public administration services has won the Youth Digital Citizen Challenge 2021 launched by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Hanoi, the Hanoi Students’ Association, and the Hanoi Youth Palace. The UNDP is committed to supporting an inclusive and people-centred digital journey. The youth of Vietnam have the skills, knowledge, innovation, and devotion to supporting local governments in this process, helping the country to achieve its targets and the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
According to a news report, UNDP Vietnam announced last week, the winning app helps identify citizens’ needs and recommend suitable public services. The second prize went to a team that developed a solution to promote access to e-public services for the blind in the public service area. The third was awarded to a team from their platform for doctor and patient management to resolve overload, reduce waiting time for patients, and arrange effective working schedules for doctors.
An Inspiration Award was given to another team for their digital solution that allows receiving and handling people’s questions when using public services. The report said that it has the potential to make meaningful impacts on the community. Held between mid-July and mid-August, the competition encouraged young people aged 18-30 to create a solution package, including a technology product or service, or a communication strategy, to boost the quality of e-public services in Hanoi.
Aiming to engage young people in designing better digital solutions and services, it has attracted Vietnamese youths from 16 cities and provinces across Vietnam as well as those working and studying in the US, Italy, and Japan. Eighty entries were sent to the competition, covering five topics – public services, education, health, business support, natural resources, and the environment. The three winning teams received cash rewards of up to VND70 million (US$3,040) in total and a three-month incubation.
Vietnam has risen from 99th place to 86th place among 193 nations in the E-Government Development Index (EGDI) of the United Nations, from 2014 to 2020, which reflected the country’s efforts in digital transformation. To achieve the ambitious goals set in the National Digital Transformation Programme until 2025, to become one of the top 70 nations in the EGDI, Vietnam will need to work harder to ensure that all citizens engage in digital transformation and effectively use its achievements.
As part of efforts to implement the programme, ministries, sectors, and localities have designed their own programmes and plans in digital transformation. Many domestic firms have mastered key technologies and developed platforms serving the process, with more than 40 “Make-in-Vietnam” platforms introduced so far. The portal in support of small and medium-sized enterprises has assisted thousands of businesses in applying digital platforms serving their digital transformation. Besides, activities to step up the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital platforms in trade promotion and trademark popularisation with the combination of direct and online formats have helped enterprises access partners and markets effectively. Currently, AI solutions and practices in Vietnam are in the first stage of the automation and predictive analysing process, while more complex AI applications are to be adopted in the public sector.
