In the midst of a powerful digital transformation trend, Hai Phong City is asserting its pioneering position by shifting its management methods from traditional manual processes to leadership and governance based on data (evidence) in real-time. The implementation of an information system for monitoring and data analysis through the Intelligent Operation Center (IOC) has become an "extended arm," helping city leaders accurately grasp the socio-economic pulse to make timely and effective decisions.
Perfecting the Legal Framework and Digital Governance Apparatus
To create a solid corridor for data-based management, the City People's Committee issued the Set of Indicators for Leadership and Governance in the Electronic Environment under Decision No. 5340/QD-UBND dated December 30, 2025. This set includes 4 groups with a total of 86 indicators, comprehensively covering fields from economics, finance, and internal affairs to security, order, and emergency situations.
The core goal of these indicators is to establish a mechanism for continuous monitoring, helping to enhance the capacity for early detection and rapid response to abnormal fluctuations. Simultaneously, the city established an Interdisciplinary Data Analysis Team, headed by the Chairman of the City People's Committee, to directly direct and coordinate the implementation of data solutions and build governance scenarios based on actual data.
April 2026 Socio-Economic Snapshot Through the Data Lens
According to analysis reports from the IOC Center as of April 20, 2026, the city's budget revenue and expenditure situation, along with various economic indicators, recorded notable changes:
- Budget Revenue/Expenditure and Business Activities:
- Total budget revenue in the area reached 56,363 billion VND, exceeding the monthly plan, of which domestic revenue reached 29,351 billion VND and import-export revenue reached 20,852 billion VND. Specifically, in the April reporting period, budget revenue reached 24,553.3 billion VND, an increase of 8.06% over the previous month.
- The number of operating businesses reached 52,920 units, with 2,147 newly registered businesses, exceeding the set target.
- Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) attraction achieved impressive results with 965 million USD, exceeding the plan and showing that the city's investment environment remains attractive to international partners.
- Industrial Production and Growth Indicators:
- The Industrial Production Index (IIP) increased by 15%, exceeding the plan. The proportion of processing and manufacturing in the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) reached a high of 45%.
- However, the data also warned that the GRDP growth rate currently stands at 10.87%, which has not yet met the monthly plan. While the industrial, construction, and service sectors have grown, further breakthrough efforts are needed to reach the set targets.
Progress of Key Projects and Land Clearance
Digitalized data helps city leaders closely monitor every square meter of recovered land and every penny of disbursed capital:
- Regarding Land Clearance: The city is currently implementing 218 projects, including 123 state-funded projects. The total area of land to be recovered is nearly 129 million m2. Some localities achieved a 100% site handover rate for specific projects, such as An Phu commune (22kV line project) or Hong Bang ward (Bach Dang flower garden and greenery project).
- Regarding Public Investment Disbursement: Disbursement rates at some units reached fair levels, such as the People's Committee of Cat Hai Special Zone (42.9%) and the West Hai Phong Construction Investment Project Management Unit (24.3%). However, many units still have zero or very low disbursement rates, requiring a drastic effort to remove bottlenecks in procedures and design.
Technology Platform and Shared Data Connectivity
The IOC system currently operates on the Power BI platform with 17 intuitive dashboard screens, allowing for the monitoring of data from various sources such as the Administrative Procedure Settlement System, the National Public Service Portal, and electronic document management systems.
Notably, the city has successfully integrated data from many important sectors:
- Land Management: Connecting the VBDLIS system to statistically track the number of land plots and land registration fluctuations.
- Social Safety: Live monitoring of traffic cameras and daily updates on fire prevention, firefighting, and traffic accidents.
- Health and Education: Monitoring disease situations, causes of death, the rate of schools meeting standards, and teacher qualifications across the entire area.
Challenges to be Overcome Promptly
Alongside initial achievements, data-based governance still faces some internal difficulties:
- Asynchronous Data: Many units still provide data in manual file formats (Word, Excel, PDF), making it difficult to automate synthesis and analysis.
- Lack of Historical Data: Because the system is newly operational, the lack of data for the same period in previous years limits trend comparisons and forecasting.
- Coordination of Ministries and Sectors: Updated data from some central ministries and sectors has not been shared in a timely manner, affecting the configuration of indicators on the Public Service Portal.
Key Tasks and Recommended Actions
To maximize the effectiveness of the IOC Center and the Leadership Indicator Set, the Department of Science and Technology proposes that the City People's Committee direct departments, sectors, and localities to focus on the following tasks:
- Standardize Specialized Data: Departments, boards, and sectors must urgently complete databases in their respective management fields according to the City Data Strategy, ensuring data is "correct, sufficient, clean, and live" and ready for API connection.
- Update Land Clearance Data Weekly: The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development should urge communes and wards to update progress and estimated completion dates for land clearance on the shared software for timely city coordination.
- Build Detailed Disbursement Scenarios: Investors and Project Management Boards must review and build detailed disbursement scenarios by month and quarter; they must resolutely handle procedural problems to avoid affecting general progress.
- Enhance Digital Data Exploitation: Step-by-step replace manual reports by using data directly on the IOC in briefing meetings and daily leadership tasks.
The transition to a data-driven governance model is not just a technical requirement but a revolution in the management mindset of Hai Phong City. With the consensus of all levels of government from the city to the wards and communes, Hai Phong is determined to build a modern, transparent administration, taking the satisfaction of citizens and the sustainable development of businesses as the highest measure of effectiveness. The initial results from the April 2026 data serve as motivation for the city to continue breaking through in the digital age.