The Capital’s Call for Excellence: Hanoi’s Quest to Remain at the Pinnacle of Governance

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THE HANOI CHRONICLE — Hanoi authorities have urged relevant agencies to enhance key governance performance indicators, such as SIPAS, PAR INDEX, and PAPI, to retain the city’s position among the top-performing locales in the upcoming 2025 Public Administration Reform Index (PAR Index).

Head of Hanoi’s People Committee, Tran Sy Thanh, inspecting the Hanoi Public Service Center. Photo: Pham Hung/The Hanoi Chronicle

In the 2024 PAR INDEX evaluation, Hanoi secured a remarkable score of 92.57%, maintaining its position in the top three provinces and cities for the third year in a row. This score reflects an upward trend, with an increase of 1.32 percentage points from 2023 and a significant 2.99-point jump from 2022. It also surpasses the average score of centrally governed provinces and cities by a notable 4.38 percentage points.

According to the 2024 Satisfaction Index of Public Administration Services (SIPAS), Hanoi witnessed an impressive 86.5% satisfaction rate, a rise of 2.93 percentage points year-on-year. The city climbed a remarkable 10 spots to secure 11th place out of 63 provinces and cities. Notably, Hanoi’s SIPAS score exceeded the national average for 2024, which stood at 83.94%.

For the coming year, the city has set its sights on improving its overall satisfaction rate and climbing higher in the rankings.

In terms of the Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI), Hanoi is anticipated to retain its position in Group 2, denoted as “Above Average.” In the 2024 PAPI evaluation, Hanoi attained a score of 43.7, ranking 29th out of 63 provinces and cities countrywide. This placed Hanoi in the upper half of Group 2, an impressive feat. Among the six centrally governed cities, Hanoi came in second, just behind Hue City, which entered Group 2 in 2024.

To ensure continued success, relevant agencies are tasked with executing the critical objectives outlined in the 2021–2025 administrative reform plans and the SIPAS and PAPI enhancement strategies for the same period. Adherence to the 2025 reform action plan, including any necessary adjustments, is also imperative. Efforts will concentrate on bolstering the performance of key governance indicators, namely the PAR INDEX, SIPAS, and PAPI. This will be achieved by addressing underperforming criteria and refining assessment and measurement methodologies in accordance with guidelines from the Ministry of Home Affairs, thus ensuring accuracy and predictive efficacy.

Residents seamlessly undergo administrative procedures at the One-Stop Service Division of Dong Da District.

Additionally, administrative leadership and oversight will be fortified, with clear accountability assigned to the heads of departments, agencies, and local authorities. Hanoi is also committed to organizational reform of the administrative apparatus, encompassing the restructuring of administrative units at all levels and the development of a two-tier local government model. Training and capacity building for civil servants, particularly those responsible for crucial performance indicators like SIPAS, PAR INDEX, and PAPI, will be a priority. Targeted training programs will be designed for officials involved in administrative reform, administrative procedure processing, and IT staff.

Furthermore, the city will maintain a public feedback channel for its citizens and businesses to provide input on administrative regulations, with a focus on reducing processing times and preventing delays. Departments, agencies, and local authorities are tasked with formulating detailed implementation plans to ensure the successful realization of these goals.

Reference: Plan No.159/KH-UBND issued on June 9, 2025, by Hanoi’s People’s Committee

  • The PAPI Index: Constructed from eight key dimensions, 28 sub-dimensions, over 120 main indicators, and more than 550 survey questions. Each dimension is scored out of 10, yielding a maximum total score of 80. The eight dimensions cover:

    1) Grassroots-level Citizen Participation

    2) Transparency in Decision-Making

    3) Vertical Accountability toward Citizens

    4) Control of Corruption in the Public Sector

    5) Public Administrative Procedures

    6) Public Service Delivery

    7) Environmental Governance

    8) E-governance

  • The PAR Index: Comprised of eight comprehensive evaluation areas:

    1. Administrative Reform

    2. Leadership and Management

    3. Administrative Procedure Reform

    4. Organizational Structure Reform

    5. Institutional Reform

    6. E-government and Digital Government Development

    7. Public Financial Reform

    8. Civil Service Regime Reform

    9. Impact of Administrative Reform on Citizens and Socio-economic Development. The index utilizes 38 criteria and 88 sub-criteria, culminating in a total evaluation score of 100 points. The Appraisal Council contributes 68 points, while sociological survey results account for 32 points.

  • The SIPAS Index: Constructed using 42 indicators gauging public perceptions and evaluations, 51 satisfaction level indicators, and 10 indicators capturing citizens’ needs and expectations. The satisfaction indicators are assessed through citizens’ perceptions of key public policy development and implementation that directly impacts their lives, along with their experiences with public administrative service delivery.
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