Information of the doctoral thesis: “Openness and Transparency in the Decision-Making Process of Commune-Level Authorities in the Mekong Delta at Present”

Supervisor Assoc, Prof, Dr. Nguyen Xuan Phong, training institution Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.

Summary of the new contributions:

Contributions in terms of academic and theories:

The thesis develops and further deepens the theoretical foundation of openness and transparency in the decision-making process of commune-level authorities from a political science perspective, situating this issue within the overarching requirements of building a socialist rule-of-law state.

Openness and transparency are conceptualized not merely as technically administrative procedures, but as a mode of practicing grassroots democracy, an effective mechanism for power control, and a core criterion reflecting the governance capacity of local authorities.

On this basis, the thesis constructs a system of criteria for assessing openness and transparency that is aligned with institutional conditions and the practical realities of commune-level governance, particularly in the context of the current operation of the two-tier local government model.

New findings and main results of the thesis:

The results of empirical surveys conducted in localities in the Mekong Delta region indicate that openness and transparency in the decision-making process of commune-level authorities have undergone positive changes; however, they remain largely formalistic, lack systematic coherence, and are not yet closely integrated with accountability mechanisms.

The thesis clearly identifies the fundamental contradictions between the increasingly stringent demands for transparency and the conditions of implementation, including the capacity of the cadre contingent, socio-cultural characteristics, and the level of substantive citizen participation.

On that basis, the thesis proposes a set of integrated solutions aimed at transforming openness and transparency from procedural requirements into governance standards and elements of grassroots political culture, thereby contributing to the enhancement of the effectiveness and efficiency of local governance in the new context./.