Emerging Perspective in Social and Politics

Digital Government Transformation in Vietnam: A SWOT-Based Assessment of Public Sector Governance

2026-09-29T02:31:26+00:00

Digital transformation is becoming a key driver for improving public governance efficiency and the quality of public services. This study assesses the current state of digital transformation in Vietnam’s public sector using the SWOT framework (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats). The research methodology is based on secondary data analysis from reports issued by government agencies, international organizations, and relevant studies. The findings indicate that Vietnam has made significant progress in the development of digital government. In 2024, Vietnam achieved an E-Government Development Index (EGDI) score of 0.7709, ranking 71st out of 193 countries, an increase of 15 places compared with the previous period. The National Data Exchange Platform processes approximately 2.8 million transactions per day. The VNeID electronic identification system has become a critical infrastructure for delivering digital public services. However, several limitations remain. The rate of online public service usage is not yet proportional to the level of service provision. Citizens’ digital participation remains relatively low. Information security, data interoperability, and disparities in digital infrastructure across localities continue to pose major challenges. SWOT analysis shows that Vietnam has substantial opportunities arising from the national data strategy, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital public infrastructure. At the same time, risks related to cybersecurity, digital exclusion, and technological dependency are increasing. The study recommends shifting the focus from expanding digitization toward a data- and outcomes-driven model of public governance. Key priorities include data standardization, enhanced interoperability, strengthened information security, digital capacity development, and the establishment of a performance evaluation framework based on public value.

Public Policy Analysis of Solid Waste Management in Urban Areas: A Case Study of Tanzania

2026-07-01T06:29:47+00:00

Rapid urbanisation in Tanzania has outpaced the institutional and financial capacity of local government authorities (LGAs) to manage solid waste, making waste governance one of the most pressing public policy concerns in the country's cities and municipalities. This study analyses the design, implementation, and performance of public policies governing urban solid waste management (SWM) in Tanzania, using a qualitative document-based policy analysis design complemented by descriptive synthesis of secondary performance indicators compiled from government reports and peer-reviewed literature published between 1994 and 2025. The analysis covers the evolution of the legal and institutional framework, waste generation and collection performance across categories of LGAs, budgetary allocation for SWM, governance and stakeholder participation challenges, and policy responses to plastic waste. Findings show that although Tanzania has progressively strengthened its legal framework for SWM since the 1980s, implementation remains constrained by chronic underfunding, weak enforcement, limited private-sector and community participation, and poor integration of the informal recycling sector. Collection coverage has improved in major cities but remains below 65% nationally, while rural and peri-urban district councils lag considerably behind. The study concludes that a more coherent public policy framework anchored on adequate financing, decentralised accountability, and inclusive governance is required to achieve sustainable urban waste management in Tanzania. Policy and practical implications are discussed.

New Public Management, Digital Governance, and Organizational Performance: Empirical Evidence from Public Sector Reforms in Developing Economies

2026-07-01T06:29:29+00:00

Public-sector reform has accelerated substantially across developing economies over the past two decades, driven by the parallel adoption of New Public Management (NPM) principles and rapid advances in digital governance (DG). Despite extensive theoretical debate, empirical evidence integrating NPM adoption, DG, organizational performance (OP), and public trust and accountability (PTA) within a unified analytical framework remains limited, particularly in developing-country contexts. This study examined the direct and indirect relationships among these constructs using a cross-sectional survey of 360 civil servants from four Nigerian ministries. Structural equation modelling (SEM), complemented by hierarchical multiple regression, was employed to test the proposed relationships. The results showed that NPM adoption (β = 0.389, p < 0.001) and DG (β = 0.342, p < 0.001) significantly and positively predicted OP. In turn, OP significantly predicted PTA (β = 0.274, p < 0.001) and mediated the relationship between public-sector reform mechanisms and PTA. DG also exerted a stronger direct effect on PTA than NPM adoption, indicating that digital transformation may strengthen transparency and accountability beyond the effects of managerial reform alone. These findings extend the public administration literature by demonstrating how managerial and digital reforms jointly contribute to organizational performance and governance outcomes. The study highlights the importance of integrating NPM-oriented institutional reforms with digital governance initiatives to strengthen public-sector performance, accountability, and public trust in digitally transitioning developing economies.

Governance in Emerging States: Theoretical Foundations, Empirical Patterns, and Reform Dynamics

2026-06-22T02:10:43+00:00

Governance quality has emerged as a critical determinant of development outcomes in emerging states. However, scholarly understanding of governance dynamics in these contexts remains fragmented across disciplinary boundaries and region specific research traditions. This systematic review synthesises theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence from peer reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2024, drawing on 40 key studies spanning political science, public administration, and development economics. Five analytical dimensions of governance are identified: political stability, administrative capacity, accountability mechanisms, economic governance, and social governance. The review critically examines how these dimensions have been conceptualised, operationalised, and assessed across different institutional and regional contexts. The findings reveal substantial variation in governance trajectories and identify five major drivers of reform: external pressure, domestic demand, elite bargaining, regional diffusion, and crisis induced institutional change. Comparative evidence indicates modest improvements in governance across East Asia and Latin America, whereas South Asia and Sub Saharan Africa continue to experience persistent institutional and structural constraints. Importantly, the synthesis identifies several unresolved research gaps, particularly the limited consideration of subnational variation, informal institutions, and gender dimensions in governance research. These limitations constrain the ability of aggregate national indicators to capture institutional diversity and uneven governance performance within countries. The review therefore proposes a future research agenda centred on multilevel analytical approaches, greater integration of formal and informal institutional processes, and context sensitive measures capable of capturing governance heterogeneity within emerging states.