The Digital Competency Framework is considered a solution to improve digital transformation skills for citizens in Da Nang and foster the local socio-economic development.

Members of Youth Union organisation of Nam Duong Ward supporting people to raise digital awareness. Photo: CHIEN THANG

Specific digital competency index for citizens

Recent Decision No. 2242/QD-UBND of the Da Nang People's Committee on approving and issuing the digital competency framework for citizens in Da Nang identifies people and businesses as the centre of the digital transformation process.

With that goal, the implementation of the digital competency framework will help people grasp and effectively use digital technologies in their lives and work. This competency framework provides specific criteria for the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for all citizens to interact and work in the digital environment safely and effectively.

In terms of structure, the framework overview includes 5 areas: information and data; communication and collaboration; digital content creation; protection and safety; and digital environment, with details of 17 digital competencies and 173 assessment criteria.

Each area will be divided into specific component competencies with clear assessment criteria for knowledge, skills and attitudes, along with 5 levels of proficiency: beginner, basic, good, high, and advanced.

The method of assessing digital competencies of citizens in Da Nang is divided into 3 groups: knowledge, skills and attitudes. Through the criteria in the digital competency framework, people will know and understand more clearly about digital skills to interact, connect, and work in the digital environment, thereby proactively participating in courses, training and equipping tools to improve digital capacity.

Regarding the subjects of application, the digital competency framework will be applied to all people, agencies, organizations and businesses in Da Nang city, thereby ensuring that all subjects have the opportunity to improve their digital capacity.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Thach, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Information and Communications, shared that the digital competency framework for citizens is the basis for agencies and localities to develop and deploy training and guidance on digital transformation for people more effectively; as well as apply policies, solutions to support and equip people with necessary digital tools; especially deploying applications and digital transformation systems to meet people's needs, thereby contributing to the successful implementation of digital government, digital economy, and digital society in the city.

Carefully prepare to put the digital competency framework into practice

Immediately after the city issued Decision No. 2242/QD-UBND, many relevant units organised research plans and discussed the content of the digital competency framework.

Chairman of Thanh Khe Dong Ward People's Committee in Thanh Khe District Pham Thanh Nam acknowledged that the digital competency framework for citizens is an important factor in promoting digital transformation and socio-economic development of the locality. The indicators in the framework will assess the current status of citizens' digital capacity so that the locality can identify areas that need improvement. The development and implementation of this framework will contribute to forming a community of digital citizens who will be ready to participate in economic and social activities in the digital age.

Chairman of Nam Duong Ward People's Committee Nguyen Phuc Bao Nam said that in the coming time, the ward will organise propaganda about the important role of the digital competency framework implementation process, thereby helping people better understand the goals and significance of building a digital competency framework.

Chairman of Hoa Minh Ward People's Committee in Lien Chieu District Dinh Huu Phuc said that the locality is researching and referring to the operation methods of the digital competency framework in Western countries. When the city puts it into practice, the ward will be proactive in approaching the method, applying it effectively and flexibly to raise digital awareness, and soon complete the goals in the digital competency framework for citizens.

The digital competency framework plays a very important role in helping citizens improve their quality of life, and is the foundation for Da Nang to carry out digital transformation, thereby creating favourable conditions for the socio-economic development. Through the criteria in the digital competency framework, local citizens know and understand more clearly about digital skills to interact, connect, and work in the digital environment, thereby proactively participating in training courses, nd equipping tools to improve digital competency.

According to Mr. Tran Ngoc Thach, in the past time, the Department has coordinated with consulting experts to synchronously develop a digital competency framework for citizens; as well as completed the draft and sent an official dispatch to departments, branches, localities, and digital technology enterprises to comment on the draft digital competency framework for citizens in the city.

The Department will continue to make efforts to soon complete, popularise and practically apply the contents of the digital competency framework for citizens throughout the city.

Reporting by CHIEN THANG - Translating by M.DUNG