Da Nang has just become the first locality in Viet Nam to issue a digital citizenship competency framework, marking an important step forward in its smart city development strategy. This is an effort to raise awareness and digital skills among citizens, while promoting the comprehensive transformation in the city in the digital age.

The issuance of a digital competency framework for citizens in the city is one of activities to continue to concretise the Resolution of the municipal Party Committee on digital transformation until 2025, with a vision to 2030.

A digital citizen is someone who is a responsible, as well as proficient, user of technology. There are 9 elements of digital citizenship: digital access, digital commerce, digital communication, digital etiquette, digital literary or fluency, digital health & wellness, digital law, digital rights & responsibility, and digital security & privacy.

The digital competency framework for Da Nang citizens includes 5 fields of information and data, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, protection and safety, and digital environment; along with 17 digital competencies and 173 assessment criteria. In particular, each digital competency will specifically describe the criteria for knowledge, skills and attitudes and be assessed according to 5 levels of proficiency: beginner, basic, good, high, advanced.

The digital competency framework for citizens is the basis for agencies and localities to effectively organise training and guidance courses on digital transformation for people; apply policies and solutions, and support necessary digital tools for citizens; and deploy applications and digital transformation systems to meet people's needs. All contribute to the successful implementation of digital government, digital economy, and digital society in the city.

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 and equipping tools to improve digital capacity.

Digital citizenship competency plays a crucial role in promoting the sustainable development of a city. To become a smart city, the city requires not only advanced technology infrastructure, but more importantly, the active and effective participation of each citizen in this process.

When people have the enough capacity to use digital technologies, they can easily access and use online public services such as administrative procedures. This not only saves time and costs for people, but also contributes to reducing pressure on the administrative system, increasing transparency and efficiency in State management.

The development of the digital economy depends largely on the capacity of people and businesses. When citizens are able to grasp and apply technology to production, business and services, they can promote the development of the digital market, expand business opportunities and increase the competitiveness of the city. This is especially important for cities with a tendency to develop hi-tech industries like Da Nang.

With the digital citizenship competency, people can access digital utilities and services such as online healthcare, remote education, digital entertainment and smart personal financial management through tech apps. From there, they can improve their quality of life, optimise their time and finances, and increase their satisfaction and happiness in their daily lives.

Citizens can use social networks and online platforms to connect with the community, share knowledge, solve social problems, and participate in creative activities. This creates a vibrant community environment where each individual can contribute to the overall development of society.

The issuance of the digital citizenship competency framework is a major step forward in the city's digital transformation strategy, creating a solid foundation for building Da Nang into a smart city in the future.

This competency framework not only specifies the necessary skills and knowledge that Da Nang citizens need to have, but also creates conditions for people to practice and develop these skills by themselves. This is the basis for building a modern digital citizen community, where everyone can participate and contribute to the development of society, an important premise for Da Nang to become one of the smart and sustainable cities.

Reporting by HOANG ANH - Translating by M.DUNG, P.TRA