Page 210 - ISC PROCEEDINGS 21.4

provided by government agencies. According to Chen & Chen (2024), online
administrative service delivery creates an essential communication bridge between the
citizen and the digital government. Therefore, these digital touchpoints are instrumental
in shaping citizens' attitudes, enhancing their satisfaction as users, and creating long-term
trust in the electronic government model.
In Vietnam, implementing digital public administration services is in a crucial phase.
Per decree 118/2025/ND-CP, effective on July 1, 2025, all provincial and municipal e-
service portals will have been merged with The National Public Service Portal, establishing
a single mechanism for delivering e-services (digital one-stop shop). This will simplify
processes and eliminate the possibility of counterfeiting websites, resulting in a
consistent experience for citizens. In addition, the merger will also provide citizens with a
streamlined and highly efficient process for accessing e-government services. Research on
users' experiences with specific e-service portals has become less valuable since the
implementation of the new integrated e-Services. Therefore, it is essential to conduct
timely and thorough research on the quality of citizens' experiences with online public
administrative services at this time.
Although Vietnam is making significant investments to expand the use and
development of e-government systems, there is still much room for enhancing the
effectiveness of e-government systems in protecting the way that citizens wish to use
these systems. A recent UNDP study (2025) reported that citizens feel that the e-
government portals have confusing designs and operations, and that the lack of
responsiveness has undermined the trust citizens have in using e-government systems
and has led to a drop in the number of citizens who come back to use the same service on
the e-government portal. As such, the government will need to pay particular attention to
developing strategies to correct the identified shortcomings of e-government portals in
order to create a better overall experience for all citizens using these systems. The results
of an evaluation research project on the quality of citizens’ experiences using e-
government services will help guide government decisions about how the public views e-
government, their attitudes towards using these services and the degree to which they
trust e-government.
This study will look directly at the citizens' experience using online public
administration services and evaluate their trust and quality of service. We will collect data
using statistical analysis methods and perform structural equation modeling to evaluate
the current state of affairs, as well as to determine the relative weight and directionality
of the various dimensions of trust in e-government. In addition, this study will produce
suggested management implications and strategic recommendations to assist state
agencies in optimizing their technical infrastructure, improving data reliability, and
enhancing their online support services. This will help support the continued
development of citizen trust in Vietnam’s digital nation-building efforts.
2. Literature review, theoretical background and methodology
2.1. The relationship between e-government and online public administrative
services
The United Nations and ASPA (2002) defined e-government as “the use by the
government of the Internet and the World Wide Web to provide information and services
to citizens.” E-government can further be defined as the utilization of technology to
improve connectivity between the government and individuals, organizations and other
governments; specifically, through the use of web browsers (Brown & Brudney, 2001).

209