March 17, 2022 Earth.Org. PM issued policy 2018 to implement Sustainable Smart City Development Project 2018-2025 completed by 2030. October 2019 project began 272-hectare site Da Nang one of earliest. Vinhomes Smart City by Vingroup Vietnam’s largest private corporation. Phan Thanh Son FPT: Vietnam has roughly 800 urban regions, first wave 2017-2020, second wave 2021-2025, third wave after 2025. 40+ cities have initiatives. 10 provinces designed authorised smart city initiatives. Solar power encouraged, rooftop installations facilitated

YCP Solidiance white paper. Smart city infrastructure currently piloted, COVID-19 sped up adoption digital e-services. Development prioritized since 2018 with HCMC Hanoi Da Nang Can Tho at forefront. Government approved Decision No. 749/QD-TTG (National Digital Transformation 2025-2030) 2021 as guideline. Challenges for HCMC and Hanoi slowing development. Smaller cities like Da Nang have clearer paths. HCMC approved Smart Urban Operation Center VND30B ($1.4M) 2019. Case studies: HCMC Smart City, Da Nang Data Portal, Saigon Sport City district-level

September 26, 2023. Application of BIM emerged as mandatory standard in major construction projects requiring Vietnamese enterprises integrate new technology into all work processes. Vietnam’s construction industry engaged in digital transformation. Becamex IDC Corporation, Ricons Construction Investment JSC, VC Group are major firms successfully integrated IoT AI cloud-based BIM technology into processes. Lê Minh Long Deputy Director Science Technology Environmental Department: BIM applications enhance efficiency of design construction project management. BIM implemented in projects with complicated designs technical systems including state or foreign investment capital. Recognition of benefits: BIM becoming new business imperative. Several construction-technology software tools for multiple use cases from digital collaboration to on-site execution. Help tackle over-reliance on manual work optimize resources improve design capabilities enhance field productivity

Infrastructure principal development priority for ODA, other key sectors: transportation, telecommunications, energy, environmental/water, civil aviation, education, financial services. May 2016 US lifted ban on sale defense articles opening new sector. Government procurement regulated by Law on Public Procurement 43/2013/QH13 approved October 26, 2013 and Decree No 63/2014/ND-CP August 15, 2014. ODA-funded procurement governed by donor regulations. Public investment projects classified Article 6 Law on Public Investment into Group-A B C. Solicitations announced in Vietnamese newspapers: Dau Thau Nhan Dan Lao Dong Saigon Giai Phong, English: Vietnam News Vietnam Investment Review. Firms check MPI’s public procurement website. Winning contracts requires high involvement communication between foreign supplier local distributor representative relevant government entities

UNDP trainings held April-June 2024 across Uzbekistan and Karakalpakstan in collaboration with Scientific Research Institute for Technical Norms and Standardization, supported by GEF. Participants: architects, designers, professors, students. Topics: passive heating/cooling systems, software for calculating solar insolation, Building Information Modeling (BIM) technologies in design process. Participants learned free software tools for building location/orientation analysis. BIM technologies enhance transparency throughout design and construction process. Part of ‘Market transformation for Sustainable Rural Housing in Uzbekistan’ and ‘Sustainable Rural Development’ projects.

UN E-Government Survey 2024: Uzbekistan ranked 63rd (up from 69th in 2022) with 0.7999 EGDI score, first time entering ‘very high’ E-Government Development Index group, surpassing 0.75 EGDI target set for 2025. Digital Government and Digital Region programs 2023-2024: 300 priority projects (112 public administration, 51 real economy, 137 regional digital transformation). Digital Uzbekistan – 2030 Strategy targets top 30 countries in UN E-Government Survey by 2030. Plans for digitalization of public services, ‘Service State’ system based on ‘user-adapted’ and ‘all services in three steps’ principles.

Joint project of UNDP and Ministry for Development of Information Technologies and Communications. Aims to strengthen Government capacity to promote inclusive digital transformation. Objectives: (1) enhancing capabilities of government institutions for digitalization in inclusive, gender-sensitive, holistic manner; (2) implementing small-scale digital solutions in public and non-government sectors (healthcare, linguistics, diplomacy). Plans for longer-term initiative focusing on inclusive digital/data governance, digital skills/competencies, digital platforms/innovations (digital healthcare, AI) jointly with MITC, E-Government Projects Management Center, IT Park, Research Institute for Development of Digital Technologies and AI.

President announced measures to make construction industry ‘corruption-free’ from July 2024. All construction contracts digitized, contractors receive financing through e-invoices only. Project acceptance process digitized and documents validated through ‘Shaffof Qurilish’ (Transparent Construction) national information system. Project office established under Ministry of Construction. ‘Corruption-free Sphere’ project launched as experiment in capital construction August 1, 2019, expanded to other sectors from April 1, 2020.

Information system ‘Construction Control’ introduced, control processes automated. In 2022, over 30,000 objects monitored through this system. Project documentation review transferred to fully transparent electronic system. Paper documents submission abandoned. Design and estimate documentation submitted for examination online. About 111,000 facility projects reviewed through system, saving about 20.5 trillion soums. Electronic rating of expert organizations launched. Mechanism created for certifying experts based on classification of projects by complexity categories. National information system ‘Shaffof Qurilish’ in addition to Construction Control for overcoming bureaucratic obstacles and introducing modern ICT.