“In application of information and technology into governmental administration and enterprise, the most difficult thing is to have new ideas in the field and to train the users to acknowledge new ideas.”

Dr. Pham Van Sang

* Correspondent: How do you feel when you are awarded the one of ten best CIOs of Indochinese countries?

- Dr. Pham Van Sang: I am very happy and surprised. I’m happy because the works of mine and my partners has been highly and objectively valued by prestigious I.T organizations in the country and in the world. I am surprised because I didn’t apply for the award. I was nominated by my partners under the suggestion of provincial People’s Committee.  This award is the result of the combination of many works. It is the great support and instruction of provincial committee of the Party and provincial People’s Committee and the contribution of cadres and staffs of Dong Nai department of Science and Technology to the implementation of new models proposed by me.

* Would you please tell me more about the new models?

- First is the Net office program which is highly valued by the board of examiners. It bases on the today popular technology. This program is highly valued by its new idea to make the administration works more convenient and to integrate multi media in the program as to make it more flexible and effective. Second is the system, which is constructed by Dong Nai department of Science and Technology, to supply scientific and technological information to communes in Dong Nai province. The ministry of Science and technology had applied this system into some communes of northern provinces. This not only provided available data but also supply new data which is requested by local people, especially the information is regularly updated. Each commune is also a member of the net office program and makes online report on its operation each week to Dong Nai department of Science and Technology. It frequently received instructions and information from the department. Third is the electric signature and intelligent key program used for signing and verifying electric signatures. It is also used for encrypting decrypting secret documents. This is a new program in Viet Nam. My department is the first to develop this system and will expand the application of this program once the law on e-commerce is approved. This is an inevitable thing in the integration into the world. At present, this program has been applied in the website of provincial People’s Committee and my department as to verify the origin of attached documents. The last but not least is the online registration on standard measures and quality of products. Besides, my department also holds many activities as to widen the knowledge on information and technology and to speed up the application of it.

*According to you, in implementation of these new programs, what is the hard job and cost you a lot of time?

- According to me, in application of information and technology into governmental administration and enterprise, the technology is not worth for worrying, but the most difficult thing is to have new ideas in the field and to train the users to acknowledge new ideas. This costs me a lot of time to fulfill this.

* When did you become a CIO and what events make you remember most?

- Up to now, CIO is not officially and legally accepted by government. When I was deputy director of Dong Nai department of industry in 1992, I was assigned to speed up the IT application in my office. When I became director of Dong Nai department of industry in 1994 to 2003 (since 2003, it was called Dong Nai department of science and technology), I directly instructed the IT application in my office. During the time to instruct the IT application, the most memorable experience is in 1994 the time when I was acting director of Dong Nai department of Industry. At that time, I was assigned by provincial committee of the Party and provincial People’s Committee to participate in a 2 months training course in Singapore. In 1994, Viet nam did not have the internet (Viet nam began to apply internet in the of 1997), but I managed to fulfill my study and my jobs in my department with the help of internet network. Now it is a normal thing in Viet nam but in 1994 it was a strange thing because there was no internet network in Viet nam.

* What are your future plans as to keep this award?

- My and my partners will continue to implement the blueprint road map to organize many activities as to speed up the application of IT into all aspects of the economy and society and the establishment of electric government in Dong Nai province contributing to the integration into the world of our country.

* Thank you very much.

(Source Dong Nai Newspaper)