Governing the post-consolidation mega-city: legal frameworks for digital transformation in Da Nang, Vietnam

This study evaluates the legal framework for digital transformation in local governance in Da Nang, Vietnam, following its administrative consolidation. Through the analysis of secondary documents and in-depth interviews across five stakeholder groups, the paper asserts that despite a successful transition toward an "enabling development" paradigm-driving the digital economy to account for 24% of the GRDP (in 2024)-the system remains constrained by five core bottlenecks. These include vertical regulatory misalignment, data siloing, rigid public finance, the absence of digital personnel standards, and the digital divide across regions. The study proposes a comprehensive matrix of solutions toward 2035, emphasizing regulatory sandboxes and public service co-production, while concurrently integrating green transformational leadership into grassroots administrative capacities. This research provides empirical implications for refining digital transformation laws within polycentric urban governance in emerging economies undergoing institutional transitions.