The Ministry of Construction has provided guidance on evaluating the maturity level of smart urban areas.

Accordingly, the evaluation process must adhere to principles of transparency, objectivity, and consistency in applying criteria and indicators as per regulations. The evaluation must be responsible, honest, and based on data, records, and actual results at the time of assessment; it should not be based on orientations, proposals, or plans without specific outcomes.

The criteria and indicators for evaluating and recognizing the maturity level of smart urban areas are divided into three ascending levels: foundational development, system integration, and governance innovation. People's Committees at provincial level will integrate these criteria and indicators to serve local development goals or apply standards set by reputable international organizations. They will also identify tasks and solutions to develop towards sustainable urban levels after completing the governance innovation criteria.

The criteria and indicators are assessed as either "met" or "not met." If there is no suitable evidence for the criteria and indicators, they are considered not met. For provincial urban areas and new urban areas, the evaluation is based on 19 basic indicators (B1, B2) and additional advanced indicators prioritized according to relevant fields, conditions, scale, and development stage. For urban areas and new urban areas within provinces, the evaluation is based on 9 basic indicators (B2) and additional advanced indicators prioritized according to relevant fields, conditions, scale, and development stage; simultaneously, 10 basic indicators (B1) are evaluated by the province.

Urban areas and new urban areas are recognized according to the maturity level achieved or recognized in specific fields. If recognized by maturity level, urban areas and new urban areas must meet all basic criteria (B1, B2) of that level and preceding levels, and all advanced criteria in the evaluated fields. If recognized by field, urban areas and new urban areas must meet the basic criteria (B1, B2) of that level and preceding levels, and advanced criteria in one or several prioritized fields during evaluation and recognition.

Regarding implementation, provincial People's Committees select qualified organizations or units to conduct evaluations, recognize, and prepare dossiers for evaluation and recognition of provincial urban areas or those spanning two or more administrative units at commune level. Similarly, commune-level People's Committees select qualified organizations or units and prepare dossiers for urban areas within a single administrative unit.

Once selected, the organization or unit conducts evaluations according to the publicized process. If the urban area meets the conditions, the evaluating organization issues a recognition document and sends it to the relevant provincial and commune-level People's Committees, the Ministry of Construction, and the national smart urban information portal. Conversely, if conditions are not met, the evaluating organization sends the results to the requesting agency.

The Ministry of Construction has recently guided the implementation of certain contents of the Governemt's Decree No. 269/2025/ND-CP on smart urban development, including principles, criteria, and indicators for evaluating and recognizing the maturity level of smart urban areas.