50241 WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TO DELIVER RESULTS Vietnam Partnership Report 2005 An Informal Report Prepared for the Consultative Group Meeting for Vietnam Hanoi, December 6-7, 2005 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This volume is the product of teamwork and partnerships in Vietnam, and brings together contributions from many of the joint Government-donor-NGO partnership groups, all working together to help Vietnam achieve its development targets, to improve the co-ordination and to make delivery of Official Development Assistance (ODA) more effective. Its production was only possible through the co-operation, contributions and active support of a wide range of development partners, including Government staff, donors and NGOs. Key contacts (though not necessarily leaders) of the groups, most of which have reported in this volume, are currently as detailed below. Non-inclusion in this volume does not imply non-activity on the part of a partnership group. Poverty Working Group/Poverty Task Force Cao Viet Sinh (MPI); Martin Rama/Doan Hong Quang (World Bank); Nguyen Tien Phong (UNDP) Partnership to support National Target Programs Nguyen Hai Huu/ Tran Phi Tuoc (MOLISA); Do Thanh Lam (UNDP) Partnership to Assist the Poorest Communes Vuong Xuan Chinh (MPI) Gender Action Partnership Tran Mai Huong (NCFAW) ISG Environment Nguyen Thi Tho (MoNRE) People's Participation's Working Group Nguyen Thi Le Hoa (Oxfam GB) Working Group on SOE Reform & Equitization Daniel Musson (WB); Nguyen Danh Hao (IMF) Partnership Group for SME Promotion and Nguyen Van Trung (MPI); Kazuhiro Iryu (EOJ); Private Sector Development Philippe Scholtes (UNIDO) Financial Sector Working Group Dang Anh Mai (SBV) Trade Reforms Working Group Martin Rama/Nguyen Minh Duc(World Bank) Vietnam Business Forum Sin Foong Wong (IFC) Education Sector Group Tran Ba Viet Dzung (MoET); Chu Shiu-Kee (UNESCO); Steve Passingham (DFID) Health Partnership Group Le Thi Thu Ha (MoH); Hans Troedsson (WHO) HIV/AIDS Technical Working Group Nancy Fee (UNAIDS) Forest Sector Support Program and Partnership Nguyen Tuong Van/Paula Williams (FSSP&P MARD) Natural Disasters Mitigation Partnership Nguyen Si Nuoi/Nguyen Thanh Phuong (MARD) ISG-MARD Le Van Minh (MARD) Transport Partnership Group Truong Tan Vien (MoT); Masayuki Karasawa (JBIC) HCMC ODAP Trang Trung Son (HCMODAP) Vietnam Urban Forum Pham Khanh Toan (Ministry of Construction) Legal Reforms Partnership Luu Tien Dung (UNDP) Public Administrative Reform Partnership Pham Van Diem (MoHA); Nguyen Tien Dung (UNDP) Public Finance Management Partnership Nguyen Ba Toan (Ministry of Finance) Partnership group on Aid Effectiveness Ho Quang Minh (MPI); Jordan Ryan (UNDP) Bo Thi Hong Mai (World Bank) managed production of this volume and coordinated the Theme Notes from the Development Partnership Groups. Nguyen Thuy Ngan (World Bank) provided invaluable support. Photo by Trinh Quang Vinh. Further copies of this report are available from the Vietnam Development Information Center, Ground Floor, 63 Ly Thai To, Hanoi, and at www.worldbank.org.vn , www.un.org.vn and www.vdic.org.vn ii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW...................................................................................... 1 POVERTY WORKING GROUP/POVERTY TASK FORCE................................................ 10 PARTNERSHIP TO SUPPORT THE NATIONAL TARGET PROGRAMMES.................. 12 PARTNERSHIP TO ASSIST THE POOREST COMMUNES............................................... 16 GENDER ACTION PARTNERSHIP ..................................................................................................23 ISG ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................................. 26 PEOPLE'S PARTICIPATION WORKING GROUP ........................................................................28 WORKING GROUP ON SOE REFORM & EQUITIZATION ............................................................34 SME PARTNERSHIP GROUP .............................................................................................................37 FINANCIAL SECTOR WORKING GROUP .......................................................................................53 TRADE REFORMS WORKING GROUP.......... ..................................................................................65 HEALTH PARTNERSHIP GROUP......................................................................................................80 EDUCATION SECTOR GROUP.............................................................. ............................................83 FOREST SECTOR SUPPORT PROGRAM AND PARTNERSHIP ....................................................88 NATURAL DISASTER MITIGATION PARTNERSHIP..................................................... 93 AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (ISG)..................................................... 95 TRANSPORT PARTNERSHIP GROUP...................... ......................................................................107 VIET NAM URBAN FORUM ............................................................................................................116 LEGAL REFORMS PARTNERSHIP .................................................................................................119 PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIP ............................................................. 139 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM PARTNERSHIP ...............................................................151 iii ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ADB Asian Development Bank ASEAN Association of South East Asian Nations AFD Agence Francaise de Developpement CEPT Common Effective Preferential Tariff CIDA Canadian International Development Agency CIE Center for International Economics CIEM Central Institute for Economic Management CPNET The government information network CPRGS Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy CPLAR Cooperation Program on Land Administration Reform DANIDA Danish International Development Agency EU European Union FAO Food and Agricultural Organisation GDP Gross Domestic Product ILO International Labour Organization ISG International Support Group JICA Japanese International Cooperation Agency JBIC The Japan Bank for International Cooperation KfW Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau LPTS Legal Professional Training School LMDG Like-Minded Donor Group MDG Millennium Development Goal MOJ Ministry of Justice MOT Ministry of Trade NGO Non-governmental Organization NORAD Norway Agency for Development NSCERD National Steering Committee for Enterprise Reform and Development ODA Official Development Assistance ONA Office of National Assembly OSS One-Stop Shop PPA Participatory Poverty Assessment RPA Regional Poverty Assessment SDC Swiss Development Cooperation SIDA Swedish International Development Agency SPC Supreme People's Court SPP Supreme People's Procuracy UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNODC United Nations Office of Drug Control UN United Nations UNFPA United Nations Population Fund UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization UNV United Nations Volunteers UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee VDG Vietnam Development Goal VHLSS Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey VNU Viet Nam National University SBV State Bank of Vietnam WB World Bank WHO World Health Organization WTO World Trade Organization iv INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW Introduction 1. The past year has seen significant progress in achieving a more efficient way of delivering and managing official development assistance (ODA) in Vietnam based on an ever increasing degree of Government ownership of the partnership agenda. The international community is committed to following Vietnam's long-term goals and strategy. Donors have extended great support to the preparation of Vienam's Socio-Economic Development Plan 2006-2010 and commit to assist Vietnam implement the new SEDP and achieve its development goals. The development partnerships highlighted in this volume have made significant contributions to Vietnam's poverty reduction. The partnership groups are now working to ensure that the approaches and principles of the Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy (CPRGS) would be integrated into to the new SEDP and reflected in the sectoral strategies in order to make it the new guiding framework for ODA. Challenges in enhancing aid effectiveness, improve coordination, reducing transaction cost, while maintaining strong Government ownership, remain. But overall Vietnam is on track to achieve the ambitious targets it has set for itself. 2. The main part of the report brings together a series of notes, prepared by 20 development partnership groups (see content page), setting out the progress they have made in meeting development outcomes since their last report to the Consultative Group Meeting and in bringing about significant changes in their sector. Groups highlighted this changed behaviour by answering four `key questions' (Box 1) that form the structure of the notes to be found later in this report; key highlights are presented in Box 2. Most of the groups consist of Government and donor representatives, and many also include both international and local NGOs. Box 1: The four `Key Questions' 1) What progress has your partnership group made over the past six (or twelve) months? 2) What work has your partnership carried out in supporting the Government, central and provincial agencies to prepare the draft of new SEDP for 2006 - 2010 and sectoral strategies and programs? 3) Over the next twelve months, what concrete actions will your group take, including to align donor support to sectoral strategies and Vietnam's socioeconomic development plan? 4) What are your revised success criteria - or milestones- for 2006 to ensure your partnership group reaches its development outcomes? It may be useful to put this in a matrix format, with Date, Planned Activities, Outcomes, and Key Players as the column headings. 1 Box 2: Examples of Activities of Partnership Groups in the past six (or twelve) months Poverty Reduction Supporting the development of Vietnam's Socio-Economic Development Plan 2006-2010 and its consultation process with all stakeholders. Strengthening planning processes in the provinces National Target Programme Supporting the development and implementation of the National Target Programme on Poverty Reduction and Programme 135 Poorest Communes A Final Report on the ASEM-EU Grant utilization was published in February 2005, which summarized the main outputs, progress and achievements of the Partnership to Assist the Poorest Communes (PAC). Developing a new concept note for the next phase of the partnership Gender Organizing a series of consultations throughout the country on SEDP to make sure the plan is gender responsive. Framework mapping of key gender-related activities in Vietnam. Environment Assisting the development of the next Five-year Plan for the natural resources and environment sector Reviewing legal system for natural resources and environment People's Participation Providing support to drafting process of the Vietnam's SEDP 2006-2010 Supporting a wide-range of activities related to promotion of people's participation and decentralization. State Owned Enterprise Reform Disseminating and sharing information and mobilizing assistance for the formulation and implementation of SOEs reform programme SME promotion and Private Sector Development Contributing to the formulation of the SEDP 2006-2010 and stronger aligning government agencies and donor objectives under a common framework for improved coordination and resource efficiency. Seven thematic working groups have been very active in coordinating development assistance at different levels. Financial Sector Discussing the progress of banking reform agenda and assistance needs of the State Bank of Vietnam as well as a coordinating donor's assistance in financial sector. Supporting the implementation of government's financial sector reform program. Education Providing a joint comment on both content and the format to strengthen the Five-Year Strategic Education Development Plan 2006-2010 Preparing a working note on operationalizing UN Girls' Education Initiatives ­ a global strategy. 2 Box 2: Examples of Activities of Partnership Groups in the past six (twelve) months (cont.) Health Identifying ways to improve the management and effectiveness of ODA in the health sector. Preparing the health sector plans and strategies and introducing the Sector Programme Support (SWAP) Forestry Supporting the preparation of supporting legal documents for the revised Law on Forest Protection and Development and other important legal decrees and regulations for the sector. Supporting the formulation of the National Forestry Strategy 2006-2010 and SEDP Establishing an updated database on ODA support to the forest sector, to complement the data already collected by the International Support Group of MARD. Natural Disaster Mitigation Developing a more comprehensive Action Plan of the NDP Partnership aiming at strengthening coordination while contributing more actively to sectoral priorities and the implementation of the CPRGS Facilitating discussions and providing inputs to ensure that a holistic approach for disaster reduction is clearly reflected in MARD Five-Year Plan and subsequently the SEDP Agriculture and Rural Development Supporting the development of the sector FYP (from Mar to Dec 2005), and support its implementation Supporting MARD and donors in formulation of the RWSS Sector Support partnership. Supporting MARD institutional development activities, strengthening capacity in formulation and development ODA M&E system; strengthen capacity in management of ODA, INGO and FDI for the ARD sector Transport Consolidating information and experience on transport projects and programs to encourage the alignment of supports and the improvement of aid effectiveness. Focusing group discussions on the Five-Year Plan and three specific issues: "Road Maintenance," "Traffic safety" and "Hanoi Urban Transport". Urban Forum Reorganizing the Secretariat and the new coordinator for the forum was appointed. Conducting studies, organizing conferences and workshops, supporting training courses Legal reform The Strategy for the Development and Improvement of Vietnam's Legal System to the Year 2010, the Direction for the Period of up to 2020 and the Judicial Reform Strategy to 2020 were approved. The Legal Partnership Forum has been promoting discussion, coordination and strategizing between Vietnamese agencies as well as well as foreign partners, in order to further development and improvement of Vietnam's legal and judicial systems. Public Finance Management Increasing information exchange to improve the quality of the cooperation between different stakeholders. Members of the partnership have jointly implemented the state budget and financial management reforms 3 Public Administration Reform Partnership activities have become more diverse, combining both formal and informal, bilateral and multilateral activities. Providing opportunities for donors to contribute their comments and ideas, and to recommend on how to improve management and coordination in the course of implementing the PAR Master Programme of the Government, linking PAR efforts with HEPR ect. The Drive to Partnership ­ Increasing efficiency 3. Vietnam has been one of the major recipients of ODA in recent years. Donors have committed USD14.597 billion in aid during the period of 2001-2005. Although aid inflow is more modest when compared to the size of the Vietnamese economy, strong efforts from both government and donor community are required to ensure best possible use of the resource. In order to minimise ODA transaction costs and improve effectiveness of this resource, Vietnam and the donors have been cooperating to harmonize the ODA process and procedures in compliance with the national system and improving the effectiveness of foreign aid. Indeed, Vietnam has been working along the three pillars of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and was the first country to localize the three principles of ownership, alignment and harmonization and translate them into practice by releasing the Hanoi Core Statement (Box 3). The "Hanoi Core Statement" was adopted by donors at the at The Mid-term Consultative Group Meeting for Vietnam, held in Can Tho City on June 2-3, 2005, and approved in principle by the Prime Minister of Vietnam in September 2005. 4 Box 3: Hanoi Core Statement on Aid Effectiveness Ownership, Harmonisation, Alignment, Results Background Statement We, the Government of Vietnam and development partners, agree to take far-reaching and monitorable actions to make aid more effective as we look ahead to the achievement of Vietnam's Development Goals (VDGs) by 2010, and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. We recognise that while volumes of aid and other development resources are increasing to achieve the VDGs, aid effectiveness must also increase significantly to support Vietnam's efforts to strengthen governance, to improve development performance, and to enhance development outcomes. We agree to localise the conclusions of the High Level Forum on Aid effectiveness held in Paris in March 2005 ("The Paris Declaration") to reflect circumstances in Vietnam. We resolve to increase the impact of aid in reducing poverty and inequality, increasing growth, building the capacity of human resources and institutions, and accelerating achievement of the VDGs. Partnership Commitments Developed in a spirit of mutual accountability, these Partnership Commitments reflect the ambitions and structure of the Paris Declaration and build on the on-going efforts and experiences of development in Vietnam. 1. Ownership Vietnam defines operational development policies 1. The Government of Vietnam exercises leadership in developing and implementing its 5 Year Socio Economic Development Plan (SEDP) through a broad consultative processes which integrates overseas development aid into mainstream planning (Indicator 1). 2. The Government of Vietnam further strengthens its leadership role in co-ordinating aid at all levels. 2. Alignment Donors align with Vietnam's strategies and commit to use strengthened country systems 3. Donors base their support on the Government of Vietnam's SEDP and related national, regional and provincial, and sectoral plans (Indicator 2). 4. Donors base dialogue on the poverty reduction and growth agenda articulated in the SEDP. 5. The Government of Vietnam and donors establish mutually agreed frameworks that provide reliable assessments of country systems, procedures and their performance. 6. Donors use country systems and procedures to the maximum extent possible. Where use of country systems is not feasible, donors establish additional safeguards and measures in ways that strengthen country systems and procedures (Indicator 5, 6 and 8). 7. Donors avoid creating parallel structures (PMUs) for day-to-day management and implementation of aid-financed projects and programmes (Indicator 3). 8. Donors phase out paid incentives for government officials administering aid financed activities and do not establish incentives in future activities. Vietnam strengthens institutional capacity with support from donors; Donors increasingly use government systems 9. The Government of Vietnam integrates capacity building objectives in the SEDP and related national, regional and provincial, and sectoral plans and leads a comprehensive capacity building programme with co-ordinated donor support (Indicator 4). 10. The Government of Vietnam undertakes reforms, such as public administration reforms (PAR), that promote long-term capacity development. 11. The Government of Vietnam undertakes reforms to ensure that the legal framework, national systems, institutions and procedures for managing aid and other development resources are effective, accountable and transparent. 5 12. The Government of Vietnam and donors commit sufficient resources to support and sustain reform and capacity building in public procurement and public financial management. 13. Donors progressively rely on the Government of Vietnam's procurement system once mutually agreed standards have been attained (Indicator 5). 14. Donors progressively rely on the Government of Vietnam's public financial management system once mutually agreed standards have been attained (Indicator 6). 15. The Government of Vietnam publishes timely, transparent and reliable reports on budget planning and execution (Indicator 6). 16. Donors enhance the predictability of future aid through transparent decision making processes, provide reliable indicative commitments of aid over a multi-year framework (including aid commitments covering multi-year expenditures of projects) and release aid in a timely and predictable fashion in relation to the Government of Vietnam's budget cycle (Indicator 7). 17. The Government of Vietnam, supported by donors, develop specialised technical and policy capacity for social and environmental analysis (SIA and EIA) and enforcement of legislation (Indicator 8). 3. Harmonisation and Simplification Donors implement common arrangements and simplify procedures 18. The Government of Vietnam and donors jointly conduct and use core diagnostic reviews such as Country Financial Accountability Assessment (CFAA), Public Expenditure Review (PER), Country Procurement Assessment Report (CPAR), etc, and the Government of Vietnam and donors work together to share other reviews and carry out more joint reviews (Indicator 9). 19. Donors rationalise their systems and procedures by implementing common arrangements for planning, design, implementation, M&E and reporting to Government of Vietnam on donor activities and aid flows (Indicator 10). 20. Government of Vietnam and donors increasingly use programme based approaches (Defined in Box 3.1, Chapter 3 "Sector Approaches" of Harmonising Donor Practices for Effective Aid Delivery, Volume 2 (OECD, 2005)) (Indicator 11). 21. Decentralisation and delegation of authority to the country level is maximised for each donor (Indicator 12). Complementarity: more effective division of labour 22. The Government of Vietnam provides clear views on donors' comparative advantage, different aid modalities and on how to achieve donor complementarity at country or sector level. 23. Donors make full use of respective comparative advantage at sector level by aligning support and agreeing, where appropriate, lead donors for co-ordinating programmes, activities and tasks, including delegated co-operation. Incentives for collaborative behaviour 24. Government and donors devise practical means to encourage harmonisation, alignment, and results based management. 4. Managing for results Managing resources and improving decision-making for results 25. The Government of Vietnam and donors jointly use results-oriented performance assessment frameworks to maximise aid effectiveness and manage implementation of the SEDP and related national, regional, provincial and sectoral plans (Indicator 13). 26. Donors link country programmes and resources to achieve results that contribute to, and are assessed by, Government of Vietnam performance assessment frameworks, using agreed indicators. 5. Mutual Accountability Government of Vietnam and donors are accountable for development results 27. The Government of Vietnam and donors jointly assess, and carry out annual independent reviews, on progress in implementing agreed commitments on aid effectiveness and improved development outcomes through existing and increasingly objective country level mechanisms 6 (Indicator 14). 28. Donors provide timely, transparent and comprehensive information on aid flows and programme intentions to enable Government of Vietnam to present comprehensive budget reports to legislatures and citizens, and co-ordinate aid more effectively. 4. Since its official launch in Vietnam in 1998, the Partnership Approach has continuously served as a useful and important instrument to improve coordination, promote open dialogues between government agencies and development partners. The `Partnership Journey' is still proving fundamental to successful country-led development in Vietnam. The partnership groups in general have moved to much deeper, broader involvement in the country's development strategies and have made substantial progress in the past year. Some groups made significant steps along the six-stage partnership journey in the past year (Chart 1). Chart 1: The Partnership Journey Source: Consultative Group for Vietnam (2001) (vi) implementation, monitoring and evaluation of outcomes, and feedback. (v) clarity of tasks and funding (iv) joint development of a detailed shared action plan (iii) agreement of principles in finding solutions (ii) a common technical diagnosis (i) shared information and understanding 5. More partnership groups have been moving toward the formal structure (for example: the International Support Groups of MARD and MoNRE), which has proved as useful and effective in increasing understanding, transparency and coordination between Government agencies and international donors. The formal structure also helps increase the Government ownership of the process and promote better coordination within the government system, which in turn improve the effectiveness of development programs in general and donor assistance in particular. On the other hand, the format of an information-sharing forum has been found to be an effective mechanism for some groups and their members. This format also provides the 7 partnership more flexibility to raise new issues for discussions and adapt new focuses, although it might not always link to any specific policy-making context. Each format has its own strength and weakness. It is clear that there is no "one size fits all", so members of the groups should choose the model that is best for them to achieve their desired outcomes. The success of a working group also depends on the degree of flexibility in working structures and form as the environment changes. Many groups carry out regular reassessment of their activities, mandate, organization and direction to increase the effectiveness and be more adaptable to the changes of the new situation. The degree of Government ownership of partnerships continues to increase in the past year, with 15 groups are now chaired by Government (for example, the Financial Sector Working Group, Health Sector Working Group, Urban Forum), and some (for example, ISG at Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Forest Sector Support Program and Partnership, ISG at Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) entirely managed and supported from within existing Government structures. Strong Government ownership is desirable and necessary to ensure the success of partnership. 6. Despite progress and success stories in the past year, many issues remain to be solved on the path of building better partnership for development. Partnership groups are operating at different levels of effectiveness. Different groups face very different and sometimes wide ranging obstacles in improving partnership effectiveness. Some even have difficulties in convening regular group meetings. The issue of possible overlapping work between different groups has also been raised. 7. Factors for success: Attitude, Flexibility and Adaptability, Ownership, Commitment, Wide, Multi-level Support, Funding, Technical Knowledge. Looking ahead 8. Looking forward, the principles and approach of CPRGS have been integrated into Vietnam's next Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) 2006-2010. The new SEDP could serve as the main coordinator of ODA activities over the period. Partnership groups have been facilitating the support to SEDP formulation. As useful fora for information exchange, policy dialogues and technical discussion between development partners, the partnership groups will continue to be a good mechanism to improve coordination, making the best possible use of donor support and enhance government ownership in implementing the new Five-Year Plan. 9. The experience in Vietnam has shown the benefits of donors and NGOs working in partnership with Government to support all stages of the development process. Ensuring a stronger partnership between all stakeholders is becoming even more crucial to help Vietnam achieve ambitious development goals it has set for itself. The Theme Notes 10. There was strong support for documenting the work of partnerships throughout 2005, and to lay out the path ahead. Thus it was agreed that Partnership Groups should produce brief theme notes answering the `key questions', detailed in Box 1. These notes form the body f this report. 8 FURTHER INFORMATION AND BIBLIOGRAPHY Further information on the Partnerships in Vietnam can be obtained from: www.un.org.vn , www.undp.org.vn , www.vdic.org.vn , www.worldbank.org.vn The following documents provide more detailed information about the partnership approach and the CPRGS in Vietnam. Consultative Group Meeting for Vietnam (December 2001). Putting Partnership to Work in Vietnam - Informal report for the Consultative Group Meeting, Hanoi. Consultative Group Meeting for Vietnam (June 2002). Putting Partnerships to Work in Vietnam: Update. An Informal Report for the Mid-Term Consultative Group Meeting, Ho Chi Minh City. Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) (2002). Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy, Hanoi. World Bank with Asian Development Bank (2003). Poverty - Vietnam Development Report 2004. Hanoi. Consultative Group Meeting for Vietnam (Dec 2004). Partnership for Development. An Informal Report for the Consultative Group Meeting, Hanoi. World Bank and others. 2004. Vietnam Development Report 2005 ­ Government. Hanoi. Partnership Group on Aid Effectiveness, 2004. Harmonisation and Alignment for Greater Aid Effectiveness in Vietnam - Report 2004. Hanoi Consultative Group Meeting for Vietnam (December 2004). Moving Towards 2010 - Informal report for the Consultative Group Meeting, Hanoi Mid-term Consultative Group Meeting for Vietnam (June 2005). Moving Towards 2010, Informal report for the Consultative Group Meeting, Hanoi (Mid-year Update) 9 POVERTY WORKING GROUP / POVERTY TASK FORCE Introduction The Poverty Task Force (PTF) is a Government-Donor-NGO forum for poverty analysis and strengthening the poverty focus of policy making and development planning in Vietnam. Since its inception in 1999, the PTF has supported the Government in a range of tasks including collaborative analytical work and activities associated with the development of a poverty reduction strategy (the Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy - or CPRGS). Meetings are held several times a year and comprise representatives from government ministries, from the donor community and from local and international organisations. Where the agenda seems relevant, representatives from provincial governments are sometimes invited to attend. Each meeting is co-chaired by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and a representative from the donor community (which rotates every meeting). In the past six months, however, a number of changes have taken place that perhaps call for a rethinking of the mandate of the PTF. Supporting the development of the Socio-Economic Development Plan In 2004, the government decided that the CPRGS approach and principles were to be integrated into the next socio-economic development plan (SEDP) 2006-2010. Many donors and NGOs were keen to ensure that this was happening, as this would make it possible for them to use the new SEDP as a framework for aligning their development assistance to Vietnam. As a consequence, many donors and NGOs were interested to engage with the development of this plan. At the PTF meeting in April 2005, the preparations of sector five year plans and the national Socio-Economic development Plan (SEDP) were reviewed and donor-NGO support to their formulation were discussed. MPI proposed an action plan for arranging broad-based consultation in the preparation of the SEDP and invited donors to support these activities. Discussion included other support activities such as developing a results-based approach and integrating an appropriate M&E system into the plan and donor support to strengthening M&E of the SEDP. In the past six months, the main focus of donor-NGO and government has continued to shift even more to the development of the SEDP and line ministry five year plans. Donors and NGOs interacted with the planning process through a number of mechanisms. For example, information on the SEDP planning process was shared through a large gathering of donors and NGOs called "the friends of the five year plan", chaired by the Country Director of the World Bank. And support to the sector five year plans was often provided through technical task forces operating under the various sector partnership groups. Donors have supported a wide­ranging consultative process on the SEDP. Meetings have taken place with local officials in three regional workshops. Donors and international NGOs have supported consultations with communities in nine sites around the country. Processes have also been supported to gather feedback from the domestic private sector and local associations and NGOs. The government has also conducted its own consultations with academics and stakeholders within government. 10 CPRGS rollout: strengthening planning processes in the provinces Over the past 6 months, the rolling-out of CPRGS at sub-national levels of government has continued to move forward. Donors and NGO, in close partnership with MPI, have further introduced the concept of results-based planning in about ten provinces. These approaches have subsequently been adopted in the five year plans of these provinces such as (1) a much more open and consultative process in plan preparation; and (2) adopted the use of modern planning tools such as log frames and policy matrices. During the past period, MPI also produced a first draft of a planning manual, utilizing the valuable lessons and training material from the on-going CPRGS roll-out. The planning manual will serve as a practical guideline for planning staff at all levels of government. A workshop to discuss the first draft was held in November. Possible issues related to poverty analysis and pro-poor planning that need to be tackled in 2007 As the partnership `landscape' continues to evolve, a rethinking of the mandate of the PTF might be needed. But a defined Government-Donor-NGO partnership group will continue to be needed for handling technical aspects in the areas of (a) poverty analysis, and (b) strengthening the poverty focus of policy making and development planning in Vietnam. Three broad important areas of attention can be identified: 1. There are likely to be energetic government efforts to revise the SEDP after it is discussed at the National Assembly and the CG meeting. Donors and NGOs will be keen to support the government in this revision process and on helping maintain a focus of the plan on delivering pro-poor growth. They will be particularly willing to assist with the design of a matrix that links objectives to concrete policy reform measures. And they are also interested in helping to integrate a proper M&E framework into the SEDP, ensuring such a framework includes a set of input, output and outcome indicators linked to the core objectives. A final area of interest is ensuring a better link between plans and budgeting and strengthening the connection between performance indicators and budgetary decisions. 2. The Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) has assembled a team of researchers who will prepare a `poverty update', using the latest living standard data from the VHLSS 2004. The findings of this work would need to be presented to key stakeholders for the researchers to collect feedback on the results and to generate consensus around the current poverty situation in Vietnam. 3. Lastly, as donor efforts to develop a coherent approach to supporting MPI in its efforts to strengthen provincial level planning continue to make progress, there is likely to be a need to discuss such efforts with stakeholders. This would count in particular for the plans for establishing a comprehensive facility for Strengthening Provincial Planning Reforms (SPPR) with MPI. 11 PARTNERSHIP TO SUPPORT THE NATIONAL TARGET PROGRAMME ON POVERTY REDUCTION AND PROGRAMME 135 1. What progress has your partnership made over the past twelve months? The key activities and achievements of the Partnership are: (a) Support to programme development by Technical Design Working Groups Seven Technical Design Working Groups (TDWG) with members from line ministries, donors and NGOs were established to provide technical assistance to the government to support the design of both the National Targeted Programme for Poverty Reduction (NTP- PR) and the Socio-Economic Development Programme for Most Difficult Communes in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas (SEDEMA) for 2006-2010. The TDWGs helped consolidate existing experiences and lessons under NTP-HEPR 2001-2005 and Programme 135 and provided technical inputs to the design of the new programmes in the following areas: 1. Financial management and budget allocation. 2. Monitoring and evaluation. 3. Targeting and establishment of poverty line. 4. Capacity building, participation and vocational training 5. Small scale infrastructure. 6. Rural livelihood services. 7. Social services (health, education, water supply and sanitation). This support also included the identification of poor households using the new poverty criteria through a process supported by both UNDP and the World Bank. In support of the design process for the poverty reduction programmes a series of consultations with local people, mass organisations, Government of Viet Nam Ministries and Agencies, donors and NGOs also took place at national, regional and local levels. Working processes were developed to assist the preparation of SEDEMA and NTP-PR, taking into account the needs of the lead agencies, target groups, content and implementation arrangements. A national consultation conference was held by the Committee for Ethnic Minorities (CEM) on 21st June 2005 to discuss the recommendations made on the draft SEDEMA programme document. The process of consultation for the NTP-PR culminated in a national conference held in Hanoi on 1st July 2005, inaugurated by Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem. The conference was organised by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) and involved participants from key Party, National Assembly and Government Agencies, officials from provinces throughout Viet Nam, representatives from mass organisations, donors and international NGOs. The comments and suggestions made though the consultation processes provided a comprehensive approach, systematic views, and integrated methods in designing the programmes. As a result, amendments were made to the programme documents to make the two programmes become more comprehensive, more potentially successful and 12 internationally acceptable before their submission to the government for formal approval in September 2005. (b) Support to programme implementation through Technical Working Groups Building on the work of the earlier Technical Design Working Groups, in addition to other specific donors' support, TWGs have now been formed to support implementation of two programmes. The TWGs are proposed to support the provision of technical assistance in the development of guidelines and policies and the formulation and implementation of capacity building strategies, monitoring and evaluation systems, participatory planning, management and monitoring, and, financial planning and management. The TWGs will also support the development of these systems and processes in the localities. (c) Development of the Partnership Early draft programme documents of NTP-PR and SEDEMA were shared at a government- donor workshop held on 1st April 2005. This workshop marked the establishment of the joint government-donor partnership process for both programmes. A Decision of the Prime Minister was made to set up the joint Government Steering Committee for both NTP-PR and SEDEMA. Following this, over the past three months, a series of discussions have been held with key donors and government on the formalisation of a single joint government-donor partnership to support the implementation of the programmes. Background notes have been prepared and circulated for comments, reviewing the structure and operation of other similar partnerships and various models of agreement. A matrix was prepared comparing the various partnerships and out of this a framework for the partnership was developed. A workshop was held on 26 October 2005 to discuss the purposes and framework of the joint government-donor partnership for the implementation of the NTP-PR and SEDEMA. Participants included government line ministries and agencies, donors, international and national NGOs and the media. The key priorities for the implementation of NTP-PR and SEDEMA and possible areas of support from the partnership included participatory planning, research and resource mobilisation, experience sharing and capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, people's participation in implementation and learning from international experiences. The draft framework was presented to the workshop for further discussion and included the purpose of the partnership, its objectives, proposed partnership activities, working principles including its operation within the framework of the Hanoi Core Statement, membership, arrangements for a Secretariat, success criteria and the need for an action plan to be developed for 2006. A task force was formed to continue the development and implementation of the Partnership framework, its activities and work plan. There was general support for the formalization of the single joint government-donor partnership for both programmes. NGOs also expressed their interest in sharing experiences and supporting the government's poverty reduction programmes. It was pointed out that the programmes' preparation and the Partnership have reached the stage when it is important to focus on specific, technical issues in considerable detail. A focus on regular, working-level information sharing and consultations among the government agencies, donor and NGOs, 13 who are directly involved in the programme preparation and implementation, would allow more efficient, trust-based working relationships and improvements in the quality of the partnership dialogues. This would also avoid potential overlaps with other existing processes related to the support for general poverty reduction, e.g. the Consultative Group, the PRGS and the Poverty Task Force, or specific groups such as the sectoral partnerships for natural disaster mitigation, forest sector support and education. At follow-up meetings between Mr Jordan Ryan, UN Resident Coordinator and Madam Nguyen Thi Hang, Minister of MOLISA the importance of joint government-donor partnership was discussed and agreed by both parties. Madam Nguyen Thi Hang, Minister of MOLISA, and CEM leader will be hosting a follow-up workshop to emphasise the government's support for this partnership. The draft framework for the partnership has now been circulated for comments from government, donors and NGOs and a formal inauguration of the partnership will take place in December. 2. What work has your partnership carried out in supporting the government, central and provincial agencies to prepare the draft of the new SEDP for 2006-2010? The NTP-PR and SEDEMA programmes are an integral part of the SEDP's. Work in support of the development of the poverty reduction programmes, including the research, which resulted in the redefinition of the poverty line and the surveys to identify poor households has been used as a basis for identifying poverty reduction targets in the SEDP at national and provincial levels. 3. Over the next twelve months, what concrete actions will your group take, including to align donor support to sectoral strategies and Vietnam's socio-economic development plan? The key activities/outputs of the Partnership over the next twelve months will include: (a) Conduct consultations and provide technical support through the coordinated efforts of government agencies, donors and NGOs involved via the Technical Working Groups and other donor-supported activities for: The development of implementation and management guidelines for the programmes focusing on improving their targeting, participation and empowerment of the poor, prudent procurement and financial management, sustainability and strengthened result-oriented M&E. Strengthening capacity for programme planning, implementation, management and participation at all levels, but especially at the commune level including support to localities to make their own plans for the next five years, developing a mechanism for program implementation including coordination activities, planning for research, resource mobilization and methods for effective utilization of resources; strengthening and enhancing training and practical skills for the officers of both programmes, as well as organize effective training activities; Establishment of information dissemination and learning practices including setting up a mechanism for experience sharing, consolidation and capacity building for 14 poverty reduction program implementation; studying and learning from experiences of international organizations in poverty reduction. Facilitate localities to integrate these two programs as well as other programmes supported by donors in order to avoid wasting resources; (b) Implement the work plan of the Partnership based upon the government's work plan and including the formalisation of the Partnership framework, including a code of conduct, principles of operation and joint work planning when it is appropriate e.g. in M&E and its implementation. (c) Identification by GOVN of other specific needs for donor support including needs for harmonisation, coordination and alignment by donors and NGOs in support of the programmes. 4. What are your revised success criteria for 2006 to ensure your partnership group reaches its development outcomes? The success criteria for the partnership are under discussion but will include the Government of Viet Nam's ownership and leadership of the partnership; working mechanism within governmental organisations themselves and donors and NGOs; the development of partnership network; the level and quality of technical support provided through the Partnership for improving the implementation guidelines of both programmes; the active involvement of government, mass organisations and provincial representatives, donors and NGOs; increased harmonisation of donor support to the government's poverty reduction programmes; and, the extent to which the formation of national and provincial level groups of donors and NGOs are providing support to the implementation of the two programmes. Government should feel that the partnership is "adding value" to the successful development, implementation and management of its programmes and that the partnership brings about a significant reduction in transaction costs on all sides. Partnership assessment Over the past twelve months key changes have included the development of the design of the two programmes through support to the evaluation of the first phases, support to the process becoming more participatory and consultative and creating a forum for experience sharing through support through the Technical Working Groups. These outputs have now led to the formalisation of the Partnership. The Technical Working Groups are now providing active support to the key priority areas identified by MOLISA and CEM and over the next month the Partnership's formal mechanism will be established. In order for the work of the Partnership to be effective and to be able to meet the government's priorities, its activities need to be based on the government's work plan and with the active participation of government representatives in the Technical Working Groups. The Partnership needs to develop a flexible working approach so that the wide range of stakeholder needs can be met. 15 PARTNERSHIP TO ASSIST THE POOREST COMMUNES (PAC) Progress Report 2005 & Concept Note (2006 to 2008) PAC Secretariat Department of Agricultural Economy Ministry of Planning and Investment Email: dagiamngheo@netnam.vn 1. Progress Report 2005 1.1 Completion of the ASEM-EU Trust Fund The previous work program of the Partnership to Assist the Poorest Communes (from 2002 to 2004) came to an end at the beginning of the year. In this period PAC was funded by an ASEM-EU Trust Fund (Grant Number TF050255). This grant agreement was signed between the Government and the International Development Association (IDA) in July 2002. Following two extensions to the grant period as approved by the Government and IDA, the grant expired on 31 January 2005. By this time, all the activities in the procurement plan were successfully completed with full disbursement from the Trust Fund, and the account was closed in April 2005. 1.2 Publications A Final Report on the ASEM-EU Grant utilization was published in February 2005, which summarized the main outputs, progress and achievements of the partnership in this period. Several other reports were published, together with a CD containing all the studies conducted between 2002 and 2004 and the proceedings of the National Conference organized by PAC in November 2004: · Socio-economic Development of the Poorest Communes: community perspectives and future prospects ­ PAC Synthesis Report (2002 to 2004) and National Conference Summary; · PAC-CD: Proceedings of the National Conference on Socio-economic Development of Poor Communes held in November 2004; · Studies on Commune and Village Cadre Training (PAC study); · Sustainable Livelihood Opportunities and Resource Management in Coastline Communes Facing Special Difficulties (PAC Study); · Handbook for Planning, Management and Supervision of Community Based Infrastructure (Handbook for commune and village cadres). 1.3 Effectiveness and impacts The partnership activities were reviewed at a Summary Workshop held in January 2005. Based on the outputs from this workshop, an assessment of the overall effectiveness and 16 impacts of the partnership as related to the objectives of the previous work program can be made as follows: PAC Objectives 2002 to 2004 Effectiveness Impacts Lesson learning from development projects and +++ ++ programs More effective approaches and procedures ++ ++ Improved coordination between projects and + + programs Integration of lessons into policy and future programs (on-going) (on-going) a) Strengths of the partnership · The operation of PAC as an in-formal forum has had many advantages, because it has encouraged the participation of a large number and wide variety of different types of agencies, as well as allowing for new issues and topics to be raised and discussed in an open context. · A good mechanism, methodological approach and momentum has been created for linking grassroots lessons and experience to policy advice with Government ownership. · There has been pro-active participation of many stakeholders including development projects and programs, provinces, and some central agencies etc. In particular, there has been a generally higher level of involvement of provinces, districts and communes in PAC activities as compared to other partnership forums in Viet Nam. · The partnership has contributed to improved approaches and procedures through the documentation of lessons, best-practices and policy recommendations in a number of important topics (such as operations and maintenance of community infrastructure, commune cadre training, commune development budgets, sustainable livelihoods methods etc). · The partnership has an effective and systematic dissemination strategy through consultation workshops held at different levels, and through the production and dissemination of high quality publications. These outputs and publications have a practical focus, and are useful for policy makers as well as project managers and development workers on the ground. b) Weaknesses of the partnership · Because PAC has not been directly linked to any specific policy-making context at national level, the impacts on policy formulation and on the design of future programs are largely in-direct. At the same time, on-going efforts have been made to widely disseminate the lessons and recommendations from PAC studies and to integrate them into the re-design of the Government's National Target Programs on Poverty Reduction for the period 2006 to 2010. · There has been limited, or at least not consistent, involvement of some central Government agencies, as well as some donors and INGOs, in the partnership activities. This has meant that awareness of the partnership at central level is in some cases still quite limited. 17 · It is recognized that in the future, greater efforts should be made to mainstream the partnership and its activities in order to improve these central level linkages, as well as to increase the impacts of the partnership activities on the policy making process. · From a regional perspective, PAC studies and activities have adequately covered some regions of the country (including the Northern Mountain Region and the Central Coastal Region). Some other regions (the Central Highlands and the Mekong Delta) have not been adequately represented either in PAC studies or in terms of participation in PAC activities. · PAC has been less successful in fulfilling its objective related to improved coordination of Government and donor projects and programs working on rural development and poverty reduction in the poor communes. In this respect, it can be suggested that the original objectives of the partnership were perhaps too broadly conceived ­ and that it can be difficult for one forum to serve these different functions of `improved coordination' and `lesson learning'. 2. Concept Note (2006 to 2008) 2.1 Strategic considerations PAC was originally established in 1999 at the same time as the Poverty Task Force, and is therefore one of the longer-running partnerships. However, it is recognized that the partnership context has changed considerably since then, and since preparation of the previous work program (in 2001). Accordingly, at this point in time, it is important to reassess role that PAC could play in this new context, and what added-value the partnership may bring to future poverty reduction efforts. The main difference between these two partnerships is that whereas the Poverty Task Force has concentrated primarily on macro-level policy issues (related to the national poverty assessments, preparation of the CPRGS, and more recently the Socio-Economic Development Plan process), PAC has focused more on lesson learning on technical issues, on the practical aspects of project and program operations, and on grassroots capacity building for program implementation. In recent years, a number of related sector-specific partnerships have also been established and have become more active (including the partnerships in forestry, water, enterprise development etc). Discussions are also underway regarding formation of a partnership to support implementation of the National Target Programs on Poverty Reduction (2006 to 2010). The establishment of these partnerships also has implications for the potential future role of PAC as a cross-cutting forum. With the commencement of the Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) for the period 2006 to 2010, increasing attention will need to be given to putting policies into practice, and related lesson learning and monitoring implementation of the SEDP and the National Target Programs on Poverty Reduction. In this respect, the previous experience of PAC in conducting evidence-based field studies, and networking between communes, districts and provinces and other stakeholders provides a good basis for the type of lesson learning that may be required in future. 18 2.2 Future directions Taking the above mentioned points into consideration, it is proposed that the main objectives and focus of the partnership activities in the future would be as follows: 1. Focus on sustainable socio-economic livelihoods for the poorest rural communities. It is suggested that the overall objective of PAC should be to serve as a broad-based inter- agency forum for the exchange of practical lessons and experience on the implementation of policies and programs in support of sustainable socio-economic livelihoods for the poorest rural communities (defined as poor rural communes, villages, population groups, and producer groups). This reflects the increasing emphasis being given by the Government and donors to the livelihood aspects of the poverty reduction programs. The location of PAC under the Department of Agriculture Economy in MPI also justifies this increased focus of economic livelihoods of the poor. 2. Focus on cross-sectoral issues related to socio-economic livelihoods. In particular, it is proposed that PAC should focus on critical cross-sectoral issues that impact upon the socio-economic livelihoods of poor rural communities. In this respect, cross-sectoral can be defined in two ways: (i) as resource management issues that span the divide between different sectors such as water, fisheries, agriculture, environment and land; and (ii) which cover both `public', `private' and `voluntary' sector investment policies, development practices and agencies. 3. At higher levels (centre and province), PAC would focus in particular on channeling lessons and experience on these livelihood related policies and practices into the on-going implementation of the Government's National Target Programs for Poverty Reduction and the provincial and sector socio-economic development plans. In this respect, PAC would serve as a `vehicle' for bringing together, documenting and disseminating `successful models', `best practices' and `new approaches'. This will be based on thematic field-studies on important topics and issues that are identified and undertaken in collaboration with PAC partners. 4. At local levels (district and commune), PAC would focus in particular on making information on these successful models, best practices and new approaches available to local leaders, planners, service providers and poor rural communities etc. in a format that can be widely disseminated and easily used. This would be through a documentation and dissemination strategy that utilizes audio-visual media linked to both mass media channels (e.g. provincial television) and information technology (e.g. commune information centres). This would also be combined with a stronger regional focus of the partnership activities ­ for example, by supporting more cross-learning events in regional centres and provinces. 2.3 Partnership organization and mode of operations It is proposed that a basically similar model for the partnership organization should be maintained in the future, consisting of the wider Partnership Group, the Core Group that advises on the direction and activities of the partnership, supported by a small PAC Secretariat within MPI. However, it is recommended there should be some changes in representation on the Core Group, and improvements in the mode of operations of the partnership. This is in order to strengthen both the `upward' policy influencing role of the 19 partnership, and the `downward' influencing role on implementation practice at province, district and commune levels. Partnership Group. It is suggested that PAC should continue to operate as a broad-based forum ­ by encouraging the active involvement of a wide range of different organizations, and achieving wide out-reach through the dissemination strategy. Activities would be jointly identified and undertaken in collaboration with the various partners, including provinces, projects and programs, NGOs, research and training organizations etc. This would build on the successful model developed in the previous phase in achieving broad-based participation in the partnership activities. Core Group. It is suggested the Core Group should have a wider range of members than in the previous phase. This would be in order to: (i) to create stronger and more formal horizontal linkages with other central Government agencies responsible for rural development and poverty reduction; (ii) to represent the range of different types of organizations involved in the partnership (e.g. by involving research and training organizations); (iii) to represent regional interests more fully on the partnership (e.g. by involving organizations from the centre and south of the country); and (iv) to create linkages with other associated forums (e.g. the NGO Working Groups on extension and ethnic minorities). Each of these organizations would be invited to nominate a representative to become a member of the Core Group in order to ensure consistency in these linkages. The Core Group would meet every 6-months, with the following main tasks: (i) to put forward, discuss and agree the Annual Work Plans (in December); and (ii) to review progress on activities mid-year (in July). 2.4 Name of the partnership It is proposed that in the future work program the name of the partnership should be changed from the Partnership to Assist the Poorest Communes to a new name ­ the Partnership to Assist the Poorest Rural Communities. The reasons for this proposed name change are as follows: (i) recognition that rural poverty situations are increasingly concentrated below commune level (poor villages, poor communities and population groups); (ii) poverty situations are not only found in the poor communes, but also in more prosperous rural areas of the country; and (ii) to reflect the shift in focus of partnership activities to concentrate more on socio-economic livelihoods of the poor. 2.5 Main themes Five main themes are initially proposed for the future PAC work program. These themes have been identified from a number of different sources, including: (i) suggestions made by partners at the PAC Summary Workshop held in January 2005 on priorities for the future work program; (ii) priorities identified through the previous work program and by identifying gaps in current policy analysis; (iii) specific suggestions from the PAC Core Group members; and (iv) specific suggestions from province and project partners made at the National Conference held in November 2004. These five main themes are as follows: · Theme 1: Promoting socio-economic livelihoods of the poorest rural communities ­ situation analysis, needs assessment and promising approaches. Sub-topics that have been proposed under this theme include: (i) study on the most disadvantaged villages and hamlets in the uplands (to make recommendations for how poverty reduction and rural 20 development programs can better target and address the needs and circumstances of these disadvantaged communities); (ii) study on the poorest (destitute) households in the uplands (to make recommendations on how the needs and circumstances of these destitute households can be better targeted and addressed through either social welfare mechanisms, livelihood related services, or through community support initiatives); and (iii) study on vocational skills training opportunities for the poorest people (to assess the efficacy of vocational skills training initiatives for ethnic minority groups and for poor women in particular, and to make recommendations for how vocational skills training opportunities can be made more accessible to the poorest people). · Theme 2: Cross-sector and integrated resource management issues relating to rural poverty reduction and socio-economic livelihoods. Sub-topics that have been proposed under this theme include: (i) study on community development issues in the Mekong Delta (as related to environmental protection, pollution control, water resources management, and access to resources for the poor); and (ii) study on integrated resource management systems in the uplands (as related to the integration of agriculture, livestock production and forest sector policies and land management systems, and access to these resources for the poor). · Theme 3: The role of community based organizations, farmer and producer associations, and small-scale agro-enterprises in promoting sustainable economic livelihoods for poor rural communities. The aim of this theme would be to better understand the current situation on the extent to which community-based organizations of different types and in different sectors are assisting poor households and communities in getting better access to livelihood related services and markets, and to put forward policy recommendations on the regulatory framework and support mechanisms for the development of these local organizations. · Theme 4: International trade and biodiversity agreements and their implications for agricultural livelihood development and rural poverty reduction ­ building-up local knowledge and capacity. Information provision and the awareness of local leaders and officials (at district and commune levels) on the content of international trade and biodiversity agreements is in many cases limited. The aim of this theme is to research and more widely disseminate information to these stakeholder groups on the implications of these agreements for the development of agricultural livelihoods. · Theme 5: Commune investment ownership and management ­ dissemination and scaling- up of lessons and best-practices. This theme would represent a further consolidation of work undertaken in the previous work program (2002 to 2004) by more widely disseminating lessons to district and commune levels on good approaches to capacity building and training for commune investment ownership, community supervision, and operations and maintenance of community infrastructure etc. 2.6 Proposed funding arrangements It is proposed that the Ministry of Planning and Investment would establish a Trust Fund mechanism for the partnership that would be managed and operated according to guidelines agreed between the partners and funding agencies. Two types of funding may be sought for the partnership, including: (i) Core funding for partnership running costs (including hiring administrative support staff, technical assistance, Core Group meetings, regular travel for 21 networking, establishing and running a PAC website, audits etc); and (ii) Co-financing for different themes which may be financed from different sources according to donor interest (including commissioning thematic studies, review workshops and publications). It is the sincere hope of the PAC Secretariat that due consideration will be given by the Government, and by international donors and INGOs, for their continuing support and cooperation to maintain the Partnership in the important task of continuous study of the reality of livelihoods and socio-economic development of the poorest rural communities, promoting successful programs, and capacity building for the poor communes and villages. 22 GENDER ACTION PARTNERSHIP (GAP) Introduction The Gender Action Partnership (GAP) is an open forum for discussions on key development issues related to gender, for all members of the development community. GAP's membership comprises representatives from government agencies, international and Vietnamese non- governmental organizations, bilateral donors, United Nations and other multilateral agencies that assist in Viet Nam's development. The group contributes to equitable development and poverty reduction in Viet Nam by supporting gender-responsive policies, practices and approaches in the national development process. Because gender equality plays a central role in poverty reduction and sustainable development, GAP's work focuses around promoting gender equality outcomes. It does this through dialogue, policy review and specific development initiatives on gender issues between partners and government, and within government. The National Committee for the Advancement of Women in Vietnam (NCFAW), the key government agency responsible for the provision of policy advice to government on gender equality in national policy and planning, acts as the GAP Secretariat. GAP meetings are hosted and facilitated on a rotating basis by member organizations. Key gender-related developments over the past six months: Gender Equality Law A third draft of the Gender Equality Law (GEL) has been developed by the Drafting Committee of the GEL chaired by the VWU with technical assistance from ADB and MPDF (IFC). A number of consultation workshops have been held with NGOs, academics, international lawyers, gender experts, international donors and women entrepreneurs throughout the country. The latest draft is currently being circulated for comments. Promoting Women's Human Rights and Gender Equality The UNIFEM CEDAW SEAP has conducted a series of activities promoting women's human rights and CEDAW awareness in Vietnam such as organizing the first multi-stakeholder workshop on CEDAW for government organizations and NGOs; assessing gender equality situation in Vietnam; providing technical assistance for the process of developing the GEL from CEDAW perspectives, and training on CEDAW to 20 national and international NGOs in Vietnam. . Support to the Five-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan (2006-2010) The GAP, with support from CIDA, World Bank and ADB, has been working with NCFAW through a series of consultations to ensure that the five-year Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) for 2006-2010 is gender responsive. Four workshops were conducted throughout the country. NCFAW has provided its third set of comments on the draft SEDP to MPI. Mainstreaming Gender in Poverty Reduction Support Credits A policy action on integrating gender into planning manual for ministries and provinces has been included into PRSC4. The gender sensitive planning manual has been drafted and being consulted before finalizing for publication by December 2005. 23 Framework Mapping of Key Gender-Related Activities in Viet Nam GAP members with NCFAW coordination have mapped key gender activities currently being carried out by government, donors, NGOs and other development partners. The mapping is intended to help identify possible strategic areas for collaboration as well as major gaps in programmatic activities among all development partners. Next six months Gender Equality Law GAP sub-group meetings will be organized on the GEL, with continued discussion on the Law's substance at GAP plenary meetings. The NCFAW with support from SDC and the Swiss Embassy plans to conduct some activities to learn more experiences on law enforcement mechanism from Switzerland and other countries. International donors intend to provide support for the implementation of the law. The GEL will be submitted to the standing committee of the National Assembly in February 2006. Gender Mainstreaming and Gender Programming Through their respective organisations and commitments, GAP members will continue to work on gender mainstreaming within broader development programmes across sectors as diverse as health and HIV/AIDS and public administration within the MARD. Gender is also expected to be included into Vietnam Development Report 2006 on Business. In addition to gender mainstreaming, some GAP members are also working on specific gender equality initiatives such as conducting research among women entrepreneurs in Vietnam, trafficking of women, capacity building on gender budgeting in the Academy of Finance and the implementation of the gender plan of action in MARD. Gender and PRSC5 During the preparation of the PRSC-5, the GAP will discuss to find out a priority gender policy action to propose for including into upcoming PRSC. Vietnam Gender Situation Analysis At the time being many pieces of surveys and researches, studies on gender equality situation have been or being conducted. It is expected that a comprehensive gender situation analysis, included all available documents/reports on gender equality will be done to serve as a common platform for anybody working on gender in Vietnam Plan of Action 2 Review and Development of POA 3 The Beijing+10 Conference took place in New York in March 2005, to review ten years of implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. In follow up to this, MPI in collaboration with NCFAW will continue to conduct review of the POA2 and begin preparations for developing the third POA to realize the National Strategy for the Advancement of Women in Vietnam by 2010. A bottom - up approach to planning will be carried out based on the guidelines developed by MPI and NCFAW. In addition, NCFAW will take a leading role in reviewing the national machinery for the advancement of women. It is expected that the national report on reviewing POA 2 and POA 3 will be available in April 2006. SEDP Under support for SEDP mentioned above, a framework of gender indicators from the SEDP will be developed and provide inputs for the development of the next Plan of Action POA3. 24 A manual on gender integration into planning processes will be prepared by MPI with technical assistance from a gender consultant and is aimed to guide all sectoral and provincial planning processes. It will take into account the National Gender Mainstreaming (GMS) Guidelines developed under NCFAW in 2004 which provides a practical handbook for officials to develop gender-responsive plans and policies at different levels. There are tentative plans to pilot the new manual within one sector per province. This initiative will build on the applied gender mainstreaming work piloted by NCFAW in 2004 in Tra Vinh which supported the development of a gender-responsive annual plan at the provincial level. APEC's Gender Focal Point Network ­ Vietnam to Chair 2006 In 2006 NCFAW will chair the 4th Gender Focal Point Network (GFPN). As chair, NCFAW will advise Senior Official Meetings, organize meetings with Leaders and Ministerial committees about women's integration in APEC and participate in different APEC fora and working group meetings. GAP members will support NCFAW to fulfil their role as chair of the GFPN. GAP Secretariat - National Committee for the Advancement of Women in Vietnam 39 Hang Chuoi, Hanoi. Tel: (84 4) 971 1349, fax: (84 4) 971 1348 E-mail: ncfaw@hn.vnn.vn 25 INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT GROUP ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT (ISGE) Partnership Note, December 2005 Introduction Vision Government and donor activities on environment and natural resources management are harmonized and coordinated, leading to effective pollution prevention, high environmental quality, and the sustainable use and conservation of natural resources in Vietnam. Mission ISGE is a catalyst and focal point for aid harmonization and policy dialogue. It initiates discussion, support the co-ordinations of the Government and donors activities in the field of environmental and natural resources management, and helps building consensus on environment and natural resources priorities, strategies, legislation, institutional capacity building, and development programs among key stakeholders such as line ministries, businesses, civil society, and the donor community. ISGE Progress ISGE, with its above vision and mission, has been a concern of and supported by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), other ministries, sectors, donors and other international organizations. Since its formation, ISGE has successfully become a forum for policy dialogue and information sharing. An initial organizational structure of ISGE included (i) ISGE Steering Committee; (ii) ISGE Secretariat, and (iii) three Thematic Ad-hoc Groups (TAG). ISGE was guided through meeting of the ISGE Steering Committee and ISGE Plenary Meeting. These meetings provided significant direction to ISGE at two stages: i) year 2004: consolidating ISGE and commencing activities of 3 TAGs, and ii) year 2005: assisting MONRE in developing the five-year plan of MONRE and the natural resources and environment sector (hereinafter called five-year plan), and reviewing legal system for natural resources and environment (NRE). The Secretariat now has an organization and funding mechanism in place allowing it to work efficiently. Three TAGs were formed: TAG1 "Water resources and water environment", TAG2 "Poverty ­ growth ­ environment" and TAG3 "Capacity building and institutional strengthening for natural resources and environment". Following Work Plans developed, the TAGs have already developed reports on state assessment and proposed priorities for policy dialogue on relevant issues relating to each TAG. TAGs are now able to provide a platform for broad discussion of these issues. Activities in 2005 1) ISGE has assisted effectively the development of the five-year plan. The assistance of ISGE included: involvement of forming a Joint Task Force to support the development of five-year plan; development of log-frame of five year plan using the logical framework approach. This log-frame was highly appreciated by both MONRE 26 and donor community. ISGE also involved and assisted a number of meetings, which were held for various consultations to drafts of five-year plan. 2) A workshop "National Action Plan on Biodiversity" was held for broad comments to the Draft of Plan. 3) A workshop "Environmental issues during and after mining" also was held to draw attention of donors to this issue. 4) There are 02 meetings within TAG 2 were held regarding issue `poverty ­ growth ­ environment'; 03 meetings within TAG 3 for consultation and sharing information regards `Formation of Institute of NRE policy and strategy' and `Strengthening capacity and decentralization of NRE managing agencies'. 5) ISGE Plenary Meeting was held on February 1, 2005; ISGE Steering Committee was held on June 14, 2005 On-going activities 2005 - To continue assistance of five-year plan development; - To assist to hold a National Consultation Workshop for Biodiversity Action Plan; - To assist reviewing and development of legal documents on NRE through close cooperation with the Department of Legislation, MONRE; - To develop a "Roadmap on NRE", which will be used as framework document for policy dialogue on NRE at ISGE; - To update information for ISGE website and publish regular ISGE newsletter. International Support Group on Natural Resources and Environment Room #215, No. 83, Nguyen Chi Thanh, Ha Noi Tel: 04-7735510; Fax: 04-7735509: Email: isge@monre.gov.vn and isgemonre@fpt.vn Website: www.isge.monre.gov.vn 27 PEOPLE'S PARTICIPATION'S WORKING GROUP Partnership Note Hanoi, November 2005 The People's Participation Working Group (PPWG) was established in 1999 and provides an informal forum for organisations and professionals - including donors, NGOs, projects and consultants and researchers - to meet and exchange information and ideas on issues relating to people's participation, grass-roots democracy and civil society. Participants are encouraged to share information relevant and interesting to other people of the network The overall goal of the group is to support the Government of Vietnam in its efforts to enhance people's participation in their own development and the development process in Vietnam including participation in development policy design, implementation and monitoring. The immediate objectives the group are to promote i) an enabling environment and capacity building for enhanced people's participation and ii) co-ordination of activities for efficient use of resources invested in this area. I. Update on PPWG activities in 2005 In 2005, the PPWG continued to provide a forum for exchange of information and networking between international and Vietnamese organisations engaged in promoting people's participation. During this year the PPWG has attracted more participation from Vietnamese governmental bodies and civil organisations. In particular, the four main thematic meetings described below have provided a forum for dialogue between different stakeholders. 1. Co-ordination The PPWG is co-ordinated by an elected Chairperson assisted by a voluntary core group. This core group currently consists of 10 members from UN agencies, International NGOs, Research Institute, and Vietnamese NGOs, who met regularly throughout the year to organise thematic workshops and other events. The current Chairperson is Ms. Nguyen Thi Le Hoa from Oxfam Great Britain. 2. Thematic meetings organised by PPWG in 2005 Workshop 1: The Civil Code and its relation to civil society organisations This workshop was organised on 15 March 2005 with participation from 30 international and national agencies. It provided participants with an overview on the current revisions to the Civil Code, especially its "legal person" definitions that relate to civil organisations, and its relevance to other legislation on civil organisations. The invited speakers included a member of the Ministry of Justice drafting team and a Civil Code law professor from the National University who is a technical contributor to the revision. Participants were invited to make comments and give recommendations on the draft revision. Vietnam Assistance to the Handicapped (VNAH) followed up with the drafting team with comments and feedback from PPWG participants. 28 Workshop 2: Participation This workshop was organised on 27 May 2005 with participation from more than 80 people from Government agencies, National and International NGOs, Donors and Research Institutes. The focus of the workshop was to share information and gather feedback on two current studies in Vietnam: - Grassroots Democracy Research Project - United Nations Development Program (UNDP) - Civicus Civil Society Index Study - Vietnam Institute of Development Studies, UNDP and SNV-The Netherlands Development Organisation Both projects were presented in an early phase to provide information and encourage input and discussions from a broader group of interested people. They will both be completed within 2005 and will be presented at workshops. This workshop also promoted discussion towards developing a shared understanding among diverse development agencies (Government, Donors, Vietnamese and International NGOs) on participation and study linkages between participatory processes and indicators, organisational programme approaches and civil society Workshop 3: Rural Collaborative Groups This workshop was organised on 16 September 2005 to share information on the policies and legal framework for rural collaborative groups (voluntary simple associations of rural people for common economic purposes or community-based organisations with the purpose of income generation). Two speakers were invited from the Central Institute of Economic (CIEM) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and from the Management Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development of the Ministry for Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). Participants discussed the current development status and trends of rural collaborative groups as well as their advantages and opportunities. Constraints that rural collaborative groups are facing were also discussed based on the experiences of some organisations that have been working with these groups. The International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) presented an initial idea for development of a research plan on the legal framework for rural community-based organisations (CBOs) to be jointly organised by MARD and CIEM with support from interested donors and NGOs. PPWG members were invited to give comments and encouraged to support and contribute to the implementation of this research and the formulation of the legal framework. Workshop 4: Networking amongst Vietnamese NGOs This workshop is planned for the last week of November. Speakers from some Vietnamese NGOs will be invited to share their experiences on networking. Topics to be addressed will include formation of networks, structure and capacity, activities, contributions to the development process, and challenges faced in promoting these networks. It is also planned to invite a resource person who is doing a study on Vietnamese NGO networking to provide some initial findings and reflection. 3. Ongoing update of the PPWG Website http://www.un.org.vn/donor/civil.htm (including `civil society readings') 29 A part from accessing to information posted in the Website, PPWG members also exchange information on related experience, lessons learnt as well as relevant events/news through PPWG group mail. One example: The "Chia Se" program of Sida has used this channel for disseminating information on its Local Partnership Fund. 4. Preparation of a Partnership Note for the bi-annual Consultative Group meetings 5. Formulation of the PPWG work plan for 2006 The core group has identified the following topics for possible thematic workshops: - Public participation and the socialisation of service provision - user fees, public monitoring of service quality, tax issues - Village Development Planning - The Law on Associations - The 2006-2010 Socio-Economic Development Plan - finalisation and implementation - Presentation of the CIVICUS report on a Vietnam Civil Society Index - Understanding the status and roles of the Mass Organisations II. Recent developments related to Grassroots Democracy and People's Participation 1. Legal framework for Civil Society Organisations The revised Civil Code passed in May 2005 is an important document for the legal framework for civil organisations in Vietnam. The Civil Code identifies social/charity funds and associations as the two legal entities with distinct civil society characteristics in the sense of being nongovernmental, not-for-profit, and non-political. Over the past two years, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) has been leading efforts to draft a new Law on Associations. Submission to the National Assembly is aimed for 2006. The new Law (at the 6th draft as of November 2005) is expected to simplify establishment procedures, allow foreign membership, decentralize oversight of associations and introduce tax preferences for not-for-profit activities and donations. We understand that there are some remaining issues for consideration such as whether or not to include all official socio-political associations under the scope of this law. Some stakeholders have also raised questions about whether the draft Law will actually facilitate registration procedures or make them more complicated. The PPWG has also been following with interest the development of taxation law in Vietnam with regard to non-profit activities, donations and civil organisations. At present, although tax exemption is applicable to certain not-for-profit activities, the tax regime of Viet Nam does not include any special provisions for civil society organisations or donation to this sector. As Viet Nam has plans to review and revise several tax regimes, it is important to improve those affecting the civil society sector. This is an important issue for Vietnam to address in the context of the current review and revision of the tax regime. 2. National macro-level planning During 2005, the PPWG has followed with interest the development of Vietnam's 5- year Socio-Economic Development Plan 2006-2010 (SEDP). We have noted in 30 particular the initiative led by the Prime Minister1 to further decentralise the planning process to ministries and localities, to involve a wider range of participants (including research institutions, non-governmental organisations, and social and business groups), and to incorporate the Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy (CPRGS) and the Vietnam Millenium Development Goals (VDGs). Many organisations participating in the PPWG have provided support to the overall SEDP drafting process, including: - cooperation with MPI to conduct community-level participatory poverty assessments and consultations on the draft SEDP - support to specific sectors and localities in the preparation of their 5-year plans, including incorporation of the Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy (CPRGS) - support to the organisation of various consultation meetings and preparation of written inputs for the drafting team under MPI, including limited support to civil organisations to implement internal consultation workshop with their members - participation in national consultation workshops including the consultation with Vietnam's international partners organised by MPI and the World Bank on 8-9 September in Hanoi, and other events such as the high-level consultation on the inclusion of children's issues in the SEDP PPWG participants are also waiting to see how the inputs that have been given during these consultation processes are incorporated into later drafts and the final SEDP. The PPWG note that involvement from civil organisations such as Vietnamese NGOs has been limited, especially at local levels. This is partly due to the limited time allocated for consultations, as these organisations are unfamiliar with such practices. It is also important to make such processes 'bottom-up' and focus on local rather than national plans. It is important to consider how to involve these organisations in SEDP implementation. PPWG participants have also participated in consultations and discussions on the implementation of the National Targeted Programs (NTPs) on Poverty Reduction (HEPR and Program 135) during 2001-2005 and on the development of plans for 2006-2010. PPWG participants observed a very significant improvement in planning processes for the NTPs, especially for the HEPR program. There was a very thorough assessment on implementation during the past 5 years, including issues like public participation and targeting. This assessment provided good experience and lessons learnt for developing the next 5-year plan. A series of consultation workshops were organised with a wide range of stakeholders participating at different levels and at different stages of program planning. PPWG participants participated in workshops in Hai Phong, Dak Lak and Long An provinces. Improvements were seen both in the preparation process and in the content of the plan. Later versions have incorporated many comments and feedback from the consultations. There is also a positive signal on partnership between Government, 1 Prime Minister's Directive 33/2004/CT-TTg dated 23 September 2004 on the Preparation of the 5-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan 31 Donors and International and National NGOs to support the implementation of these NTPs in the coming 5 years. 3. Decentralisation and promotion of people's participation: During recent years a number of steps have been taken to decentralise governance and improve the framework for people's participation in terms of economic resources, public administration and participation in decision-making. More resources are now decentralised within the State budget (currently 44 percent), and the grassroots democracy decree provides a legal framework for increasing people's participation and transparency at the local level. Agencies participating in the PPWG are supporting a wide range of activities related to promotion of people's participation and decentralisation, including (but not limited to the following): Support to the implementation of the grassroots democracy decree and local participation - supporting the local government to develop awareness raising tools on grassroots democracy in Viet and ethnic languages, improving the grassroots democracy decree introduction and facilitation skills of local cadres/village heads, and developing a specific monitoring mechanism (Helvetas) - exploring the application of the grassroots democracy decree in implementing commune budget law in Quang Tri, integrating grassroots democracy principles in livelihoods activities in Lao Cai and enhancing the exercise of grassroots democracy principles by officials and citizens in Kon Tum province through legal consultations and legal and development clubs (Finland) - Village Development Planning and Commune Development Planning initiatives (e.g. IFAD, Helvetas, GTZ, SIDA) - Applying the principles of grassroots democracy to livelihoods activities in Lao Cai (supported by Finland) Capacity Building and support for participation in planning and policy processes - Capacity building for mass organisations (Women's Union and Farmer's Association) in Tra Vinh on policy monitoring and evaluation (Oxfam GB) - Supporting the establishment of a Vietnam NGO network (under VUSTA) on Anti Poverty Policy Study (Oxfam GB) - Supporting local consultation on the national SEDP in Ninh Thuan province (Oxfam GB) - Supporting provincial policy dialogues among twelve provinces on community participation in planning and implementation of integrated rural development (IFAD) - Piloting the adoption of CPRGS principles in the SED planning process in Bac Ai district, Ninh Thuan province (Oxfam GB) - Capacity building and support for networking, information sharing and advocacy by Vietnamese NGOs via training and partnerships for project implementation (CARE, ICCO, ActionAid Vietnam) Support to improvement of local governance at the provincial and lower levels, including pilot activities aiming to apply the participatory approaches developed at village and commune levels to the district and provincial level (e.g. Oxfam and UNDP in Tra Vinh, SNV in Thua-Thien Hue) 32 Supporting community based organisations and rural collaborative groups within development programmes, including farmers' groups, collaboration groups, interest groups, self-help groups of people with disabilities and people living with HIV/AIDS (e.g. STRONGER and CASI programs of CARE, IPM projects by ADDA, IFAD- supported projects in Ha Tinh and Tuyen Quang) 33 WORKING GROUP ON STATE OWNED ENTERPRISE REFORM 1. The working group on SOE reform continues to mobilize and coordinate technical assistance for the formulation of the SOE reform and equitization program, even though the frequency of meetings of the SOE reform group has been irregular. 2. A weakness of the working group previously identified has been its inability to secure representation of the Government on a regular basis, in part because relevant agencies were engrossed in developing greater consensus in the Party and re-organizing their machinery for implementing SOE reform. 3. However, the group has been very effective in disseminating and sharing information and in mobilizing assistance. Donors have used several mechanisms for spreading information. Also, they have helped to mobilize assistance for both formulation and implementation of the program. Meeting the success criteria and supporting the CPRGS · The implementation of the multi-year SOE reform program continues. The numbers of SOEs equitised continues at a rate of more than one per day. 2004 was a record year when more than 600 equitisations were completed. More equitisations have been completed so far this year compared to the same stage last year indicating that 2005 may well turn out even better than 2004. Planning is under way for more transformations as a result of reducing the numbers of SOEs in which the State will retain 100% ownership. The equitisation of large SOEs is conspicuous by its absence. · The Social Safety Net set up for employees leaving SOEs has been operational throughout the last six months. So far more than 110,000 former employees have benefited. · In January 2003, work began at 3 General Corporations: Vinatex, Vinacafe and Seaprodex directed at producing restructuring plans for the General Corporations themselves and, thereafter, restructuring assistance to several of the SOEs at each of the three industry groupings. This work is being funded by DFID. The restructuring plans for the 3 General Corporations were presented in June 2003 and were adopted by Government. There are several recommendations including converting each of the 3 General Corporations into holding companies. Decree 153 to facilitate the formation of "mother-child" companies was signed in August 2004. The work has now been extended to continue at Vinatex and Vinacafe until May 2006. · 2005 has seen the auctioning of shares in larger SOEs via the stock exchanges in HCMC and Hanoi. More than $60 million was raised through the sales of shares at 2 enterprises: Vinamilk and Vinh Son-Song Hinh hydropower company. 34 Aligning support to the CPRGS over the next six months · The remaining agenda for SOE reform as listed in the CPRGS has been largely completed. · The Government's implementation of the plans to transform smaller SOEs will continue. · It is programmed to continue the implementation of the restructuring plans for the Vinatex, Vinacafe and Seaprodex and commence upon the reform work at other associated SOEs. · Work is also in progress to improve the reporting of financial data by SOEs and to develop a set of criteria for supervising and evaluating the business performance and effectiveness of SOEs under Decision 271. Success criteria for 2005 and beyond A second survey of the performance of equitised SOEs has been carried out (the first was in 2002). Since the equitisation only began in earnest in 1999, it was still early in 2002 to assess whether or not the performance of SOEs was largely prompted by the tax incentives or was sustainable. In this survey over 500 enterprises were contacted.87% of the firms surveyed said that their financial situation had improved, turnover had increased, pre tax profits had increased. These improvements were greater than those achieved by unequitised SOEs, suggesting strongly that it was equitisation itself that had been responsible. There had been reinvestment and salaries had increased. For the most part this was achieved by the same managers who had run the SOEs prior to their equitisation. It is concluded that there improvements result from the greater autonomy that managers are given to run the companies and that this greater autonomy more than outweighs the handicaps that equitised enterprises find having lost their privileged status. A well attended workshop was held at the conclusion of this project. Progress measured against the criteria in the CPRGS has been good. SOE reform continues to be regarded as a "litmus test" of reform and is frequently cited by both donors and Vietnamese officials as an area that should be given special attention. As well as tackling the remaining tasks, attention should be focused on: Reforming larger SOEs. Greater participation of Government, including a leadership role in the working group. 35 Assistance to SOE reform Donor & Purpose (Implementing Agency) Status Grant Amount ASEM 1 European Social safety net program to deal with labor displaced Completed (WB administered) by SOE reform (CIEM in coordination with US$ 100,000 NSCERD) ASEM II European Project Monitoring of SOE Transformations and new Extended and (WB administered) establishments (NSCERD). still in progress US$ 600,000 Danida (Denmark) Support to Industry Restructuring and Enterprise Ongoing administered Development by implementing equitization plans and US$ 3,100,000 providing post equitization assistance (Ministry of Fisheries). Danida (Denmark) Support to capacity building in NSCERD in the SOE Completed. US$ 1,700,000 reform process (NSCERD). DFID (UK) Ongoing Pilot restructuring of three general corporations ­ UK£ 4,800,000 Vinatex, Vinacafe, and the Seaprodex (NSCERD). Japan PHRD, Diagnostic audits to assess financial health and Completed: AusAID, Danida performance of selected SOEs, and recommend December 2004. US$ 7,900,000 restructuring plans to turn around enterprises. ASEM II European Support to assist the operation of the Debt and Asset Ongoing (WB administered) Trading Company US$300,000 DFID Survey of performance of companies following their Just completed equitisation 36 THE PARTNERSHIP GROUP FOR SME PROMOTION AND PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT (SMEPG) Ministry of Planning and Investment, 17 November 2005 Report To The Consultative Group On 17 November 2005, the members of the Partnership Group gathered at the MPI. The event was co-chaired by the MPI's Agency for SME Development (ASMED), the Embassy of Japan, and UNIDO. Mr To Dinh Thai, Manager of the International Cooperation Division of ASMED warmly welcomed the 60-odd representatives from the donor community and Government agencies. From the Government side, representatives from MPI, ASMED, and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) participated in the event. From donors and international organizations, the meeting was attended by representatives of Denmark, Finland, Germany (GTZ), Italy, Japan (EOJ, JICA, JBIC), the Netherlands (SNV), Switzerland (SDC), and the United States (USAID); Asian Development Bank, the European Commission, International Labour Organization, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, World Bank. In his opening remarks, Mr Nguyen Ngoc Phuc, MPI Vice-Minister highlighted the importance of the Partnership at a time when the country is entering a new five-year SME Development Plan. He congratulated the different projects for the good results achieved during the year and invited the audience to look back at these results in order to better address future challenges. The Government, he continued, is implementing for the first time the SME development Plan (SMEDP), which is now at its final stage and will be submitted to the leadership of MPI and the PM for approval before the Consultative Group (CG) Meeting in December. The Plan, which also includes an action plan for its implementation, provides measures to be executed not only by the MPI but also by other line Ministries. In this respect, he invited donors to provide more contribution in the implementation phase of the SMEDP 2006-2010. Mr Phuc added that next year, Vietnam will be the host economy for APEC 2006 and is expected to organize several of international meetings and seminars under the framework of APEC. He announced that as far as the SME sector is concerned, a total of five events will be organized: a Micro-Enterprise Sub-group (MESG) and a SME Working Group (SMEWG) meeting are to be held late March 2006 in Beijing, China; a MESG, a SMEWG, and a SME Ministerial Meeting (SMEMM) (one of four APEC sectoral Ministerial Meetings) will be held in Hanoi late September 2006. He concluded by inviting partner donors to provide assistance in this respect. Remarks by the co-chairs · Mr Scholtès remarked the importance of the work of Partnership Group. Indeed, Vietnam has been working along the three pillars of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and was the first country to localize the three principles of ownership, alignment and harmonization and translate them into practice by releasing the Hanoi Core Statement (HCS) that was submitted to the donor community in June 2005 on the occasion of the Mid-term CG Meeting. The document was received very favorably by donors and was approved in principle at the end of September by the Prime-Minister who requested MPI to monitor its 37 implementation. MPI and the Partnership Group on Aid Effectiveness launched a donors' baseline survey articulated along 14 indicators of the HCS against which future progress will be assessed. The baseline survey, Mr Scholtès added, is a complex endeavour since donors assistance is heterogeneous in nature, and often includes a mix of loans and grant aid covering possibly a wide range of issues. A more tractable alternative if the aim is to gauge the extent of ownership, alignment and harmonization in ODA is to focus on target groups such as a particular sector, or region. The SME sector for one has seen in recent years commendable attempts along the three pillars of HCS, and boasts today three solid instruments to that end: the SME Strategy discussed in June that symbolizes the ownership by Vietnamese parties of development strategies in this sector, the Partnership Group offering the possibility of alignment amongst donors and Government's objectives and programmes, and the sub- Working Groups, looking into harmonization opportunities amongst projects. The next step is to reach a consensus on how to contribute to the achievement of the principles. Mr Scholtès announced that on November 18, the co-chairs of the CG will be holding a meeting to brief the chairs of the partnership groups on the HCS, and enroll the Partnerships in its implementation. He then circulated a note describing the fourteen defined indicators and their corresponding application to the SME sector and invited the donor community to return their ideas and comments (see Annex 1). · Mr Iryu, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan, greeted the participants and introduced himself as the new representative in the Partnership Group. · Mr Phuc welcomed the new co-chair and thanked Japan for its help in the preparation of feasibility studies whose results would hopefully bring Japan to decide to financially support the Technical Assistance Centres. He said that the approval should be obtained soon by both the Vietnamese and Japanese Governments. · Mr Nguyen Van Trung, ASMED Director General (DG) praised the Partnership for its efforts to coordinate available resources for best achieving SME development targets. ASMED reached a number of achievements in the past six months: ASMED and other departments of MPI have finalized the draft Unified Enterprise Law (UEL) and Common Investment Law (CIL) that are expected to be approved during the current session of the National Assembly, ASMED was the main unit that drafted the implementing Decree of the Unified Enterprise Law (UEL); it completed the SMEDP after a highly consultative process; it continued to implement the Comprehensive Support Programme for Human Resource Training in central and southern provinces and finalized the Guidelines for the Programme Management and Implementation in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance (MOF); it developed the plan for the expansion of the National Business Information Network and SME portal, this being an important work with national coverage therefore he invited donors to support it; ASMED is also gearing to undertake international tasks such as hosting the ASEAN SME Working Group in Ho Chi Minh City at the end of the month and hosting and chairing five SME conferences under APEC 2006 in Hanoi, in this respect, assistance from donors would also be welcome. Finally, he concluded by informing that ASMED would assign staffs to attend every sub-Working Groups meetings and invited the WGs to strengthen their cooperation and help the Government better address current SME issues that are high on the Agenda. 38 ASMED priorities · Ms Pham Thi Thanh Ha, Deputy Division Manager of the General Issues and Domestic Investment Incentives of ASMED, presented the results achieved in the formulation of the SEDP 2006-2010. She commended all SME stakeholders that have shown great interest and provided valuable contribution to the Plan. Along the formulation process, contributions to the Plan were made in three regional workshops that brought together provincial authorities, research institutes and local business associations from 64 provinces. Comments were also received by 15 Ministries and Agencies, 34 business associations, high level advisors from the Party, the Prime Minister's Research Commission, MPI and a number of donors. Over 60 written comments and numerous verbal contributions led to a highly participatory process and a constructive dialogue among some 550 stakeholders. ASMED submitted the draft to the SME Development Promotion Council (SMEDPC) and presented the document on the regular session on 9 September. The Council members instructed ASMED to refine the Plan for its submission to the PM; for this purpose, five experts' roundtables were organized to finalize the Plan. She then concluded by listing the three main improvements in the content of the Plan: a) increased coordinating role of provincial authorities and the set up of public- private provincial Steering Committee to monitor provincial level regulatory reforms and implementation of SME support programmes; b) increased role of business associations in the implementation of the SMEDP; c) alignment of Government agencies and donor objectives under a common framework for improved coordination and resource efficiency. While thanking UNIDO project for the extensive support along the process, she announced that ASMED would be ready to submit the document to PM by the next CG Meeting. · Mr Nguyen Hoa Cuong, from the International Cooperation Division made a presentation on the upcoming 2006 APEC Meetings to be held in Vietnam and related ASMED tasks. The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) was established in 1989 and consists of 21 member economies representing 57% of the world GDP, 46% trade, 45% population; its main goal is to achieve trade and investment liberalization in the decade 2010-2020. Vietnam has been active member since 1998 and since its establishment in 2002, ASMED has participated in different meetings and conferences. On the occasion of the 14th Ministerial Meeting in Mexico (2002), it was agreed that Vietnam would be the host economy for APEC 2006, and a number of SME-related events would take place (MESG, SMEWG, SMEMM) in Vietnam under this framework. Along the process, it was identified for APEC 2006 the `overall competitiveness improvement for SME' as the main theme and `enabling business environment for all enterprises', `human resource development for SME', and `better access to basic resources for SME' as sub-themes. Among its major tasks, ASMED will coordinate with APEC Secretariat and member economies, prepare SMEWG Work Plan for 2006 and Viet Nam's Action Plan for 2006, follow up the Daegu Initiative on innovation for SMEs, host MESG, SMEWG in Beijing in late March 2006, host the MESG, SMEWG, and assist MPI in hosting SMEMM in Hanoi in late September 2006. In the preparation phase, ASMED will have to draft a detailed plan for submission to MPI leaders as well as to the National Committee for APEC 2006 (headed by Deputy PM); ASMED has already conducted capability assessment for ASMED staffs and organized different coordination groups; ASMED will conduct training for ASMED staff and mobilize 200 volunteers; and finally develop detailed proposals and main priorities. The support of donors will be solicited in due course. In conclusion, Mr Cuong affirmed, the process needs support in capacity building for ASMED staffs (20 Group Coordinators) and for volunteers, equipments for ASMED and APEC meetings, and expertise in developing priorities and projects proposals. 39 In addition, Mr Cuong inform the thematic Working Groups the names of the seven ASMED staffs who have been assigned to attend the meetings of these Working Groups. · Ms Pham Thi Thu Hang, General Director of VCCI's SME Promotion Centre commented that a number of side events will be organized during the APEC Meetings, such as microfinance for SMEs, the Women Leaders Network, the APEC Business Advisory Council, SME and digital economy, incubators forum, etc and called for a close coordination between Vietnamese agencies to host these events. She encouraged both ASMED and donors to focus on these initiatives and coordinate with relevant bodies (Women Unions, etc.). Ms Hang proposed that Vietnam could host many side events, including the incubator forum. · Mr Cuong commented that contacts with relevant agencies were initiated and informed that the Women Leaders Network would be organized by the Vietnam's Women Union in late August next year; and VCCI will host the APEC Business Advisory Council sometimes in November. Other events such as the Business Forum have not been planned for organization by any Vietnamese agency. Mr Cuong welcomed Ms Hang's proposal and invited VCCI for a closer collaboration. Presentations of the thematic Working Groups · Working Group on Local economic governance The main objective of the working group is to provide a platform of coordination for technical cooperation programmes dealing with economic development and regulatory reform issues at the provincial level, Ms Kuesel (GTZ) group focal point explained. Two meetings were organized and some output already achieved; in particular an intervention matrix of programmes was developed, and priority activities for exchange and coordination identified. When describing the modus operandi of the group, she pointed out that the meetings are focused on specific topics, with inputs from different programmes and discussion on the approach to be followed (e.g. discussion on Provincial Competitiveness Index for 2006). The first findings showed that there is a very good basis and high needs for cooperation and stressed the need to involve Vietnamese counterparts. With donors ready to follow a similar approach and components (local investment climate, local economic development, value chains, business associations and business development services), potential areas for cooperation are the use of benchmark and monitoring tool, such as PCI, use of a complementary approach in developing specific intervention and advisory approach as well as other tools (PACA), policy dialogue instruments, and cooperation with Public administration reform approaches. She announced that the next WG meeting will be chaired by Mr David Ray, VNCI Director. · Working Group on Business regulatory reform David Ray (USAID's VNCI) manifested his interest to lead the group , as several projects, such as USAID' Star, are under implementation and there is the possibility for this group to emerge; he also welcomed the idea to let another organization lead the WG as he also volunteered to be the focal point for the WG on Local economic governance. · Mr Scholtès provided additional information on the CG co-chairs meeting, clarifying that the draft distributed for comments (Annex 1) will represent the basis for discussion for the 18 November meeting; when explaining the scope of work, for the purpose of connecting ODA resources in the SME sector to the HCS, the general scope of the indicators is described in the left hand column, whereas the application of each one of them to the SME sector is presented in the right-hand column. This latter column helps highlight a possible positioning of projects 40 vis-a-vis each indicator. As an example, he mentioned that the work being done at the sub- WG level can be referred to Indicator # 9 "common analytical tools". · Working Group on Business development services Mr Vistinsen (DANIDA) referred to the first meeting of the WG held on 16 November; on this occasion the draft ToR for the group's future work together with a draft matrix on BDS support and interventions was presented. He announced that the DANIDA programme has not been approved yet and that the next WG meeting will be held on November 22. · Working group on Sector approaches Ms Meissner (EU) provided a presentation on the status of the WG; the focus of the WG is on the support to collective competitiveness of sectors. The group's mandate is to coordinate and cooperate on methods and activities in sub-sector promotion in the areas of clusters, value chains, linkages, technology-related topics, incubators, general sub-sectors. The group has planned to focus on a number of joint initiatives aimed at sharing information, lessons learned and approaches; clarifying terminology and concepts, developing new good practices; providing joint inputs, training, and clarification in the subject for counterparts; conducting peer review and feedback sessions; and mobilizing know-how on newest development in the area and from the private sectors. So far, the working group has met twice; at the project level, a first project presentation on Observation from the dragon fruit GAP project was held; also, the basic design and concept for a Joint Online Database was developed with the idea of linking up to ASMED database; topics being discussed are how to create collaboration among different Value Chains players, what capacity building instruments to use, how to integrate policy issues in sectors and chains, etc.. She informed the participants that the next meeting will be held on 24 November and on this occasion there will be presentations from MPDF project on "Agri-sector linkages", ILO's instruments on value chain promotions and the process of starting to collect inputs for the webpages/database launched. In conclusion, a quick evaluation highlights that the value added of the WG are the fast and efficient mobilization of resources and know how, the avoidance of overlapping, the organization of concerted actions. The vision of the future will be to focus on the peer review and feedback mobilization. · Working group on SME finance Mr Kohata (JICA), focal point of the group introduced the purpose of creating favorable financial conditions for SME in Vietnam, such as SME funds, Credit Guarantee Fund system, banking procedures, etc. He then presented the key aspects of SME policy in USA, Korea and Japan and the position of ASMED with respect to SME financial policy. As far as donor coordination is concerned, there exist three funds for SME development (JBIC Fund, ADB- AFD-KfW Fund, and EU Fund). According to the scheme presented, ASMED should cooperate with MoF and the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) in collaboration with the three above mentioned Funds. He then introduced the SME finance projects that consist in a loan program and technical assistance and congratulated with the parties that have gathered in individual and group meetings since April 2005. He finally thanked the partners for the continued cooperation. · Mr Trung clarified that ASMED functions do not deal specifically with financial issues, and that MOF is the competent authority; he finally invited Mr Kohata to share the relevant information with ASMED. 41 · Ms Lao-Araya, ADB Head of Finance, Trade, Governance and Private Sector intervened by stressing that ADB was providing budget support, in the form of a programme loan that is supporting different SME-related field such as land, registration, etc and not directly SMEs. · Working group on Sustainable business practice Ms Tas (UNIDO) informed that the Sustainable business practice WG will be convening in January as per information provided by Ms Trang (MPDF), group focal point. · Working group on Business research and monitoring As for the Business research and monitoring WG, Ms Tas, group focal point explained that the Group has been waiting for the SMEDP to be completed and issued. She affirmed that the business research issue will be of benefit to other groups as it will handle overall issues, such as the statistical issue. Regarding monitoring, it is important to have a framework, such as the SMEDP; she informed that the WG will meet early January as soon as the SMEDP is issued. As to the UNIDO-ASMED project, she provided a snapshot of the major activities under way: an assessment of capacity building of ASMED will be finalized and its results available in the second half of December. Within the scope of this assessment, assistance has been provided to help ASMED conduct the assessment of its staff for the setting up of the ASMED-APEC secretariat. The project is also assisting ASMED to conduct the visit to Singapore during the week 21-25 November for the preparation of the APEC SME Meetings. She also echoed Mr Trung's call for support from other donors. Another initiative that is being carried out by the project is related to the SME portal. With this regard, Ms Tas introduced Ms Nguyen Hong Lien, Director of ASMED's Business Information Centre and team leader of the SME portal work, who is currently working with 13 national consultants. The portal will be structured along three main elements that are institutions, practical business advice, and business regulations. Within the context of the latter, ASMED has launched an extensive review of business licenses and conditions with the objective of hosting all these information on the portal for improving the transparency of the licensing system. A meeting of donors will be called by Ms Lien in December. Upon issuance of the SMEDP, the project will continue its support to SMEDP by assisting ASMED in mobilizing national level coordination mechanism under the Council. At provincial level, the SMEDP foresees public private steering committee for SME development which, she believed, will be welcomed by most projects as they intend to support public-private dialogue. The project is providing, as per policy advice, assistance to the Inter-Ministerial WG on "Personal ID of Business Founders", and to the drafting of the Business-Investment Registration Decree under UEL. Finally as per request of ASMED and as priority set out by the Council in its meting of 9 September, the project will work on organizing an international seminar on Credit Guaranteed Funds/SME finance early second quarter next year, and therefore will look forward to dialoguing with the SME finance WG. · Mr Trung, thanked UNIDO for the quick response to ASMED' s assistance request within the scope of APEC 2006. · Mr Scholtès stated that coordination in terms of approaches, methodology, tools from the WGs is ongoing and stressed the importance to have a collective monitoring system. It would be important in this respect to gear to the indicators set out in the SMEDP. Another type of coordination, he proposed, can be related to the joint procurement of equipment and setting up of information systems; at present, six project Management Units (PMUs) are established at ASMED, and therefore there might be room for the projects to share knowledge, local area network, etc. While he appreciated that setting up a common 42 basket of resources for quick disbursement along the needs ASMED may be impeded by donors' varying regulations, an effort should be made to identify, within these very regulations, workable procedures for the parallel deployment of resources such as expertise, training or equipment in a speedy and coherent manner, as per emerging needs at the partner institution. · Mr Thai presented ASMED proposal for the improvement of the SMEPG. On the basis of MPDFfunded gap analysis, one recommendation referred to the rotation of the chairmanship of the Partnership Group. ASMED proposed that in every meeting, one new donor will be identified to co-chair the next meeting. For the next year meeting, ASMED proposed ADB and UNIDO to act as co-chairs together with ASMED. As for the frequency, the SMEPG can consider to gather once or twice a year. In his conclusion, Mr Thai encouraged the seven sub- WGs to perform more actively. · Ms Lao-Araya, welcomed the idea for the rotation, and proposed the use of email chains for information-sharing, and that WG reports be circulated before each Partnership Meeting. She affirmed that the Partnership should be aligned to the CG process and meet twice a year. · Ms Tas commented on the information sharing issue, by adding that the SMEDP is to provide a facility for the Partnership and WG under the SME info portal. Ms Lien will discuss with the programme partners this issue together with the provincial level work. She also informed that the by early next year the SME portal will host such information. · Mr Van Der Ree, CTA of the ILO's Integrated Small Enterprise Development project provided comments on the need for the Partnership to go beyond information sharing and be more effective on the substantive part in order to yield the discussion on concrete commitments. · Ms Meissner requested ASMED to circulate the agenda of the APEC conferences so that to link to the work of the WGs for their contribution. · Mr Trung informed that MPI is working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Trade to define the agenda; subsequently, they will inform the donor community also on the necessary assistance need for APEC events. · Mr Vistisen commended ASMED for the increased ownership in the coordination efforts and for holding the Partnership Meeting within the premises of MPI. · Mr Iryu congratulated ADB on the next co-chairmanship and affirmed that Japan would continue providing support to the Partnership. · Mr Thai thanked the Embassy of Japan for its support to the SMEPG and its overall technical and financial assistance to the SME sector at wide. He finally welcomed the new co-chair. 43 Concluding remarks · Mr Scholtès noted with appreciation the results achieved by ASMED over the last two and half years since its establishment and since the first Meeting of the Partnership Group in April 2003. During this period, the profile and substance of the Partnership have evolved, and so as the role of the Agency that, he added, will take the leadership in the process. He wrapped up the meeting by saying that the Agency was confronted with a very heavy agenda, marked by important external commitments such as APEC 2006; progress were achieved in the coordination effort in the WGs. Regarding the way forward, there are changes in terms of organization with the rotating chairmanship, and the frequency will continue in sync with the CG process. The SME portal, the setting up of joint databases by the WGs, and attempts to harmonize policy programmes and procedures were welcomed initiatives. In addition to the portal, he informed that a mailbox for the PG had been created (sme.partnership@gmail.com) to receive comments or suggestions by stakeholders. · Mr Iryu expressed its appreciation of the debates and thanked the participants for their active cooperation. · Mr Trung thanked the SME partners and said that next meeting would be held at the MPI around April-May 2006. 44 ANNEX 1 THE SME PARTNERSHIP AND THE HANOI CORE STATEMENT Contribution to the implementation of the Hanoi Core Statement Background The High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness held in February-March 2005 under the auspices of the OECD/Development Assistance Committee concluded with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, a farreaching commitment by donors and partner countries to increase the effectiveness of aid through the three principles of ownership, alignment and harmonization. The same commitment was reiterated in September at the UN General Assembly in New-York. A few weeks later, the Vietnamese Government submitted the donor community assembled in Can Tho for the mid-term CG meeting a localized variant of the Paris Declaration, the Hanoi Core Statement (HCS) that builds upon the same tenets and defines a set of targets and indicators to measure progress along the way. The HCS was received very favourably by the donor community in Vietnam, and approved in principle at the end of September by the Prime-Minister who requested MPI to monitor its implementation. MPI and the Partnership Group on Aid effectiveness launched in May 2005 a donors' baseline survey against which future progress will be assessed; the survey was conducted in two phases and completed on Nov 15. Meanwhile, the co-chairs of the Consultative Group have called a meeting on Nov 18 to brief the chairs of the partnership groups on the HCS, and enrol the partnerships in its implementation. The MPI baseline survey was articulated along the 14 indicators of the HCS. The purpose of this note by the SME Partnership is to supplement the baseline survey with a few pointed contributions from the particular perspective of the SME sector, which has seen in recent years commendable attempts at greater coordination both amongst donors and between donors and Government. ODA in the SME sector, and the HCS Indicator General scope Application to the SME sector 1 Authority over development process; The SME Action Plan formulated in 2005 under the leadership in aid coordination leadership of ASMED, with contribution of over 20 groups of stakeholders 2 Alignment of donors strategies SME Action Plan used as reference for ODA programming 3 Integrated vs parallel PMUs Projects located at ASMED rely, at least partly, to PMUs established in the partner agency by the MPI leadership 4 Capacity-building programmes driven by Projects located at ASMED are shaped by Decree GoV's capacity-building strategy 90/2001 that established the institution 5 Use of country systems (procurement) So far, projects at ASMED rely on donors' own regulations governing procurement 6 Use of country systems (financial Projects at ASMED mostly follow donors' own management) regulations on financial management 7 Predictability of ODA disbursements ASMED compiles donors' yearly workplans on aid delivery (?) 8 Use of country systems (EIA, SIA) Not directly applicable to projects aimed at the SME sector (?) 45 9 Common analytical work Willingness of donors to use analytical work on SME issues developed by others 10 Common project management tools Willingness of donors to use common format for project appraisal, logframes, procurement, monitoring and reporting 11 ODA based on national or sector The SME Action Plan can help mobilize donors' programmes support along a sector-wide strategy 12 Increased autonomy of donors' field An issue between donors and their capitals; not sector- offices specific 13 Results-oriented frameworks The SME Action Plan features concrete targets, that can serve as collective goals of donors in their SME ODA plans 14 Annual assessment of progress The SME Partnership can help monitor collective progresstowards the targets of the SME Action Plan A presentation along these lines will be made at the meeting of the partnerships on Nov 18, on behalf of the SME Partnership. Kindly return your observations by Fri 18, noon at the latest to the Partnerships' address sme.partnership@gmail.com. Your cooperation is appreciated. 46 ANNEX 2 MINUTES OF THE SME PARTNERSHIP GROUP MEETING, EMBASSY OF JAPAN, 15 JUNE 2005 On 15 June, the SME Partnership members convened at the Embassy of Japan. As in previous gatherings, the Agency for SME Development, the Embassy of Japan and UNIDO2 co-chaired the event that drew an attendance of 80 representatives from both Government agencies and Donor community. From the Government side, the MPI's ASMED leadership, and the drafting team of the SME Development Plan participated in the forum. Mr Phuc, former Director-General of the Agency for SME Development and in that capacity, co-chair of the Partnership had been meanwhile promoted to the rank of Vice-Minister of MPI and attended the meeting as keynote speaker. From the donors side, representatives from multi and bi-lateral donors as well as International Non Governmental Organisations attended the event: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany (GTZ, KfW), Italy, Japan (JICA), the Netherlands (SNV), Norway, Sweden, Switzerland (SDC), and the United States (USAID); Asian Development Bank, the European Commission, the International Finance Corporation (MPDF), International Labour Organization, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Industrial development Organization, World Bank were represented. Three topics shaped the agenda of the meeting: firstly, ASMED's report to the donor community on the first draft of the SME Development Plan 2006-2010, to be integrated in the SEDP 2006-2010; secondly, the establishment of technical sub-working groups under the Partnership; finally, the presentations of current and planned projects and programmes in the SME field. In his Opening speech, Vice Minister Nguyen Ngoc Phuc highlighted the importance of the SME sector as engine of Vietnam's economic growth, being the entrepreneurial activity at the same time source of employment generation and deterrent to poverty, especially in rural and remote areas. He complimented the work done in partnership with those donors that have been supporting the sector, and stressed the importance of reviewing donors' assistance for a better coordination and cooperation. Mr Phuc also invited donors to provide their comments on the draft plan before it is submitted to the SME Promotion Council. Lastly, he thanked the donors for their friendly and fruitful cooperation and introduced to the audience Mr Nguyen Van Trung, the newly-appointed Director-General (DG) of ASMED. Remarks by the co-chairs Mr Trung, DG of ASMED and ex officio co-chair of Partnership briefed the donors on the SME Plan and guidelines of implementation, and pointed out the role of the SME support programme that aims to ease the challenges for both exporters and domestic producers to maximize the positive impact of WTO accession. 2 Upon instruction of MPI, Japan and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) act as co-chairs of the "Partnership Group for SME Promotion and Private Sector Development" in Vietnam 47 While thanking the donors that constituted the sub-groups and drafted the relative ToRs, he stimulated the discussion on the creation of the sub-groups and their working modalities by raising three issues: participation of additional donors to the already established sub-groups; possibility to set up additional sub-groups; and working modalities and reporting procedures to the Partnership Group. He concluded with a note of appreciation towards the SME survey and gap analysis run by MPDF that helps identify the needs of SMEs as well as donors target their interventions. Mr Fukahori, Head of Economic Division of the Embassy of Japan, reported about the need for cooperation in order to reach WTO accession, the Japan-Vietnam Joint Initiative on Monitoring, and the paper on "Suggestions for Strengthening the Competitiveness of Vietnamese Industries" that provides a summary of recommendations and comments for the next SEDP. He concluded by supporting the idea of linking up the SMEPG to the Partnership Group for Aid Effectiveness (PGAE). Mr Scholtès, UNIDO Representative, congratulated Mr Phuc for his appointment. Considering the importance of the SME Development Plan, he informed the Partnership that the three co-chairs had chosen not to convene a meeting of the Partnership before the mid-year CG meeting in Can Tho, but to wait for the release of a first draft of the SME Strategy and Action Plan scheduled for early June in order to make the meeting more effective. Mr Scholtès also stressed that UNIDO saw this particular meeting as a turning point in the history of the Partnership, on three counts: first, the constitution of technical sub-groups amongst experts and practitioners will make the Partnership more action- oriented; second, Vietnam is making rapid progress overall on the front of harmonization and aid effectiveness: the conclusions of a high-level meeting (Paris, February 2005) under the aegis of the OECD/DAC were localized in a matter of weeks in the April 2005 Hanoi Core Statement, and the SME Partnership is in a good position to contribute, with its expected results in the fields of harmonization, simplification of procedures and a monitoring system of indicators, a valuable case-study on aid effectiveness; third, the possibility of linking up the Vietnam SME Partnership to the Committee of Donor Agency for SME Development (SEDONORS), and more generally to the SME donor community at the global level, would provide guidance on best practices for the benefit of all technical assistance projects and programmes. Presentation of the first draft of the SME Development Plan 2006-2010 Ms Pham Thanh Ha, Deputy Division Manager, General Issues & Domestic Investment Encouragement Division of ASMED, on behalf of the Drafting Team, presented the first draft of the SME Development Plan 2006-2010 and Action Plan for its implementation. She introduced the latest census and survey statistics that show the role and potential of SMEs and the Government strategy for the sector; she also described the process and the drafting team work that has led to the Plan and invited the participants to refer to the website www.business.gov.vn for the details regarding SME Development Reports by Ministries, Agencies, and Cities. She then listed the SME Plan's seven major priorities related to business regulations, access to land, access to finance, access to tools for increased competitiveness, access to skilled labour, entrepreneurship culture, management of implementation of the plan. 48 For each priority, a number of measures and activities were presented along with success indicators and two support programmes on "Maximizing the impact of WTO accession in four selected sectors" and "Creating employment in rural areas, disadvantaged areas and amongst minorities". The financial plan was also presented for consideration of all stakeholders: private sector and donors were invited to conceive their contribution according to that plan. As concluding part, Ms Ha illustrated the next steps needed for the completion of the final draft before the submission to the Prime Minister. Comments from donors Mr Kohata, Chief Technical Advisor of the JICA project aimed at supporting the three TACs, expressed his compliments for the comprehensiveness of the draft and put forward some observations: in relation to policy measure and taxation, (page 17 of the June 08 version of the SME Strategy and Action plan) while considering ASMED as the leading Agency on the issue, he noted that there were no indications about possible ASMED divisions in charge of the matter; as far as credit funds are concerned (page 32), he asked ASMED leadership to promote and accelerate their establishment throughout the country; (page 36) as regard to the institutional setting, he observed that ASMED should be the key agency under the MPI; (page 76) he stressed the importance of data collection; (page 70) on the guarantee fund, he asked to consider the setting up of financial institutes as priority. Ms Araya, ADB Head of Finance, Trade, Governance and Private Sector, commended the Government to assume full ownership in developing the strategy, and informed that ADB technical assistance is targeting, inter alia, the field of land registration an National Business Information Network (NBIN); the refinement of the monitoring system in the plan by establishing output indicators and the definition of timeline with sequencing and identification of short, mid and long term actions would help the priority groups. Ms Meissner, Technical advisor of the EU Private Sector Support Programme, raised two issues: the Plan neglects the role of the private sector whereas good practices show that it has a leading role in designing and implementing strategy and therefore recommended its stronger involvement in support programme design; she affirmed the need for a stronger role of private agencies in implementation as well as for building up capacities of the private sector to formulate strategies; she then referred to the possible catalyst role of large companies as main forces and providers of know how in these strategies. Mr. Holde, Advisor of component one of DANIDA's BSSP, delivered a note of appreciation towards the very participatory process, and asked whether there was a deadline for written comments. He referred to the "Government will take steps to encourage an effective market for BDS and phase out functions..." (page 60) as a very important statement. Mr Scholtès, UNIDO Representative, provided the following comments: with regard to the monitoring issue (page 61) the quantitative objectives as they are defined in the draft SME Strategy are neither specific nor verifiable. He also questioned the links between the formulation of SME Strategy on the one hand, and the work in progress towards a Unified Enterprise Law. To the extent that the latter piece of legislation will set the legal 49 framework for SME activity in the years to come, it is somewhat surprising that there should be so little synergy between the two drafting teams: there is little intersection indeed between the experts working on legal issues (Common Investment Law and Unified Enterprise Law) and those working on the SME strategy. He also regretted that the SME Plan missed an opportunity to articulate in that sector the Government's Agenda on Sustainable Development; the implementation of Agenda 21 is moving rapidly at both central and local levels, and the SME Strategy should likewise promote the environmental and social responsibility of enterprises. ASMED replied to the issues raised: as far as the deadline is concerned, ASMED requested donors to provide their written comments as soon as possible; the quantitative targets indicated in the SME Strategy are in effect backed by detailed analyses; and the personal involvement of the DG in the field of UEL as an instance of linkage with the SME Plan. Discussion on the Partnership sub-groups Acting as a co-chair, Mr To Dinh Thai, Manager of International Cooperation Division of ASMED, opened the discussion on the sub groups that will lead towards a more action- oriented Partnership; he referred to the meetings in March between ASMED and representatives of a number of programme and project managers/advisors. At those occasions, participants proposed on the establishment of seven sub Working Groups under the SME Partnership. Some of the participants volunteered to draft preliminary TORs for the identified sub groups as listed below. Mr Thai also emphasized that at this meeting ASMED proposed these persons to actively initialize the operation of the sub groups and to bring the results of discussion to the next SMEPG meeting about their sub group's performance): 1. WG on Business regulation reform (Mr Ray, USAID) 2. WG on Local economic governance (Ms Kuesel, GTZ) 3. WG on BDS (Mr Vistisen, DANIDA) 4. WG on Sectoral approaches (Ms Meissner, EU) 5. WG on SME finance (Mr Kohata, JICA) 6. WG on Sustainable business practice (Ms Nguyen, MPDF) 7. WG on Business research and monitoring (Ms Tas, UNIDO) As detailed ToRs are drafted and a driver for each group identified, Mr Scholtès urged the sub-groups to starting working on coordination between projects and to engage in a more proactive involvement in the form of joint activities or pulling resources. He also encouraged other projects with concrete operations underway and interested to be part of any sub-group to touch base with the relevant WG coordinator; however, the sub-groups should remain focussed and include only those donors that have a concrete interest in the respective themes: allowing too broad a participation would undermine their effectiveness and would only duplicate the work of the Partnership itself. Ms Nga, UNDP Programme Officer, requested to participate in the group on Business regulation reform (Mr Ray, USAID) since UNDP is involved in regulatory reform projects at central land local level as well as in the work related to CIL and UEL. 50 Ms Araya, ADB, proposed that a group on land issue be established, as this is the second priority of the SME Plan; she also affirmed that there are no linkages between the priorities and WGs. She added that as the ADB funded project "Making market work better for the poor" and the ADB technical assistance project are dealing respectively with value chain and licensing, representatives from these two projects will be willing to participate in the WG on Sectoral approaches and WG on Business regulation reform. Mr Ray added that the establishment of the land sub-working group can depend on the number of interested donors who will indeed join the activities of that particular sub group. Mr Guitard, Advisor of SMEDF, observed that representatives from banks are not represented and that would be interesting to link the different projects, including their funding, to the planning strategy. Ms Tas, CTA of UNIDO-ASMED project, while responding to the proposal of linking the sub-groups work to the draft of the SME plan, she referred to the need for maintaining full national ownership in the formulation process. She also recommended that those projects/programmes representatives of WGs with critical mass of members to assess their input to the group by the end of June. Mr Scholtès thanked the participants for their comments, and suggested that additional sub-groups such as the one on land use proposed by ADB can be created whenever there was sufficient interest amongst several donors and one of them willing to act as a driver of the group. Mr Thai concluded by encouraging the WGs to initiate the work and proposed that the future results be submitted and discussed on the occasion of the next Partnership; regarding the formation of additional sub-groups, ASMED will welcome any new idea, but reminded the importance of having practitioners involved. Land policy can be discussed within the WG on Regulatory reform. Presentation of current and planned project and programmes Mr Kohata, made a presentation on "Enterprise survey in northern province and SME policy". In his presentation, he proposed ASMED to consider the experience and best practices of the main SME policy in advanced countries (US, UK, Japan, etc.), and particularly under each one of the four major components of finance, taxation, technical and management support. He also presented the functions of TACs as key bodies that work in cooperation with the DPI at provincial level and that receive support from ASMED's different divisions. He announced that the final report will be available in July. The independent consultant Nhu-An Tran, MPDF's "Donor PSD interventions in Vietnam: an analysis of potential gaps and conflicts". Following donors' request, this study was carried out in cooperation with ASMED with the objective to identify gaps, overlaps and conflicts, and provide recommendations to harmonize PSD activities. Current PSD activities amount to 58 projects inventoried with 27 donors involved. Findings in terms of technical areas, location, counterparts, beneficiaries, sectors, 51 technical approach, and donor coordination were presented. Finally recommendations to ASMED, the SMEPG, and donor-to-donor were put forward. Mr Shrestha presented SNV international activities with a focus on the component "Market to access for the poor". The activities under this component cover seven provinces (Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Son La, Thai Nguyen, Ninh Binh, Quang Binh, Thua Thien Hue) and are related to value chain development, enabling environment, access to finance (microfinance). Ms Kuesel announced that the GTZ programme was signed early June and that she will provide further information on the occasion of the WG presentation in the next Partnership. Besides, as GTZ is involved with UNDP, GTZ, PMRC to support the CIL, UEL, she informed that the available documents will be shared with the partnership members. Support to Trade Promotion and Export Development in Vietnam (seco-SIDA) Mr Chevalier, Technical advisor of the project, underlined the importance of two priorities in the Plan, enterprise culture and competitiveness; the current project, which is being implemented with Vietrade, is concentrating on various aspects of these two prioritises. At present, the project activities are focusing on the assessment of export potential in the handicraft, wood and furniture, plastic, tea and medicinal herb sectors. Mr Holde, advisor of BSPS, provided a snapshot of the main activities to be carried out and invited donors to share information on the issue of occupational health and HIV/AIDS in the workplace. Concluding remarks The Embassy of Japan co-chair concluded by affirming the need to link whatever decision taken under the SMEPG to the Partnership Group for Aid Effectiveness (PGAE). In his concluding remarks, UNIDO co-chair made reference to the explicit request from ASMED to look into the management and operational modalities of the JICA project. As these modalities are considered to be a model to be followed by other donors, he invited the organization's leadership to provide additional information on the issue. ASMED co-chair wrapped up the meeting by expressing the gratitude for all donors' and projects' representative for their presence and efficient comments at the meeting; also, he thanked Embassy of Japan for hosting the event. 52 FINANCIAL SECTOR WORKING GROUP The Government-donor financial sector working group was established in late 1999 to discuss the proposed banking reform program developed by State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), to support implementation of that program, and to coordinate donor support on banking reform. Since that time, the working group has expanded beyond just banking reform and now covers a wide range of financial sector issues, including capital market development, and representatives of the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and State Securities Commission (SSC) are invited to participate in the meetings. The partnership on financial sector reform is informal, but serves as an effective forum in which the Government and its partners can periodically share information on the financial sector reform program, provide updates on current financial sector developments, and coordinate various donor assistance activities. In addition, the working group serves as a forum for seeking donor assistance. Strong Government Ownership Implementation of the Government's financial sector reform program continues with strong donor support as evidenced by an ever increasing number of related assistance projects. The working group is now meeting on a quarterly basis with the third quarter meeting held in September 2005 to discuss progress on the banking reform agenda and assistance needs of the SBV, as well as an update of donor projects to support change in the financial sector. The meeting was hosted by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), chaired by a Deputy Governor with participation of representatives from 15 donor organizations and donor-funded projects. Government Banking Reform Program The SBV introduced the banking reform progress made and the measures being taken to address the lingering problem areas. The SBV touched on the three core areas of reform that he presented in the April 2005 Donor meeting: 1. Restructuring the State Owned Commercial Banks (SOCBs): The banks had 19 billion VND of capital injections to raise capital adequacy and the banks have settled 92% of all Non- Performing Loans (NPLs) accumulated to end-2000. The new loan classification regulations (Decision 493) were issued on April 22 and the banks have been instructed to apply the new standards and deal with the resulting NPLs. The new regulations require further study in terms of the application of risk-based classification of loans by banks. In addition, a new regulation on prudential standards (Decision 457) was issued on April 19 and is expected to help clarify what standards need to be met in terms of capital adequacy. Most of the SOCBs are working to improve the standards and performance with new management tools, enhanced organizational structures, internal controls, staff training, and other methods. Then banks have implemented IAS audits and are implementing the audit recommendations and all of the SOCBs have credit manuals (2004) and strategies to 2010. 2. Equitization of the SOCBs: The equitization plan for Vietcombank (VCB) has been developed and the Prime Minister has approved of the broad roadmap for the bank's equitization already. The minimum share of the Government in VCB will be 51% and by the end of December 2005, the bank will have the valuation process completed by international consultants. The Mekong Housing Bank (MHB) will also be equitized and the plan has been submitted to the Prime Minister for approval. The valuation of the MHB will also be completed by the end of December 2005. 3. Accelerating International Integration: The SBV is reforming many aspects of operating environment for banks to meet international standards. The SBV has issued or is developing three key regulations that are based international standards, including the Basel Core Principles: Decision 493 on loan classification, Decision 457 on prudential standards, and a draft Decree to allow the establishment of wholly foreign-invested banks in Vietnam. 53 Aligning Assistance to the Strategic Development Plans There continues to be good accord between the sections on financial sector reform in the Government's strategic development plans, including the Socio-Economic Development Plan to 2010 and the Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy, and overall donor supported technical and lending assistance. In addition, the key Government agencies involved in reform implementation, the SBV and SSC, are linking their issued sector development strategies to their assistance needs and priorities. The Government's strategic plans, both the overall and sector specific, enjoy strong backing by the members of the working group on banking reform. This is expected to continue to be the case going forward. The SBV outlined its assistance programs in a number of key areas of reform in the September meeting as follows: · Conducting a Basel Core Principles Assessment; · Establishing a new corporate governance framework for banks; · Implementing a CAMELS-based rating system for the examination of banks; · restructuring the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies and the Bank for Investment and Development; · Enhancing the effectiveness of bank supervision; · Developing a comprehensive information system for the SBV; and · Creating a roadmap for reform and future assistance needs. The SBV also outlined the near-term future assistance needs for SOCBs, which included: (i) risk management; (ii) asset and liabilities management; (iii) management information systems; (iv) internal audit; and (v) raising capital adequacy. In addition, the SBV is working two key outputs for delivery to the Government by the first quarter of 2006 ­ the comprehensive banking reform roadmap and the methods to increase the charter capital of the SOCBs. Donor Support for the Reform Agenda At the September meeting, The World Bank presented some of the new projects it is supporting for banking and general financial sector reform. The Bank presented the Financial Sector Modernization and Information Systems (FSMIS) lending operation for the SBV. The focus of the FSMIS project is to support the SBV in improving: bank reporting and monitoring systems, data collection, management, and analyses, management information systems, credit information systems, and other areas of systemic reform at the SBV. The project is under preparation. The Bank also explained the technical assistance (TA) project, funded by the ASEM Trust Fund (European Commission), to support the SBV's efforts to define all technical assistance and capacity building activities needed for the implementation of the "Plan on International Economic Integration of the Banking Sector" and subsequent reform strategies for the SBV and banking sector. The other major TA projects of the World Bank to support bank restructuring and to improve the supervisory and regulatory frameworks (all supported by the ASEM Trust Fund) were presented: · In the area of bank restructuring, a technical twinning arrangement for BIDV to support the implementation of the bank's restructuring plan and the twinning project for VCB closed in August. The Bank is also supporting two SOCBs (Industrial and Commercial Bank of Vietnam and the MHB) conduct IAS audits for the years 2003 and 2004. · In the area of supervisory and regulatory frameworks, a project was completed to assist the SBV develop the new regulatory framework for asset classification and loan loss provisioning, as well as prudential standards, for banks. The regulations are now much closer to international standards and a follow-on project is ongoing to help the SBV pilot the regulations at three joint stock banks. A Basel Core Principle Assessment will be started and support is being given to the SBV to implement a risk-based supervision system (CAMELS ratings system). Finally, a project is underway to help the SBV devise a new regulatory framework for corporate governance for banks. 54 · There are also three other projects in two other areas ­ accounting and policy lending. One project that is ongoing is to help the SBV apply IAS accounting standards for banks. The other two projects are two provide capacity building for the policy lending institutions (the Development Assistance Fund and VBSP). · Lastly, the Bank is supporting projects in the area of capital market development, including primarily an ASEM Trust Fund for capacity building at the State Securities Commission (SSC) and securities firms to accelerate capital markets development. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) provided a full summary of the assistance projects that the IFC-MPDF is providing to support financial sector reform. The IFC-MPDF is providing assistance to Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) and Saigon Commercial Bank (Sacombank) on risk management and asset-liability management, as well as the application of IAS accounting. Support is also being provided to support the Bank Training Center and their programs in a variety of issue areas, including credit risk management. Finally, the IFC-MPDF is providing assistance to the SBV to establish a private sector credit bureau. A strategic framework for the bureau has been presented to the SBV and a second phase on implementing the strategy is being developed. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) presented its support, through the STAR Project, on financial sector issues, including advisory services on the Law on Credit Institutions, the Law on the SBV, the Law on Negotiable Instruments, and the Securities Law. USAID may become more engaged in new areas, such as deposit insurance, and suggested that initiatives with private banks would be useful ways of improving the sector. The Australian Agency of International Development (AusAID) presented an update on the progress of their project on helping the SBV with an international integration study. The results are two studies ­ (i) on the competitiveness of the banking sector, and (ii) on the process of international integration. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) presented the upcoming US$500,000 TA that it will be providing to the SBV to support the implementation of the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Decree (No. 74/2005/ND-CP of June 7, 2005). The project has four components: (i) helping implement the decree; (ii) public awareness campaign; (iii) developing guidelines and circulars; (iv) developing the supporting IT infrastructure. The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) stated it is working with the SSC to support its training center. The European Commission detailed its Euro 1.5 million project to support banking supervision, which includes three parts: (i) training of supervisors; (ii) training of bankers on new products and regulations; (iii) training partnership with Singapore. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) presented some of the TA being provided to the SBV, including assistance in drafting the foreign exchange controls ordinance, banking supervision training, development of monetary statistics and improving open market operations and monetary operations, and workshops on AML issues. Finally, the German Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GMBH outlined the assistance provided to the SBV and other agencies involved in financial sector development in five areas: (i) improving monetary policy; (ii) enhancing risk management practices at Joint Stock Banks; (iii) establishing an association for People's Credit Funds; (iv) training on IAS; and (v) developing the Securities Law and the Securities Depository. Next Steps for the Working Group The conclusion of the September meeting was that the working group was a valuable forum to discuss reform issues and share information on projects and the financial sector donor group could serve as a model to other such issue groups. However, it was suggested that the SBV take full ownership of the group and take initiatives to improve some of the core documents. The suggestions included: 55 · Eliminating the old, closed projects from the Financial Sector Assistance Matrix and reorganizing the matrix based on the SBV's reform priorities. · Adding more detail to the Matrix to provide a better idea of the size, scope, and duration of the assistance projects in the sector. · Developing a more user-friendly format and access point for the Matrix and donor working group member list. · Transitioning the Matrix to the SBV to revise, update, and disseminate regularly. The comprehensive matrix covering the technical assistance and lending support provided by all donors on the Government's financial sector reform agenda has been updated, improved, and expanded to cover most areas of financial sector support beyond banking (such as policy lending, microfinance, and non-bank financial institutions). The Financial Sector Assistance Matrix is organized by financial institution and then by function for easier navigation, with active links to the appropriate contacts for each project, and it is now posted on the on the World Bank Vietnam Country Office (www.worldbank.org.vn). 56 FINANCIAL SECTOR ASSISTANCE PROJECTS IN VIETNAM Financial Sector Donor Working Group As of November 8, 2005 REFORM AREA TASK DONOR / PROVIDER STATUS START DATE CONTACT State Owned Commercial Banks (SOCBs) Support for Implementation of ICB Restructuring Plan AFD Ongoing Sept. 2003 Marc Gilbert, AFD gilbertm@groupe-afd.org Support for the implementation of the restructuring plan for BIDV ­ World Bank / European Union Approved 2004 James Seward, WB jseward@worldbank.org phase 2 ASEM Trust Fund Andreas Hauskrecht, GTZ Business strategy for VCB GTZ Ongoing 2002 hauskrecht@sbcglobal.net Andreas Hauskrecht, GTZ Reform internal auditing for VCB GTZ Ongoing 2002 hauskrecht@sbcglobal.net Mekong Housing Bank IAS Audits, Assessment, and Preparation for World Bank / European Union Amanda Carlier, World Bank Approved 2003 Strategic Partnering / Equitization ASEM Trust Fund acarlier@worldbank.org TA on overall strengthening of risk management, assets-liabilities management, conversion to IAS accounting to Asia Commercial Bank Swiss trust fund (ACB) ­ US$ 850,000. Major components: Dutch fund 1. Credit Risk Management (including Gap analysis, recommendation, Japanese fund scoring models for corporate and retail loans): completed IFC On-going 2002 Lam Bao Quang, IFC lquang@ifc.org 2. IFRS reporting training: completed MPDF 3. IT mordernization: contract is under negotiation 4. ALM related TA: contract is under negotiation Bank Restructuring 5. Strategic Planing: consultant selection is under the process 6. Senior resident advisor: consultant selection is under the process TA on overall strengthening of risk management, assets-liabilities Swiss trust fund management, conversion to IAS accounting to Saigon Commercial Dutch fund Bank (Sacombank) ­ US$ 850,000. Major components: Japanese fund 1. Credit Risk Management: completed On-going 2002 Lam Bao Quang, IFC lquang@ifc.org IFC 2. IT mordernization: completed MPDF 3. ALM: completed 4. Senior resident advisor: consultant selection is under the process. Advisory assistance for the Mekong Housing Bank equitization IFC Ongoing 2004 Sin Foong Wong (IFC) transaction Barbara Jäggin, Swiss Embassy Mekong Housing Bank TA for Credit Management, Treasury and Barbara.jaeggin@han.rep.admin.ch Seco / Private Sector Ongoing 2004 Asset Liability Management, HR management, IT,and MIS Quondam Partners, Juerg Vontobel quondam@bluewin.ch Barbara Jäggin, Swiss Embassy Workshops in Bank Restructuring Seco (Swiss Embassy) / Barbara.jaeggin@han.rep.admin.ch Approved Dec-03 Private Sector Quondam Partners, Juerg Vontobel quondam@bluewin.ch 57 Asset Resolution Non-performing loan resolutions for Joint Stock Banks GTZ Ongoing 2004 Andreas Hauskrecht, GTZ hauskrecht@sbcglobal.net Miguel Navarro-Martin, WB Mnavarromartin@worldbank.org Payment System and Bank Modernization Project World Bank On-going 1996 James Seward, World Bank Jseward@worldbank.org Miguel Navarro-Martin, WB Payment System Mnavarromartin@worldbank.org Second Payment System and Bank Modernization Project World Bank Approved 2005 James Seward, World Bank Jseward@worldbank.org Payment System and Bank Modernization for VBARD (extension of Marc Gllbert, AFD AFD Ongoing Sept.2003 the WB PSBM) gilbertm@groupe-afd.org World Bank / European Union James Seward, World Bank IAS Audits 2003-2004 for ICB Ongoing 2003 ASEM Trust Fund jseward@worldbank.org Auditing Andreas Hauskrecht, GTZ Audit Training series GTZ Ongoing 2003/4 Ahauskrecht@sbcglobal.net Joint Stock Banks (JSBs) Andreas Hauskrecht, GTZ Risk Management for Joint Stock Banks GTZ Ongoing 2003 hauskrecht@sbcglobal.net Training of the JSBs credit departments, training of BRC in risk Seco (Swiss Embassy) / Ongoing 1998 - 2004 Barbara Jäggin, Swiss Embassy management Private Sector / BTC Barbara.jaeggin@han.rep.admin.ch Credit Risk Management and Loan Portfolio Management - Workbook IFC-SME department and Risk Management - Training manual IFC-MPDF Jacco Minnaar, IFC/MPDF On-going Jul-05 - Training of trainers Netherlands trust fund jminnaar@ifc.org - Training courses US$ 60,000 Partner: Bank Training Center (BTC) Training and enforcement of capacities, specially in the fields of credit Marc Gilbert, AFD AFD On-going Sept. 2003 policies, risk management and sectoral analysis for VBARD gilbertm@groupe-afd.org Support to Bank Training Center (BTC) to provide quality training to commercial banks Organizational Major components: IFC-MPDF On-going 2002 Jacco Minnaar, IFC/MPDF jminnaar@ifc.org Change - Building the capacity of trainers - Certification program for credit function US$ 175,000/year Partner: Bank Training Center (BTC) State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) Organizational Andreas Hauskrecht, GTZ Change SBV restructuring GTZ Ongoing 2002 Hauskrecht@sbcglobal.net Long-term training and technical assistance to the SBV on Claude Goulet/CIDA CIDA Ongoing Feb. 2004 supervisory, regulatory and banking services issues Claude.goulet@dfait-maeci.gc.ca World Bank / European Union James Seward, World Bank Ongoing 2003 SBV Capacity Building in Regulation, Supervision, and Development ASEM Trust Fund jseward@worldbank.org 58 Francisco Fontan, EC SBV Capacity Building European Union Proposed 2005 Francisco.Fontan@cec.eu.int Andreas Hauskrecht, GTZ Establish chair for bank auditing at Banking Institute GTZ Ongoing 2000 Hauskrecht@sbcglobal.net Andreas Hauskrecht, GTZ Strengthening banking supervision/auditing GTZ Ongoing 2000 Hauskrecht@sbcglobal.net Andreas Hauskrecht Training IAS GTZ Ongoing 2003 Hauskrecht@sbcglobal.net World Bank / European Union James Seward, World Bank Transition of VAS to IAS for banks and improving financial reporting Ongoing 2003 ASEM Trust Fund Jseward@worldbank.org Supervision/ Safety- Soundness Standards Anti-money laundering- assessment and assistance for drafting decree, Shigeko Hattori, ADB ADB Ongoing Sept. 2003 action plan for FIU establishment shattori@adb.org World Bank / European Union James Seward, World Bank Full Basel Core Principle Assessment of the SBV Approved 2003 ASEM Trust Fund jseward@worldbank.org World Bank/ASEM Trust James Seward, World Bank Assisted self-assessment of the Basel Core Principles Approved 2004 Fund Jseward@worldbank.org Advisory services for strengthening banking regulation and Il Houng Lee, IMF ilee@imf.org IMF/MFD Ongoing 2004 supervision Andreas Hauskrecht, GTZ Review of State Bank and Credit Institutions Laws GTZ Ongoing 2003 Hauskrecht@sbcglobal.net Claude Goulet, CIDA Technical advice on the State Bank and Credit Institutions Laws CIDA Ongoing Jun-03 Claude.goulet@dfait-maeci.gc.ca Andreas Hauskrecht, GTZ Introduction of international standards (Basel Principles) GTZ Ongoing Hauskrecht@sbcglobal.net Legal Framework for Workshops, legal analysis and reference materials to support the Dennis Zvinakis, USAID Banking development by the SBV of the key implementing decrees for the USAID-STAR Project Ongoing Aug. 2004 dzvinakis@usaid.gov amended Law on Credit Institutions Steve Parker, STAR Steve_Parker@DAI.com Dennis Zvinakis, USAID dzvinakis@usaid.gov Support for developing Decree on Foreign Banks USAID (STAR Project) Ongoing Aug-04 Steve Parker, STAR Steve_Parker@DAI.com USAID (STAR Project) Support for developing the Law on Negotiable Instruments Ongoing Nov-04 Dennis Zvinakis, USAID dzvinakis@usaid.gov Steve Parker, STAR Steve_Parker@DAI.com Credit Information Assessment of the CIC World Bank / Spanish CTF Ongoing Nov. 2003 James Seward, World Bank Jseward@worldbank.org 59 Implementation of strategic framework: drafting legal framework and partnership building: support setup of a private sector credit bureau US$ 70,000 Major components: 1. Technical Assistance: provide legal TA to SBV. This would include: - Developing legal framework - Developing code of conduct Jacco Minnaar, IFC/MPDF - Establishing licensing requirements. jminnaar@ifc.org MPDF Proposed 2005 - Providing on-going consultation throughout the process Nguyen Hanh Nam, IFC/MPDF and promotion/dissemination activities. NNam@ifc.org 2. Partnership building/Sourcing: The project will seek interest from potential international credit bureaus and commitment from banking community and then as the trust broker, facilitate the establishment of a private credit bureau with participation of a reputable foreign investor/sponsor. Partner: State Bank of Vietnam Assessment of and technical workshops on the financial sector Dennis Zvinakis, USAID dzvinakis@usaid.gov USAID-STAR Project Ongoing Nov. 2002 implications of the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement Steve Parker, STAR Steve_Parker@DAI.com Assistance to SBV in formulating the strategy for international AusAID Ongoing Oct. 2004 Graham Alliband, CEG Facility integration for the banking sector Galliband@ceg.edu.com International Karl-Anders Larsson, SIDA Agreements Reserves Management Capacity Building SIDA/Swedish Central Bank Ongoing May-03 karl-anders.larsson@sida.se Safeguards Assessment IMF/Treasurer's Department Ongoing 2001 Il Houng Lee, IMF ilee@imf.org Assistance in auditing the SBV IMF/MFD Ongoing 2004 Il Houng Lee, IMF ilee@imf.org Andreas Hauskrecht, GTZ Introduction of new monetary policy instruments GTZ Ongoing Thru 2003 Hauskrecht@sbcglobal.net Reserves Financial market/policies Phase I: 1997-1999 Barbara Jäggin, Swiss Embassy Management Seco (Switzerland) / Graduate Train the trainer, HR management/appraisal, empirical research skills Phase II: 2000-2002 Barbara.jaeggin@han.rep.admin.ch Institute for International Ongoing Phase III: 2003-2005 Graduate Institute of International Studies Studies Geneva, Prof. Camen Camen@hei.unige.ch INSEE/Banque de France/ Alain Fontanel Training in Macroeconomic model-building and forecasting Ongoing 2002 ADETEF Afontanel@hotmail.com Monetary Policy Workshops in Macroeconomic Policy Coordination IMF Ongoing 2002 Il Houng Lee, IMF ilee@imf.org Karl-Anders Larsson, SIDA Staff exchange Sida/Swedish Central Bank Ongoing 2003 karl-anders.larsson@sida.se 60 Guidance on monetary policy instruments and operations IMF/MFD Ongoing 2004 Il Houng Lee, IMF ilee@imf.org Training SBV and Commercial Bankers, Monetary Instruments GTZ Ongoing 2002 Andreas Hauskrecht, GTZ Ahauskrecht@aol.com Assistance in development of a database for tracking money market Alessandro A. Pio, ADB ADB Approved May-03 transactions Apio@adb.org SBV Capacity Building as Executing Agency for SME Credit Policies JBIC Ongoing Dec. 2001 Takayuki Sato, JBIC Money Market ta-sato@jbic.go.jp Development SME Finance Project JBIC On-going 1999 Takayuki Sato, JBIC ta-sato@jbic.go.jp Pilot Study on Soft Infrastructure development for better Financial Takayuki Sato, JBIC JBIC On-going Mar-03 Access of SME ta-sato@jbic.go.jp Helmut Schoen, KfW SME Credit Line (ICBV) KfW Ongoing 2001 helmut.schoen@kfw.de Helmut Schoen, KfW SME Development Program Loan (co-financed with ADB and AFD) KfW Ongoing Dec-04 helmut.schoen@kfw.de Francisco Fontan, EC SME Revolving Fund European Union Ongoing Oct. 2004 Francisco.FONTAN@cec.eu.int SME Credit Policies Housing Credit Line through Mekong Housing Bank Marc Gllbert AFD Ongoing 2004 gilbertm@groupe-afd.org Vietnam Competitiveness Initiative - training and technical assistance David Brunell, USAID dbrunell@usaid.gov USAID On-going 2004 to joint stock banks (JSBs) to facilitate access to finance for SMEs Bob Webster, DAI Robert_Webster@dai.com Provide loan guarantees for Vietnamese joint stock banks to promote USAID On-going 2003 David Brunell, USAID dbrunell@usaid.gov (a) credit extended to SMEs and (b) cashflow-based lending practices Comprehensive TA for the reform and development of the Bank for World Bank / European Union James Seward, World Bank Approved 2003 Social Policies (VBSP) ASEM Trust Fund Jseward@worldbank.org Assist the SBV strengthen risk-based bank supervision, including through simplification of database and staff training. Provide Apr. 2004 ­ Il Houng Lee, IMF ilee@imf.org Banking Supervision comments on off-site banking supervision plan of the SBV, and asset MFD Ongoing Nov.2005 Nga Ha, IMF Nha@imf.org classification, prudential ratio, and internal audit regulations for commercial banks. Monetary and Assist the SBV strengthen OMO, TB, and money market operations. Exchange Operations Introduce indirect monetary policy management tools and methods to Il Houng Lee, IMF ilee@imf.org MFD Ongoing April-Nov. 2005 Nga Ha, IMF Nha@imf.org SBV staff, including on sterilization and setting policy rates. 61 Policy Lending Institutions Comprehensive TA for the reform and development of the Bank for World Bank / European Union James Seward, World Bank Approved 2003 Operational Social Policies (VBSP) ASEM Trust Fund Jseward@worldbank.org Framework Comprehensive TA for the reform and development of the Bank for World Bank / European Union James Seward, World Bank Approved 2003 Social Policies (VBSP) ASEM Trust Fund Jseward@worldbank.org Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) Legal, regulatory and supervisory framework for MFIs ADB Ongoing Aug. 2002 Brett Coleman, ADB bcoleman@adb.org Modernizing a number of People's Credit Fund and improving the Développement international Approved Feb. 2004 jmcrevier@did.qc.ca services of the Central People's Credit Fund Desjardins (DID)/CIDA Loan and technical assistance to support rural enterprise finance Alessandro A. Pio, ADB ADB Ongoing Nov. 2000 through VBARD and People's Credit Funds Apio@adb.org Loan to support rural enterprise finance through VBARD AFD On-going Sept. 2003 Marc Gllbert gilbertm@groupe-afd.org Study On Rural Finance JBIC On-going Feb. 2003 Takayuki Sato, JBIC ta-sato@jbic.go.jp Access to Rural Credit and Saving Program (VBARD) KfW Ongoing 2002 Helmut Schoen, KfW helmut.schoen@kfw.de Microfinance Revolving Credit Fund for Poverty Alleviation (VBARD) KfW Ongoing 2001 Helmut Schoen, KfW helmut.schoen@kfw.de Rural Finance Loan - Micro-finance Loan Fund (MLF) and its Liza Valenzuela, World Bank World Bank Ongoing 2003 implementation agencies (Micro-finance Institutions, MFIs) lvalenzuela@worldbank.org Institutional strengthening for the Vietnam Women's Union on Marcus Leroy, Embassy of Belgium Embassy of Belgium Approved 2004 providing microfinance and advice on the MFI legal framework badc@hn.vnn.vn Institutional strengthening for the Vietnam Women's Union on Marcus Leroy, Embassy of Belgium Embassy of Belgium Approved 2004 providing microfinance and advice on the MFI legal framework badc@hn.vnn.vn Institutional strengthening for the Vietnam Women's Union on Marcus Leroy, Embassy of Belgium Embassy of Belgium Approved 2004 providing microfinance and advice on the MFI legal framework badc@hn.vnn.vn 62 Non-Bank Financial Institutions (NBFIs) Second Financial Sector Program Loan to support the development of alternative channels of market-based financial intermediation including insurance sector, leasing sector, money market and capital ADB On-going Jan. 2003 Shigeko Hattori, ADB shattori@adb.org market, and financial market infrastructure such as secured transactions registration and accounting association Program Loan, co-financed with ADB and AFD to facilitate Helmut Schoen, KfW Leasing diversification of funding sources of financial leasing companies to KfW Ongoing Dec. 2004 helmut.schoen@kfw.de improve credit access for SMEs Second Financial Sector Program Loan, cofinanced with ADB, to AFD On-going 2003 Marc Gilbert, AFD gilbertm@groupe-afd.org support the non banking financial sector. Technical Assistance for Capacity Building for Nonbank Financial ADB Ongoing 2003 Shigeko Hattori, ADB shattori@adb.org Institutions and the Capital Market Market-Based Andreas Hauskrecht Financial Capital Market Development GTZ Ongoing 2004/5 Hauskrecht@sbcglobal.net Intermediation TA for the State Securities Commission (SSC) for capacity building, World Bank / European Union James Seward, World Bank linking the equitization process with market development, and investor Approved 2003 ASEM Trust Fund Jseward@worldbank.org education. Barbara Jäggin, Swiss Embassy TA for the State Securities Commission (SSC) for the development of Seco (Swiss Embassy) / Ongoing 2004 Barbara.jaeggin@han.rep.admin.ch the securities market and the medium and long-term capital market Private Sector Kengo Mizuno, NRI Assistance to the MOF to develop the corporate bond market NRI (Japan) Approved 2004 k-mizuno@nri.co.jp Assistance to the Government (MOF, SBV, MPI, OOG, MOJ) for Trinh Tien Dung, UNDP UNDP Ongoing 2000 external debt management Trinh.tien.dung@undp.org Trinh Tien Dung, UNDP Capacity building assistance to the MOF for financial policy analysis UNDP Ongoing 2003 Trinh.tien.dung@undp.org Comprehensive assessment of municipal bond market issuances and Paul Marin, USTDA USTDA Approved 2004 development PMarin@tda.gov Support the SSC to develop the legal framework for securities market David Brunell, USAID development and build capacity for SSC and other securities USAID Ongoing Sep-05 dbrunell@usaid.gov intermediaries; provide public and investor education and training Supporting the SSC to develop a (transitional) decree on unlisted Dennis Zvinakis, USAID dzvinakis@usaid.gov shares and the (planned) law on securities in support of the US- USAID-STAR Project Ongoing Nov. 2003 Steve Parker, STAR Steve_Parker@DAI.com Vietnam BTA and WTO accession. Workshops, legal analysis and reference materials to support the Dennis Zvinakis, USAID dzvinakis@usaid.gov development by the State Securities Commission of a new Law on USAID-STAR Project Ongoing Aug. 2004 Steve Parker, STAR Steve_Parker@DAI.com Securities and a Decree on Over-the-Counter Trading 63 Capacity building for the National Registration Agency of Secured ADB On-going Dec. 2002 Armes Adhikari, ADB Radhikari@adb.org Transactions Supporting the Ministry of Justice to develop the legal framework for Dennis Zvinakis, USAID dzvinakis@usaid.gov USAID-STAR Project Ongoing 2002 secured transactions. Steve Parker, STAR Steve_Parker@DAI.com Sustainable finance program for financial institutions ­ based on the business case: manage risks and opportunities that arise from social and environmental issues. Major components: - Awareness raising seminars (completed) IFC-SFMF and - Training of trainers Sustainable Finance IFC-MPDF On-going Aug-05 Jacco Minnaar, IFC/MPDF jminnaar@ifc.org - Sustainable finance training (cost sharing) Luxemburg trust fund - Targeted technical assistance to committed banks (based on cost-sharing) US$ 230,000 Partner: Bank Training Center (BTC) as implementing agency, targets all financial institutions in Vietnam. 64 TRADE WORKING GROUP Vietnam's WTO Accession: Summary of TA programs Updated as of November 11, 2005 Donor Project Project Start - Related Focus area Objectives Project components Executing Benefi- budget End WTO Agency ciaries Agreements 8//2003- Analysis of trade policy regime and the Tariff and Industrial Policy analysis and ADB March structure of protection in the context of trade Policy Analysis capacity building. 2004 liberalization. Build capacity in MOF to conduct tariff policy analysis; review and assess in detail the current Government assistance Capacity building for programs, in particular, the financial MOF to support January- Policy analysis and supports, such as the subsidies in ADB Analysis (tariffs, $150,000 MOF Decembe capacity building the context of WTO accession; propose industry and subsidy) for r 2004 modalities/approaches to the Government on WTO Accession how to deal with these issues; and assist MOF to strengthen the WTO accession and implementations issues. Detailed diagnosis of the regulatory framework of investment in Vietnam. Examine the possible economic and social implications and adjustment costs that the The Implication of Decembe elimination or adaptation of investment Vietnam's WTO r 2004- Policy, and measures and incentives may have on the ADB Accession on Existing February institutional analysis. key domestic goods and services sectors. Investment Incentives 2005 This work intends to build on the TA for and Market Reform Capacity building for MOF to support analysis of tariffs, industry and subsidy for the WTO accession, and covers services and manufacturing sectors. AusAid Regional Trade Policy analysis and Analysis and Reform 3,500,000 Training Australia/ /2005 capacity building in 4 To support a program of WTO related Project (TARP) ­ USD, design Researches MOT MOT AUSAID /2007 selected ASEAN capacity building formerly WTO Capacity finalised Policy Analysis countries Building Project AusAid-MARD program on capacity Improving understanding of the implications Policy analysis and Australia/ building for WTO 600,000 /2003 Agriculture of integration, Developing policies to Policy research research MARD MARD AUSAID accession and training USD /2005- Agreements optimize the domestic consequences of Training seminar Capacity Building on WTO-related issues integration under CEG facility Vietnam integration in the World Economy Australia/ 393,032 2003- Anti-dumping Capacity Building for Policy development Improving the capacity to develop policy Policy development MOT MOT AUSAID USD 2004 Agreement Anti Dumping under CEG facility - Research on existing context and Technical Assistance for To strengthen the capacity of the SBV to Strategy of proposed strategies for the formulation Formulating a Strategy Policy analysis and formulate and implement a Strategy on Australia/ 460,000 2003- Integration in and implementation of the Integration of International research International Integration of the Banking SBV SBV AUSAID USD 2004 the banking Strategy completed. Integration in the Capacity Building Sector; sector - Increased skills of SBV staff and Banking Sector other selected stakeholders in policy 65 Donor Project Project Start - Related Focus area Objectives Project components Executing Benefi- budget End WTO Agency ciaries Agreements analysis, formulation and implementation on banking integration issues Improving the Draft, finalize and incorporate domestic legal articles/stipulations related to the document Assistance for To improve the professional knowledge and issues of Commodity futures trading regulating the improving the legislative capacity of those who participate and Franchising Australia/ 100,000 commercial Policy development Commercial Law in the 2004 in the drafting and approving of Commercial in the draft Commercial Law. MOT MOT AUSAID USD activities and Capacity Building integration process. Law and its major supporting guidelines. the Organize workshops to gather international feedback/raise awareness on the revise integration draft requirements Capacity Building on Government AusAid Regional SPS Trade related Plant Study tour, surveys, booklet, Seminars Australia/ 3,000,000 /2005 SPS agencies Capacity Building and Animal quarantine Building capacity for MA workshops and courses on the SPS N\a AUSAID AUD /2007 Agreements concerning Project for 8 ASEAN issues SPS issues countries To create a legal framework for Technical Assistance to standardisation activity in Vietnam to meet - Advice on the Draft Ordinance Australia/ the development of 40,000 TBT and SPS Policy development its socio-economic needs and the - Organize workshops to gather STAMEQ STAMEQ 2005 AUSAID draft(s) of the Ordinance USD Agreement Capacity Building requirements of WTO Agreements, feedback/raise awareness about the (MOST) (MOST) on Standardization particularly the TBT and SPS Agreement; Ordinance and facilitate Vietnam's accession in WTO. Trade liberalization and Assess the socio-economic impact of environment, socio- 100,000 Belgium Environment VN's accession to WTO Assess impact economic impact of EUR on the environment WTO accession Conference Board of MOT and To assist in building the capacity of some Training, WTO-related technical Canada / Estey other APEC Economic developing economies in APEC in Southeast Canada/ 9,000,000 /2004 Capacity building assistance, development of regional Centre for ministries and Integration Program Asia to negotiate their accession to the WTO CIDA CAD /2008 learning forum Law and five other (APEC/EIP) and/or implement their specific WTO Economics in APEC commitments. International countries Trade Assisting Vietnamese Government in Strengthening the legal capacity for BearingPoin Legal Reform promoting the rule of law by achieving international economic integration, Canada/ 4,995,000 /2001 tand Ministry of Assistance Project Capacity building greater efficiency, coherence and capabilities for the enforcement of CIDA CAD /2006 University of Justice (LERAP) transparency in the legal system. civil judgments and Increasing Victoria comparative law research and analysis. MARD/ Agricultural Sector Program Denmark/ Program Support / WTO 330,000 5/2002 ­ WTO assessment and Officer Pham DANIDA assessment and related USD 5/2004 related training Thi Hong training Hanh -Changed role of, or improved service -National-level initiatives that directly Project 2005- delivery by government (and quasi- increase private business Facility in 2009. government) organisations that directly competitiveness through improved cooperation Framework conditions NOTE: STAMEQ benefits the private business sector. access to capital, land, and export with ASMED and services improved 2,000,000 input QUACERT Denmark -Capacity of STAMEQ to deliver markets. [Specific initiatives to be and private for business USD awaits WTO/TBT international standardisation and specified] business. The competitiveness final Enquiry Point certification services significantly enhanced. -Information campaign about standards Project GoV -Improving access of businesses to and certificates led by the VPC. Facility (8 mill approval information about technical barriers to trade -Study of certification services market. USD) 66 Donor Project Project Start - Related Focus area Objectives Project components Executing Benefi- budget End WTO Agency ciaries Agreements for exporting by strengthening and widening -Develop long-term Business Plan for constitutes the the scope of services delivered by the QUACERT. Component 3 STAMEQ WTO Office. -Direct capacity building of the of the 33 mill WTO/TBT Enquiry Point USD five -Twinning relationship with Dansk Component Standard. Business Sector Programme Support (BSPS) to GoV. Increased understanding of the issues surrounding Vietnam's WTO accession and the potential impacts hereof: (i) Establishment of an inventory of what is already known; (ii) Assessment of potential impacts of WTO accession; and (iii) Elaboration Strengthening of a set of policy recommendations for Research project on 250,000 2005- development research future action. Denmark international economic CIEM USD 2009 and policy analysis Specific outputs will include: (i) An integration capacity overview study on the institutional implications for Vietnam of WTO accession; (ii) A case (region or sector) study of the economic and social impact of WTO membership; and (iii) An economy wide analysis of the economic and social impact of WTO membership. Training on WTO issues, Research on the impact of service liberalization; Fostering knowledge of the Doha Multilateral Supporting Vietnamese officials in policy- Development Agenda; Establishment Multilateral Trade Capacity building, Trade Policy European 3,250,000 01/2001- making departments of all relevants of the Technical Barrier to Trade Relating Policy Assistance technical assistance Department, Commission Euro 3/2004 ministries involved in multilateral trade (TBT) and Sanitary/ Phyto sanitary ministries Program (MUTRAP) and advisory Ministry of policy issues (SPS) enquiry points; Training of Trade judges on trade and related issues; Trade Law Chairs in Universities; and negotiation techniques; Short term TA to assist the beneficiaries in strengthening the capacity of the Multilateral government of Vietnam and Vietnamese Several short term EU experts Trade Policy European 191,076 8- Relating MUTRAP Bridging stakeholders for managing WTO accession missions on SPS Action plan, SPS and Department, Commission Euro 11/2004 ministries and meet their commitments and challenges TBT enquiring points and services. Ministry of from other international and regional trade Trade related agreements Trade Needs Assessment exercise. European 195,956 Trade needs assessment 2005 Understanding of TRA priorities for next Commission Euro Country Strategy Paper. WTO rules & agreements issues, ITC Asia TRTA trust Fund to 4,500,000 private international trade law, contract Asian developing 1/7/2004- Short term TRTA and capacity building to European Euro EC negotiation and commercial ATF sub-site countries (19) and Asian 31/12/20 Asian developing countries and Asian Commission 500,000 arbitration, regional trade integration. will be part of regional organizations 09 regional organisations Euro ITC Trade information, packaging and ITC sites (ATF) trade finance Http://www.int 67 Donor Project Project Start - Related Focus area Objectives Project components Executing Benefi- budget End WTO Agency ciaries Agreements racen.org - Sector specific: legal, policy, capacity building, training The project purpose is to strengthen the (Agriculture, Services (general and capacity of the government of Vietnam and sectoral), Multilateral Multilateral Trade Vietnamese stakeholders for managing SPS (Animal, plants, health, Trade Policy European Policy Assistance 5,350,000 2004- Relating WTO accession and meet their commitments fisheries/TBT, enquiring points) Department, Commission Program II (MUTRAP Euro 2007 ministries and challenges from other regional and - Horizontal issues (legal, capacity Ministry of II) international trade related agreements. building network & curricular Trade development, information & awareness raising, trade and environment, gender, social issues Supporting Vietnam transition to market economy and international integration/ preparation for WTO accession and eventual implementation. It includes the drafting of taxation/custom/ accounting legislation and MPI, procedures in line with international MoF, European European Technical 11,034,800 2003- standards, norms and recommendations, MoSTE Commission Assistance Programme Euro 2008 development and implementation of trade (Directorate facilitation mechanisms and information for Standards systems to minimise the burden of customs & Quality) procedures on trade. Harmonization of both the conformity assessment procedures and the quality assessment infrastructures with international standards. 1,500,000 Enhancing EU/ASEAN investment and trade MoSTE and Euro for to achieve further economic cooperation (National EU-ASEAN Intellectual Technology Vietnam by upgrading the ASEAN intellectual Office of Property Rights Co- (National European component 1999- property Intellectual operation Seminars, training, research Office of Commission (7,500,000 2006 rights systems, in line with the highest Property Programme (ECAP II) Intellectual Euro for the international Right) and Property whole standards and practices. MOCI (Copy Right) programme) right office) Budget for EU-ASEAN Regional Vietnam: Enhance commercial exchanges between EU Co-operation on n/a European 1993- and ASEAN through standardisation, ASEAN Standards, Quality and ( 9,000,000 Commission 2005 conformity assessment procedures and Secretariat Conformity Assessment Euro for the quality structure and practices. (ISQAPII whole programme) Budget for To strengthen EU-ASEAN relations as a Vietnam: whole and complement the on-going EC- ASEAN Programme for n/a ASEAN dialogue process. European 2003- ASEAN Regional Intergration ( 4,000,000 Commission 2006 Secretariat Support (APRIS) Euro for the whole programme) Providing training programs and Finland/ MOT's staff, training consulting on formulating and Ministry for Project on assistance on Assisting the Ministry of Trade to raise the its 2,374,347 12.2000- Human Resources implementing trade strategies and Foreign Capacity building for the capacity of its officials in formulating and MOT subordinates, Euros 12.2004 Development policies. Affairs of Ministry of Trade managing policies. and provincial Supporting to upgrade the information Finland trade services. system of the Ministry of Trade. France / Technical assistance to 1,600,000 1/2002- Laws Regulatory Capacity Training and assisting reviewing of legal Training, Study tour NCIEC NCIEC 68 Donor Project Project Start - Related Focus area Objectives Project components Executing Benefi- budget End WTO Agency ciaries Agreements Ministry of the NCIEC and line EUR 11/2005 building system Foreign ministries for economic Capacity Building and Support to media Affairs integration and WTO accession Germany/ Ministry for Vietnam's Accession to Seminar on subsidy Economic WTO: Preparation for agreements, anti- NCIEC 10/2003 dumping regulations, Seminar Coop. and Competing in a New Dev., Environment. impacts on business, Germany and trade disputes. Germany/ Ministry for Econ.Cooper 3,0 Mio. Start: Economic advice to Government through CIEM, SBV, ation. and Macro-Economic reform Economic advice EUR (first 2005 support to CIEM. and other government Advisory CIEM State Audit, Dev, Programme phase) agencies (state bank, state audit, MOF) MOF Germany (Implementat ioen: GTZ) Covers legal, Legal Aspect of Human capacity building for senior lawyers Annual institutional and IMF-JVI SBV, MOF, IMF International Financial responsible for legal aspects of IFI and Seminar Seminar operational aspects of Institute and MOT Institution WTO membership. IFIs and WTO Statistics of trade, SBV, GSO, Balance of Payments Enhance the accuracy of the BOP statistics IMF 9/2003 investment income, TA report IMF MOT, and statistics mission towards international practices. transfers, and FDI MPI GSO, SBV, MPI, One-day MOLISA, Covers the key Seminar of the manual seminar MOT, concepts of on Enhance human capacity building to develop IMF of the International trade on Basic training course Ministry of international trade statistics concepts on trade in services statistics in services October training and statistics in services 15, 2004 education, and Tourism Department To verify that Vietnam still applies some foreign exchange restrictions such as the Removal of all evidence of tax obligation fulfillment before exchange restrictions transferring foreign exchange abroad, SBV, MOF, IMF Article VIII Review 2/2005 under Article VIII of absolute restrictions on a few current TA report IMF MOT, and the IMFs Articles of transfers, and absolute restrictions on re- MPI Agreement exchanges; in order that Vietnam has a fair and open international trade and investment environment. IMF Institute, IMF-Vienna Covers main concepts Joint-Institute, Annual Enhance human capacity building in SBV, GSO IMF Balance of Payments of the BOP and how to Seminars IMF- Seminars compiling the IMF standards BOP and MOT compile the BOP Singapore training Institute Covers both legal and SBV, MOF Technical Assistant for economic To have the first time foreign exchange and other IMF drafting the foreign 6/2005 requirements of a ordinance which can cover the best practices Advisory IMF related exchange ordinance standard foreign and meet the WTO requirements government exchange ordinance agencies 69 Donor Project Project Start - Related Focus area Objectives Project components Executing Benefi- budget End WTO Agency ciaries Agreements Improve data Two-week technical collection framework To enhance the accuracy of BOP data SBV, GSO, IMF assistant for BOP Jan 2006 and assist in according to international practices, in the TA report IMF MOT, and compilation reclassifying capital context of Vietnam's accession to the WTO. MPI account items Basic training course Enhancing the skills and knowledge of Initial Follow-up and Evaluation Providing technical Vietnamese policy and regulations makers in Workshop; assistance for addition of researching and organizing 01/2003- Tailor-made training course composed institutional current knowledge body in order to develop 07/2003 of four phases enhancement to facilitate EUR a long-term subsidy and countervailing Italy (estimate WTO trade policy course participation the Socialist republic of 786,202 measures policy and WTO-compatible d) through scholarship; Vietnam's accession to detailed regulations which support domestic Intermediate follow-up and evaluation the WTO production while establishing fair workshop; competition for domestic producer Final Seminar presentation of training component results. GATS, Multilateral NCIEC TA Project on WTO /2001 Safeguard, Human resources To support capacity building related to the Trade Policy Japan/ JICA --- Seminar by Japanese experts member issues /2003 IPR, development implementation of the WTO Agreements Department - agencies Competition MOT APEC Regional TBT, AD, To train government officials to improve the /2002 Human resources Japan/ JICA Training for WTO Safeguard, basic knowledge of the individual WTO Training in Japan MPI Govt. officials /2004 development related SPS agreement To training maintenance staff of computer system, management staff of industrial property administration, application Dispatch of Japanese experts (*5) Modernisation of 04/2000 Institutional capacity Japan/ JICA n/a TRIPS formality examination, substantial Vietnamese officials, NOIP NOIP/MOST IPA project 03/2004 building examination registration, publication providing equipment licensing and legistration staff will be developed Master trainers are raised to provide General Capacity Building of WTO practical training on Customs Valuation, Dispatch of Japanese experts, MOF, Department of Master Trainers for 08/2004~ Valuation Human Resource Post Clearance Audit and HS Classification Send Vietnamese officials to Japan, General Customs, Japan/ JICA Modernization of 06/2007 Agreement, Development (including Chemical Analysis) based on the Providing equipment of chemical Department of Regional Customs Administration etc. international standards, and act as instructors analysis Customs Customs in the staff training courses. Departments Through the utilization of the IP information Utilization of Dispatch of Japanese experts, Japan / JICA 530 million 1/2005~3 Institutional capacity system, efficient application processing, Intellectual Property TRIPS Send Vietnamese officials to Japan, NOIP NOIP/MOST yen /2009 building management and information service of the Information providing equipment IP are available in NOIP Capacity Building on competition policy and 2005~20 Enhance the capacity of Ministry of Trade in Dispatch of Japanese experts, Japan / JICA Capacity building MOT MOT enforcement of 06 the implementation of Competition Law Send Vietnamese officials to Japan competition law General Department of Tax capability for Dispatch of Japanese experts, Tax administration 2005~20 Institutional capacity staff training and instructing the work of Send Vietnamese officials to Japan, Japan /JICA GDT GDT/MOF Reform 08 building provincial and municipal tax bureaus is providing equipment strengthened Training course" Human resoures To train govenrment officials to enhance the Japan / JICA Intellectual property for 2005 TRIPS Training in Japan MPI Govt. officials development knowledge of IP APEC Economies" Japan / JICA Stock exchange Seminar Hunan resources To train government officials to improve the 2005 Training in Japan MPI Govt. officials for Asian Countries development basic knowledge of the stock exchange 70 Donor Project Project Start - Related Focus area Objectives Project components Executing Benefi- budget End WTO Agency ciaries Agreements Training course "Operation of Human resources To train government officials to improve the Understanding on Rules Japan /JICA 2005 development understanding on rules and procedures Training in Japan MPI Govt. officials and procedures governing the DSU, WTO agreement governing the DSU, WTO Agreement" Training course To train government officials to improve the Human resources Japan / JICA "Seminar on Sovereign 2005 knowledge of the sovereign debt Training in Japan MPI Govt. officials development Debt Management" management Provide information on measures and Training course" Human resource policies of public sectors(trade supporting Japan/ JICA Foreign Trade 2005 Training in Japan VCCI Public official development institutions), on actual actives for trade Development" promotion and development Japanese firms Training course Enhance the knowledge and skills of "Management on Trade Human resource management and administration of the trade Japan / JICA 2005 Training in Japan MOT Govt. officials and Investment development and investment insurance system to promote Insurance" and support trade and investment Training course " Trade Human resources To improve knowledge on trade investment Japan/ JICA Investment Promotion 2005 Training in Japan VCCI Govt. officials development promotion Seminar" Study on Capacity To support the Competition Administration Dispatch of JICA Study team Building for Department (CAD), Ministry of Trade to (Japanese consultants), Enforcement of 2005~20 Japan/ JICA Capacity Building enhance the capability of CAD for enforcing Send Vietnamese officials to Japan for CAD, MOT CAD,MOT Competition Law and 06 competition law and implementing training Implementation of competition policy Competition Policy Sharing Korean experience of economic development: economic development planning, financial crises and the Selected consultants will be dispatched Knowledge Partnership: implemented adjustment and restructuring to Vietnam and disseminate knowledge Sharing Korean About programs ... and experiences related to a variety of MOT and Economic Development 200.000 2003- General WTO issues, Korea Rep Assisting policy makers of developing issues regarding economic MOT other relevant and Crisis Management USD (Under 2004 economic adjustments countries gain both theoretical and practical development processes. Ministries Experiences with preparation) knowledge to achieve their economic Developing Countries development goals and overcome the on- going financial crisis; English language training for trade policy specialists Ongoing Scholarships for Masters New Zealand 185,000 level study at Hanoi NZD National Economic University on Ongoing trade liberalization topics Market Access and Facilitate industrial development and export 1) National capacity creation Apex Trade Facilitation Integration into the capabilities (and consequently spurring related to market access institutions in Support for Mekong global trade economic growth and employment requirements and technical barriers each country Norway/ Delta Countries, through USD 1/2003 ­ environment through opportunities) of the assisted countries by to trade (TBT) and identifying dealing with TBT alleviation of technical UNIDO NORAD Strengthening 908,520 6/2005 reducing technical barriers to trade through manufacturing sub-sectors and Standards, Institutional and barriers to trade for the strengthening of standards, metrology, export market focus for remedial Accreditation, National Capacities Vietnam, Cambodia testing and quality institutional structures action in each beneficiary country Metrology Related to Standards, and Lao PDR and national capacities. 2) Upgrade the required technical and Testing 71 Donor Project Project Start - Related Focus area Objectives Project components Executing Benefi- budget End WTO Agency ciaries Agreements metrology, Testing and infrastructure for (a) standards Manufacturin Quality (SMTQ) development and harmonization, (b) g facilities metrology and testing laboratories exporters required by the selected sectors; (c) standards for labeling and accreditation and/or certification of laboratories and quality systems Analysis of impact of WTO accession on poor Poverty and Social Analysis of impacts of accession on poor Oxfam GB 2004- Impact on poor Research in Nghe An, Lao Cai, Son La maize farmers in four Agriculture maize farmers in rural areas as input to MARD/OGB 2005 farmers and Dak Lak provinces MARD members of WTO negotiating team Analyses of impact of WTO accession on poor Poverty and Social Analysis of impacts of accession on poor Research in rural provinces (details to Oxfam GB 2005-06 Agriculture Impact on poor MARD/OGB farmers practicing maize farmers in rural areas be confirmed) animal husbandary farmers To provide premier training, research and consulting institution in customized training Companies, Singapore/ programmes, courses, seminars, International Trade Trade facilitation, TA officials from Singapore conferences in international business and Training, research, consulting, seminar Institute of Singapore relevant Trade trade to help companies maintain their agencies competitive edge (ASEAN Initiative for CLMV) About Sida Technical assistance on 9/2003- Reviewing legal framework on ROO, case NCIEC 200.000 ROO Capacity Building Seminar, training NCIEC (Sweden) rules of origin (ROO) 6/2004 studies and study tour in Sweden members EUR Strengthening of Sida research capacity for 100,000 Ongoing (Sweden) Capacity Building Training, research VIT Vietnam Institute of USD - 2005 Trade Sida To assist Vietnam in achieving the export Update National Export Development VIETRADE, (Sweden) growth rates set for the decade. Strategy; Trade and seco Support to Trade To assist the government of Vietnam, Set up Operational Trade Support supporting (Switzerland) Promotion and Export 3,165,000 6/2004 Trade promotion and Vietrade, trade supporting institutions and ITC, Network; Strengthen Training & institutions co-financing Development in USD 5/2007 Export development exporting enterprises to take advantage of VIETRADE Counselling Capacity of TPO/TSIs; and exporting (see Vietnam the new export opportunities offered by and Develop Effective Trade enterprises Switzeland trade liberalization and global economic Information Capacities seco below) integration. 04/1999 Export promotion To assist SMEs in Vietnam in their efforts to Switzerland/ Swiss Import promotion 1,500,000 Technical assistance; training - open capacity building gain access to the Swiss and European SIPPO SMEs Seco Program ( SIPPO) USD information; contacts markets - To increase negotiating expertise among the Vietnamese negotiators Vietnam WTO Negotiation analysis - Negotiation Analysis and advise Switzerland/ 320'000 10 / 2004 - To assist in solving negotiating issues IDEAS Center Accession ­ negotiation and advise ­ specific TA MOT seco USD 12 / 2005 ­ To foster a favourable negotiating climate Geneva support in Geneva through the services of a "honest broker" Swiss Federal Institute of (5*) Special Program of To assist Vietnam to fulfill the obligations Intellectual Co-operation in the 1,800,000 01/2002 - TA in enforcement of Intellectual Switzerland TRIPS set forth in International treaties on I.P. incl. Property, NOIP Field of Intellectual USD 12 / 2005 Property Rights TRIPS Agreement under WTO NOIP, Swiss Property Consulting Co.Ltd Switzerland Support to Trade 3,165,000 6/2004 Trade promotion and To assist Vietnam in achieving the export Update National Export Development ITC, VIETRADE, 72 Donor Project Project Start - Related Focus area Objectives Project components Executing Benefi- budget End WTO Agency ciaries Agreements (seco) Promotion and Export USD 5/2007 Export development growth rates set for the decade. Strategy; VIETRADE Trade and Sida co- Development To assist the government of Vietnam, Set up Operational Trade Support supporting financing Vietrade, trade supporting institutions and Network; Strengthen Training & institutions exporting enterprises to take advantage of Counselling Capacity of TPO/TSIs; and exporting (See above) the new export opportunities offered by and Develop Effective Trade enterprises trade liberalization and global economic Information Capacities integration.. Facilitate industrial development and export Upgrade the required technical Market Access Support Integration into the capabilities (and consequently spurring infrastructure for metrology, Switzerland for Vietnam, through the global trade economic growth and employment STAMEQ, textile/apparel, microbiology and (seco) Strengthening of USD environment through opportunities) of the assisted countries by Manufacturin 2/2003- TBT and SPS chemical testing and calibration needs UNIDO (UNIDO Capacities Related to 985,000 alleviation of technical reducing technical barriers to trade through g facilities in industry, system certification executed) Metrology, testing and barriers to trade for the strengthening of standards, metrology, and exporters capacity and strengthen SMTQ Conformity Vietnam testing and quality institutional structures institutional service capability and national capacities. Being UK/ DFID develope and Beyond WTO: Legal development, To give the government a flexible financial d, Three big components: legal hopefully a Strengthening Vietnam's economic capacity facillity to take on various reform measures Various 7-10 million proposed development, economic capacity Office of the number of capacity to sustain pro- Various strengthening and to address institutional and social and government USD to start strengthening and dealing with social Government other poor growth and poverty negative impact poverty issues arising from WTO agencies late 2005 and poverty impacts interested reduction mitigation membership and end donors 2010 Sectoral tariff Research into the various tariff World Bank Support to analytical and reduction options in reduction options in industry and Institute and outreach activities to 300,000 1/2004- industry and To support the preparation of WTO agriculture sectors, training and Vietnam MoI and UK / DFID prepare for WTO USD 12/2004 agriculture, WTO accession roadmap. outreach activities for high level Academy of MARD accession accession awareness officials on the challenges and Social raising implication of WTO accession. Sciences Training in subsidies and Training in subsidy and First To support the formulation of subsidy and countervailing duties, and negotiation UK/ DFID countervailing measures, 40,000 USD quarter countervailing measures and WTO accession NCIEC skills for officials dealing with WTO and negotiation skills 2004 negotiation negotiation Stocktaking of Vietnam integration process and signed trade and trade-related agreements including the US BTA, AFTA, APEC,World Bank's PRSC, IMF's PRGF, Managing Vietnam's 10/2001 WTO accession. Road mapping the NCIEC Integration into Global 230,000 Research and stock UNDP 9/2003 integration strategy. Capacity gap Integration Study NCIEC member Economy (Phase I: USD takings assessment on implementing international agencies Integration Study) trade-related commitments. Study on the inter-ministerial coordination mechanism for WTO accession and experience of acceding countries. In-depth research to examine the status of the Commercial Law in relation to other domestic legislation and its Integration Study Revision of the Commercial Law to support 55,000 USD 2003 Legal reform and consistency with the WTO treaty and UNDP Extension: Commercial a level play field for commercial activities NCIEC MOT Capacity Building BTA obligations. Law Revision and for WTO compliance Clear set of recommendations relating to the proposed changes of the Commercial Code. Technical support provided by MOT Legal 200,000 2001- Competition Legal reform and Support drafting and finalisation of the first UNDP Competition Law UNDP/UNCTAD and international MOT Department USD 2003 policy Capacity Building Competition Law competition experts to review the and Drafting 73 Donor Project Project Start - Related Focus area Objectives Project components Executing Benefi- budget End WTO Agency ciaries Agreements successive drafts of the laws. Committee Organise several advocacy events to raise awareness on the competition law and policy. Conduct a study on state monopoly applied to 5 sectors. - To provide technical support to formulate a comprehensive and integrated development strategy for the services sector in the context - Formulation of a comprehensive of Vietnam's international economic strategy for the development of the integration to ensure a long-term inter- services sector; Capacity Strengthening agency and cross-sector coordination on - Improvement of information flows on to Manage and Promote policy formulation and implementation of services and of the current trade in Ministry of Promoting the MPI and other Trade in Services in 2,550,000 2003- Service sector integration commitments; services statistics system; Planning & UNDP Regional and Global related Vietnam in the Context USD 2005 development - To provide substantive inputs to assist in - Assessments of the competitiveness Investment Integration Process agencies of Integration (or "Trade the on-going negotiations for WTO/GATS and impacts of trade liberalization of (MPI) in Services Project") accession; selected services sectors; - To enhance human and institutional - Conduction of specialized and capacities in the area of trade in services; targeted training programs and study and tours in Vietnam and overseas. - To increase public awareness of required reforms in the services sector. Conduct a series of workshop on selected issues in the international To enhance the capacity of Vietnamese economic agenda, WTO accession, Training and research GATT, trainers to adapt the "generic" Curriculum training of trainers on trade policy. capacity building for GATS, UNCTAD/Commercial Diplomacy training 300,000 development and Research done by national university UNDP Vietnam on trade and 2003 Agriculture, UNCTAD Universities USD research capacity tools on WTO issues to the local data, lecturers and researchers on WTO development policy S&D, Trade building legislation, economic structure, development related issues in agriculture, trade in making and negotiations remedies needs services, market access, and trade remedies for the post-curriculum development. To facilitate the cross fertilization of experiences and lessons learnt on trade, investment and economic governance. Participating Participating To strengthen the ability of countries in the national national gov, region. governments, UNCTAD, 1,500,000 mid-2002 To facilitate the coming together of UNCTAD, UNDP Asia Trade Initiative Regional US D 2004 governments (developed and developing) Regional CSOs, UNDP and non-governmental groups to learn from CSOs, UNDP COs and each other and strengthen their collective COs and SURFs perspectives in trade fora and institutions. SURFs To advocate for human development policies. USA Support for Trade 14,200,000 09/2001 Trade in STAR is demand To support the Government of Vietnam's TA on legal and economic issues, The GVN's Assigned to Acceleration Program USD 12/2006 goods and driven, responding on efforts to implement reforms required for the including: support for policy and Steering work with 46 (STAR) services an ongoing basis to successful implementation of the US- training workshops and seminars; legal Committee for state agencies, (GATT, TBT requests by assigned Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement and to analysis comments on on-going drafts a Program to including and GATS), counterparts. The support Vietnam's efforts to accede to the of over 60 laws and regulations, of Implement the many customs focus for the World Trade Organization (WTO). which around 25 have been approved; BTA, chaired ministries, valuation remainder of 2005 support for implementing effectively by the Office NA, the (CVA), and through 2006 is new laws and regulations; provision of of the Supreme transparency, supporting the legal reference materials and guidebooks; Government People's 74 Donor Project Project Start - Related Focus area Objectives Project components Executing Benefi- budget End WTO Agency ciaries Agreements investment reforms and limited study tours; support of legal and including Court, the relations institutional capacities and economic research.3 Also serves as 9 other state party and 10 (TRIMS+), to fulfill fullyf the a gate way for peer to peer agencies, and People's protection of requirements for U.S.- collaborations from U.S regulatory/ USAID. Committees IPR (TRIPS), Vietnam Bilateral legal agencies such as the U.S. Federal right to appeal Trade Agreement Trade Commission, U.S. Securities government (BTA) implementation Exchange Commission and so on decisions and and accession to the commercial WTO. dispute settlement and arbitration, which includes substantial support for development of the court system. Trade in goods and services, Educational customs Key To assist the GVN in implementation of the Forum of US- valuation, ministries BTA with additional focus on WTO VN Trade transparency, Institutional capacity such as Trade and Law disciplines and international best practices Design and facilitate study tours Council 1,192,000 9/2002 right to building; demand- MoTrade, USA Exchange and that are important for overall international abroad for Government officials (USVTC) with USD 9/2005 appeal, driven technical Justice, Partnership Program economic integration, including WTO involved in BTA implementation. Various investment assistance program Finance, accession. ministries relations, SBV, OOG (MOT, MOJ, protection of etc. etc.) IPRs, dispute settlement and arbitration. This initiative focuses on: (1) MPI, VCCI, improving the enabling environment Regulatory Agency of CIEM and Provide technical assistance to complements for the private sector by promoting environment of SME other agencies the GVN's efforts to foster a strong, viable SME-supportive policies and Vietnam business, capacity Development involved in USA/ UD$ 10/ 2003- indigenous private sector that can harness regulations; (2) increasing capacity of Competitiveness building for SMEs, (ASMEAD) of business USAID 5,642,068 10/ 2006 the benefits of integration into the world the private sector using cluster-based Initiative access to credit for the Ministry of mgment; economy. approach to improve management private sector Planning and Business skills, increased access to technology businesses Investment associations and other services for SMEs, and and ent. strengthened business associations; 3 The BTA covers much of what is in the WTO, with stronger investment requirements and limited requirements on agricultural support, tariff levels, subsidies and anti-dumping. STAR provides legal analysis and supports workshops and references to develop legal and policy reforms to conform with BTA and WTO requirements and to benefit from international best practice, as requested by our Steering Committee, in the following areas: for trade in goods -- customs reform, commercial arbitration, contract and property law, trading rights, tariffs, VAT, special consumption taxes, non-tariff barriers, SPS, TBT, safeguards; for IPR includes -- conforming with 5 international conventions on IPR and IPR enforcement in TRIPS, which includes: strengthening court procedures and skill levels, strengthening remedies and enforcement of judgments, improving customs border measures, and publication of court decisions; work on services includes -- complying with GATS and Annexes on Telecommunications, Financial Services and natural persons, the Telecoms Reference Paper, and liberalization of joint venture and other market access for more than 30 services, including banking, insurance, telecommunications, distribution, professional services, construction services, education services, health-related services, and travel-related services; work on investment includes -- TRIMS plus export requirements, strengthened investment protections, investment dispute settlement processes (ICSID), streamlining investment procedures, eliminating discriminatory pricing, certain corporate governance issues, and shifting most investment licensing to a registration rather than an evaluation process; and work on transparency includes -- rules for publishing laws of general application at the national and local levels, support for an Electronic Official Gazette, encouraging public comment of draft laws, and the right to appeal administrative actions, which includes the development of administrative tribunals and procedures and court capabilities and procedures. STAR also supports the development of economic analysis and reports on the impact of the BTA, efforts to raise the public awareness and understanding of the BTA and WTO, and training for officials, judges, lawyers, and business leaders. 75 Donor Project Project Start - Related Focus area Objectives Project components Executing Benefi- budget End WTO Agency ciaries Agreements and (3) improving access to credit.. (i) Lessons from East Asia's Export Experience: Interpretation and Export Growth Implications for Vietnam; Strategy; Regulatory (ii) Export Growth Strategy and Trade Vietnam's exports: Environment and Integration; Gov's World Bank/ Challenges and Export Support Assess Vietnam's policy reforms with (iii) Export Incentive Structure and officials from WB (EASPR Opportunities; System; Exports of respect to exports and to assess future Foreign Direct Investment; various and trust Assessment of policy US$ Complete such sectors as prospects for achieving the exports targets GATT (iv) Regulatory Environment and WB (EASPR) related line- funds from recommendations for 300,000 , 2003 Agriculture and that have been set in the Gov's Socio- Export Support System; ministries, DFID and improving Seafood, Tourism, economic Development Strategy (2001- (v) Export Competitiveness and Trade research AuSaid) Vietnam's Footwear, Electronics 2010) in the context of the WTO accession. and Macroeconomic Policy Link; institutions. competitiveness. and IT, Textiles and (vi) Sub-sector studies ( Agriculture Clothing, and and Seafood; Tourism, Footwear, Infrastructure Electronics and IT, Textiles and Clothing, and Infrastructure). 76 Donor Project Project Start - Related Focus area Objectives Project components Executing Benefi- budget End WTO Agency ciaries Agreements Vietnam Academy of Social (i) Organize Vietnam ­ Readiness for Sciences WTO accession Forum in Hanoi and (VASS) in Gov's Political economy of HCMC (Jun 3-7,03); GATT, close negotiations the WTO accession, (ii) Conduct surveys of 220 GATS, collaboration team; Gov.'s Diagnosis of Vietnam's studies on impacts, Provide Institutional and capacity building manufacturing firms and 80 firms in TRIMs, with line- officials from Would Bank/ WTO readiness and Complete readiness and support to the Vietnamese Authorities that service sectors to assess their readiness US$ TRIPs, AOA, ministries, various WB (EASPR awareness building d by prospects of some are preparing roadmaps for policy reform and strategy in response to Vietnam's 700,000 SPS, TBT, Economic and related line- and WBI) among key Government 2003 - selected sectors / that will pave the way to Vietnam's accession to the WTO accession ATC, ACV, Budget ministries, stakeholders. industries in the accession to the WTO. (inputs for Vietnam ­ Readiness for SMC, AOS Committee of MPs of the context of the WTO WTO accession Forum). etc. the National NA, accession. (iii) Organize a series of workshops on Assembly researchers. policy implications of Vietnam's WTO (NA), and accession with various ministries. Office of the Government (OOG). GDLN dialogues on Complete Gov's official Would Bank Conduct GDLN dialogue on trade and Four- day dialogues on trade and trade and poverty in d, Jan. WBI / VASS and / WBI poverty in Vietnam. poverty. Vietnam. 2003 researchers. (i) Organize series of training workshops for officials from various ministries, MPs of the National Assembly (NA), officials from the Office of NA and the Gov's Office. (Mar, Jun. and Sept., 2004). Awareness raising and (ii) Analyze implications of Vietnam's capacity enhancement Gov's WTO accession for selected GATT, with regards to Provide support to the WTO accession negotiations manufacturing sectors; export subsidy GATS, political economy of process, including enhancement of the team; Gov.'s in agriculture; service industries and VASS, OOG, Would Bank/ TRIMs, the WTO accession, analytical capacity in assessing impacts of officials from service export; transport sector (2004) NA, related WB Support Vietnam's US$ Complete TRIPs, AOA, and assessment of Vietnam's WTO accession; raising various (iii) Compare Vietnam's legal line-ministries, (EASPR, accession to the WTO. 310,000 d, 2004 SPS, TBT, impacts, readiness and awareness through outreach activities for related line- framework of intellectual property research WBI ATC, ACV, prospects of some understanding of the WTO-related issues ministries, rights with WTO requirements (2004); institutions. SMC, AOS, selected sectors which are important both to the negotiations MPs of the (iv) Study implications of WTO etc. industries through and implementation phases. NA, accession for the legal reform agenda; training, research and researchers. and propose a legislative action plan in outreach activities. the context of WTO accession. (April 2004) (v) Translate, publish and disseminate 41 chapters out of 55 chapters of the book "Handbook: Trade, Development and the WTO" (2004). WB (EASPR) Conduct a comprehensive diagnostic study / Ministry of MOF / GDVC GATT of Vietnam's customs system in comparison Finance / related Customs Preparation for Vietnam Customs against international good practice; identify (MOF) / Gov's World Bank/ US$ 2004- modernization / trade Customs Modernization Valuation policies and mechanisms to address the General agencies / WB (PHRD) 996,500 2005 facilitation / WTO Project . Agreement gaps; and support their implementation Department of Project accession. (CVA). through current and future projects. Vietnam Preparation Customs Team. (GDVC) World Bank/ Vietnam Customs US$ 2005- GATT Customs The VCMP aims to strengthen the capacity (i) Customs Systems and Procedures; EASPR / MOF MOF / GDVC WB (IDA) Modernization Project 70,000,000 2010 Customs modernization / trade of the Customs administration of Vietnam to (ii) Organizational Restructuring and / GDVC / related 77 Donor Project Project Start - Related Focus area Objectives Project components Executing Benefi- budget End WTO Agency ciaries Agreements (Specific Investment (including Valuation facilitation / WTO ensure that it is able to make an efficient and Management; (iii) Information and Gov's Loan that covers TA Agreement accession. effective contribution to the achievement of Communication Technology; (iv) agencies/ significant technical component (CVA). the Government objectives in respect to Project Management Support. manufacturers assistant component.) with trade facilitation, revenue collection, / exporters / financing production of foreign trade statistics, importers / requirement commodity protection, and national security. freight of more The project would be a key factor in forwarders / than $10 facilitating Vietnam's accession to the WTO shippers / port mn) and securing the gains from greater operators. integration into the world trading system. Gov. officials Revenue implications and of the switch to GATT researchers; Revenue Impacts of required Complete Customs Conduct a revenue impacts analysis of and the Gov's WTO Accession: administrative and World Bank US$ 32,860 d, June Valuation various commitments that WTO accession EASPR task team of Vietnam's Customs procedural changes 2004 Agreement will entail, will have on revenue. the Customs Modernization. toward (CVA). Modernizatio implementation of n Project CVA . Preparation. Capacity enhancement with regards to the Trade in Services and economics of services trade reforms, the Gov/s official World Bank International Agreement May rules of international agreements, and the VASS to US$ 60,000 GATS Trade in services and WB (WBI) (Regional Training 2005 institutional challenges of trade negotiations coordinate. researchers. Course). in services. Direct beneficiaries include the (i) Assist Vietnam to develop its Medium- Gov's term National Action Plan for Food Safety Ministry of officials Sanitary and phyto- World Bank and Agricultural Health in support of the Agriculture providing SPS Vietnam SPS Action US$ sanitary issues, WB (ARD 2004 - SPS implementation of its SPS commitments. and Rural services. Plan. 250,000 agricultural health, and EASRD (ii) Provide advice to MARD on the TOR of Development Ultimate ones capacity building the National SPS Notification and Enquiry (MARD). include Point farmers, processors, traders, and customers. 78 Donor Project Project Start - Related Focus area Objectives Project components Executing Benefi- budget End WTO Agency ciaries Agreements (i) Provide and support the businesses with adequate knowledge and skills on intellectual property rights, as well as the Preparation and Compliance and ways to proceed properly and quickly in compliance and enforcement with required Vietnamese publication of Q & A May- enforcement in respect businesses, World Bank handbook on Industrial US$ 48,000 Decembe TRIPs of the intellectual procedures; (ii) encourage the businesses to VASS / VIPO including Property Rights for r 2005 property rights actively participate in intellectual property SMEs. Vietnamese Businesses legislation. activities worldwide, and contribute to the implementation of the Agreement on Trade- Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) of the WTO. The objective of the Consultancy is to Road freight haulage; Inland waterway present the Government of Vietnam with freight Transport detailed regulatory options for encouraging a Railways; Coastal shipping; users, World Bank May transport and logistics industry best able to International shipping; Ports (int.and WB but MoT exporters/imp Multi-modal transport US$ Logistics, international WB (PPIAF 2005 ­ meet Vietnam's trade and economic growth domestic); Air freight steering orters, regulatory review. 450,000 and national trade. trust fund) Jan 2006 objectives. This would enhance Vietnam's Freight forwarding; Logistics centres committee transport regional trade within the context of AFTA (ICD's) service and GMS; as well as its global trade once it Cross-border movements; Customs; providers accedes to WTO in 2005 as planned. Trade and transport insurance. (i) Drafting, adapting and implementing some WTO-related laws Implementatio and regulations, including a check list n of GATT, of important issues may be developed GATS, to guide or use in drafting laws and Gov.'s July Provide a TA for Vietnam to prepare Implementation of the TRIMs, regulations; EASPR / officials, MPs US$ 2005 ­ Implementation of domestic legal conditions to implement World Bank WTO obligations in the TRIPs, AOA, (ii) Reforming the legislative process; VASS / MOJ / of NA, and 200,000 July WTO obligations. WTO obligations and commitments in legal system. SPS, TBT, (iii) Institutional capacity building to ONA the public at 2006 respects of the domestic legal system. ATC, ACV, identify and train a group of large SMC, AOS, international trade lawyers in the MOJ etc. and ONA; and (iv) Disseminations and information rules and obligations of WTO; Possible impacts of Poverty impacts of the WTO accession on Provide support to enhance analytical Government Preparati ERSPR / World Bank Vietnam's WTO the poor, other capacity in assessing social impacts of the officials and on VASS accession. distributional effects, WTO accession. researchers. and policy responses. 79 HEALTH PARTNERSHIP GROUP REPORT Dec 2005 1. Introduction The first Aid Coordination Meeting for the Health Sector was held in March 1997 as per decision by the Prime Minister. It was followed by several years of International Support Group Meetings, ISG until 2002. The Health Partnership Group (HPG) was re-established in January 2005 to strengthen collaboration and coordination between the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the international community. Prior to this, the international community had met regularly for a number of years as the Health Sector Working Group (HSWG). In April 2004, MoH invited all interested donors to a Meeting of Interested Partners in Health (MIPH). Subsequently, MOH proposed regular meetings between MOH and the HPG with representatives of the international community. The HPG is chaired by the MOH since April 2005, inviting bilateral and multilateral donors and other international organizations working in the health sector every 6 weeks. WHO serves as the present co-chair and secretariat. During 2005, the HPG has met on a regular basis in order to: Identify ways to improve the management and effectiveness of ODA in the health sector, both in terms of financial and technical assistance; Exchange ideas on how to best support the development and implementation of health policies, programs and the Socio-Economic Development Plan; Enhance priority setting in the health sector; Share information on on-going and future projects and programs; Plan and conduct special HPG meetings to focus on particular themes. In parallel with the HPG, there are smaller working groups that meet regularly to coordinate activities and discuss technical issues in specific areas of the health sector. The working groups include Health Management Information Systems, Health Financing, HIV/AIDS, Reproductive Health, Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health, Adolescent Health and Tobacco. 2. HPG Progress over last 12 months In 2005, the HPG focused on two main tasks: the work of preparation of health sector plans and strategies and progress towards introduction of Sector Programme Support (or SWAP). In addition, the HPG discussed a number of key current issues e.g. HIV/AIDS, health insurance, and the Health Care Fund for the Poor (HCFP). The HPG gave a presentation to the National Assembly's Social Affairs Committee on Drug Pricing and Traditional Medicine in advance of the adoption of the Drug Law. Health Strategies and Plans · In April 2005 the MOH presented the Politburo Resolution on "People's Health Care, Protection and Promotion in the New Situation," to the HPG. The international community praised the resolution as a clear equity driven approach to improving the health of the population. The resolution sets out the strategic 80 direction for all key aspects of the health system (health financing, health service provision, human resources, pharmaceuticals, etc). · The MOH prepared a draft Action Plan to implement the Politburo Resolution on Health, covering the current key issues in 9 key sub-sectors. The MOH emphasized that a strong objective of the draft Action Plan is to decentralize activities to local government and to clarify the role of the MOH and other central agencies. · In line with the draft Action Plan, the MOH prepared the overall Master Plan/ Health Investment Plan for the development of the Health Sector to 2010 with a vision to 2020 and the associated sub-sector master plans. The MOH requested comments and input from the international community to finalize the plan, which was submitted to Government for approval in September 2005. · The donor community proposed that the 5-year Social Economic Development Plan (SEDP) represented a unique opportunity to collaborate and that the MOH should take a lead role to guide the international community on the development of the health sector up to 2010. · MOH expressed the need to work on long term policy options for renewing and improving the health system. A proposal was developed and shared with the HPG and several donors agreed to provide financial and technical support to develop the long-term policy options. Key areas for consideration are 1) health financing; 2) health service provision; 3) human resources; and 4) governance and stewardship. The project is currently underway and the outcome of this project will serve as an important input to the 10th Party Congress to be held in 2006. Sector Program Support (SPS) or (SWAP) · The HPG agreed that a programme approach, rather than implementation of isolated projects, was needed to ensure the best possible use of donor resources for the development of the health sector. MOH proposed to work towards a Sector Programme Support in order to establish a strategic and financial framework, within which donors could provide support to the health sector in Viet Nam. This would enable full coordination and full alignment to government policy thus ensuring strong government ownership and optimizing the use of donor resources. · The HPG heard a presentation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on their experience with implementing SWAP. · It was suggested that Sector Programme Support (SPS) could be applied on thematic areas such as maternal and child health, the Health Care Fund for the Poor, HIV/AIDS, or by geographical areas. · The HPG agreed to support a second Sector Programme Support study as a follow up to the study in 2000. The TORs are under preparation and the study is going to take place during 2005/2006. MOH established an ad hoc technical group to work on the SPS Study. HIV/AIDS was suggested as a pilot area for in-depth analysis and development for a SPS/ SWAP. HIV/AIDS · The MOH presented the current situation in investment in Viet Nam for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control. It was noted that despite the recent major increases in donor support, the level of investment was only $0.25 per person compared with the target of $4 per person. MOH highlighted the limited coverage of projects working with high-risk groups such as Injecting Drug Users and Commercial Sex Workers; and that still only 1.7% of those with HIV/AIDS has access to Anti-retroviral Therapy. As noted above, HIV/AIDS is therefore considered as a possible sector for a 81 SWAP/SPS. HPG also learnt about the establishment of the Viet Nam Administration for AIDS Control (VAAC) in the MOH. Heath Financing · Health financing and health insurance, particularly related to the poor and near poor, have constituted one of the key concerns for both the national and international community. Donors highly appreciate Government Decision 139, which established the Health Care Fund for the Poor (HCFP). A number of donor programs provide significant additional resources to the HCFP to support the effective implementation of the Decision. · Because of many changes in health financing mechanisms and greater decentralization, the MOH plans to amend / revise Decision 139. The international community was consulted by MOH on the new features of the revised decision and the major changes proposed are as follows: o To cover 100% of poor through health insurance; o The benefit package will be the same as the benefit package for compulsory members; o There will be government financial support for the premium for the near poor to encourage the near poor to join the health insurance scheme; o The premium will be increased from VND 50,000 to VND 60,000. · In 2005, the government also issued the revised health insurance decree, which is now Decree 63. MOH presented to HPG some fundamental changes that have been made in terms of coverage, benefit package and provider payment methods, in order to improve the effectiveness and performance of the health insurance system. The revised decree also allows greater flexibility for implementation of health insurance at the provincial level. Some other issues of concern to the international community, e.g. family coverage instead of individual coverage or inclusion of dependents under compulsory health insurance, are still to be addressed. Avian Influenza It is important in this report to acknowledge the continuing collaborative work between MOH, other key government players, FAO, WHO and the international community in avian influenza control. The main threats are those to human health and to poultry. The work by the MOH with assistance of external partners includes strengthening surveillance, research on transmission routes and risk factors, improved laboratory capacity, infection control and patient care and treatment, IEC, vaccine development and pandemic preparedness planning. Information on Avian Influenza have been shared widely not only within MOH but among other important actors such as National Assembly and other government agencies. 3. Next steps Implementation of Sector Programme Support (SPS), SPS would be a major objective for 2006 and the years to come. It has been agreed that the HPG would continue to meet regularly to enable the MOH and international community to work together to assist the Government in moving key issues forward on the development agenda; Improvements in Health Financing for the Poor. 82 EDUCATION SECTOR GROUP Progress since last twelve months 1. Government plan and coherence - Provincial education plan: Pilot roll-out of the EFA action plan took place in 10 provinces to develop and test a modern decentralized planning approach and tool adapted from those utilized during the National EFA Action Plan process, also for building capacity for provincial education managers. The field-tested provincial educational planning methodological package has been published and widely disseminated to all provinces. This activity was coordinated by UNESCO with effective support from Provincial Education Planning Project/Building Capacity for Education Planning (PREP/BCEP) funded by CIDA through the World Bank. - EFA ­ Fast Track Initiative (FTI) World Bank, DFID, Norway and the Netherlands are among the most significant contributors for this initiative. A main consequence of FTI for Vietnam may be that it will attract additional international support. For example for the Targeted Budget Support (TBS) for EFA also New Zealand and possibly the Dutch are now contributing to help countries reach Universal Primary Completion. - Education for Children with Disabilities: In 2005, the National Steering Committee on education for Children with Disabilities ­ MOET has made a great achievement on the Institutionalization of Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities in Vietnam. The brand-new Regulation for Inclusive Education and the Ten Years 2005- 2015 Strategy on Education for Children with Disabilities were drafted, providing a legal corridor for children with disabilities to be mainstreamed in the regular school system. The Regulation is expected to be adopted in December 2005 for nationwide implementation and the Ten Years 2005-2015 Strategy to be submitted to the Government at the beginning of 2006. This Strategy will be used to request an official Government resource allocation for Education for Children with Disabilities in Vietnam. These are also important tools for leveraging funds from international communities and private sector for Education for Children with Disabilities, and for guiding the inter-coordination for the disability sector in Vietnam. MOET and stakeholders have, through those efforts, aimed to achieve the Vietnam Government target for EFA by 2015 with financial and technical assistance of CRS/USAID. A UNESCO Inclusive Education learning package is being adapted for use in support to this work. - UNICEF supported the organization of a regional workshop on Sector Wide Approaches in Education. Donors and development partners also continued to work closely with MOET, MOH, MOF, MPI, and Government Office to promote the sector-wide approach (SWAp) to ODA in education and health sectors. The European Commission, DANIDA, NETHERLANDS, NORAD and SIDA have been supporting this initiative. - United Nations Girls' Education Initiatives (UNGEI): The British Government launched a new global strategy for girls education in developing countries, as part of 83 its commitment to MDG #3 (Gender). This was in line with United Nations Girls' Education Initiative (UNGEI). On behalf of the Education Sector Group, a small task force consisting of UNICEF, UNESCO, EC and Norway prepared International Partners a working note on operationalizing UNGEI in Vietnam. The principle of UNGEI is to form flexible partnership mechanisms to provide a vehicle for addressing gender issues in education. In Vietnam it is proposed to embed UNGEI within ESG. Funding for activities come from different sources. Four concrete activities were proposed, including review and harmonization of different school standards (FSQL/Child Friendly Schools/National Standard Schools) from a gender perspective; mapping of gender in education initiatives, action research on girls education; and disaggregating of data in various EMIS systems. MOET has officially adopted the EMIS system developed by SMOET, which disaggregates data by gender. - Under the umbrella of the UN Girls' Education Initiative, UNICEF and UNESCO, have been supporting the MOET to carry out the study on transition of ethnic minority girls from primary to lower secondary education in order to investigate the barriers for ethnic minority girls in transitioning to lower secondary school and to recommend interventions that would facilitate their completion of primary education and subsequent participation in lower secondary school. The capacity building workshops on gender and research were organized. The pilot phase to test the research tools and the research methodologies was successfully completed. The next phase will be the mass data collection from approximately 24 villages of three provinces of Lao Cai, Gia Lai and Tra Vinh. The study is scheduled for completion by June 2006 and specific recommendations will be made for policy consideration by the Ministry of Education and Training. - MOET with detailed comments of UNICEF has successfully amended the Education Law. The Viet Nam 2005 Education Law was ratified by the National Assembly on 14 June 2005 and was, with UNICEF support, introduced to international organizations, NGOs and Diplomatic Missions on 14 November 2005. Currently, with UNICEF technical and financial support, related Education Sub-laws (Decrees, Decisions, Rules and Regulations, Circulars...) are being developed for approval in early 2006. - In follow-up to the Revised National Education Law as adopted by the National Assembly in 2005, and with initial support from UNESCO, the MOET has begun strengthening the network of Continuing Education Centres (CECs) and Community Learning Centres (CLCs) across the country, in implementation of Government decision to build a learning society and the priority to expand non-formal education for out-of-school adults and youth as targeted in the National EFA Action Plan. - MOH and GSO have launched the first ever survey on Viet Nam Youth with technical and financial support of UNICEF and WHO. This has provided evidenced-based recommendations for policy development and program/project formulation for Vietnamese young people. - EFA Targeted Budget Support (TBS): This is a joint donor programme to support the primary sub-sector with the aim to achieve the FSQL standards, using the National Targeted Program for Education as a funding vehicle. The EFA Targeted Budget Support (TBS) is co-financed by Belgium, CIDA, DFID, EC and New Zealand. 84 The grant providing donors pool funding together with the WB into the government budget, and a MOU regulating this. Different donors and international agencies were consulted in the negotiations process. - Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC): PRSC4 was signed and the preparation of PRSC5 is in progress. International donors worked closely together with the World Bank to prepare the new triggers and activities for PRSC 5. A PRSC stocktaking exercise took place to review the progress made under the first 3 PRSCs and to look at the future planned PRSCs. - ECCD Interagency network was working very actively this year. The core members of the ECD working group are UNICEF, SC/UK, SCUS, Plan International and an ADB consultant team. SCUK will take on the role of the secretariat until December 2006, the group planned to invite the Government ECD agencies to be core members of ECD working group which support the group work effectively. . UNESCO has been supporting ECCE policy and action plan implementation of the MOET, particularly in developing effective ECCE approaches for children and parents in disadvantaged areas. - Quality of education being a primary concern in Viet Nam, and with the publication of the Vietnamese version of the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2005 on `The Quality Imperative', support was provided by UNESCO to the MOET in organizing a major Symposium on Quality of Education with international expert contributions from Dfid and the International Institute of Educational Planning. 2. Sector co-ordination - SEAMEO: The South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization established in 1965 with the objective to get a better overview of all related education activities in South East Asia. Currently, SEAMEO has 10 South East Asian member country and 7 associate members (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, Norwegian and the Netherlands). The Secretariat (SEAMES) head office is based in Bangkok. Vietnam hosted the 40th SEAMEO Conference (3 days) in July 2005 to review the educational cooperation activities in the region. During the SEAMEO Conference, a Policy Forum on Education took place. - PTDP review: the MOET/WB/DFID joint review of the Primary Teacher Development Project. The project was implemented in 10 provinces, but the reforms introduced could have nationwide impact. After three years of implementation there is a serious under spending and the review will look at a time extension for the project. On the positive side, the Project has been very good in communicating its objectives to all stakeholders and has actively used the media in its communication strategy. The project is developing teacher standards and professional development opportunities to reach the profiles and is also working on quality insurance and conditions and terms of service for teachers. - Global Campaign for Education - EFA Action Week this year was celebrated worldwide from 24 to 30 April 2005. The theme for 2005 is "Education to end 85 poverty". In Viet Nam, UNESCO, Oxfam GB, World Vision, Plan International, Save the Children UK, and a number of EFA partner agencies are jointly organizing on this occasion a wide range of activities to mobilize public awareness and participation in promoting education for poor children as well as improving the impact of education on poverty reduction. - ESG is functioning in a more regular and effective way. The international organizations meet every month while the bigger ESG group that includes bilateral donors, UN agencies, NGOs , and MOET meet on a quarterly basis. The detailed plan of action for MOET Secretariat was developed and co-financed by different organizations. 3. Education Forum - One forum has taken place in January 2005 on "Towards Quality of teaching in Vietnam". This forum brought together MOET officers, researchers, practitioners and teachers of all levels to share key issues/challenges of teaching and learning in the changing society in Vietnam. Good practice from different NGOs such as Oxfam Great Britain, Save the Children UK was reflected. 4. Social Economic Development plan and Education development plan - International partners including DFID, EC, WB, CIDA, UNICEF and all member of the Education Sector Group have a joint comment to strengthen the 5 Year Strategic Education Development Plan 2006-2010. The suggestions covered both the content and the format of the Plan. It was suggested that the plan should refer more explicitly to existing policies, programs and commitments, including agreed PRSC actions, EMIS, TBS for EFA and BCEP, strengthening linkages between planning and budgeting. The plan should also ensure that targets and plans for capacity development for teachers and educational managers, including those from ethnic minority groups, are consistent with the detailed targets and plans for construction and infrastructure development, the provision of separate sanitation facilities for boys and girls in all school sites. There is a need in the plan to emphasize the necessity for a stronger focus on the quality of education, stronger promotion of modern teaching methods in teacher training institutes and throughout the education system. Annual achievement targets or objectives, with indicators and a robust monitoring and evaluation framework should be identified. This would (i) make the plan more easily accessible in terms of goals and targets; (ii) identify criteria for progress and; (iii) indicate clearly selected priorities for resource allocation. The Plan should identify responsibilities and time frames, with a clear sequencing of activities over time. Some recommendation for further improvement in the partnership work: - Strengthening coordination is needed between bilateral & multilateral organizations, NGOs and MOET to ensure a comprehensive and effective support in education - Education and WTO: MOET has requested support from international donors regarding implications of WTO accession for education. 86 - The active role of Government body in coordination between organization will help to fill in technical and financial gaps to support government to achieve Vietnam education goals - The national EFA coordination mechanism can be further reinforced to implement the National EFA Action Plan in the coming years, and to carry out the EFA mid- decade assessment in 2006. Future plan of the group in terms of working formula - Continue to work in different areas to support Government programme ESG will be strengthened with MOET leading roles to promote harmonization and coordination of all donors support to education to ensure international support in line with Government priorities and procedure, special focus will be on quality, equity and effective education at all levels. 87 FOREST SECTOR SUPPORT PROGRAM AND PARTNERSHIP (FSSP & P) in the final six months, 2005 The Forest Sector Support Program & Partnership is a broad framework for collaboration between the Government of Vietnam and now 24 (soon 25) international development partners working in the forestry sector. The FSSP & P Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed in November 2001, and runs through 2010. Prior to the FSSP & P establishment, it was preceded by the 5 Million Hectare Reforestation Partnership, which operated from 1998 through 2001. The FSSP MOA includes 15 basic principles of collaboration agreed amongst the partners, and a Program Framework, which specifies indicative performance standards for the broad goal, focused objective, or purpose, and specific activities under 9 Result Areas4. This report provides an update on major Forest Sector Support Program and Partnership implemented activities during the past 6 months, 2006 planned actions, and revised success criteria of FSSP & P. Main activities implemented in the last 6 months 1. Legal framework for Forest Protection and Development As the (revised) Law on Forest Protection and Development was adopted by the National Assembly in 2004, and went into effect on 1 April 2005, work has been ongoing to prepare, or update, a number of supporting legal documents (decrees, decisions, circulars and regulations). The Partnership is providing support to this work, with funding from the Trust Fund for Forests. The Decree on Implementation of the Law has gone through several drafts and consultation workshops, and the final version of the decree was submitted to the Prime Minister in August 2005 for approval. The FSSP and TFF are providing support to a number of other important legal decrees and regulations that are to being prepared in 2005-06 by the Forest Department, Forest Protection Department, and MARD's Legal Department. This legal work is part of the overall efforts to develop an updated and more coherent legal framework, which is important for Vietnam's development and also for WTO accession. 2. Formulation of National Forestry Strategy (2005-2020) The Forest Department is leading efforts to prepare a new National Forest Strategy (2006- 2020). Work has been ongoing since 2004, with the involvement of a 30-person inter- ministerial Strategy Team and a team of international and national consultants. Support for the strategy development is being provided by MARD, related Ministries, the FSSP CO Trust Fund, the Trust Fund for Forests (TFF), ADB and the World Bank, the FAO-Netherlands Partnership Programme (FNPP) and a wide range of key stakeholders. Work on the NFS is also being linked and harmonized with a number of other ongoing strategies and studies, such as the preparation of the forest sector 5-year plan, more detailed 4 It is anticipated that the FSSP Program Framework, with its nine Result Areas, will be replaced by the forthcoming National Forest Strategy (NFS, 2006-2020), as the key document for collaborative support and implementation by both national and international partners. 88 plans for forest seedlings, forest material supply plantations, the non-timber forest products action plan, the forest research strategy, revisions of the 5 Million Hectare Programme (see below), studies on gender and poverty issues, etc. The strategy will articulate a vision for the sector, which will seek to balance social objectives, such as poverty reduction and improvement of rural livelihoods, with improving the forest sector's contribution to the national economy and ensuring environmental and biodiversity conservation for selected forests. The strategy will also look at future challenges, as Vietnam's forest sector becomes more integrated into the global economy. This analysis considers the likely future impacts of WTO accession and reduction in AFTA tariffs, as well as Vietnam's obligations to international conventions and multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). The 15-year strategy contains an action plan for the first 5 years of implementation, as well as more general ideas for the future implementation. Efforts have been taken to harmonise the NFS 5-year action plan with the forest sector 5-year plan, developed as a contribution to the MARD 5-year plan and thus to the National Socio-economic Development Plan (NSEDP, 2006-2010). Although it was originally planned that the new National Forest Strategy would be approved by the Prime Minister in June 2005, it is now agreed that the strategy formulation will be finalized in early 2006. 3. Five-year Planning Earlier in 2005, the forest sector was actively engaged in preparation of its 5-year plan (2006- 2010), to serve as a contribution to the MARD 5-year plan (5YP) and National Socio- economic Development Plan (NSEDP). The final draft plan was submitted to MARD's Planning Department in July 2005, and elements incorporated into MARD's final draft, submitted to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. 4. 5 Million Hectare Reforestation / 661 Programme The Five Million Hectare Reforestation Programme (5MHRP), implemented by Decision 661, is government's major forestry programme for the period 1998-2010. It is a major government programme intended contributed towards the achievement of the CPRGS. The 5MHRP aims not only to reforest Vietnam, but also to address issues of rural poverty and national socio-economic development. Its objectives are to: · To speed up forest plantation, regreen bare land, protect existing forests as well as new forests, increase the protective function of forests and protect the environment and biodiversity; create favourable conditions for sustainable national development, and increase the forest cover to more than 40% of the national territory; · To create employment, increase incomes for local people [residents in forest areas], thus contributing to hunger elimination and poverty reduction; develop production and create conditions for secure livelihoods, and ensure national defense and security; and · To create raw material areas in association with development of industries processing forest products. Thus, the 5MHRP aims to contribute to improved environmental protection, poverty reduction, and enhanced contributions of forestry to the national economy. 89 As of 2004, the 5MHRP has achieved approximately 2 out of 5 million hectares of planned reforestation. A major national workshop was conducted on 11-12 October 2005, to review implementation to date, and propose actions for implementation during the final five years (2006-2010). Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dzung instructed MARD to undertake certain actions. A revision of Decision 661 will be issued in the near future. Proposed actions to complete implementation of the 5MHRP by 2010 are included within the forthcoming National Forest Strategy, as part of the NFS initial 5-year action plan (2006-2010). 4. Forest Sector Monitoring and Information System (FOMIS) Work is ongoing to further develop the initial forest sector database. Earlier in 2005, efforts were undertaken to establish an updated database on ODA support to the forest sector, to complement the data already collected by the International Support Group of MARD. This data is being used in the preparation of the National Forest Strategy. Work has also been undertaken to establish a network of national focal points for forestry-related Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). 5. Trust Fund for Forests (TFF) Vietnam's Trust Fund for Forests (TFF) is a grant facility to support pro-poor and sustainable approaches to forest management, and a transition towards a comprehensive sector-wide approach for development and cooperation in the forest sector. By pooling resources from several donors into one fund, the TFF will provide a more effective means for supporting key sectoral priorities, which are agreed and updated annually by the FSSP partnership. The TFF was established in June 2004. Two technical advisors have been working with the FSSP Coordination Office and relevant ministries since November 2004, to develop the TFF Regulation, operational procedures for the TFF, launch operations, and build capacity to manage the fund. In 2004, the FSSP Technical Executive Committee approved 5 small TFF grants, totalling 200,000. Early in 2006, the FSSP Partnership Steering Committee agreed to provide 500,000 in support to formulation of the new National Forest Strategy and preparation of a number of legal documents. During 2005, the TFF has issued calls for concept notes for both small and large grants. It is anticipated that 2 small grants and 3 large grants will be approved before the end of the year. Work to begin to develop benchmarks for sectoral budget support has been delayed until 2006. 6. Harmonization of Implementation Frameworks (HIF) Study The Phase II HIF report was finalized in late 2004. This study looked at ways in which the procedures for large-scale forestry projects, whether funded by 661 or ODA, could be harmonized. A proposal for Phase III HIF activities, to include provincial piloting, has been prepared and submitted to the TFF for possible funding. 7. Other Ongoing FSSP&P Activities The FSSP&P has been engaged in other ongoing activities, such as development of the Forest Sector Manual and improvement of communication systems, including the launching of a new FSSP&P website (www.vietnamforestry.org.vn) and quarterly newsletters Information exchange among FSSP, International Support Group (ISG), 5MHRP, and the Science and Technology Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development is being improved through regular newsletters, magazines and publications. 90 The FSSP Partnership Steering Committee (PSC) will be meeting in December 2005 to discuss the 2005 Annual Review and approve the 2006 work plan and budget. An international consultation workshop on the draft National Forest Strategy is also scheduled for mid-December 2005. The FSSP&P Provincial Reference Group (PRG) has been reformulated. In September 2005, six regional FSSP networks (organized by agro-ecological zone) were established, with participation from more than 40 "forestry provinces." Henceforth, each network will choose its own network leader, who will then serve as the network representative in the PRG. It is hoped that this change will enable the PRG and the networks to become effective means for decentralization of FSSP&P activities to the provinces. In late 2005, the PRG will assist the Strategy Team with upcoming regional stakeholder consultations, and discuss regional priorities for the National Forest Strategy. All these activities aim to improve the communications, transparency and governance among FSSP&P partners, and to support forestry's contributions towards improving rural livelihoods and poverty reduction. The FSSP Partnership continues to work towards a gradual adoption of various elements of sector-wide approach (SWAP), and improved aid coordination and harmonisation. Partnership Activities for 2006 In 2006, the FSSP Partnership will undergo a major review, i.e., its second mid-term evaluation. This review is intended to be an opportunity to review and revise the overall structure of the Partnership, and see how it can be revised to support implementation of the new National Forest Strategy. It is also anticipated that an external review of the Trust Fund for Forests will be undertaken earlier in the year, right after Tet. Currently four core donors provide support to the activities of the Partnership and FSSP Coordination Office (FSSP CO), through the CO Trust Fund (CO TF). The same four donors also fund the Trust Fund for Forests (TFF). This support is committed through the end of 2007. During the next year, agreement will be reached on a roadmap for moving towards a fuller sector-wide approach (SWAP), possible sector budget support, and building up capacity to gradually hand over some coordination functions from the FSSP CO to other units within the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The intention then is that the Partnership and the Trust Fund for Forests will both provide support to the forthcoming National Forest Strategy and its initial 5-year action plan, and thus also to the implementation of the National Socio-economic Development Plan (NSEDP, 2006-2010). As the Partnership moves towards a fuller programme, or sector-wide, approach, its partners will then be working to improve harmonization and aid effectiveness, in line with the agreements between Government and international partners as expressed in the Hanoi Core Statement of June 2005. Some Possible Success Indicators for 2006 · New National Forest Strategy (2006-2020) adopted by Prime Minister, disseminated, and implementation commences · FSSP&P work plan more closely aligned with work plans of national partners, and in support of the new NFS 91 · Partnership Memorandum of Agreement revised to more effectively support implementation of NFS · Five "sub-partnerships" will be created, i.e., one for each of the five programmes for the National Forest Strategy · Greater support to decentralization of activities · Sector financing study will be undertaken, and sectoral benchmarks for sector budget support will be negotiated and agreed · Information dissemination on key sector and partnership activities will be enhanced, i.e., ODA database for forest sector will be put on website · Trust Fund for Forests will be supporting key strategic priorities · Forest Sector Monitoring and Information Systems (FOMIS) will be further developed at national level, i.e., for monitoring implementation of NFS and 5-year plan, reporting on international environmental agreements, etc., and also piloted at provincial level 92 NATURAL DISASTERS MITIGATION PARTNERSHIP (NDM - PARTNERSHIP) Introduction The NDM-Partnership completed its initial phase of implementation in late 2003, which has resulted in setting up the Partnership institutions and coordination mechanism and finalization of several provincial pilot projects. A more comprehensive Action Plan of the Partnership for the next three years has also been developed setting more challenging targets for the Partnership in strengthening coordination while contributing more actively to sectoral priorities and the implementation of the CPRGS. This note provides a brief update on progress of the NDM-Partnership in 2004 (from December 2004 to November 2005), which was devoted mainly to continuing of mobilizing partners in discussing and finalizing the new Action Plan, obtaining official endorsement of NDM-P 2nd phase by the Government in addition to accomplishing a majority of workload of the two pilot projects in Binh Dinh and Da Nang provinces. 1) Progress of the NDM-Partnership over the year 2004 to support CPRGS and sector strategies and programs · The year 2004 has recorded the actual starting of the construction and completion of majority of the workload of the two provincial priority projects in Binh Dinh province and Da Nang city. The capacity building component of the two projects is in its stage of implementation. These projects are a combination of upgrading small-scale flood control infrastructure and grassroots capacity building to reduce vulnerability of people, particularly the poor to annual flooding. As such, they will contribute to reducing the human and property loss due to floods while empowering the communities and people in planning for their own actions in disaster reduction. · With wide consultations and inputs from different partners in the formulation process of the NDM-P's new Action Plan, the Plan has incorporated CPRGS implementation targets and sectoral priorities including mobilization of support for finalizing the Strategy for disaster reduction, integration of disaster risk concerns in the new Water Resources Management Strategy and preparing a new Law on dyke management and disaster reduction, etc. · A number of NDM-P partners have achieved good progress in their on-going and planned programmes/projects in disaster reduction aiming sector-wide approach issues and poverty reduction. Examples of these are the AUSAID project in Quang Ngai, formulation of the World Bank NDM project and other water-supply and sanitation and vulnerability reduction projects of INGOs. · In cooperation with ISG, NDM-P has supported the Dyke Department in developing the Ministry's five-year work plan (2006-2010). 93 2) In follow-up to the discussion at the mid-term CG meeting, what progress has your partnership group made in developing views/proposals for integrating the CPRGS approach into socio-economic planning? · As part of its workplan for 2005, the NDM-P, in close collaboration with the International Support Group (ISG) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), facilitate discussions and provide inputs to ensure that a holistic approach for disaster reduction is clearly reflected in Ministry and subsequently the National 2006-2010 Socio-economic development plans. · The Action Plan has outlined a number of studies on inter-linkage between natural disasters and poverty, environmental degradation 3) Over the next twelve months, what concrete actions will your group take? Proposal for the NDM-Partnership phase 2 has been endorsed by the Government in September 2005. The key milestones of the NDM-P will be actual operation of the NDM- Partnership phase 2. The Netherlands Embassy, AUSAID, Luxembourg Embassy, SIDA and UNDP have expressed their continued support to NDM-P and together signed in the Letter of Intent. Actual implementation of its Action Plan is expected to start soon. 4) What are your revised success criteria - or milestones- for 2005 to ensure your partnership group reaches its development outcomes? The approval and implementation of the new Action Plan of the NDM-P will lead to many concrete outputs, the principle three of which are: A final Strategy for Natural Disaster Reduction that emphasizes vulnerability reduction, particularly for the poor in hazard-prone areas (by June 2005) Recorded inputs to the MARD and National 2006-2010 Socio-economic Development Plans for 2006-2010 An Implementation Framework that shows priorities and clear assigned responsibilities across sectors and at all levels to implement the Strategy for natural disaster reduction (draft for discussion by end 2005) 5) The future of this Partnership Natural hazards are forecasted to be on the rise with high risks to turn into disasters without exceptions for a disaster prone country like Viet Nam. There has been an increasing recognition on causes of natural disasters for poverty in Viet Nam and the CPRGS has set a clear target to halve by 2015 the number of people relapsing into poverty due to disasters. Further, awareness on climate variability and the risks of natural disasters is increasing. Much remains for the NDM-P to further promote its coordination and mobilization of other sectors, institutions to support a broader disaster reduction agenda. The Government and MARD renewed commitments to this Partnership as well as participation of new partners from other sectors, research institutions and local levels are keys to success. 94 INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT GROUP (ISG-MARD) ISG process: An update of 2005 progress and recommendations ISG activities follow the 7 Key Areas (Work Plan 2004-2006) 1. Facilitation of policy dialogue within and between MARD and donors 2. Coordination in formulation of foreign-funded programs/projects 3. Development and coordination of thematic studies 4. Support to the International Cooperation Department (ICD of MARD) 5. Information collation and dissemination 6. Capacity building and management processes (appropriate training and other capacity building activities) 7. Monitoring and evaluation (in ISG process) I. Activities planned for the year 2005 Main activities planned: Two meetings of ISG Steering Board (the 10th in July and 11th in November) ISG annual Plenary Meeting in September 2005 Support to the development of the sector FYP (from Mar to Dec 2005), and support its implementation Support to MARD and donors in formulation of the RWSS Sector Support partnership. Activities of the three Thematic Ad-hoc Groups (TAG). Policy Advisory Briefings (PABs) process Continue support for 5 provincial dialogue platforms (Thanh Hoa, Thai Nguyen, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, An Giang) Support MARD institutional development activities, strengthening capacity in formulation and development ODA M&E system; strengthen capacity in management of ODA, INGO and FDI for the ARD sector Improve activities of ISG MIS (website ISG, ISG newsletter, Monthly Briefing, integrated database...) in service of sector policy dialogues and management of foreign resources. II. Main activities done in the past eleven months of 2005 10th Meeting of the ISG Steering Board 6 July 2005: ISG SB members approved the proposed adjustments for the ISG work plan and budget for 2005. ISG SB members approved the ToR of consultants to review ISG process for 2003- 2005 and develop an ISG Work Plan for 2006-2010. ISG SB agreed that there should be a review and on that basis to agree to the continuation of the ISG process. A request for an extension of the ISG Trust Fund will then be submitted to GoV for approval. ISG SB members agreed to the contents of the three presented PABs. 95 ISG SB approved timeframe for ISG Annual Plenary Meeting to be in September 2005, and the theme is "Investment for the agriculture and rural areas". 11th Meeting of the ISG Steering Board 2 Nov 2005: The Steering Board discussed and approved the draft review report of ISG performance for 2003-2005 and draft proposed work plan for ISG process in the new period of 2006-2010. The Board also agreed that the ISG Trust Fund should be extended until 2010. Follow-up steps after the meeting were agreed. Organization of the ISG Annual Plenary Meeting 2005: From 22-23 September 2005, ISG hosted the Plenary Meeting with the topic of "Investment for the Agriculture and Rural Development Sector." This important forum attracted participants including from MARD, relevant GoV agencies, donors, and the domestic and foreign private sectors. This forum helped lay the groundwork for ICD taking on the important function of coordinating FDI in the ARD sector. During the meeting, ISG was identified as a potentially key player in this function. The Royal Netherlands Ambassador is quoted as saying that "the ISG process is important for communication channels between the Government and donors. The Royal Netherlands Embassy congratulated MARD with the ISG process, which could serve as an example for other ministries." Outputs of the forum, including the minutes, documents and presentations of the two- day forum are now available on the ISG website for larger audience's reference. http://www.isgmard.org.vn/ Development of Policy Advisory Briefings (PAB) within the ISG process Some PABs completed and approved (circulated to all stakeholders ­ also shared at the mid term CG meeting 2005- and now available on the ISG website), including: 1. PAB No. 1: Experiences from the first PAB on "Streamlining CPRGS into MARD Rural Development Strategy" (completed March 2005) 2. PAB No. 2: Joint donor statement on MARD planning process for 2006-2010 (completed March 2005) 3. PAB No. 3: Policy recommendation drawn out from the joint Gov-donor Rural water supply and sanitation (RWSS) sector review (completed May 2005) Some PABs still pending: 4. Recommendation and issues drawn out from the planning for 2006-2010 of the forestry sector, including viewpoints of international partners (proposed to be completed June 2005, but still pending due to the fact that no concensus reached among the forestry sector stakeholders) 5. Recommendation and issues drawn out from the planning for 2006-2010 of the ARD sector and recommendations for an improved mechanism for coordination among key players in the sector (proposed to be completed July 2005, but still pending due to lack of resource person.) 96 A new PAB (PAB4) on recommendations and issues for consolidation of the ISG process (see the attached document): 6. Just been completed by the ISG review team 2005 and approved by the ISG Steering Board at the 11th meeting of the Board on 2 November 2005. Follow-up actions for PABs process: Any PABs should be articulated directly by and have direction and steering from the MARD Minister. Completion of PABs as proposed: i. Publishing series of PABs as reference policy documents; uploaded on the ISG website for larger audience's reference. ii. Submit to MARD Minister. iii. Shared with the donor community at the mid term and annual CG meetings 2005. PAB considered as an effective policy advise tool for the ARD sector; Stakeholders are encouraged to actively participate in PAB process to ensure common interests/benefits. PAB's success depends on the willingness and active contribution from the development community. Operation of Provincial Policy Dialogue Platforms (PDP) of the ISG process Within the framework of TAG3 "Support the implementation of the comprehensive poverty reduction and growth strategy (CPRGS) in agriculture and rural areas": Coordinate with Planning Department in preparation for introduction of guidelines for formulation of new FYPs and plan 2006 for dialogue platforms provinces, In collaboration with IFAD and CECI, organized a workshop between 12 provinces to share information and experiences on community empowerment and community- based planning. Activities of Thematic Ad-hoc Groups (TAGs) and thematic activities: TAG1 "International Agro-economic integration and policy": Monitoring implementation of 3 study proposals approved by ISG SB Chairman. One of the studies is the review of the FDI performance in the sector, still being carried out, which contributed a lot of good resources/inputs for the ISG annual Plenary Meeting on "Investment for the agriculture and rural development sector" held 22-23 September 2005 in Hanoi. (See further in the Appendix: progress reports of the three study teams) TAG2 "Support Development of hydraulic works, disaster control and rural water supply": Support the joint GoV-donor RWSS sector review (organization of meetings, workshops, sharing of info, results and progress of the review team). This review was completed with a full set of documents/reports/recommendations circulated to all the stakeholders and now also available on the ISG website. 97 Support to the joint GoV-donor task force on formulation of the RWSS Support Partnership. Four meetings of the Task Forces held in the year until now. Information and documents of the design consultant group are shared among relevant stakeholders. Contribution to the ISG MIS (relevant legal documents, news regarding water sector activities) for sharing with ISG stakeholders. All of these documents can be obtained from the ISG website or ISG Secretariat. TAG3 "Support the implementation of the comprehensive poverty reduction and growth strategy (CPRGS) in agriculture and rural areas": Continue to support efforts in implementation of CPRGS in the sector. Main activities of the ISG information system: The ISG website is regularly updated: news, reports, legal documents, activities of partnerships and TAGs. ISG website is considered as the most effective tool for information dissemination (e.g. in service of the annual ISG plenary meetings) The ODA Database regularly updated and ready to provide information at request of MARD and donors. Integrated database are under construction: national consultants have been recruited and carrying out the planned work for the database. Bidding procedures to be completed soon for best solution/software. ISG Newsletter quarterly produced (two issues published for 2005; two issues to be published in early November and end of December 2005). ISG Monthly Briefings regularly issued from 5 to 7 of each month; circulated to all the ISG stakeholders. More and more contributions from the stakeholders have been made to the ISG Secretariat. The ISG annual survey 2005 has been undertaken. Details will be presented in the final annual ISG report 2005. Review of the ISG process performance for 2003-2005 and development of a new work plan for ISG in the period of 2006-2010: A team of national and international consultants was engaged to carry out the proposed tasks. Draft review report and work plan completed, approved by the ISG Steering Board. Conditions should be ensured for seeking extension permission from the Government to the ISG Trust Fund (in November 2005). Support to formulation of the FYP 2006-2010 of the agriculture and rural development Sector: Since March 05: preparation and support to donor consultation process of MARD. 18/3/05: Consultation workshop held with following outputs (available on ISG website): Synthesis report of international partners comments to development of the FYP Joint donors Statement on the FYP development process. 98 The final draft of the ARD Plan for 2006-2010 was submitted by MARD to the Government for synthesized and incorporated into the Socio-economic development Plan (SEDP) of Vietnam. This can be obtained from ISG Secretariat. Supporting activities provided to specific units under MARD (development of log frames for the FYP, Plan 2006 for some sub-sectors, trainings; the planning tasks is to be completed by end of November 2005). However, these tasks are now pending due to some reasons, including lack of the pro-active involvement and willingness of the relevant departments. Support ICDMARD in formulation of its 5-year plan 2006-2010. Meetings have been held among ICD leaders and staff, and some international experts. This activity is highly appreciated by MARD and donors, through which the role of ISG process in coordination is strengthened. Activities within ISG framework to support efforts to strengthen capacity and institution of the management task in general (ODA, FDI, NGO), and sector ODA monitoring and evaluation. Support MARD (CPOs, ODA projects) in introduction of application of the harmonized progress reporting tool approved by the 5 banks: WB, ADB, KfW, AFD, JBIC to selected projects which were approved by MARD Minister Support MARD ICD in organization of the Training workshop on M&E and Application of the harmonized progress-monitoring tool agreed among the 5 banks on 10 August 2005. Support MARD in formulation of pilot system for monitoring and evaluation of ODA projects in the water sector (piloted on two big loan projects) Basic completion of the ICD website which is now online within MARD system to get further comments before it can be made public. Developing the integrated database regarding international cooperation of the sector: A workshop held April 2005 for collation of comments from ICD officers and related partners for completion of the ICD website and the database Consultants (editing and information collation and analysis) have been engaged from July 2005 to carry out the activities mentioned in the ToR of the integrated database. Bidding procedures are now being completed for engaging a legitimate company to design the software/application. Provision of training for ICD officers on networking (April 05) Support ICD MARD in formulation and implementation of some bilateral cooperation programmes (for example: MARD Sida Cooperation Programme) III. Concrete actions over the next twelve months Seek an extension for the ISG Trust Fund as agreed by the ISG Steering Board. Consult with donors and MARD officials conditions ISG should meet to justify an extended Framework Arrangement (FA). Base on the MARD's FYP 2006-2010, develop a road map to guide cooperation in policy and coordination of donor assistance/FDI investment. Hold a number of meetings and workshops on key policy issues per schedule and at request of Minister. Meeting Results Briefings should be produced to summarize key decisions, recommendations and future work. 99 Identify key issues for developing study proposals. Prepare Policy Advisory Briefings (PAB) regularly on priority demand basis. Encourage MARD Minister and other ISG members to propose topics for PABs at any time. Utilize and strengthen the established expert networks established within MARD to strengthen ISG's position as a communication focal point with in MARD on foreign funded projects. Have TAGs officially established through a Ministerial decision. Encourage ISG stakeholder to get familiar with the FYP and ensure that its principles and targets are incorporated into ISG policy discussions. Identify appropriate areas for ISG support in implementing Hanoi Core Statement. Support the development of MARD institutional framework related to management and coordination of external resources for the sector (ODA, NGO, FDI). 100 APPENDIX PROGRESS REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THEMATIC STUDIES IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE THEMATIC ADHOC GROUP 1 (TAG1) I. Study 1: Promoting the development of forms of joint ventures and cooperation in agriculture trading and production Progress: The study on agricultural product transactions, which was evaluated and financed by ISG Secretariat, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has been carried out from April 2005. Up to now, the research agency (Institute of Agricultural Economics) has been implementing following activities: 1. Design survey forms and questionnaires to interview households, traders, marketing agents, managerial staff and focal markets. 2. Collecting information and signing contracts for implementation of 2 following thematic sub-studies: Current status of domestic agricultural product transactions; Experiences on agricultural product transactions of other countries. 3. Carrying out survey in provinces of Tien Giang, Can Tho, Dac Lac and Bac Giang 4. Carrying out survey at focal agricultural product markets in Hanoi and HCM City 5. Designing FORM and selecting data analysis software. Implementation arrangements of other activities in the framework of the study: · From 01-15/11/2005 put in and analyze the collected data, carrying out more surveys if necessary. Developing the report frame, summarizing survey findings and writing the first part of the study. Organizing a seminar in Ho Chi Minh City. · From 15-30/11/2005 writing the report and hand it in the ISG Secretariat. · From 1-15/12/2005: Organizing a seminar in Hanoi and complete the final report. · From 15-25/12/2005 submitting the report and taking over. · From 25-30/12/2005: Complete administrative procedures and payment. II. Study 2: Training Need Assessment with respect to international economic integration at sector-wide scope Progress: After the study was approved, the research agency, International Cooperation Department, has cooperated with concerned units to carry out the training needs assessment (TNA). Activities and progress are as follow: 1. Procuring TNA consultants (mostly from Agricultural 7/2005 Economics Institute and University of Agriculture No. I) 2. Developing TNA outline 8/2005 3. Training on survey skills and method 12/9/2005 4. Collecting secondary information 9/2005 5. Carrying out survey in some provinces in the North, the 15/9 - 30/10/2005 Central and the South 101 Finance: To carry out above-mentioned activities, ISG Secretariat financed the study team an amount of US$ 6,172 (accounting for 36.7% of the total budget for the study). Expected implementation arrangements to the end of 12/2005: 1. Processing data 15/10 - 15/11 2. Writing report 15 - 30/11 3. Organizing seminar to collect comments on the report 1 - 15/12 draft 4. Completing the report 16 - 30/12/2005 III. Study 3: Performance analysis of FDI in agriculture and rural development After the study was approved, the research agency, International Cooperation Department, has cooperated with concerned units to carry out the study. Up to now, following activities have been implemented: · Procuring consultants · Developing the outline · Collecting secondary data · Designing the questionnaire and undertaking information collection · Writing report Expected implementation arrangement to 12/2005 o Collecting more data o Completing report o Organizing seminar to collect comments on the report draft o Final touch to the report 102 POLICY ADVISORY BRIEFING (PAB) NO. 4 Some Key Issues for Improving the ISG Process in 2006-2010 Author: Eric Biltonen Date: 31st October 2005 Introduction The ISG recently facilitated a performance review of the ISG process for 2003-2005. The findings of this review served two purposes. The first purpose was to provide justification for the extension of the ISG Trust Fund through which activities for the ISG process are funded. The second purpose was for the findings of the performance review to serve as input into the design of a new ISG Work Plan for 2006-2010. It is hoped that the recent review and new work plan will help the ISG process become more effective in fulfilling its mandate. The ISG process provides a link between MARD and the donor community. Regardless of the achievements made by the ISG Secretariat, the full potential of the ISG process relies on the active ownership and participation of its stakeholders. This Policy Advisory Briefing outlines several issues and recommendations identified during the recent performance analysis that relate directly to the Minister of MARD. The Issues The ISG was established in 1997 with the purpose of advising the Minister on the utilization and effective mobilization of ODA in the Agricultural and Rural Development Sector (Decision 541/NN-TCCB/QD dated April 9th, 1997). Two key roles that have been identified for the ISG are facilitating Policy Dialogue Forums and facilitating the gathering and sharing information. Additionally, the ISG was to support MARD in the coordination of ODA to improve the effectiveness of its utilization. Thus, a broadly defined framework was established for two-way interaction so that MARD and the donor community could influence each other's policies in the Agricultural and Rural Development sector. This requires a process that is both fully owned by the stakeholders and responsive to the policy needs of MARD. During the development of the 2004-2006 ISG Work Plan, several issues were identified that needed to be improved for ISG process to work more effectively. These included the need to develop a mechanism to communicate the findings and recommendations resulting for ISG activities to the top-levels of MARD. It was recommended that Policy 103 Advisory Briefings be issued at regular six month intervals and be approved by the Steering Board. It was not decided; however, how topics for the PABs should be decided upon and prioritized. Moreover, the process of approving PABs to be submitted to the Minister was based on the meeting schedule of the ISG Steering Board and not based on the policy needs of MARD. A key component of the ISG process has been the Thematic Ad-hoc Groups (TAGs). These groups meet regularly and on an ad-hoc basis to discuss matters on specific sub- sectors and topics effecting MARD policy and planning. The recent review highlighted that the success of these groups relied on the active participation of relevant departmental staff within MARD. The review further identified a constraint in mobilizing MARD resources to effectively facilitate in carrying out ISG activities (developing PABs, attending TAG meetings, etc.) The TAGs were established "outside" the official MARD work schedule so participation in TAGs is an additional, not a regular, burden on the work loads of MARD staff. ISG effectiveness would be enhanced by providing a mechanism so that MARD resources could be mobilized more effectively. Another key function identified for ISG has been the identification and facilitation of Thematic Studies to address key issues related to the effective utilization of ODA. The recent review highlighted the existing lack of a mechanism for identifying and prioritizing topics for Thematic Studies. While a few thematic studies have been identified and facilitated, this remains an under-performing role of the ISG. Moreover, if the role of supporting coordination of FDI is adopted by the ISG, thematic studies can provide very important support to the effective utilization of both ODA and FDI. Thematic Studies can provide the scientific knowledge necessary for holding informed policy dialogues. Key Policy and Institutional Issues The review highlighted several key areas to improve the effectiveness of the ISG process. Two important issues are increasing the ownership of the ISG process by MARD and making the process for demand-responsive to policy development needs in the ARD sector. As stated in the Decision establishing ISG, the overarching function of the ISG is to provide consultancy to the Minister of MARD. Fully addressing these two issues will thus require the active participation of the Minister of MARD. The following issues are given as recommendations to mainstream the ISG process into MARD policy and planning 104 processes and to ensure that the outputs of the ISG process are meeting the real needs of MARD. It is recommended that: 1. The topics of PABs should be prioritized based on the party identifying the topics. The order of prioritization should be: topics identified by the Minister are given highest priority, topics identified by active ISG members as second, and topics identified by others is last priority. 2. In response to recommendation 1, the Minister is encouraged to make full use of the ISG process by requesting policy advice on specific topics within their mandate. ISG Stakeholders are further requested to make arrangement in order to respond in a timely manner to requests of the Minister. 3. It is recommended that the existing TAGs and any new TAGs be (re-)established by Ministerial Decision, so that departmental participation is made a part of MARD staff official annual work plans. This will help the ISG process in mobilizing existing resources within MARD required for its effective operation. 4. It is recommended that proposed Thematic Studies be prioritized based upon the party recommending the study. Top priority will be granted to topics requested by the Minister, second priority will be given to active ISG members, and third priority will be granted to all others. 5. In response to recommendation 4, the Minister of MARD is encouraged to make regular requests for the facilitation of Thematic Studies through the ISG process. By allowing the ISG process to be increasingly guided by priorities articulated by the Minister, MARD will demonstrably increase its ownership of the process, while also making ISG more relevant to the real needs of MARD. Finally, requests made to the ISG through the Minister will also serve as a useful indicator for evaluating the impact the ISG has on policy making within MARD. 105 For further information, please contact us at: Secretariat of the International Support Group (ISG) Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Room # 209, A9, No 2 Ngoc Ha, Hanoi Tel: + 84 - 4 ­ 7336610; Fax: + 84 - 4 - 7336624 E-mail: isgmard@fpt.vn Website: www.isgmard.org.vn 106 TRANSPORT PARTNERSHIP GROUP 1. Partnership Assessment 1.1. The status of the partnership group Since its establishment in July 2000, the group has consolidated information and experience on projects and programs in the transport sector in order to encourage the alignment of supports and the improvement of aid effectiveness. The group is currently moving toward a forum of active discussion on sector issues and in joint policy formulation. Besides the discussion on the next five year plan, focus of the partnership group to date has been on three specific issues: "Road Maintenance," "Traffic safety" and "Hanoi Urban Transport". 1.2. The structure of the partnership group Presently MoT and JBIC jointly chair the partnership group meetings with participants from MoT-affiliated organizations and donors involved in the sector. The partnership group values flexibility in its membership and actively involves new participants relevant to discussed topics. Hanoi People's Committee (Hanoi PC) participated in the past few meetings which focused on traffic safety and urban transport in Hanoi. 2. Achievement of the partnership group 2.1. The 10th and 11th Transport Partnership Working Group Meeting The 10th transport partnership group meeting was held on July 7th, 2005, and the 11th meeting is planned to be held on November 14th, 2005. Both meetings focus on Road Maintenance, Traffic safety, Hanoi Urban Transport, and Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2006-2010. 2.2. The progress of the partnership group (1) Road Maintenance Several donors have supported the Vietnam Road Administration (VRA) in building maintenance capacity for national highways. The previous partnership group meeting held last year found out that there was room for improvement of coordination among stakeholders, especially ADB, DFID, JBIC and WB. Since then, the partnership members hold regular meetings for coordination based on the demarcation of donor support agreed at the meeting last July (see attachment). Currently, more attention is paid to such questions as: how to ensure the sustainability of the road maintenance system supported by donors; how to secure necessary organizational arrangement and enough budgets for road maintenance. In order to address these issues, it is proposed to draw a comprehensive picture for road network maintenance including both at national and sub-national level. 107 As for the rural transport, all major donors have reached a consensus for necessity of a consistent and comprehensive capacity building approach for sub-national transport development. The study for updating the rural transport development strategy has commenced with the assistance of DFID. The output of this study will be shared in the 11th meeting. (2) Traffic Safety Development of road networks and associated rapid motorization has brought about an increase in the number of traffic accidents, which is a very critical problem not only from humanitarian but also from socio-economic perspectives. Seeing this as a potential risk for the country's economic growth, the 10th meeting dealt with the traffic safety for the first time, and the partnership members confirmed the necessity for further efforts and support to improve the traffic safety. At the same time, the coordinative role of TSPMU was remarked to ensure the consistent approach among donors' support. The 11th meeting will discuss more details of the current overall demarcation of donors' support, which will enable the partnership members to understand what kinds of support are required specifically. (3) Hanoi Urban Transport Coordination among donors has been made through the partnership group meetings as well as regular meetings arranged by donors. JICA has assisted Hanoi People's Committee in preparing "Comprehensive Urban Development Programme in Hanoi Capital City" (HAIDEP), while "Hanoi Metropolitan Master Plan" is being undertaken by MOC and the National Institute of Urban and Rural Planning under the technical assistance of WB and Ile-de-France Region (IMV) with the support of the cooperation service of the French Embassy. These plans have been utilized to align donors' supports and ensure priority of individual transport projects in Hanoi. The WB has been preparing Hanoi Urban Transport and Development Project (HUTDP), which includes Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) component and road component. Several meetings were held between WB and JBIC to discuss coordination (i) between the Ring Road No.2 (Buoi to Nhat Tan) to be formulated by WB and the proposed Nhat Tan Bridge Construction Project to be formulated by JBIC and (ii) between BRT component and the JBIC-funded Transport Infrastructure Development Project in Hanoi & the JICA-funded Hanoi Transport Safety Project. 108 The F/S for the Hanoi rail public transport project has been completed with the supports from the French government and submitted to the Vietnamese government in October 2005. The approval from the Prime Minister is expected before the end of this year. The F/S for the elevated railway project between Hanoi and Ha Dong was completed with the support of China and submitted to the prime minister. The prime minister is now considering the comments from related ministries. (4) Socio- Economic Development Plan MOT has already submitted the transport sector development plan for next five year (2006- 2010) to Prime Minister's Office in accordance with Prime Minister's guidance (Ref. No.33/2004/CT-TTg) on drafting the 2006-2010 Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP). In the process of finalization of transport sector development plan, the partnership group plays a vital role in channeling inputs from donors to MOT. At the 9th meeting, the partnership members reached a consensus on the outline of donors' input to support MoT in drafting the new SEDP. Based on the agreed outline, the performance during 2001-2005 was reviewed and the orientation for the 2006-2010 development plan were studied and shared with other stakeholders at the 10th meeting. The findings of the study on the 2006-2010 development plan include that 1) the linkage between inputs and outcomes is weak, 2) the fund source is absolutely lacking, 3) the planning process in the relevant organizations, especially sub-sector agencies, needs to be improved, and 4) the absorptive capacity of MoT needs improvement. These findings led to recommendations of i) proper demarcation with regard to investment and O&M between central and local governments, ii) acceleration of equalization of transport SOEs, iii) prioritization of investments, iv) strengthening of planning capacity, and v) harmonization between transport sector development plan and regional development plan. MOT will present at the 11th meeting as to how it has incorporated these recommendations in the process of finalization. It is also noted that the 11th meeting will invite MPI to make a speech on what the partnership group should do in order to assist the Government of Vietnam in implementation of Hanoi Core Statement (HCS) on aid effectiveness. 3. Actions for the next 12 months To continuously support MOT to plan and implement the transport sector development plan for 2006-2010 109 To assist VRA to draw a comprehensive picture for road management systems and a road map toward completion of data collection for the entire road network, in order to ensure organizational arrangement, and identity necessary budget for road maintenance, To help MOT develop a Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) in transport which would bring together the need to plan under budget constraint, to balance investment and recurrent expenditure, and to set out clear priorities and performance measures for PRSC-5. To continue efforts to align donors' support in Hanoi urban transport and traffic safety. 110 Road Maintenance demarcation> JBIC Finland ADB WB National roads Database Maintenance Planning ** ** Plan Analysis National Bridges Database Inspection Maintenance Planning * Plan Analysis Road finance * Finland Project does not include the planning module, only eminence module. ** ADB's project has supported mainly local agencies in maintenance planning, while WB project have supported VRA in maintenance planning. PMS (Pavement management system): its scope is national roads Item Contents Donor 1 Database Data are collected by RRMCs5and PRMCs6 ADB 2 Maintenance Planning RRMUs7 and PDOTs8 make plans to submit VRA 3 Plan Analysis VRA analyzes plans WB BMS (Bridge management system): its scope is national bridges Item Contents Donor 1 Database Data are collected by RRMCs and PRMCs ADB 2 Inspection Checking if repair should be needed or not 3 Maintenance Planning RRMUs and PDOTs make plans to submit to VRA JBIC 4 Plan Analysis VRA analyzes plans 5 RRMC: Regional road management company 6 PRMC: Provincial road management company 7 RRMU: Regional road management Unit 8 PDOT: Provincial Department of Transport, which is under a provincial people's committee 111 TRANSPORT SECTOR ASSISTANCE PROJECTS IN VIETNAM TRANSPORT PARTNARSHIP GROUP PROJECT DONOR STATUS DURATION CONTACT Road Improvement ADB Completed 1993-2001 Sai Gon Port ADB Completed 1994-2001 Second Road Improvement ADB Completed 1997-2003 Third Road Improvement (including wcostin@adb.org ADB Ongoing 1998-2005 Implementation of Sector Development Policy - ldthang@adb.org wcostin@adb.org GMS: HCMC-Phnom Penh Highway ADB Ongoing 1998-2005 ldthang@adb.org wcostin@adb.org GMS: East-West Corridor ADB Ongoing 2000-2006 ldthang@adb.org wcostin@adb.org Provincial Roads Improvement ADB Ongoing 2001-2006 ldthang@adb.org pvallely@adb.org Central Region Transport Network ADB Preparation Stage 2005-2010 wcostin@adb.org ldthang@adb.org pbroch@adb.org GMS: Ha Noi - Lao Cai Railway ADB Preparation Stage 2006-2010 wcostin@adb.org pvallely@adb.org GMS: Kunming-Haiphong Expressway - Phase 1 ADB Preparation Stage 2006-2011 wcostin@adb.org ldthang@adb.org wcostin@adb.org GMS: Southern Coastal Corridor ADB Preparation Stage 2007-2011 ldthang@adb.org Standby 2007 wcostin@adb.org Ho Chi Minh City Metro Rail ADB Concept Stage and Firm 2008 ldthang@adb.org wcostin@adb.org GMS: Kunming-Haiphong Expressway - Phase 2 ADB Concept Stage Firm 2008 ldthang@adb.org wcostin@adb.org HCMC Ring Road ADB Concept Stage Standby 2008 ldthang@adb.org May 2005 - Review of Rural Road Strategy DFID On going Simon Lucas s-lucas@dfid.gov.uk April 2006 Transport sector co-ordination November Satoko Tanaka, JBIC:sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp DFID/JBIC On going (SEDP inputs and other co-ord. support) 2004 - March Simon Lucas: s-lucas@dfid.gov.uk thaiduckhai@cftd-group.com Bridge Inspection and Repair Project Finland/ FINNVERA Ongoing 2003-2006 Mauri.Mottonen@finnroad.fi F/S on rehabilitation of Long Bien bridge France (MoF) Completed 2004 thanh-binh.nguyen@missioneco.org 112 F/S of tramway line on Road 32 France (MoF) Completed 2004 thanh-binh.nguyen@missioneco.org France (FFEM: AFD/ 2006-2010 freyf@groupe-afd.org Hanoi rail public transport Ongoing MoF) (tentatively) hanh-binh.nguyen@missioneco.org Nguyen Van Tau Vietnam Railways Project GTZ Ongoing 2001- 2006 tzvr@hn.vnn.vn Satoko Tanaka, JBIC National Highway No. 5 Improvement Project JBIC Completed 1996 ­ 2004 sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp National Highway No. 1 Bridge Rehabilitation Satoko Tanaka, JBIC JBIC Completed 1996 - 2005 Project sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Second National Highway No. 1 Bridge Satoko Tanaka, JBIC JBIC Ongoing 1999 - 2006 Rehabilitation Project sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Third National Highway No. 1 Bridge Satoko Tanaka, JBIC JBIC Ongoing 2003 - 2009 Rehabilitation Project sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Satoko Tanaka, JBIC National Highway No. 10 Improvement Project JBIC Ongoing 1998 -2007 sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Satoko Tanaka, JBIC National Highway No. 18 Improvement Project JBIC Ongoing 1998 -2008 sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Satoko Tanaka, JBIC Bai Chay Bridge Construction Project JBIC Ongoing 2001 - 2008 sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Satoko Tanaka, JBIC Binh Bridge Construction Project JBIC Ongoing 2000 - 2007 sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Satoko Tanaka, JBIC Red River (Thanh Tri) Bridge Construction Project JBIC Ongoing 2000 - 2008 sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Satoko Tanaka, JBIC Can Tho Bridge Construction Project JBIC Ongoing 2001 - 2009 sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp National Highway No. 1 Bypass Road Satoko Tanaka, JBIC JBIC Ongoing 2001 - 2009 Construction Project sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Satoko Tanaka, JBIC Hai Van Tunnel Construction Project JBIC Ongoing 1997 - 2007 sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Rural Development and Living Standard Satoko Tanaka, JBIC JBIC Ongoing 1999 - 2006 Improvement Project III (Rural Road) sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Small-Scale Pro Poor Infrastructure Development Satoko Tanaka, JBIC JBIC Ongoing 2003 - 2007 Project (Rural Road) sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Hanoi ­ Ho Chi Minh City Railways Bridge Satoko Tanaka, JBIC JBIC Completed 1994 - 2005 Rehabilitation Project sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Satoko Tanaka, JBIC Hai Phong Port Rehabilitation Project (Phase II) JBIC Ongoing 2000 - 2007 sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Satoko Tanaka, JBIC Cai Lan Port Expansion Project JBIC Ongoing 1996 - 2008 sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp 113 Satoko Tanaka, JBIC Da Nang Port Improvement Project JBIC Ongoing 1999 - 2006 sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Coastal Communication System Project in Satoko Tanaka, JBIC JBIC Ongoing 2000 - 2007 Southern Vietnam sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Tan Son Nhat International Airport Terminal Satoko Tanaka, JBIC JBIC Ongoing 2002 - 2007 Construction Project sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Satoko Tanaka, JBIC Sai Gon East-West Highway Construction Project JBIC Ongoing 2000 - 2007 sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Transport Infrastructure Development Project in Satoko Tanaka, JBIC JBIC Ongoing 1999 - 2006 Hanoi sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Transport Sector Loan for National Road Network Satoko Tanaka, JBIC JBIC Ongoing 2004 - 2008 Improvement sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Hanoi ­ Ho Chi Minh City Railway Line Bridges Satoko Tanaka, JBIC JBIC Ongoing 2004 - 2009 Safety Improvement Project sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Cai Mep-Thi Vai International Port Construction Satoko Tanaka, JBIC JBIC Ongoing 2004 - 2012 Project sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp New National Highway No.3 and Regional Road Satoko Tanaka, JBIC JBIC Ongoing 2005 - 2011 Network Project sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Satoko Tanaka, JBIC Nhat Than Bridge Construction Project JBIC Under preparation 2006 - 2010 sa-tanaka@jbic.go.jp Detailed Design Study of CAI MEP-THI VAI Komori katsutoshi, JICA JICA Ongoing 2004-2006 International Terminals komori@jica.org.vn The Project of the Improvement of Port Komori katsutoshi, JICA JICA Ongoing 2005-2009 Management komori@jica.org.vn Komori katsutoshi, JICA Traffic Safety Program JICA Completed 2004-2005 komori@jica.org.vn Human Resource Development Project on Traffic Komori katsutoshi, JICA JICA Proposed 2005-2008 Safety Program komori@jica.org.vn Komori katsutoshi, JICA Study on Roadside Stations JICA Proposed 2005-2006 komori@jica.org.vn Study on urban transportation master plan in Komori katsutoshi, JICA JICA Ongoing 2004-2006 Hanoi (as one component of the Hanoi City komori@jica.org.vn Project for Reconstruction of Bridges in the Komori katsutoshi, JICA GOJ/JICA Ongoing /Proposed 4/2002-3/2006 Central District komori@jica.org.vn Project for Reconstruction of Bridges in the Komori katsutoshi, JICA GOJ/JICA Proposed 2005-2008 Northern Mountenious Provincies komori@jica.org.vn Project for strengthening training capabilities for Komori katsutoshi, JICA Road Construction Workers in Transport JICA Ongoing 2001-2006 komori@jica.org.vn Technical and Professional School No.1 114 15.03.1996 - Mr. Richter, Mr. Nguyen Van Minh Rehabilitation of 15 Main-Line Locomotives KfW completed 2000 office@kfwvn.com Feasibility Study on Urban Railway System of Mr. Richter, Mr. Nguyen Van Minh KfW completed 1999-2000 Hanoi office@kfwvn.com Mr. Richter, Mr. Nguyen Van Minh Supply of Modern Railway Cranes KfW Ongoing 2000-2003 office@kfwvn.com Mr. Richter, Mr. Nguyen Van Minh Workshop Programme Danang KfW Ongoing 1999 - 2005 office@kfwvn.com Mr. Richter, Mr. Nguyen Van Minh Main Line Locomotives KfW Ongoing 2001-2007 office@kfwvn.com Mr. Richter, Mr. Nguyen Van Minh Hopper Suction Dredger KfW Ongoing 2000-2005 office@kfwvn.com Mr. Richter, Mr. Nguyen Van Minh Vietnam Railway Control Center KfW under preparation office@kfwvn.com 11/1998- Shomik Mehndiratta Urban Transport Improvement Project WB Ongoing 6/2005 smehndiratta@worldbank.org 03/1998- Simon Ellis Inland Waterways and Port Rehabiltation Project WB Ongoing 04/2006 sellis1@worldbank.org 06/2001- Maria Margarita Nunez Mekong Transport and Flood Protection Project WB Ongoing 06/2006 mnunez@worldbank.org 12/2003- Jerry Lebo Road Network Improvement Project WB Ongoing 9/2008 jlebo@worldbank.org Jerry Lebo Road Safety Project WB Ongoing 2005-2010 jlebo@worldbank.org Shomik Mehndiratta Hanoi Urban Transport Development Project WB Under preparation 2006-2011 smehndiratta@worldbank.org Mekong Transport Infrastructure Development Simon Ellis WB Under preparation 2006-2011 project sellis1@worldbank.org Baher El-Hifnawi Northern Delta Transport Development Project WB Under preparation 2008-2012 melhifnawi@worldbank.org Draft executive Baher El-Hifnawi Multi-Modal Transport Regulatory Review (PPIAF) WB 5/2005-1/2006 summary melhifnawi@worldbank.org Study on Consolidation and Development of bus Shomik Mehndiratta WB Ongoing 6/2005-1/2006 System in HCMC (PPIAF) smehndiratta@worldbank.org pid1pmu18@fpt.vn 01/05/2000 - Second Rural Transport Project WB/DFID Ongoing Simon Lucas s-lucas@dfid.gov.uk 12/2005 or Phuong Thi Minh Tran pmu5@hn.vnn.vn Third Rural Transport Project: WB/DFID Under preparation 2006 - 2010 Simon Lucas s-lucas@dfid.gov.uk Simon Ellis sellis1@worldbank.org 01/05/2003 - RITST or Robert Petts Rural Road Surfacing Reasearch WB/DFID Ongoing 7/2006 intech-trl@fpt.vn 115 DIN ÀN Ô TH VIT NAM - VIET NAM URBAN FORUM 37 LÊ I HÀNH, HÀ NI Tel: 84-4-9746011; Fax: 84-4-9745991; E-mail: urbanforum@fpt.vn PARTNERSHIP REPORT9 FOR THE CONSULTATIVE GROUP MEETING On the Operation in 2003-2005, Action Plan in General and for 2005-2006 of Viet Nam Urban Forum 1. Introduction The Viet Nam Urban Forum (VUF) is officially founded on 22nd October 2003, with the signatures in the "Memorandum of Understanding" of 7 Vietnamese partners (Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Home Affaires, Ministry of Finance, Viet Nam Association of Cities, Ha Noi People's Committee) and 8 international partners (UNDP, WB, ADB, SDC, EC, French Embassy, SCF-UK and BTC), and MOC is the coordinating agency. On 3rd February 2005, AFD (France) and on 14th June 2005, SGS company (Australia) have signed respectively in the MOU to become members of Viet Nam Urban Forum. The forum is a place of policy dialog, exchanges of experiences, lessons to contribute to the formulation and implementation of policies in urban management and development in Viet Nam between ministries, sectors, localities of the country and the donor community, where the Government of Viet Nam plays a key role. It is expected that in November 2005, VUF will admit 3 new members, i.e. UN-Habitat, JICA and the Center for Urban Projection and Study (PADDI supported by France). The Executive Board of VUF consists of representatives of all members, chaired by the Vice Minister of Construction Nguyen Tan Van. The Executive Board convenes every 6 months.. The Forum Secretariat consists of officials of MOC involved on the part-time basis, headed by the Director General of ICD, Mr. Nguyen Sinh Hy. The Secretariat meets every month. The Forum Coordinator is the Deputy Director of ICD, Mr. Pham Khanh Toan. The VUF office is located in the compound of MOC, 37 Le Dai Hanh, Ha Noi. 2. Executed Works at VUF a. Organization This is a new kind of partnership, where interests of local and international partners are harmoniously combined in the management and development of Viet Nam's urban system. Therefore, experiences in organizational works of MOC are limited. The recruitment of the former coordinator was also not done well. All this has led to passive and ad hoc actions of the Forum. It is until August 2005, after MOC reorganized the Secretariat and appointed the new coordinator, the VUF started to reactivate its role. The Executive Board meeting on 7th October 2005 has set out the general action plan as well as some major activities in 2005- 2006 of VUF. 9 Completed by Pham Khanh Toan, Deputy Director of ICD-MOC, VUF Coordinator 116 b. Study Main studies done by members of VUF are - Study on "Migration, Urbanization and Transformation in Rural Areas of Viet Nam", by Mr. Jean-Marie Cour, done in 2003, sponsored by French Embassy. - Study on "Urbanization Policy" by Mr. Jipgar Joshi, done in 2003, sponsored by UN- Habitat. - Consultation by IMV on the Regional Planning of Ha Noi Capital, done in 2004, 2005, sponsored by French Embassy. - Study on "Technical Assistance for Regional Planning in Viet Nam" by Mr. Lawrie Wilson, done in 2005, sponsored by WB. c. Organization of Workshops and Conferences VUF has organized presentations, workshops and participated in the organization of large conference, such as: - Presentation of study results by Mr. Jean-Marie Cour, on 14.11.2003, sponsored by French Embassy. - Workshop on "Housing for Low Income Households in HCM City" by VeT, on 28.11.2003, sponsored by French Embassy. - Workshop on "Urban Finance at Sub-regional Level and Infrastructure Bonds of HCM City", on 18.3.2004, sponsored by WB. - International Conference on "City Development Strategies", on 24-26.11.2004, sponsored by the Cities Alliance (CA), organized by MOC. - Workshop on "Wastewater Treatment Technology", on 28.3.2005, sponsored by WB. - Workshop on "Regional Planning of Ha Noi Metropolitan Area", on 10.5.2005, sponsored by WB, JICA and IMV. - Workshop on "The Practice of Urban Management and Planning in the Market Economy", on 15.6.2005, done and sponsored by SGS Company. d. Training VUF was the focal point for the following training activities: - Direct and Video-conferencing training on urgent issues of urban management and planning, from January to April 2005, organized and sponsored by WB. - Study tour on urban management and governance in Kumning (China). There 04 representatives from MOC, MPI, MOF and MOHA taking part in this delegation, from 15-20.5.2005, organized and sponsored by SDC. 3. The Action Plan of VUF a. General Action Plan Based on the 4 objectives: (i) Policy dialog; (ii) Sharing of experiences and lessons learnt; (iii) Recommendation of policy frameworks; (iv) Information database, the Forum has identified the outputs to be achieved, then the following concrete activities towards these outputs.. 117 There about 20 activities envisaged focusing on 4 main topics of interest of the Forum: (i) Urban planning and development; (ii) Urban infrastructure development and environment; (iii) Urban land and housing development; (iv) Urban administration reform. b. Action Plan for 2005-2006 Based on the activities that the members of VUF have done and are doing, the Forum has set out some concrete activities which are practically effective for the urban development such as regional planning, methodology in plan making, strategy formulation, finance reform, review of experiences and study for implementation.. Some activities until the first half of 2006 are: - Ha Noi Capital Regional Planning - Methodology in the 5-year plan making of the sectors and localities - Urban administration reform through the water sector reform - Revision of the Urban Development Strategy of Viet Nam - Review of experiences and lessons from the practice of CDS and urban upgrading implementation in some cities of Viet Nam - Regional planning of HCM City - Training on the management and development of urban technical infrastructure - Building up of the initial information database - Policy dialog c. Principles and Operational Mechanism of VUF VUF is operating based on the commitments of its members to support the course of urban development in Viet Nam. The members benefit from activities of the Forum, thus define their roles and contributions to the Forum.. MOC is the coordinating agency of the VUF, providing initial material basis for the Forum, including an office room at the Ministry's compound and staff working part-time for the Forum. The Swiss Development Cooperation Agency (SDC) has provided working equipment for the Forum's office, including tables, chairs, cabinets, computer, printer, telephone, fax . . . for the immediate operation of the Forum. At the Executive Board meeting of the VUF, there will be general direction of action identified for the Forum, as well as main activities in the next 6 months. These activities will be committed on by the members to be supported and realized. At first, the activities of the Forum still have ad hoc characteristic and satisfy immediate goals such as presentations, workshops, policy dialogs, exchanges of experience and lessons . . . Later, if the financial condition allows, the Forum will have more long term and strategic activities, such as, studies in topics, policy formulation, information database, dissemination, awareness campaign, capacity building etc. 118 LEGAL PARTNERSHIP Partnership Update10, December 2005 Approval of Strategy for the Development and Improvement of Vietnam's Legal System to the Year 2010 and Direction for the Period up to 2020(LSDS) The LSDS, flowed from the Legal Needs Assessment process conducted from 2000, was approved by the Polit Bureau on 24 May 2005 after more than one year of preparation. The Government is assigned to prepare an Action Plan to implement the LSDS and this Action Plan will be finalised soon. Following are key issues of the LSDS: The objectives, baseline standpoints for development and improvement of the legal system emphasize to develop and improve a consistent, comprehensive, feasible, transparent legal system with focus on the perfection of the legal institutions of the socialist oriented market economy, on building the Vietnam rule-of-law socialist state which is of the people, by the people and for the people; on basic renovation of law making and implementing mechanism; on acceleration of role and effectiveness of the law to contribute to the good social management, maintaining political stability, developing national economy, international integration, building of a clean and strong state, implementing human rights and democratic rights, freedoms of the citizen and make Vietnam a modern, industrialized country in 2020. The LSDS will contribute, inter alia, to ensure the human rights, democratic rights and freedoms of the citizen; build the socialist oriented market economy, develop culture and society, maintain the national defense and public order; combine the actual circumstance of Vietnam with selectively adopted international experience on law making and implementation; harmoniously combine national fine culture values and traditions with modern characteristics of the legal system; bring into play democracy, accelerate legality during the development, improvement and implementation of law. The LSDS will be carried out in line with the administrative reform, judicial reform by firm steps and with the focus; pay special attention on quantity and quality; fully diagnose pre-conditions to ensure effectiveness and enforceability of the law. Approval of Judicial Reform Strategy (JRS) On the 2nd of June, the Polit-bureau issued a Resolution on Judicial Reform Strategy to 2020. The key issues of this Strategy are reform of judicial system. The following are the key directions set out by the Strategy: 1.1. Improving criminal and civil policy and legislation in line with the socialist-oriented market economy; building Vietnam's socialist rule-of-law State of the people, by the people, and for the people; improving judicial procedures to ensure that they will be consistent, democratic, and transparent, as well as respect and protect human rights. 1.2. Organising judicial organs and judicial support institutions in a proper and scientific manner, with modern organisational structures and working conditions/facilities, of which the court sector is placed at the centre and adjudication plays the key role; realising strong socialisation of judicial support activities. 10 jointly prepared by Nguyen Minh Phuong (VIE/02/015 TA to LSDS) and Luu Tien Dung (UNDP) 119 1.3. Building a strong contingent of judicial and support staff, especially officials holding judicial posts, by enhancing their legal responsibility and authority, as well as by introducing higher specialised standards for each category of staff: for example, political and ethical qualities, professional and technical capacity, as well as social knowledge and experience; and adopting a mechanism for recruiting and appointing officials for some judicial posts through examinations. 1.4. Renovating and enhancing the oversight role of elected bodies, the public, and the people's ownership of judicial activities. Legal System Development Facility The Rules on LSDF was signed by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on 21 June 2005 (Decision number 153/2005/Q-TTg). Key objectives of the LSDF are as follow: · Mobilise financial resources from donors to support the implementation of the LSDS · Provide financial support to priority activities and emerging needs identified during the implementation of the LSDS The Facility is unique in the sense that it is open to all donor agencies and can be continuously replenished up to a ceiling amount of US$ 3 million. In addition,the Prime Minister has delegated the authority to the Minister of Justice to take decisions on particular initiatives to be funded by the Facility. Apart from activities related to the overall management and implementation of the LSDS, priority will be given to: · Pilot projects to strengthen the law enforcement capacity of law enforcement agencies at both central and local levels Legal information and dissemination to enhance legal awareness and knowledge of grassroots officials and local people, especially people living in rural, mountainous, remote or isolated areas or islands · Education and training of a body of leading legal specialists capable of development of the legal system and enforcing the laws and regulations defined in the LSDS The Facility will form an integral part of project VIE/02/015 "Assistance to Implementation of Vietnam's Legal System Development Strategy to 2010", funded by UNDP, Sweden and Denmark Legal Partnership Forum (LSF), Da Nang 11-12 October, 2005. The LPF involved the participation from both government and donor counterparts is to promote discussion, co-ordination, and strategizing between Vietnamese agencies, as well as foreign partners, in order to further development and improvement of Vietnam's legal and judicial systems. The main issues discussed at the LPF were as follows: · Priorities/trends in the recently adopted Legal System Development Strategy; · Priorities/trends in the recently adopted Judicial Reform Strategy; · Recent legal reform for the rule of law and access to justice. 120 Monthly Donor Group Forums on the Legal System Development Strategy and Judicial Reform Strategy On 6 September 2005 Minister of Justice participated in a Donor Forum organized by UNDP to present key issues of the LSDS. On 7 October, a Vice Chairman of the Central Committee for Internal Affairs also joined the similar event to share the key contents of the Judicial Reform Strategy with the donor community. These two important strategies have been translated into English and shared with the donor community by UNDP and/oh behalf of the government counterparts. Informal Monthly Coordination Lunch During the reporting year, JOPSO has coordinated the gatherings at the Press Club every months where technical advisors and experts working for the legal related projects and representatives from donors could share information on their on-going activities and supports in the legal related areas. 121 THE MATRIX ON ON-GOING DONOR-GOVERNMENT COORPERATION IN THE LEGAL SECTOR (Update in November 2005)11 Based on inputs from various donors and Vietnamese agencies, this matrix is an update of international assistance in the legal and judicial sectors. The matrix is divided into five parts: 1. Support for implementation of the Strategy for Development and Improvement of Vietnam's Legal System to 2010, and Direction up to the year 2020 (LSDS) and co-ordination of international co-operation in the legal and judicial sectors; 2. Legislative support; 3. Institution-building and law implementation/enforcement; 4. Capacity-strengthening; and 5. Access to Justice. Your comments or information to improve and complete this matrix are highly appreciated. Information or queries should be sent to: vie02015.vn@undp.org Area of support Key Objectives, Activities Vietnamese Implementing Name, address, tel/fax and email of contact persons Agencies and Donors Support for LSDS Implementation and Coordination of International Co-operation in the Legal and Judicial Sectors Strengthen the Management Capacity for the LSDS implementation: MOJ, MPS, CPIAC, SPC, GI, VLA, 1. Mr. Le Thanh Long, Project Manager · Assist for establishment of a Steering Committee and Secretariat to some local Departments of Justice - tel: 7336722. Fax: 7340104 implement the LSDS UNDP/ Sida/ DANIDA/ WB/ ADB lethanhlong250@yahoo.ca, vie02015.vn@undp.org · Assist for establishment of a coordination mechanism between (VIE/02/015 project (Ongoing 2. Mr. Luu Tien Dung, Program Officer, UNDP tel: 9421495/ext.103 Vietnamese agencies and relevant donors, as well as databases on project): 2003-2007) email: luu.tien.dung@undp.org donor funded projects in the legal and judicial sectors 3. Mr. Vu Tuan Minh, Program Officer, Sida tel: 7260402 email: · Assist for establishment of a multi-donor facility mr.minh@sida.se 4. Ms. Charlotte Laursen, Counselor Development, Embassy of Denmark (DANIDA) tel: 8231888 chalau@um.dk Legislative Support Strengthening Strengthen capacity of reviewing constitutionality, legality and consistency · MOJ - UNDP/ Sida/ DANIDA 1. Mr. Le Thanh Long, Project Manager legislative drafting of normative legal documents through: (VIE/02/015 project) tel: 7336722. Fax: 7340104 process Assist to draft Law on Promulgation of Legal Normative Documents (at email: lethanhlong250@yahoo.ca, vie02015.vn@undp.org Central and local levels) and drafting LNDs to implement the two laws · MOJ - USAID (STAR project 2. Mr. Luu Tien Dung, Program Officer, UNDP tel: 9421495/ext.103 (Ongoing project): 2002-2005) email: luu.tien.dung@undp.org 3. Mr. Vu Tuan Minh, Program Officer, Sida tel: 7260402 email: mr.minh@sida.se 4. Ms. Charlotte Laursen, Counsellor Development, Embassy of Denmark (DANIDA) tel: 8231888 email: chalau@um.dk 11 The matrix was consolidated by Nguyen Minh Phuong (VIE/02/015 TA to LSDS) and Luu Tien Dung (UNDP) with contributions from the group members 122 Area of support Key Objectives, Activities Vietnamese Implementing Name, address, tel/fax and email of contact persons Agencies and Donors 5. Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor STAR Project tel: 9349814 johnbentley@fpt.vn Assist to carry out the tasks of reviewing and examining LNDs in MOJ - UNDP/ Sida/ DANIDA 1. Mr. Le Thanh Long, Project Manager accordance with PM's Directive No. 10/2002/CT-TTg of 19 March 2002 (VIE/02/015 project ) tel: 7336722. Fax: 7340104 email: lethanhlong250@yahoo.ca, vie02015.vn@undp.org 2. Mr. Luu Tien Dung, Program Officer, UNDP tel: 9421495/ext.103 luu.tien.dung@undp.org 3. Mr. Vu Tuan Minh, Program Officer, Sida tel: 7260402 email: mr.minh@sida.se 4. Ms. Charlotte Laursen, Counsellor Development, Embassy of Denmark tel: 8231888 email: chalau@um.dk Strengthen the NA and ONA participation in the legislative process (study ONA ­ DANIDA - UNDP 1. Ms. Charlotte Laursen, Counsellor Development, Embassy of tours on specific laws, comparative studies, workshops, internships etc.) Ongoing project: - 2005 Denmark tel: 8231888 email: chalau@um.dk Support legislative drafting and review process NA (Law Committee and Ms. Vu Thi Yen Programme Officer, CIDA Committee for Social Affairs) ­ Tel: 7345000 Vu.YenThi@international.gc.ca CIDA (PIAP) Mr. Michael McCabe Ongoing project: Tel: 9331800 email: mmccabe@piap.org.vn Support for legal drafting skills under a Public Administrative Reform MARD ­ UNDP 1. Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung, Program Officer, UNDP 9421495/248 (Project VIE/02/016: Project nguyen.tien.dung@undp.org Support to Public Administration 2. Mr. Dao Viet Dung, Program Officer, ADB Reform Programme in MARD) email: 9346600/ 327 email: dvdung@adb.org Ongoing project 3. Mr. Nguyen Van Diem, MoHA Tel: 0913212893 email: htqt@fpt.org Strengthen law drafting and reviewing by: MOJ - CIDA (LERAP) 1. Ms. Vu Thi Yen, Programme Officer, CIDA · Building case scenarios of future impact of WTO rules in national Tel: 7345000 Vu.YenThi@international.gc.ca legislation using a comparative law approach and regional 2. Mr. Isabeau Vilandré, Lawyer experiences of recent accessions; Tel: 84-4 9436695/6. MB: 0904 172 387 Fax: 84-4 943 6694 e-mail:lerap@fastmail.fm · Developing a WTO check-list for review of current and future 3. Mr. Nguyen Khanh Ngoc legislative initiative; Deputy Director, International Law Dept. Ministry of Justice · Building of a framework to prepare gradually to proceed to the Tel: 7334302 email: khanhngocn@yahoo.com implementation of WTO rules in national legislation; Drafting, amendments and supplementation of current and future legislations and/or legal normative instruments. Increase capacity to undertake comparative law analysis in order to MOJ - CIDA (LERAP) 1. Ms. Vu Thi Yen, Programme Officer, CIDA improve law drafting and research Tel: 7345000 Vu.YenThi@international.gc.ca 2. Mr. Isabeau Vilandré, Lawyer Tel: 84-4 9436695/6. MB: 0904 172 387 Fax: 84-4 943 6694 e-mail:lerap@fastmail.fm 3. Mr. Cao Xuan Phong Deputy Director, Legal Comperative Law Center, Institute of Law Science, MOJ Tel: 8430934 email: phongcx@fpt.vn Legislative support for Support for developing a follow-on Roadmap for changes to laws, MOJ/NA (CEBA and Committee on 1. Mr. Hoang Phuoc Hiep ­ Director , Department of International Law, implementation of regulations, and procedures needed to implement the BTA and to accede Foreign Relations) MOJ BTA and WTO to WTO USAID (STAR PROJECT) Tel. 8431386/7340982 Fax 8431431 hiephp@moj.gov.vn accession 2. Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor, STAR Project Tel: 9349814 email: johnbentley@fpt.vn Create a legal environment for implementation of the BTA and accession 36 government and state agencies at Mr. Steve Parker, Director, STAR Project 123 Area of support Key Objectives, Activities Vietnamese Implementing Name, address, tel/fax and email of contact persons Agencies and Donors to WTO This involves supporting legal reforms in almost all key economic the national level, and 10 provincial/ Tel: 9349814 and commercial sectors, as well as advancing the procedures and capacity city governments of the courts to resolve commercial, IPR and investment disputes. USAID (STAR PROJECT) 29. Strengthen the capacity of the government of Vietnam and Ministry of Trade, Ministry of MUTRAP II Project Task Force Vietnamese stakeholders for managing WTO accession and meet Justice, Office of the National Suite A201 Ham Long Building,14-16 Ham Long Str. ,Hanoi Tel. their commitments and challenges from other international and Assembly 9454314/15 Fax 9454311 mutrap@mutrap.org.vn regional trade related agreements. Multilateral Trade Assistance Mrs. Tran Thi Thu Hang- Project Director Project Vietnam II (MUTRAP II) Mr. Peter Naray ­European Technical Assistance Team Leader Tel: ASIE/2003/005711 9454316 peter_naray@mutrap.netnam.vn On-going: (10/1/2005 ­ 30/6/2008) Mrs Vu Thi Tuan Anh- Programme Officer, EC Delegation Hanoi Tel. MOT-EU 9341300-Ext. 8217 E-mail: Anh.VU@cec.eu.int Review available instruments of trade defence in light of Vietnam's WTO MOT-EU (MUTRAP II) MUTRAP II Project Task Force rights and obligations Suite A201 Ham Long Building,14-16 Ham Long Str. ,Hanoi Tel. 9454314/15 Fax 9454311 E-mail: mutrap@mutrap.org.vn Mrs. Tran Thi Thu Hang- Project Director · Support for the National Assembly and Ministry of Justice in NA / MOJ - WB 1. Mr. Pham Minh Duc, Senior Economist, WB developing a Legislative Action Plan for WTO Accession (Technical 2. Mr. Ngo Duc Manh - Director of Information Center, ONA Tel: Assistance) 08043590 Email: ngoducmanh@yahoo.com · Continue to implement the previous results of Legislative Action 3. Mr. Nguyen Khanh Ngoc ­ Deputy Director Plan for WTO Accession (in preparation) Tel/ Fax: 7334302 khanhngoc_n@yahoo.com MOJ/WB 4. Mr. Cao Xuan Phong, Deputy Director, Legal Comperative Law Center, Institute of Law Science, MOJ Tel: 8430934 Develop legal and institutional framework to deal with anti-dumping MOT - CEG Facility (AusAID) Mr. Graham Alliband, CEG Facility Manager measures taken against Vietnam and against foreign products in Vietnam tel: 936 0290 fax 936 0289 Galliband@ceg.edu.vn Assist to study on laws necessary for economic integration (study of MOJ - JICA/LCP Mr. Sasaki, Naoshi JICA Project various laws to be reformed in line with WTO accession) email: naoshi0@aol.com Assist for Amendments of Law on Credit Institutions (completed) SBV -­ CIDA 1. Ms. Vu Thi Yen, Programme Officer, CIDA Tel: 7345000 Vu.YenThi@international.gc.ca Assist for Amendments of the Law on Credit Institutions SBV/ NA (CEBA) - USAID (STAR Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor, STAR Project Tel: 9349814 PROJECT) email: johnbentley@fpt.vn Post-WTO accession: MOJ - CIDA (LERAP) 1. Ms. Vu Thi Yen, Programme Officer, CIDA Facilitate the implementation of Vietnam's commitments for its WTO Ongoing project: 2001-2007 Tel: 7345000 Vu.YenThi@international.gc.ca accession: 2. Mr. Isabeau Vilandré, Lawyer · Monitoring legislative review of initiatives undertaken and adoption Tel: 84-4 9436695/6. MB: 0904 172 387 of legislations and/or legal normative instrument to comply with Fax: 84-4 943 6694 e-mail:lerap@fastmail.fm WTO requirements; 3. Mr. Nguyen Khanh Ngoc Deputy Director, International Law Dept. Ministry of Justice Tel: 7334302 · Building reviewing instruments to help harmonize legislations and email: khanhngocn@yahoo.com normative instruments to further integrate WTO and economic integration mechanism in national legal instruments (national/provincial levels, sartorial levels). New approach: The assistance will be linked to day to day working plan and focus on local level Support for drafting Assist for Revision of the Commercial Law and drafting regulations to MOT ­ CEBA (NA) Mr. Graham Alliband of specific laws and implement the Commercial law USAID (STAR PROJECT), UNDP, CEG Facility Manager 124 Area of support Key Objectives, Activities Vietnamese Implementing Name, address, tel/fax and email of contact persons Agencies and Donors regulations CEG Facility (AusAID), France Tel: 936 0290 fax 936 0289 Galliband@ceg.edu.vn Assist for Drafting LNDs to implement Competition Law MOT ­ CIDA (PIAP) 1. Ms. Vu Thi Yen, Programme Officer, CIDA Tel: 7345000 Vu.YenThi@international.gc.ca 2. Mr. Micheal McGabe Tel: 9331800 email: mmccabe@piap.org.vn Assist for Revision of Civil Code MOJ - JICA/LCP 1. Mr. Morinaga Taro, Chief Advisor JICA Project Law Committee of the National Tel: 04-9-426-558 (Office) 095-335-7315 (Mobile) Assembly ­ USAID (STAR Fax: 04-9-426-561 email: tkmorinaga@fpt.vn PROJECT) 2. Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor, STAR Project Tel: 9349814 email: johnbentley@fpt.vn Assist for Drafting the new Civil Procedure Code SPC/NA (Law Committee) - 1. Mr. Ngo Cuong, SPC Tel: 9343168 JICA/LCP 2. Mr. Morinaga Taro tkmorinaga@fpt.vn USAID (STAR PROJECT) 3. Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor STAR Project tel: 9349814 johnbentley@fpt.vn Assist for drafting LNDs to implement the Civil Procedure Code SPC - USAID (STAR PROJECT) 1. Mr. Ngo Cuong, SPC Tel: 9343168 2. Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor, STAR Project Tel: 9349814 johnbentley@fpt.vn Assist for drafting Ordinance on Legal Aid MOJ ­ VIE.02.015 1. Mr. Le Thanh Long, Project Manager (UNDP/Sida/DANIDA) tel: 7336722. Fax: 7340104 email: lethanhlong250@yahoo.ca, vie02015.vn@undp.org 2. Mr. Luu Tien Dung, Program Officer, UNDP tel: 9421495/ext.103 luu.tien.dung@undp.org 3. Mrs. Ta Thi Minh Ly, Director of the National Legal Aid Agency tel: 8431389, fax: 7333153 tathiminhly@fpt.vn Assist for drafting the Enterprise Bankruptcy Code SPC - JICA/LCP 1. Mr. Morinaga Taro, JICA Project email: tkmorinaga@fpt.vn 2. Mr. Ngo Cuong, SPC Tel: 9343168 Assist for drafting the Ordinance on Secured Transactions MOJ ­ JICA/LCP / ADB 1. Mrs. Nguyen Thuy Hien, Director, National Agency for Registration of Secured Transactions Tel: 7334160 2. Mr. Sasaki, Naoshi JICA Project email: naoshi0@aol.com 3. Mr. Shinsuke Kawazu, ADB skawazu@adb.org Assist for drafting the Immovable Property Registration Law MOJ ­ JICA/LCP 1. Mr. Sasaki, Naoshi JICA Project email: naoshi0@aol.com Assist for drafting the Judgment Execution Code MOJ/NA (Law Committee) - JICA/ 1. Mr. Nguyen Binh, Deputy Director of Civil and Economic Legislation USAID (STAR PROJECT)/ Dept., MOJ tel: 8438836 VIE.02.015 (UNDP-Sida-DANIDA) 2. Mr. Morinaga Taro, JICA Project Tel: 04-9-426-558 (Office) 095-335-7315 (Mobile) Fax: 04-9-426-561 email: tkmorinaga@fpt.vn 3. Mr. Le Thanh Long, Project Manager VIE/02/015 tel: 7336722. Fax: 7340104 email: lethanhlong250@yahoo.ca, vie02015.vn@undp.org Assist for drafting the State Compensation Law MOJ ­ JICA/LCP Mr Morinaga Taro, Legal Expert, JICA Project Tel: 04-9-426-558 (Office) 095-335-7315 (Mobile) Fax: 04-9-426-561 email: tkmorinaga@fpt.vn Assist for drafting new comprehensive IP Law, Technology Transfer and MOST/ MCI/NA (S&T Committee) Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor Standardizations - USAID (STAR PROJECT) STAR Project tel: 9349814 johnbentley@fpt.vn Assist for drafting Law on Negotiable Instruments NA (CEBA)SBV - USAID (STAR Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor 125 Area of support Key Objectives, Activities Vietnamese Implementing Name, address, tel/fax and email of contact persons Agencies and Donors PROJECT) STAR Project tel: 9349814 johnbentley@fpt.vn -Assist for drafting, reviewing and approving the Audit Law 1. Mr. Trinh Tien Dung, ARR/Programme Officer, -Assist in reviewing two-year implementation of the state budget law and trinh.tien.dung@undp.org related legal implementation documents (such as Decree 73 on local 2. Mr. Nguyen Hoang Anh, National Project Manager, CEBA budgeting) involving state management agencies and spending units at vie02008.vn@undp.org local level. CEBA-UNDP-DFID-CIDA project -Assist in reviewing two-year implementation of the National Assembly's (VIE/02/008) Ordinance on formulation, examination and decision of state budget Assist in drafting a revised decree (to replace the old decree no. 90) MOF-UNDP ­ AusAID-Seco 1. Mrs. Truong Thai Phuong, Deputy NPD, MOF managing external debt management project (VIE/01/010) truong.thai.Phuong@mof.gov.vn 2. Mr. Trinh Tien Dung, ARR/Programme Officer, trinh.tien.dung@undp.org Assist for study on public finance reform: import-export taxation, income MOF- France tax, value added tax Assist for drafting Personal Income Tax Law MOFI ­ UNDP (Project Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga, Program Officer UNDP email: VIE.03.010) nguyen.thi.thanh.nga@undp.org Assist for research for amendment of Custom laws and regulations to meet MOF ­ DHRD (Japan) with requirement of Kyoto Convention Assist for drafting of government regulations on business registration and CIEM- UNDP Ms. Do Thi Nguyet Nga,Programm Officer, UNDP Email: licenses to effectively implement the Enterprise Law do.thi.nguyet.nga@undp.org Assist for drafting of Common Investment Law and Unified Enterprise MPI /CIEM/UNDP Ms. Do Thi Nguyet Nga, Programme Officer, UNDP Email: Law PMRC ­ USAID (STAR Project) do.thi.nguyet.nga@undp.org Assist for drafting of regulations on customs valuation, classification, post- MOF (Customs Department) - Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor entry audit and border measures for IPR enforcement; amendment to the USAID (STAR Project) STAR Project tel: 9349814 johnbentley@fpt.vn Customs Law Assist for drafting of Ordinance on Procedures for Administrative Cases SPC - USAID (STAR Project) Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor STAR Project tel: 9349814 johnbentley@fpt.vn Assist for amending Law on Complaints and Denunciations GI/IAC - VIE.02.015 1. Mr. Le Thanh Long, Project Manager (UNDP/Sida/DANIDA) / USAID tel: 7336722. Fax: 7340104 (STAR Project) email: lethanhlong250@yahoo.ca, vie02015.vn@undp.org 2. Mr. Luu Tien Dung, Program Officer, UNDP tel: 9421495/ext.103 email: luu.tien.dung@undp.org Assist for drafting of Law on Referendum ­ research international VLA ­ VIE.02.015 1. Mr. Pham Quoc Anh, President, VLA experience and assessment of relevant existing Vietnamese LNDs (UNDP/Sida/DANIDA) 2. Mr. Le Thanh Long, Project VIE/02/015 Manager 3. Mr. Luu Tien Dung, UNDP Program Officer Assist for drafting of Law on Electronic Transactions NA (Science & Technology Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor Committee) - USAID (STAR STAR Project tel: 9349814 email: johnbentley@fpt.vn Project)/ ADB Assist for drafting of Law on Concluding and Implementing International MOFA/NA (Committee on Foreign 1. Mr. Le Thanh Long, Project Manager Treaties Relations) - VIE/02/015 - USAID tel: 7336722. Fax: 7340104 (STAR Project) lethanhlong250@yahoo.ca,vie02015.vn@undp.org 2. Mr. Luu Tien Dung, Program Officer, UNDP tel: 9421495/ext.103 luu.tien.dung@undp.org Assist for drafting of Tourism Law and LNDs to implement Tourism Law General Administration of Tourism ­ SNV (Netherlands) Assist for drafting of Amendment of the Law on Local Election and the ONA ­ UNDP Law on Organization of People's Councils and Committees 126 Area of support Key Objectives, Activities Vietnamese Implementing Name, address, tel/fax and email of contact persons Agencies and Donors Support for drafting and finalizing a government decree on delegation of MOF - UNDP responsibilities in state management to local governments in order to assist the Decentralization of state financial management Support for review and improvement of a government regulation of local MOF - UNDP investment and development funds Assist for drafting of Law on compulsory purchase and requisition by MOF - UNDP providing comparative experiences Support for the implementation of the revised decree 10 aiming at MOF- UNDP mitigating negative impact of the socialization on the poor Assist for drafting of laws and regulations on human trafficking, MOJ - UNODC Mr. Nguyen Cong Hong, Deputy Director, Criminal and smuggling of migrants and transnational organized crime in order to enable Administrative Legislation Department, MOJ VN to ratify the UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and its Tel: 7335117 protocols Support revision and implementation of law related to court procedure to SPC ­ DANIDA/ 1. Mr. Le Thanh Long, Project Manager support a speedy introduction of the adversarial system in Vietnam UNDP/Sida/DANIDA (Project tel: 7336722. Fax: 7340104 VIE.02.015) lethanhlong250@yahoo.ca, vie02015.vn@undp.org 2. Mr. Luu Tien Dung, Program Officer, UNDP tel: 9421495/ext.103 luu.tien.dung@undp.org Support revision and implementation of law on administrative procedure - SPC ­ DANIDA 1. Mr. Le Thanh Long, Project Manager to increase capacity to deal with administrative cases MOJ ­ UNDP/Sida/DANIDA tel: 7336722. Fax: 7340104 (Project VIE.02.015) lethanhlong250@yahoo.ca, vie02015.vn@undp.org 2. Mr. Luu Tien Dung, Program Officer, UNDP tel: 9421495/ext.103 email: luu.tien.dung@undp.org Assist for drafting of LNDs to implement Land Law 2003 MONRE ­ Sida (SEMLA program) Assist for drafting of Law on Environment Protection (Amended) and MONRE ­ Sida (SEMLA program)/ Mr. Dao Xuan Lai, Programme Officer, UNDP. Email: implementing LNDs UNDP­Poverty and Environment dao.xuan.lai@undp.org Project and UNDP-Agenda 21- VIE/01/021 Assist for drafting of Law on Biological Diversity UNDP ­ Poverty and Environment Mr. Dao Xuan Lai Programme Officer, UNDP. Email: Project dao.xuan.lai@undp.org Assist for drafting of Law on Nuclear MOST - JICA, KOICA, France, IAEA Assist for drafting of Law on Information Technology Ministry of Telecommunication - KOICA Assist for drafting of Law on protection of public healh MOH ­ WHO Assist for drafting of Ordinance and decrees on grant and transplant tissue MOH ­ WHO and organ Assist for drafting of Law on Anti-corruption and ratification of UN GI ­ UNDP, Sida 1. Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Director of the Institute for Inspection Convention on anti-corruption Research, GI Tel: 0904295999 2. Mr.Luu Tien Dung, Programme Officer UNDP luu.tien.dung@undp.org; 3. Mr. Ngoc, Sida Assist for Consolidation of Decrees on Securities and Development of a SSC/NA (CEBA) - USAID (STAR Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor new Securities Law Project) STAR Project tel: 9349814 johnbentley@fpt.vn Support for drafting and implementing National Strategy on Forestry MARD ­ Netherlands, Finland, Swizerland, Sweden and other 24 donors 127 Area of support Key Objectives, Activities Vietnamese Implementing Name, address, tel/fax and email of contact persons Agencies and Donors Support for amending Law and LNDs to implement Law on on Forest MARD - Trust Funds for Forestry Protection and Development (TFF) and FSDP Assist to draft some legal normative documents under the framework of MARD ­ GTZ (REFAS) Public Administrative Reform Project Support for drafting of Law on Gender Equality Vietnam Woman's Union (VWU)- 1. Mme. Nguyen Thanh Hoa, TA Director ADB (financed by the Poverty tel: 971 8324 fax: 971 3143 Reduction Cooperation Fund) 2. Ms. Le Thi Ngan Giang, Deputy Director, Law and Policy TA No. 4453 VIE: Supporting the Department, VWU Preparation of the Law on Gender giangltng@yahoo.com banlpcs@yahoo.com Equality 3. Ms. Nguyen Nhat Tuyen, Social Development and Gender Officer, (implementation period from 2005 ADB VRM to 2007) tel: 933 1374 email: nguyentuyen@adb.org Assist for drafting of new Education Law MoET-EC 1. Mr.Pham Do Nhat Tien-Former Project Director, Assistant to Minister of Education, MoET 49-Dai Co Viet Str., Hanoi Tel: 8.694794, 8.694911 2. Ms. Nguyen Lam Giang, Programme Officer, European Commission Tel: 9341300/Ext.8269 giang.nguyen@cec.eu.int Support for drafting process of the Viet Nam Youth Law and its Guidance UN Youth Task Force - National Decree Committee on Youth of Vietnam ­ ILO - UNICEF Support for research Legal Assessment on Child Abuse CPFC - UNICEF 1. Mr. Vu Ngoc Binh, Project Officer for Rights Promotion UNICEF on child protection Viet Nam issues including Tel: (+844) 942-5706 (Ext. 256) (+844) 942-5705 assessment of legal Mobile: 0913579640 Email: vnbinh@unicef.org gaps Legal Review on Children Affected by HIV/AIDS MOLISA - UNICEF Legal Review on Trafficking MoJ with UNODC and UNICEF Situation Analysis on Juvenile Justice MoJ (Law Research Institute) and UNICEF Assessments of the Juvenile Justice Situation in Hai Phong CPFC; CPFC Hai Phong and UNICEF Situation Analysis on Children Affected by HIV/AIDS MOLISA - UNICEF Situation Analysis on Children with Disabilities MOLISA - UNICEF Surveys in 3 Regions on Trafficking in Children and Women MPS - UNICEF Situation Analysis on social work to make recommendations for social MOET - CPFC; MOET - UNICEF work in VietNam including legal review Assessment on the Court System for Children SPC - UNICEF Support for drafting Support for revision of the Law on Protection, Care and Education and CPFC - UNICEF of specific laws, development of its decrees and circulars decrees; National Provision of comments for the Draft Law on HIV/AIDS UNDP: UNAIDS; UNICEF; Program of Action UNIFEM; Policy Project (USAIDS) and glossary Support for the Draft Law on Youth and its decree Youth Union - UNICEF applicable to children Support for the Draft Law on Education and its decrees, ministerial MOET - UNICEF and youth decisions and circulars Support for the revision of the governmental decree on breast feeding MOH - UNICEF Support for drafting the National Strategy on Children Protection 2006- CPFC - UNICEF 2010 with a vision to 2020 Support for drafting the National Program of Action (NPA) on Trafficking MPS -UNICEF and other agencies 128 Area of support Key Objectives, Activities Vietnamese Implementing Name, address, tel/fax and email of contact persons Agencies and Donors 2004-2010 Support for drafting the National Program on Community Based for MOLISA - UNICEF Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances (CEDC) 2005-2010 Support for drafting specific guidelines on community based care for MOLISA - UNICEF CEDC, including social houses Support for drafting the Glossary on Juvenile Justice MoJ and UNICEF Support for drafting the Lexicon on child abuse CPFC - UNICEF Support for drafting the National Strategy on Family CPFC - UNICEF Support for issuance of the code on social work MOET - UNICEF Provision of comments for the Draft Law on Prostitution MOLISA - UNICEF and other agencies Support for the Draft on Socio Economic Development Plan CPFC - MPI - UNICEF Program no. 135 Plan to review the laws and policies on street children in order to develop a CPFC - MOLISA - UNICEF national strategy on street children Institutional Building Strengthening Enhance the oversight function of the National Assembly strengthening ONA - Sida Mr. Vu Tuan Minh, Program Officer, Sida parliamentary parliamentary supervision knowledge and skills of Parliamentarians and Tel: 7260402 supervision staff; Enhancing the parliamentary public information to ensure email: mr.minh@sida.se transparent, participative and democratic processes; Enhancing the internal information services of the Office of Vietnam National Assembly (ONA) to support Parliamentarians. Institutional Support Institutional support to the legislative and legal/judicial sectors in Vietnam MOJ, ONA, SPC, SPP - EC (in 1. Mr. Phung Van Hung, Deputy Director, Information Center, ONA Programme (ISP) for pertaining to integration issues including a) policy advice and institutional preparation) tel: 08046763/ 0903422725 email: hungpv@qh.gov.vn Vietnam support and b) capacity building and training. 2. Mrs. Nguyen Bich Ngoc, Senior Legal Official, International Cooperation Dept., MOJ Tel: 7333150 ng_bich_ngoc@yahoo.com 3. Mr. Nguyen Van Luat, Director Judicial Research Institute, SPC 4. Mrs. Vu Thi Tuan Anh, Program Officer, EC mission Tel. 9341300- Ext. 8217 Anh.VU@cec.eu.int Supporting to the · Assess the organization, activities and autonomous capacity of the MOJ - Sida (Preparatory project) 1. Ms. Ha Phuong Lan, Deputy Director, International Cooperation establishment of a local bar associations; Dept., MOJ Tel: 7340109 Vietnam National Bar email: lanhp@moj.gov.vn, halan_btp@yahoo.com organisation · Create a forum for lawyers, legal researchers, bar associations, 2. Mr. Vu Tuan Minh, Program Officer, Sida judicial bodies and other state agencies to discuss on the role of the Tel: 7260402 email: mr.minh@sida.se local bar associations in society, to suggest the requirements and necessary conditions for the establishment of the National Bar Association in Vietnam; · Complete a detail outline of project on the establishment of the Bar Associations of Vietnam. Institutional Building Fact-finding and Project Formulation VLA - UNDP Mr. Luu Tien Dung, Program Officer, UNDP for Vietnam Lawyer's Tel: 9421495 email: luu.tien.dung@undp.org Association Institutional Building Strengthen Bar Associations of Vietnam: MOJ - Sida Mr. Vu Tuan Minh, Program Officer, Sida for Inspection at · Strengthen the professional capacity of practicing lawyers Tel: 7260402 email: mr.minh@sida.se grassroots level 129 Area of support Key Objectives, Activities Vietnamese Implementing Name, address, tel/fax and email of contact persons Agencies and Donors · Strengthen the normative basis for practicing lawyers · Establish an autonomous National Bar Association of Vietnam based on self-regulation and the highest degree of professional standards. · Elaborate long-term development strategy for the lawyer's profession in Vietnam up to 2020 Conduct workshops and training courses for inspectors at grassroots level GI ­ Asia Foundation Support for strengthen monitoring system of CPFC inspectors CPFC (Inspection Unit) and UNICEF Plan to develop guidelines to strengthen functions of inspectors who deal CPFC and UNICEF with monitoring and investigation of children's rights (especially the most vulnerable groups) at the national and sub-national levels Institutional Building Develop training package; conduct training on and monitoring of the joint VWU at central level and in project for Bank for Social credit scheme with the Bank for Social Policy sites and UNICEF Policy Support for the Collect, process and disseminate accurate data on crime SPP­ DANIDA Ms. Charlotte Laursen, Counselor Development, Embassy of establishment of an Denmark (DANIDA) Agency for tel: 8231888 email: chalau@um.dk Criminology and Statistics Support for Legal aid Strengthen NLAA and PLAC's capacity to carry out legal aid, strengthen MOJ - Sida 1. Mrs. Ta Thi Minh Ly, Director, National Legal Aid Agency Tel: system the capacity of mediation groups, lawyers, law students to carry out legal 8431389, MB: 0903444108 aid. 2. Mr. Vu Tuan Minh, Program Officer, Sida Tel: 7260402 email: mr.minh@sida.se Support for local Strengthening administrative and judicial procedures at local levels MOJ - Sida Mr. Vu Tuan Minh, Program Officer, Sida justice agencies Tel: 7260402 email: mr.minh@sida.se Support for follow up Support to MPS to follow up the Regional Commitments and Plan of MPS; other key agencies; UNICEF; the Regional action on combating trafficking UNIAP Commitments on Trafficking Capacity building and law implementation/ enforcement Strengthening the · Improve general skill sets of MPs; ONA - DANIDA Ms. Charlotte Laursen, Counselor Development, Embassy of skills of the MPs as Denmark (DANIDA) representatives of the · Improve communication with voters; tel: 8231888 email: chalau@um.dk people · Handle of claims and petition, policy analysis, debating and presentation skills and assessment of bills. Strengthening law ONA (Centre for Information, Dr Felix Schmidt, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung making and law · Support the improvement of services for the Members of the Library and Research Services) - International P.O.Box 44, 7, Ba Huyen Thanh Quan, Hanoi, Vietnam Tel.: implementation National Assembly through international and national seminars with FES 8455108/8452632 Fax: 8452631 capacity ONA Web: www.fes-vietnam.org fesvn@netnam.vn · Strengthen the capacity of MoJ in law making and law MOJ ­ Sida implementation · Strengthen law implementation ability of judges and civil executors, 130 Area of support Key Objectives, Activities Vietnamese Implementing Name, address, tel/fax and email of contact persons Agencies and Donors · Strengthen MoJ's admin. management capacity Strengthen legal capacity and international practical experience for MOFA ­ Francophone Community government officials on laws on national boundary identification of Belgium Strengthen capacity to implement policy on land and environment MONRE ­ Sida (SEMLA program) including implement Land Law 2003 Strengthen law making and implementation on Gender Equality Vietnam Woman's Association ­ Spangenberg (USA) Comparative law Developing comparative law study and analysis skills through delivering MOJ-CIDA (LERAP) 1. Ms. Vu Thi Yen, Programme Officer research and analysis short term training courses in Canada and locally organized work shops Tel: 8235500 email: Vu.YenThi@international.gc.ca 2. Mr. Isabeau Vilandré, Lawyer Tel: 84-4 9436695/6. MB: 0904 172 387 Fax: 84-4 943 6694 e-mail:lerap@fastmail.fm 3. Mr. Cao Xuan Phong Deputy Director, Legal Comperative Law Center, Institute of Law Science, MOJ Tel: 8430934 International trade Improving international trade dispute settlement skills through short-term MOJ-CIDA (LERAP) 1. Ms. Vu Thi Yen, Programme Officer dispute settlement training held locally Tel: 8235500 Vu.YenThi@international.gc.ca 2. Mr. Isabeau Vilandré, Lawyer Tel: 84-4 9436695/6. MB: 0904 172 387 Fax: 84-4 943 6694 e-mail:lerap@fastmail.fm 3. Mr. Nguyen Khanh Ngoc Deputy Director, International Law Dept. Ministry of Justice Tel: 7334302 khanhngocn@yahoo.com Improvement of the · Draft a Bench book for Judges (including a CD-rom) SPC - CEG Facility (AusAID) Mr. Graham Alliband, CEG Facility Manager professional and tel: 936 0290 fax 936 0289 practical skills of the · Provide 20 two day seminars and some five day Training of Trainers email Galliband@ceg.edu.vn Training Courses for judges at local level judiciary in court proceedings Strengthening Assist to enforce the Drug Law : strengthen the law enforcement efforts MPS - UNODC capacity of the police over trafficking in drugs force and investment Strengthen capacity of the police force in implementing the Ordinance on MPS ­ VIE.02.015 1. Ms. Katrine Pedersen, Program Officer UNDP agencies Dealing with Administrative Violations through support for law (UNDP/Sida/DANIDA) tel: 9421495 email: katrine.pedersen@undp.org enforcement in dealing with administrative violations 2. Mr. Luu Tien Dung, Program Officer UNDP 3. Mr. Tran Dinh Nha, Director, Legal Department, MPS tel: 0913202491 · Enhance capacity for officials at investigation agencies in MPS - DFID Mr. Tran Dinh Nha, Director, Legal Department, MPS tel: implementation of Criminal Procedure Code 0913202491 Registration of Support the capacity building and training for officials of registration MOJ (National Registration Agency 1. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thuy Hien, Director, Director, National Agency for secured transactions agencies for secured transactions of Secured Transactions) - ADB Registration of Secured Transactions, MOF Tel: 7334160 2. Mr. Dao Viet Dung, Governance and Public Sector Reform Officer, ADB Tel: 933 1374/ ext. 125 email: dvdung@adb.org Improving capacity to Strengthen capacity of enforcement of civil judgement enforcement law MOJ (Civil Judgment Enforcement 1. Mr. Hoàng Th Khiêm, Director, Civil Judgement Enforcement, enforce civil and regulation Agency) - CIDA (LERAP Project) MOJ Tel: 8430929 judgments 2. Mr. Isabeau Vilandré, Lawyer Tel: 84-4 9436695/6. MB: 0904 172 387 Fax: 84-4 943 6694 e-mail:lerap@fastmail.fm 3. Mrs. Vu Thi Yen, Programme Officer, CIDA 131 Area of support Key Objectives, Activities Vietnamese Implementing Name, address, tel/fax and email of contact persons Agencies and Donors Tel: 7345000 Vu.YenThi@international.gc.ca Strengthening the Support for: CPFC and other legal agencies - rights of Vietnamese · Reduce crime rate of children offending or being victimized UNICEF/Sida children in conflict · Decrease the number of children dealt by the formal justice system (to with the law avoid further stigmatization and victimization) · Establish child sensitive system/procedures for children (in case the child is dealt by the normal court system) · Improve prevention and reintegration/rehabilitation programmes as well as laws/policies to strengthen the rights and situation of the CICLW. Improving skills of Develop training package and conduct multi-sectoral training for law CPFC; other key government welfare and justice enforcers; court and procuracy officers; welfare personnel and para- agencies; UNICEF agencies and para- professional to become master trainers on juvenile justice in particular professionals on diversion and reintegration of children in conflict with the law juvenile justice issues Strengthen skills of Develop training package and conduct training for MPS to become master MPS and UNICEF law enforcers on child trainers on friendly investigation for children as victims; offenders and investigation witnesses Implementation of Train children on CRC Youth Union and UNICEF CRC Implementation of of Support for enhanced enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) MPS ­ USAID (STAR Project) Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor Intellectual Property by the Government enforcement officials STAR Project tel: 9349814 johnbentley@fpt.vn Rights (IPR) Strengthen the capacity of the Supreme People's Court and local courts in SPC - USAID (STAR Project) Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor enforcing IPR. Strengthen the awareness of and coordination within Hanoi and HCMC PCs - USAID STAR Project tel: 9349814 johnbentley@fpt.vn People's Committees in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on the importance (STAR Project) and means of IPR enforcement through awareness-raising, coordination, and training workshops Strengthen the awareness of and coordination within People's Committees Hanoi and HCMC PCs - USAID Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on the importance and means of IPR (STAR PROJECT) Vietnam STAR Project tel: 9349814 johnbentley@fpt.vn enforcement through awareness-raising, coordination, and training Copyright Center - USAID (STAR workshops. Strengthen the capacity for officials at the grass root level (the Project) Vietnam Copyright Center) in enforcing IPR of Vietnamese artists and authors through awareness-raising workshops Strengthen the capacity for officials at the grass root level (the Vietnam Vietnam Copyright Center - Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor Copyright Center) in enforcing IPR of Vietnamese artists and authors USAID (STAR Project) STAR Project tel: 9349814 johnbentley@fpt.vn through awareness-raising workshops Legal education at law · Upgrade law teachers' knowledge on teaching methods; Hanoi and HCMC Law University universities · Train law teachers at LLM and PhD levels; and MOET - Sida · Develop Teaching curriculum; · Improve project management and international relations. Assist to formulate and implementing a two-year bachelor course on VNU - JICA/LCP Mr Morinaga Taro, Legal Expert, JICA Project Japanese and Vietnamese law providing a basis for research and studies on Tel: 04-9-426-558 (Office) 095-335-7315 (Mobile) Japanese law Fax: 04-9-426-561 (Fax) email: tkmorinaga@fpt.vn Developing long-term capacity of governmental legal staffs by funding MOJ-CIDA (LERAP) 1. Ms. Vu Thi Yen, Programme Officer, CIDA abroad Master courses Tel: 8235500 Vu.YenThi@international.gc.ca 2. Mr. Isabeau Vilandré, Lawyer Tel: 84-4 9436695/6. MB: 0904 172 387 132 Area of support Key Objectives, Activities Vietnamese Implementing Name, address, tel/fax and email of contact persons Agencies and Donors Fax: 84-4 943 6694 e-mail:lerap@fastmail.fm 3. Mr. Nguyen Khanh Ngoc Deputy Director, International Law Dept. Ministry of Justice Tel: 7334302 khanhngocn@yahoo.com Judicial training · Provide written comments, seminars and study tours to Japan to MOJ Mr Morinaga Taro, Legal Expert, JICA Project assist judicial training institutions in becoming capable of (Judicial Academy ­ former LPTS) Tel: 04-9-426-558 (Office) 095-335-7315 (Mobile) developing high-caliber human resources; ­ JICA/LCP Fax: 04-9-426-561 (Fax) tkmorinaga@fpt.vn · Provide consultation, written comments and workshop to develop a comprehensive manual for procurators in the field of criminal SPP ­ JICA/LCP investigation and criminal first instance trial. · Provide judicial professional training (judges and court staff) SPC ­ CIDA Ms. Vu Thi Yen Programme Officer, CIDA · support court administration and procedural reform (in preparation) Tel: 7345000 Vu.YenThi@international.gc.ca · Construct mock court and develop training material; SPC - DANIDA Ms. Charlotte Laursen, Counselor Development, Embassy of · Procure Vietnamese and international books for library; Denmark (DANIDA) tel: 8231888 email: chalau@um.dk · Strengthen the capacity of the court system to move towards greater independence for the courts. Increase independence of judiciary and their capacity in selected areas. SPC - DANIDA Ms. Charlotte Laursen, Counselor Development, Embassy of Denmark (DANIDA) tel: 8231888 email: chalau@um.dk · Build Capacity for SPC in administrative law, court management and SPC - DANIDA Ms. Charlotte Laursen, Counselor Development, Embassy of case management. Denmark (DANIDA) tel: 8231888 email: chalau@um.dk · Procure Vietnamese and international books for library and translation of selected books Train prosecutors in international and comparative law SPP - DANIDA Ms. Charlotte Laursen, Counselor Development, Embassy of Denmark (DANIDA) tel: 8231888 email: chalau@um.dk Strengthening Support for strengthening legal capacity for officials in the political system CPIAC ­ UNDP/Sida/DANIDA 1. Mr. Le Thanh Long, Project Manager capacity for officials at at grassroots level of Lang Son province (Project VIE/02/015) tel: 7336722. Fax: 7340104 the grass root level in lethanhlong250@yahoo.ca, vie02015.vn@undp.org law implementation 2. Mr. Luu Tien Dung, Program Officer, UNDP tel: 9421495/ext.103 email: luu.tien.dung@undp.org 3. Mr. Nguyen Dinh Luc, Director, Legal Department, CPIAC Tel: 08045143 Strengthen capacity for legal officials at local levels through legal needs MOJ - UNDP/Sida/DANIDA 1. Mr. Le Thanh Long, Project Manager assessment and prepare legal training materials (Project VIE/02/015) tel: 7336722. Fax: 7340104 lethanhlong250@yahoo.ca, vie02015.vn@undp.org 2. Mr. Luu Tien Dung, Program Officer, UNDP tel: 9421495/ext.103 email: luu.tien.dung@undp.org 3. Mr. Nguyen Tat Vien, Director, Legal Dissemination Department, MOJ Tel: 8231130 International Strengthen legal capacity for international economic integration, access to MOJ - CIDA Ms. Vu Thi Yen Programme Officer, CIDA economic integration WTO Tel: 7345000 Vu.YenThi@international.gc.ca Strengthen capacity to implement quarantine regulations between four MARD - Newzealand countries Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar Strengthen capacity for enterprises and officials on investigation and MOT - CEG Facility (AusAID) Mr. Graham Alliband, CEG Facility Manager application of anti-dumping measures tel: 936 0290 fax 936 0289 Galliband@ceg.edu.vn Provide training courses for enterprises on basic knowledge on WTO MOT - Italy requirements and integration policy of Vietnam Strengthening the Support for strengthening the capacity of Party Commissions at all levels CCSE-UNDP/Sida 1. Ms. Thanh Van, PO UNDP,25-29 Phan Boi Chau, Hanoi Tel: 942 133 Area of support Key Objectives, Activities Vietnamese Implementing Name, address, tel/fax and email of contact persons Agencies and Donors Party's leadership and to compile, issue, direct, monitor, organise and supervise the 1495 ext 150 multisectoral implementation of new directives, resolutions and policies relating to the 2. Katja S Gray-HIV/AIDS Specialist collaboration for control and prevention of HIV/AIDS, with a view to creating a favourable UNDP,25-29 Phan Boi Chau, Hanoi successful environment for the effective implementation of solutions suggested in the Tel: 942 1495 ext.162 implementation of National HIV/AIDS strategy. E-mail:katja.gray@undp.org National HIV/AIDS strategy Strengthening the National Assembly's Committee for Thanh Van, PO Leadership Role and Support people-elected bodies engaging in awareness raising activities and Social Affairs/CCIC-UNDP/ Sida UNDP,25-29 Phan Boi Chau, Hanoi Multisectoral possess updated knowledge on HIV/AIDS prevention as well as on Tel: 942 1495 ext 150 Collaboration of relevant policies and legislation People-elected Bodies and Government Katja S Gray-HIV/AIDS Specialist Agencies at Different Support the capacities of the National Assembly and people elected bodies UNDP,25-29 Phan Boi Chau, Hanoi Levels for the at different levels for development and dissemination of resolutions, Tel:942 1495 ext.162 Successful policies, laws related to HIV/AIDS prevention and control. (Please note E-mail:katja.gray@undp.org Implementation of the that these are just some of the outputs for the project) National HIV/AIDS Strategy Support for Access to Justice Development of Strengthen legal capacity for international economic integration, access to MOJ - CIDA Ms. Vu Thi Yen Programme Officer, CIDA national legal database WTO Tel: 7345000 Vu.YenThi@international.gc.ca and legal information Strengthen capacity to implement quarantine regulations between four MOH dissemination countries Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar Strengthen capacity for enterprises and officials on investigation and MOT - CEG Facility (AusAID) Mr. Graham Alliband, CEG Facility Manager application of anti-dumping measures tel: 936 0290 fax 936 0289 Galliband@ceg.edu.vn Provide training courses for enterprises on basic knowledge on WTO MOT - Italy requirements and integration policy of Vietnam · Support publication of court decisions (publication of two volumes SPC - USAID (STAR Project) Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor of judicial decisions for the Supreme Judicial Council) STAR Project tel: 9349814 johnbentley@fpt.vn SPC - EC · Support for establishment of a website to publish judicial decisions of the Supreme People's Court Develop a Roadmap for Creating an Electronic Official Gazette to publish OOG - DANIDA/ Ms. Charlotte Laursen, Counselor Development, Embassy of laws and regulations on the internet SCOG and USAID (STAR Project) Denmark (DANIDA) tel: 8231888 email: chalau@um.dk Support enhanced transparency in legislative operations of the National ONA - USAID (STAR Project) Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor Assembly STAR Project tel: 9349814 johnbentley@fpt.vn Support online business forum for publishing draft regulations for VCCI - USAID (STAR Project) Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor comments by businesses by development of a website operated by VCCI STAR Project for publishing draft legal documents for public comment. tel: 9349814 email: johnbentley@fpt.vn Support publication of reference materials on BTA/WTO and related legal ONA reforms and research on economic impact of the BTA 134 Area of support Key Objectives, Activities Vietnamese Implementing Name, address, tel/fax and email of contact persons Agencies and Donors Raise awareness and build support for legal changes in BTA NA/SPC/ MOT/IAC/ Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor implementation and WTO accession and the economic impact of the BTA. MOJ and others -USAID (STAR STAR Project Project) tel: 9349814 email: johnbentley@fpt.vn Better coordinate existing legal databases and make them available for MOJ - UNDP 1. Mr. Cao Xuan Phong, Institute for Law Science, MOJ Tel: 8430934 public use. 2. Mr. Luu Tien Dung, Program Officer, UNDP 9421495/ext.103 luu.tien.dung@undp.org · Enhance capacity of MoJ's staff in accessing legal information in the MOJ (Legal Research Institute)­ 1. Mrs. Duong Thi Thanh Mai, Director of the Institute for Law National Legal Database Sida Science, MOJ Tel: 8231131 2. Mr. Vu Tuan Minh, Program Officer, Sida · Strengthen legal dissemination Tel: 7260402 · Develop a legal library Support for dissemination of Law on Conclusion and Implementation of MOFA ­ USAID (STAR Project) Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor International Treaties STAR Project tel: 9349814 johnbentley@fpt.vn Support for implementation of Action Plan for dissemination of state MOF ­ UNDP (Project VIE/01/010) Mr. John Bentley, Chief Legal Advisor management on foreign debts (based on Decree 90) STAR Project tel: 9349814 email: johnbentley@fpt.vn Provide training courses on Legal dissemination skills MARD ­ UNDP (project VIE/02/016) Support for dissemination of Law on Tourism General Administration of Tourism Mr. Nguyen Bich Van, Director, Legal Department, General ­ AECI (Spain) Administration of Tourism Strengthen capacity of conciliation groups and conciliators at the MOJ ­ UNDP/Sida/DANIDA 1. Mr. Le Thanh Long, Project Manager grassroots level (Project VIE.02.015) tel: 7336722. Fax: 7340104 lethanhlong250@yahoo.ca, vie02015.vn@undp.org 2. Mr. Luu Tien Dung, Program Officer, UNDP 9421495/ext.103 luu.tien.dung@undp.org 3. Mr. Vu Tuan Minh, Program Officer, Sida tel: 7260402 email: mr.minh@sida.se 4. Ms. Charlotte Laursen, Counselor Development, Embassy of Denmark (DANIDA) tel: 8231888 email: chalau@um.dk Support for Strengthen the indicators and data system on juvenile justice through CPFC, other key agencies such as strengthening development of set of indicators; piloting; and collection of data MPS and GSO and UNICEF indicators and data system on juvenile justice Support to Disseminate legal information and support local mediation MOJ - CIDA (in preparation) Ms. Vu Thi Yen Programme Officer, CIDA Tel: 7345000 Vu.YenThi@international.gc.ca Conciliation at Support for dissemination of laws and regulations on national boundaries MOFA ­ AusAID (Project grassroots level LASRAI) Legal Aid Strengthen NLAA capacity to carry out legal aid, strengthen the PLAC's MOJ - UNDP/Sida/DANIDA 1. Mr. Le Thanh Long, Project Manager capacity to carry out legal aid, strengthen the capacity of mediation groups, (Project VIE.02.015) tel: 7336722. Fax: 7340104 lawyers, law students to carry out legal aid. lethanhlong250@yahoo.ca, vie02015.vn@undp.org 2. Mr. Luu Tien Dung, Program Officer, UNDP 9421495/ext.103 luu.tien.dung@undp.org 3. Mr. Vu Tuan Minh, Program Officer, Sida tel: 7260402 email: mr.minh@sida.se 4. Ms. Charlotte Laursen, Counselor Development, Embassy of Denmark (DANIDA) tel: 8231888 email: chalau@um.dk 135 Area of support Key Objectives, Activities Vietnamese Implementing Name, address, tel/fax and email of contact persons Agencies and Donors Support to National Legal Aid System and 10 PLACs in Vietnam (Phase 1) MOJ- SDC (NLAA project) Mrs. Ta Thi Minh Ly, Director, NLAA, MOJ Tel: 8431389 fax: 7333153 tathiminhly@fpt.vn Ms. Nguyen Thanh Giang, Program Officer SDC Tel:9346627 giang@sdc.net Piloting on Juvenile Plan to strengthen models and services on diversion and reintegration in MPS; CPFC and UNICEF Justice at sub-national project sites level Piloting on Child · Support to recovery centres for child victims to trafficking WVU and UNICEF Victims and Offenders · Provision assistance to trafficking victims · Strengthen community prevention on trafficking victims · Plan to support models on police investigation for child victims MPS and UNICEF and child offenders 136 ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE MATRIX ADB: Asian Development Bank AECI: Agencia Española de Cooperacion Internaciónal (Spanish International Cooperation Agency) AusAID: Agency for International Development of Australia CEG Facility: Vietnam - Australia Capacity Building for Effective Governance Facility CEBA: Committee on Economy and Budget (of the National Assembly) CIEM: Central Institute for Economic Management (Ministry of Planning and Investment) CIDA: Canadian International Development Agency CPFC: Committee for Population, Family and Children CPIAC: International Affairs Committee of the Central Communist Party DANIDA: Danish International Development Agency DFID: United Kingdom Department for International Development EC: European Commission FES: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (Germany) FTU Hanoi Foreign Trade University GTZ: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (German Tecnical Co- operation) GI: Government Inspectorate JICA/LCP: Japan International Cooperation Agency / Legal Cooperation Project IAEA: International Atomic Energy Agency KOICA: Korean International cooperation Agency LERAP: CIDA funded Legal Reform Assistance Project MARD: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development MOET: Ministry of Education and Training MOJ: Ministry of Justice MOT: Ministry of Trade MOF: Ministry of Finance MOFA: Ministry of Foreign Affairs MOH: Ministry of Health MONRE: Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment MPS: Ministry of Public Security MUTRAP II: Multilateral Trade Assistance Project Vietnam II NA: National Assembly NLAA: National Legal Aid Agency NORAD: Norway Agency for Development OOG: Office of the Government ONA: Office of National Assembly PCs: People's Committee(s) PLAC: Provincial Legal Aid Centre PMRC: Prime Minister's Research Commission REFAS: Support to the Reform of the Forest Administration System SBV: State Bank of Vietnam SCOG: Strenghening the capacity of the Office of the Government Project SDC: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SECO: State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland SEMLA program: Vietnam ­ Sweden Cooperation Program on Strengthening Capacity of land and environment management Sida: Swedish International Development Agency SNV: Netherlands-based International Development Organisation SPC: Supreme People's Court SPP: Supreme People's Procuracy 137 STAR: Support for Trade Acceleration Project, funded by USAID SSC: State Securities Comission UNDP: United Nations Development Programme UNICEF: United Nations Children's Fund UNODC: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime USAID: Agency for International Development of the United States VCCI: Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry VLA: VIetnam Lawyers' Association VNU: Vietnam National University WB: World Bank WHO: World Health Organisation WTO: The World Trade Organisation 138 PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT PROGRESS REPORT (Documents for the Consultative Group Meeting, December 2005) I. Background: 2005 is the first year of new support from donors in public finance management. New proposals for technical assistance to support the Public Financial Modernisation Master Programme have been continuously developed and promoted to obtain more financial resources for the country's comprehensive financial reforms. II. Process of implementation of cooperation relationship in 2005: The working group has increased information exchange to improve the quality of the cooperation between different stakeholders in the public financial management field. Since the end of 2004, a number of problems have been tackled and all top six components of the Public Financial Modernisation Master Programme (PFMMP) have received equal attention. Most areas have been supported by donors through the multi-donor trust fund (MDTF). MDTF has provided a flexible tool to regulate donor support to the PFMMP and has attracted stronger interest from donors. The additional ODA amount of US$600,000 from SIDA (Sweden) and a new aid amount of 1,500,000 Euro from the European Union for the MDTF has provided it with more resources to meet the increasing demand of the ongoing reforms. At the same time, all the donors have committed themselves to provide additional financial support to the PFMMP through the MDTF. Expenditure management: the Public Finance Management Reform Project (WB loans) has proceeded according to schedule: a service provider has been selected through the TABMIS bidding package and is pending official approval by the Government. Consultants to work on the establishment of a medium-term expenditure and medium-term fiscal framework have been recruited. Commune budget management training has been conducted throughout the country thanks to the support of the VN-German State Budget Management project and the MDTF. Revenue management: support provided by the IMF and other donors through the MDTF to the taxation field, especially the pilottax self-assessment declaration and self- payment systemhas been widely and thoroughly conducted and resulted in a number of achievements. Detailed implementation plans for tax system reform programmes up to 2010 have been approved by the Government and implementation begun. Recently, USAID has expressed interest in Vietnam's tax administrative reforms and the two parties have actively exchanged information on the possibility of building long-term cooperation in this field. The pre-feasibility study of the Customs Modernisation Project (with expected loans from WB) has been completed and approved by the Prime Minister and will start in early 2006; Donors have provided support to business management through projects under the ASEM II Trust Fund (Second phase support to redundant workers; support for the resolution of non-performing debt and assets of state-owned enterprises) and the MDTF. The establishment of the State Financial Investment Corporation has also attracted attention from many donors. The project on capacity building for development of financial policy mechanisms for the private sector funded by the National Effectiveness Capacity Building Fund (CEG) of the Australian Government has been put into operation and is expected to play a very active role in supporting private sector development, improving transparency and 139 utility of financial management policies as well as providing recommendations to improve business and financial management for the private enterprise sector. Other areas in the PFMMP such as public asset management and price controls etc, are receiving greater funds through MDTF in comparison with those in previous years. Following numerous discussions and exchange of views between VN and the EU, the bidding phase to select key experts for the EURO-TAPVIET II project has been completed. At present, the project is recruiting staff and initial work has been started. It is proposed that the project will be put into full operation at the end of 2005. The support to the Ministry of Finance consists of four components: (1) Financial policies and legal services (2) Taxation (3) Customs and (4) Accounting - auditing and insurance. Within the framework of AFD and ADB loans, the Insurance Training Centre project with a total fund, according to the agreement, of US$2.7 million came into operation in January 2005. The project is proceeding on schedule. The Vietnam Agricultural Insurance Development Project funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) aims to support the Ministry of Finance in studying and designing an appropriate agricultural insurance model. The project has been in operation since September 2005. Other new projects under active preparation are: technical assistance proposals such as the feasibility study for a plan to establish a national financial statistics system; a project to support an SME guarantee fund; a project on a Master Plan for the State Treasury and a project to establish a customs statistics system. All of these are under continuing discussion with the USTDA (United States). Other projects on cooperation with UK partners on capital market and securities market development are also under discussion with the UK Embassy in Hanoi based on the outcomes of a working meeting between MoF leaders and the Mayor of London. The cooperation between the Vietnam MoF and Korea's Ministry of Budget and Planning on state budget management has been actively advanced. The Vietnam-German project on state budget management phase 4 will be completed in December 2005 and the two sides have exchanged ideas on the possibility of extending cooperation in this field within the framework of the Macroeconomic Support Programme for Vietnam of the German Government. III. Outcomes of the partnership in public finance management: 1. The process to speed up state budget and financial management reforms has played an important role in the economic development of the country: 1.1. To implement the reform of incentive policies with the following important objectives: - To develop equal and non-discriminatory tax policies for all economic sectors and economic industries and ensuring tax equality among investors in each economic sector. - To further extend tax policies to cover all activities of the economy. The tax policies should ensure the restructuring of the current revenue collection system, which means creating a shift from indirect taxes to direct taxes. - To reform the tax policy system and amend and provide supplements to the Law on VAT; Law on Special Sales Tax; Law on Corporate Income Tax; Ordinance on Income Tax applicable to High Income Earners etc. The new system will be gradually applied to all enterprises in all economic sectors and will contribute to the improvement of the investment 140 environment, create favourable conditions for enterprises to increase their capital accumulation and direct investment to production and business development. - To reform the policies on tax collection as well as budget allocation and decentralise budget management in order to motivate local government at all levels to improve budget management. To ensure that administrative procedures for tax collection and payment have been clarified and simplified and that tax management has gradually been reformed and modernised. - To pilot tax self­assessment in one province and one city and then to apply this across the country from the beginning of 2007 in order to enhance the autonomy of citizens, increase state budget revenue and improve transparency in revenue collection. 1.2. To reform the policy on budget allocation and utilisation to strictly enforce policies on budget expenditure and abolish subsidy system, the public expenditure allocation must be kept within revenue and other financial resource availability in order to ensure its practicality and efficiency. In particular, budget expenditure should concentrate on the following priorities: - Budget expenditure should concentrate on investments in infrastructure projects which are not for profit or repayment, especially infrastructure for remote or rural areas (such as transportation or irrigation etc.) - Education, training and vocational training and scientific and technological development should receive priority in budget allocation whilst they continue to reform their management mechanisms. Public services such as health care, education and culture should mobilise other public resources besides their allocations from the state budget. - The budget should be focused on hunger elimination and poverty reduction. Great importance should be attached to the construction of essential infrastructure in poor regions and to support to poor people. Budget resources should be used to buy medical insurance for all poor people throughout the country; implement hunger elimination and poverty reduction programmes (Programme 135) and provide loans for hunger elimination and poverty reduction (through the Social Policy Bank) utilising the interest rate compensation scheme. - The budget should support economic restructuring especially in agricultural production for exports; improvement in livestock breeds and seeds and in restructuring livestock and plantation organisation. 1.3. The budget deficit is under control whilst any state budget overspending is only used for development investment; the budget balance is more stable; the budget deficit is under tight control and government debt and national debt are at secure levels. 1.4. Government and Party policy on economic integration has been implemented: investment has been encouraged; business and production have been developed; capital accumulation capacity has been increased; competitiveness has been improved; all previous tax and tariff policies have been unified; additional income tax and remittance tax have been abolished and international commitments on reduction of import duties have been implemented - (tariff on thousands of items have been reduced in accordance with the CEPT/AFTA tariff reduction roadmap; the Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement, EU- Vietnam Treaty and GATT have been further implemented and hundreds of fees and charges have been reviewed, eliminated or reduced). Many financial and budget policies, policies on ODA, FDI mobilization and management, policies on financial market development have been amended, supplemented and developed in accordance with the international economic integration policy of the Party 141 and the State. These policies have been changed to match international practices. The State subsidy has been reduced step-by-step and domestic enterprises have been promoted in order to increase their competitiveness, orient their development towards competitive products etc. 1.5. To revise mechanisms of assignment of responsibility and autonomy to administrative and public service units who have reorganised themselves and achieved good results in some sector and localities. Introduce financial policies to encourage further socialisation of public activities which initially mobilises some parts of society to make contributions to the promotion of education, health, culture and sport development. 1.6. To formulate and implement financial mechanisms and policies to speed up the process of reform, renewal and improvement of efficiency of state enterprises (Decree No. 64/2002/ND-CP dated 19 June 2002; Decree No. 187/2004/ND-CP dated 16 November 2004 of the Government etc. Conduct equitisation according to accepted methods of publicity and transparency through auction. Combine the equitisation process with the development of the capital and securities markets. Combine the equitisation process with the process of increasing capital mobilisation for investment, business and product development. Promote the reform of financial management mechanisms towards state enterprises and state capital in enterprises and at the same time establish funds for equitisation, redundant labour, dispose of debts, satisfactorily settle policy issues for employees etc. 1.7. To implement the State Budget Law with the following fundamental objectives: - Consistently managing the state budget and ensuring the right to decide of the National Assembly. Consistent operation of the Government towards the state budget ensuring the leading role of the central budget in the implementation of national strategic and important tasks and policies of macroeconomic regulation. Supporting difficult areas to carry out the socio-economic development, hunger elimination and poverty reduction. At the same time, strengthening the decentralisation of management and thereby creating initiative as well as improving the responsibility of local government to deal effectrively and in a timely manner with the tasks of socio-economic development in their areas and speeding up the mobilisation of financial resources for economic development and socio-cultural development. - Decentralising revenue sourcing and expenditure tasks from the Central budget to the local budget to increase the number of income sources for local budgets and promote local government to take the leading role in balancing its budget. Increasing the number of local authorities who can balance their budgets and make contributions to the central budget. Reduce the number of local authorities receiving budget support from the central budget. Clarifying and improving initiative together with the responsibility of ministries, sectors, localities and units in state asset and budget management. Combining the responsibility for budget management and its use with responsibility for organisation and implementation of professional and political duties, of ministries, sectors, localities and units. - Reforming the method of budget management and use and combining budget investment with socio-economic efficiency. Carrying out administrative reforms in budget preparation, implementation and accounting. Implementing publicity and practising economy to prevent wastage in the management of the state budget. Closely controlling state revenue collection and payment activities through regulations intended to improve responsibility, inspection, examination and auditing together with the settlement of breaches. 1.8. Implementation of recommendations of the 2004 Consolidated Report on Public Expenditure Assessment: 142 - In the Official Correspondence No. 2276/VPCP-QHQT dated 28 April 2005 of the Government Office, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Finance to coordinate with the World Bank to publish the General Report on Public Expenditure Assessment and take the initiative in coordinating with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and relevant agencies, together with the assistance from the World Bank and donors, to organise the implementation of recommendations provided in the Report and periodically report the results of implementation to the Prime Minister. In implementing the directions of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Finance and other Ministries cooperated with the WB to publish the Report in Da Nang City on 13 and 14 May 2005 and at the same time carried out the following activities: + Establishment of a coordination team including representatives from relevant Ministries and Government agencies to implement the recommendations provided in the report on public expenditure assessment. + Based on the recommendations provided in the Report, under the management of the Ministry, to develop and organise a programme to implement the recommendations of the 2004 report on public expenditure assessment. + During 2005, the Ministry of Finance has coordinated with the World Bank and groups of donors having the same objectives to study the following 04 important subjects. 1. Evaluation of risks and adverse impacts on the sustainable balance of the current and future budget and solutions for their prevention. 2. Adjustment of budget allocation norms to ensure equality towards the poor. 3. Changes in ODA methodologies, from project- based support to target-based state budget support. 4. Alignment of the government financial statistics in accordance with International practice. These subjects are being urgently studied and proposals are expected to be completed in the first 6 months of 2006. 2. Results achieved from the state budget - financial policy reform in the past: Firstly, the system of policy mechanisms and method of continuously renewing and perfected the financial organisation of the State are important tools of the Party and the State to stabilize macroeconomic climate, encourage development investment of the whole society and effectively increase the potential of national revenue. Over the past five years, the tax system has been continually reformed; the policy of state budget allocation and management decentralisation has been reformed; the establishment of mechanisms and policies of development of the financial market, insurance, financial services, enterprise financial mechanisms, price management policies, financial management policies over land and public assets etc according to the socialist-oriented market mechanism, has made a contribution to stabilising the macroeconomic climate and encouraged resources for socio-economic development. Secondly, to effectively carry out state budget tasks and improve the state financial potentials; actively change the state budget structure; increase the resources for development investment in socio-economic infrastructure; develop education, culture, health and society; ensure national defence and security; conduct hunger elimination and poverty reduction; carry out salary and wage reforms; increase budget provisions, financial reserves and national foreign currency reserves; balance revenue and budgets in a more stable manner; closely control state budget overspending, government debt and national debt at a level that can ensure the national finance security. During the 2001-2005 period, state budget revenue increased by 24.1% over its target; the average revenue increase reached 18.4% per year; the mobilisation rate reached 22.5% of 143 GDP(12). Domestic revenue (not including crude oil) increased in a stable way by 20.2% per year, the ratio raised from 50.7% in 2001 to 55% in 2005. Regarding revenues from state enterprises, despite the fact that the ratio reduced, the annual revenue increase reached 13.9%. Revenues from private enterprises and foreign invested enterprises increased rapidly and in a stable manner (28.8% per year, amounted to VND37,300 billion in 2005, tripling the revenue of 2001 of VND12,425 billion). The mobilisation of revenue from land resources has seen important changes (increasing on average 70.2% per year by 2005; a sevenfold increase over 2001). Revenues from petrol and gas significantly increased (on average 18.7% per year) whilst the ratio of imports over experts gradually declined (from 22.1% in 2001 to 17.8% in 2005). The above results are very important to improving the conditions for reforming collection policies, implementing policies of encouraging saving and business and production development as well as requirements for international integration. During the 2001-2005 period, stage budget expenditure increased 21.7%. representing 28.7% GDP. The average expenditure increase reached 17.6% per year and the size of the state budget doubled in the 1996-2000 period. The rate of investment expenditure reached 30.6%, together with the mobilisation of treasury bonds for education and government bonds. Expenditure in education increased from 15% to 18% of total state budget expenditure between 2000 and 2005. Expenditure on health, information and culture, hunger elimination and poverty reduction and the implementation of social policies increased 2.2 to 2.5 times. Expenditure on national defence and security has been ensured etc. Budgets have been allocated to all levels of Government for overcoming natural disasters and epidemics. With the implementation of mechanisms to encourage the development of poor areas, the state budget's implementation of Central resolutions increased its investment to more than VND 40,000 billion for the Central Highlands, Northern mountainous areas, South western areas and difficult mountainous areas. A significant resource has also been used for salary and wage reform. The leading role of the Central budget is ensured whilst at the same time decentralisation is strengthened to create initiative for local budgets. The number of Provinces and centrally governed cities which can balance their budget and make contributions to the state budgets has increased from 5 to 15. Budget policies have been implemented within an overspending of less than 5% of GDP (less than 3% of GDP as calculated according to international practices). At the end of 2005, the Government outstanding debt represented 36% GDP and national outstanding debt represented 32% GDP which ensures national financial security in the current and medium- term period. Thirdly, to prepare and implement financial policies to promote the reorganisation, reform and improvement of efficiency of state enterprises. Carry out equitisation in a public and transparent manner through auction. Combine equitisation with developing capital for enterprises, develop the capital and securities markets; promote the reform of the financial management mechanisms of state enterprises and for state capital in enterprises. Formulate equitisation funds for the disposal of debts and systems applicable to employees. To design and implement the Ordinance on national disaster prevention and improve the tasks of prevention, fighting and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters. Participate in regulating the supply-demand relationship of a number of essential goods and support in a timely maneer, national defence and security in important areas; etc. (12) Không bao gm các khon thu bù l kinh doanh xng du nhp khu, li tc sau thu t hot ng du khí u t các công trình trng im ngành Du khí. 144 Fourthly, the financial market is established which gradually becomes an important channel to mobilise capital for development investment for the whole society. An institutional system governing the financial and financial services market and accounting and auditing has been established to create a legal framework and encourage and orient the development of the financial and financial service markets in a healthy and efficient manner. The securities market has been designed and carefully developed to ensure it's safety. Over the past 5 years the total volume of listed and transacted shares and bonds was more than VND 30,000 billion (around US$2 billion); the financial service market also developed well, increasing 18% per year. Revenues from insurance premiums increased more than 30% per year (4 times the increase of the service sector as a whole) to VND17,000 billion in 2005, representing 2.1% GDP and an increase of more than 2.5 times compared to the year 2001. It annually re-invests in the economy more than tens of thousands of billion Vietnam Dong. Fifthly, financial reform in the financial - budget field has been strengthened; important results have been achieved in assigning financial autonomy and the application of the financial-budget regime in a public and transparent manner to administrative and public service units in some sestors and localities. The financial policies which encourage socialisation have mobilised part of society's resources to make contributions to the development of education, health, culture and sports and gymnastics. Sixthly, external financial systems and international integration have achieved a number of important results. The system of tax policies, financial distribution policies, ODA and FDI mobilisation and management policies and financial market development policies has been established, amended and supplemented to gradually become more aligned with international practices which creates a legal basis and more favourable environment for attracting investment capital and in development of external financial and international integration. Tax commitments according to the CEPT/AFTA road-map have been implemented. Policies and tariffs have been adjusted according to the process for WTO accession. The mobilisation and management of ODA and FDI resources have made important progress. The financial policies encourage at the highest level (refund of export duties, commercial promotion support, export bonus, increase of state credits for export support etc.) the export of goods and at the same time the national debt have been closely managed to ensure national financial security. Seventhly, inspection, examination and auditing have achieved certain results in reducing wastage and loss and in corruption prevention and detection thereby increasing the efficiency of the utilisiation of the state budget and public assets IV. Some major elements in the public financial management field which are to be implemented by the end of 2005 and in the first months of 2006, are: 1. To constantly maintain and develop the dialogue, consultation and coordination with relevant partners through activities of the Government/donor working groups. 2. To continue to implement programmes and projects operating in the public financial management field according to plan. 3. To finalise procedures for the preparation and approval of reform projects in the customs field (WB loans) and promote new cooperation relations with potential partners such as USAid, DFID, South Korea etc. 145 4. To concentrate on the successful implementation of the budget revenue and expenditure estimates in 2005. To complete the preparation of the 2006 State budget estimates - quickly determine the size of the State budget; ensure a rational balance between expenditure for development investment, regular expenditure and expenditure for debt payment; increase expenditure on investment in educational, training and vocational development; give priority to an increase of expenditure for medical development, and at the same time, encourage socialisation of mobilisation of resources to cover health insurance for all people in 2010. Ensure national defence and security; speed up hunger elimination and poverty reduction; effectively deal with social issues; implement social development objectives in parallel with economic development; make contributions to the implementation of comprehensive and sustainable growth objectives; increase financial reserve funds, budget provisions and national reserves to take the initiative in confronting natural disasters; provide for important tasks which suddenly arise; reduce adverse impacts of large market fluctuations and world prices; make full payment of foreign and domestic debts as they fall due; successfully implement salary reform and give priority to development investment for mountainous areas and ethnic minorities having difficulties. 5. To constantly and urgently implement the recommendations in the report on assessment of public expenditure in the near future. There are more than 100 recommendations in various areas in the 2004 report on the assessment of public expenditure which need to be implemented through public financial management reform in the 2006-2008 period. This is a large and in depth reform of public finance. In the near future, it is therefore necessary to create closer coordination between relevant government agencies and donors in implementing these important tasks. 6. To review and promulgate a system of financial mechanisms and policies to further improve the investment environment and diversify the form of capital mobilisation to meet the requirements for economic development. To encourage investment and development of business and production activities and take strong measures to promote the socialisation of medical, cultural, educational, scientific and technological fields. 7. To concentrate on the strict implementation of basic reforms on the organisation and equitisation of state enterprises and solutions for the development of the securities market in order to improve the efficiency and quality of enterprise financial supervision. 8. To perfect the land mechanism and implement efficient management in the use of public assets and efficiently operate the management of prices and national land reserves. 9. To concentrate on the successful preparation and organisation of the APEC 2006 Conference of Finance Ministers. To improve the efficiency of external financial activities and complete financial and tax systems in order to accelerate the progress of negotiation of WTO accession and implement other commitments in the region. 10. To accelerate the practice of economy and wastage prevention; improve the managment efficiency and use of public assets and strengthen financial and budget examination, inspection, supervision and publicity. 11. To accelerate the progress of implementation of financial reforms and sector modernisation and organise information conferences on the financial reforms of the Ministry of Finance. 146 V. Performance criteria to ensure the success of the cooperation relationship: 1. Coordination is continuously improved through the leadership role of the Ministry of Finance. 2. Donors express interest in and satisfaction of the needs for support according to the Governments' priority order. 3. The two way supply of information between the Government and donors is ensured. 147 PROJECTS OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE FIELD OF PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT REFORM November 2005 Date of Current Fields of reforms Name of projects Donors commenceme Partners status nt Mr. Martin Rama/ Mr. Nguyen Van Minh /Mr. Hilmar Thor Hilmarson (WB); Tel: 9346600 Mr. Nguyen Huu Hieu (DFID) Nh-hieu@dfid.gov.uk Nguyen Ba Toan (BTC); Tel: 8240437 Hoang Tiet Kiem (BTC); Tel: 9341540 Nguyen Chi Tuan (BTC); Tel: 9719650 nguyenchituan@mof.gov.vn Canada, Ms. Lara Bremn (SQ Canada); Tel: 7345052 Sweden, larachristine.bremner@international.gc.ca Switzerland, Mr. Michael Kvetny (SIDA ­ VSRE) Multi-donor Trust Fund to support modernization of public Denmark, Ms Charlotte Laursen (SQ an Mch); Tel: 8231888 chalau@um.dk On-going 2/2004 finance management (MDTF) Norway, UK, Mr. Bengt van Loosdrecht (SQ Hà Lan); Tel: 8315650/237 the bengt.Loosdrecht@minbuza.nl Netherlands, Ms. Phuong (SQ Hà Lan); Tel: 8315650/237 EC, WB Phuong.hoang@minbuza.nl Ms Ingrid Norstein (SQ Nauy); Tel: 9742930 ingrid.norstein@mfa.no Public finance Ms. Nguyen Hong Giang (SQ Nauy) management Ms. Barbara Boni (SDC); Tel: 9346627 barbara.boeni@sdc.net Keith MacKiggan (DFID) k-mackiggan@dfid.gov.uk Mr. Hans Beck (EU Commission); Tel: 9341300/8267 HansAnand.BECK@cec.eu.int 2003-2006 Mr. Ádrien Laroze (ADETEF) Strengthening capacity of training on public finance Government of On-going 1st extension Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha (BTC);Tel:9719666 management and economic statistics France 6/2007 phamlienngoc@mof.gov.vn Mr. Jame Donovan (Sida); Tel 7260400/7260423 james.donovan@sida.se Government of 11/2003 Sharing On-going Mr. Nguyen Quang Ngoc (Sida) Sweden 2008 Mr. Nguyen Ba Toan (BTC); Tel: 8240437 Mr. Pham Minh Tu (BTC); Tel: 9719646 phamminhtu@mof.gov.vn French Mr. Nguyen Thuy Vinh (BTC) ; Tel : 8241433 Vietnamese-French Financial Cooperation Program Ministry of On-going 7/2004-2007 Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Tram (BTC); Tel 9341540 Finance nguyenngoctram@mof.gov.vn Mr. Martin Rama (WB); Tel: 9346600 State budget Mr. Nguyen Van Minh (WB); Tel: 9346600 10/2003 management Public finance management reform (PFMRP) WB/DFID On-going Mr. Vu Van Truong (BTC); Tel: 9719640 2008 Mr. Nguyen Huu Dung (BTC); Tel: 9719640 nguyenhuudung@mof.gov.vn pfmrp@mof.gov.vn 148 Date of Current Fields of reforms Name of projects Donors commenceme Partners status nt Mr. Le Quyet Tam (BTC) Government of 2004 State budget reform support (Phase IV) On-going Ms. Tran Kim Hien (BTC); Tel: 9331250 Germany 12/2005 trankimhien@mof.gov.vn Feasibility Study of information and technology 10/2002 Ms. Dennis Zvinakis (USAid) Dzvinakis@usaid.com USTDA On-going development plan (State Treasury ) 12/2005 Mr. Le Quang Dau (BTC); Tel: 9332896 Quangdau60@hotmail.com 1/2004-6/2005 Improving the capacity of corporate governnance for Mr Nam (BTC); Tel: 9341020 WB/ASEM II On-going 1st extension directors of enterprises Nguyen_nam1971@yahoo.com Management of 30/6/2006 State own enterprises 6/2004-8/2005 Support for operations and monitoring of social safety net Mr Hiep/Ms Loan (BTC); Tel: 9716773 WB/ASEM II On-going 1st extension for redundant workerss (Phase II) phanhoaihiep@mof.gov.vn 31/12/2006 Auditing 100 state own enterprises WB Completed Completed Mr Tien (BTC); Tel: 9716773 Strengthening capacity of financial management of ODA Ms. Kanokpan Lao (ADB) ADB Completed Completed Debt projects through decentralization Mr Khanh (BTC); Tel: 8262789 management Strengthening of the external debt management Mr. Trinh Tien Dung (UNDP) UNDP On-going 2002-12/2005 (VIE/01/010) Mrs. Truong Thai Phuong (BTC); Tel: 9719657 Vie01010@mof.gov.vn 2003 Mr. Nguyen Danh Hao (IMF) Tax Support for VAT and CIT self assessment pilot IMF On-going Annual work Mr Thinh (BTC); Tel: 9712724 Ms Binh (BTC); Tel: 9720847 administration plan httbinh@gdt.gov.vn Mr Tung (BTC); Tel: 8725258 / 0903459898 Technical Assistance to prepare for the customs 7/2004 Customs WB (PHRD) On-going Ms Nga (BTC); Tel : 09121765/8720104 modernization project 5/2005 thtkhq@hn.vnn.vn Securities 8/2004-6/2005 Mr Long (BTC); Tel: 9340750/Ext: 339 market/ Development of capital market WB/ASEM II On-going 1st extension thanhlongssc@gmail.com insurance 30/4/2006 Policy making Improving capacity of financial accountability for WB Completed Completed Vietnam Mr. Trinh Tien Dung (UNDP) Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich (BTC); Tel: 9341430 Improving the analytical capacity of financial policies for 12/2003 UNDP On-going Ms. Nguyen Thuy Vinh (BTC); Tel: 8241433 human development (VIE/03/010) 31/12/2006 Mr. Pham Anh Duong (BTC); Tel: 9722208 Phamanhduong2006@yahoo.com Improving capacity of legal framework and Ms. Kanokpan Lao (ADB) institutionalization of compensation for re-settlement in ADB On-going 2001-12/2005 Mr Hnh/Ms An (BTC); Tel: 9719279 Vietnam trandieuan@mof.gov.vn 2004 Mr. Oshikiri (JICA) Support on the tax policy making JICA On-going Report is not Mr. Phung (BTC); Tel: 9332829 available 149 Date of Current Fields of reforms Name of projects Donors commenceme Partners status nt Ms. Kanokpan Lao (ADB) Support on WTO accession ADB On-going 2003 Mr. Ha Huy Tuan (BTC); Tel: 8240437/ Ms. Le Thuy Linh (BTC); Tel: 9330558 lethuylinh@mof.gov.vn Capacity building for financial policies and regime for 8/2005- Ms. Duong Hong Loan (SQ Úc) CEG On-going private business 11/2005 Mr. Tang (BTC); Tel: 9716631/ 0912827791 8/2004-8/2005 Support to resolve the assets of enterprises ASEM II On-going 1st extension Tel: 9722196 30/6/2006 Ms. Kanokpan Lao (ADB) Development of Vietnam agriculture insurance ADB On-going 4/2005-5/2007 Mr Lai (BTC); Tel 9330038/ Ms Ha (BTC); Tel 8262239 Mr. Franciso Fontan /Ms. Vu Thi Tuan Anh (EU Commission) EU-Tapviet II EC On-going 9/2005-2008 Mr Le Duc Trung (BTC); Tel: 9341540 Capacity building for master trainers for financial Mr. Oshikiri (JICA) JICE On-going 2004-2007 modernization process 2004-2007 Ms Thu (BTC); Tel: 8724164 / 0912826674 10/2004- Insurance training center AFD On-going Ms Lan Anh (BTC); Tel: 9719658 duanbaohiem@yahoo.com 10/2007 Introduction of public auditing standards to Vietnam WB On-going 4/2005-9/2006 150 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM PARTNERSHIP Partnership Note, December 2005 Ministry of Home Affairs I. GENERAL INFORMATION: In 2005, public administration reform continued to be one of the central tasks and top priorities in the work agenda of the Government and the Prime Minister. Better progress and positive results were gained in the four areas of the PAR Master Programme for the 2001-2010 Period. This is especially true concerning the development and perfecting of the economic and administrative institutions to be consistent with and suitable for a market economy with a socialist orientation; contributing significantly to the successful implementation of national socio-economic development. However, in general, public administration reform efforts are still beset with shortcomings and setbacks, especially concerning its slow speed, poor effectiveness and mismatches in implementation. II. SUPPORT TO THE P.A.R. MASTER PROGRAMME: 1. Institutional reform Ongoing activities, outcomes, outputs: Special attention has been given to the development and issuance of laws on key market institutions; institutions for international integration and for public administration. In 2005, the Government considered and submitted to the National Assembly and the Standing Committee of the National Assembly a series of proposed schemes for development of laws and ordinances, including important ones such as the Laws on Trade (revised); Audit; Customs (revised); Civil Code (revised); Education (revised); Electronic Transactions; Preventing and Combating Corruption;, Creating Savings and Preventing Wastage; Enterprise; Investment; Registration of Properties; etc. In general, all the proposed schemes for legislation development met requirements for feasibility and international economic integration, reflecting the spirit of decentralisation and ensured consistency and relevance with Vietnam's international commitments. The task of issuing legal documents of the Government was performed strictly in line with the focus of public administration reform which emphasises the need to provide timely guidance and instructions for the implementation of those laws and ordinances that have started to take effect so that they can quickly be translated into practice. General stock-taking and review of administrative procedures was identified as one the central tasks for 2005. Under the close steering and guidance of the Government and the Prime Minister, ministries, central sectoral agencies and local authorities have been taking various measures to implement Directive No. 09/2005/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister. This focuses efforts on such emerging priorities as the application and issuance of land use rights certificates; granting construction permits; business registration; granting licences for investments; imports and exports; registration of local inhabitants; 151 examinations for selection and recruitment of public officials and civil servants, etc. At the same time, to deal with and to overcome obstacles in and deal with the requests of enterprises regarding administrative procedures, the Prime Minister created an Inter- sectoral Working Group charged with handling requests filed by enterprises in 5 provinces and cities of Da Nang, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh, Ba Ria ­ Vung Tau. Continuing to accelerate the implementation of the one-stop-shop mechanism according to Decision No. 181/2003/QD-TTg dated 4 September 2003 of the Prime Minister, local authorities have been focusing their efforts on leading and guiding the implementation of the one-stop-shop mechanism at the commune level and the conduct of initial reviews, perfecting and scaling-up the one-stop-shop mechanism at the provincial and district levels. In general, positive results have resulted from the implementation of the one-stop-shop mechanism in localities, contributing to changing the mode of operation of the State administrative agencies. Work processes and procedures been improved, making them more scientifically rational. Unwieldy administrative procedures have been simplified. Unnecessary administrative procedures have been abolished and the relationship between the administrative agencies and organizations and citizens have been fundamentally improved. Future activities, expected outcomes: - Efforts will continue to improve and perfect the institutional framework, mechanisms and policies to make sure that they are suitable and relevant to modern societal development and to better reflect their intention of serving the people and supporting development. - Efforts will continue to renovate the procedural process of development and issuance of legal documents, to overcome compartmentalisation, promoting democracy and mobilising the intellectual resources of the people to improve the quality of legal documents. - In years to come, efforts will be made to completely abolish those administrative procedures that are unwieldy and characterised with red-tape that cause harassment to enterprises and citizens. To simplify new administrative procedures, creating openness, transparency and convenience for citizens and to continue to improve the quality of the one-stop-shop mechanism in administrative agencies at various levels, including the administrative agencies at the central level. Constraints: - Although worthwhile efforts were made, some ministries and central sectoral agencies still failed to meet established time schedules and progress in performing their task of developing the institutional framework, especially in the issuance of Decrees to provide concrete and specific guidance for the implementation of laws and ordinances. - Certain shortcomings and setbacks were noted in the implementation of the one-stop- shop mechanism; such as poor and inadequate accommodation and head offices, especially in communes; mismatches in terms of knowledge, skills and abilities of the personnel working in one-stop-shop centres in receiving and handling requests and delivering results. 152 2. Reform of the organisational structure of the public administration: Ongoing activities, outcomes, outputs: In the reorganisation of the State administrative machinery; ministries, central sectoral agencies and local authorities have improved their guidance and supervision of the review of the organisational structures of their respective organisations in combination with the process of developing proposed schemes of governmental decentralisation in State management; rationalised structures and processes suitable and consistent with given functions and responsibilities and overcoming unnecessary overlaps and duplications. The organisational structure of the machinery has been rationalized in light of Decree No. 171/2004/ND-CP and Decree No. 172/2004/ND-CP. Efforts continue to be made in separating State administrative management from business; production management and the management of public service delivery agencies. This separation is in combination with the reform of administrative procedures based on the one-stop-shop mechanism and based on allocated staffing norms and quotas rationally developed with an optimal number of intermediary levels. Efforts were made to develop and to implement self-governance mechanisms in terms of organisation, finance and personnel for administrative agencies and public service delivery agencies. State administrative agencies paid due attention to the development and issuance of statutes on the organisation and operation, consolidation and strengthening of grassroots organisations; clearly defining the functions, responsibilities and mandates of individual organizations and units. Many ministries, central sectoral agencies and local government authorities continue to implement the revised Decree No. 09/2003/NQ- CP and Resolution No. 16/2000/NQ-CP of the Government regarding downsizing in administrative agencies and public service delivery agencies. With regard to governmental decentralization in the light of Decree No. 08/2004/NQ-CP. In 2005 the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) focused their efforts in guiding 22 ministries and sectoral agencies to develop proposed schemes of decentralisation for their respective sectors and areas of jurisdiction, as request by Decree No. 08/2004/NQ- CP. To date, ministries and central sectoral agencies have developed their proposals and these have been approved by the inter-sectoral assessment council. As a result, MOHA has prepared a synthesis report on 166 governmental decentralisation items/issues to submit to the Government for consideration and approval. However, in some cases the process of delegating and handing over functions, responsibilities and powers from and among ministries and central sectoral agencies to local authorities is a difficult one. Therefore, is the process is still not as thorough as is desired and some ministries and central sectoral agencies have still failed to bring forward sufficient measures/solutions and the conditions necessary to fulfil those tasks that have been decentralised and delegated to local authorities. Future activities, expected outcomes: - Efforts will continue to define functions, responsibilities, authority and accountability for all agencies within the administrative system and some tasks and services will be transferred and handed over to enterprises, civil society organizations and NGOs in the spirit of socialisation. - Efforts will continue to complete the identification and implementation of new regulations on central/local governance decentralisation and decentralisation amongst local governments. 153 Constraints: - Decentralisation in specific sectors and fields and socialisation have been implemented rather slowly and coupled with certain shortcomings and setbacks. - Requirements on organisational restructuring of the machinery towards streamlining, rationalisation, effectiveness and efficiency have still not very strictly and seriously complied with or honored at both central and local levels while the number of intermediary levels tends to increase. 3. Training and upgrading public officials and civil servants: Ongoing activities, outcomes, outputs: - Ministries, central sectoral agencies and local authorities made focused efforts to improve the quality of public officials and civil servants through implementation of training, retraining, upgrading and personnel management programmes through numerous short and long term training courses suitable to the specific conditions and characters of individual agencies and units. Many local government authorities have introduced methods of training and upgrading public officials and civil servants based on skill profiles of public officials and civil servants and their posts, thereby strengthening their capacity in the execution of particular public tasks and duties. - Training and upgrading to improve professionalism and administrative competencies has been combined with equipping public officials and civil servants with ethical values; conducting examinations for selection and recruitment strictly in compliance with rules and regulations; taking initiatives in carrying out research and developing proposed schemes for management and the contingent of public officials and civil servants; applying policies of remuneration and incentives to attract public officials and civil servants to work at the grassroots levels; implementing new rules and regulations on management, recruitment and placement of public officials and civil servants in the spirit of strong decentralisation . - Ho Chi Minh City has drafted a proposed regulation on piloting competitive examinations for the positions of sub-departmental head and deputy head of some City departments and People's Committees of urban and rural districts of the City. - A considerable number of agencies, units and local government authorities conducted training and upgrading workshops on public administration reform for such target groups as leaders and managers of provincial/city departments, Chairpersons and Deputy Chairpersons of People's Committees of the urban and rural districts and townships and leaders of mass organisations. - MOHA, assigned by the Government, conducted 2 PAR training workshops for the Chairpersons and Deputy Chairpersons of People's Councils and People's Committees of the 64 provinces and cities throughout the country in June 2005 with a total of 306 participants. Future activities, expected outcomes: - Efforts will be made to enhance professionalism and ethical values for public officials and civil servants, ensuring that the contingent of public officials and civil servants is right- sized and rationally structured, professional and modern. - Efforts will be made to establish systems for public service inspection, systems for individual responsibility and new public service rules and regulations. 154 - Efforts will be made to carry out public sector salary reform to the extent that it enables public officials and civil servants and their families to lead a decent life and salary becomes one of the driving forces of the civil service. Constraints: - However, the training and upgrading of public officials and civil servants is still beset with shortcomings and setbacks and has failed to meet requirements. In fact, the knowledge, skills and abilities of public officials and civil servants are not consistent with the new tasks and functions of management in a market economy and international integration. This is especially true of grassroots public officials and civil servants. 4. Public finance reform Ongoing activities, outcomes, outputs: - In general, 2005 saw public finance reform extended and deepened with positive changes in the management of public assets and the State budget. - Implementing Decree No. 10/2002/ND-CP dated 16 January 2002 regarding financial mechanisms for income-generating public service delivery agencies and Decision No. 192/2001/QD-TTg regarding expanding piloting efforts in block grants and block staffing. Ministries, central sectoral agencies and local authorities have been intensively guiding and steering the organisation of the implementation of these legal documents. At the same time, the Government also issued some financial mechanisms such as bidding for and contracting out certain types of work and services to the private sector which are currently carried out by State agencies. - The results achieved so far in the implementation of Decree No. 10/2002/ND-CP dated 16 January 2002, regarding financial mechanisms for income-generating public service delivery agencies, include (i) 520 out of 797 central level agencies and units, accounting for 62.5% of the total and (ii) 62% of the total of local level units have implemented the said mechanisms. - The Government issued Decree No. 132/2005/ND-CP dated 20 October 2005 on the exercise of the rights and obligations of State ownership vis-à-vis SOE's. - Recently, the Government has issued Decree No. 130/2005/ND-CP, dated 17 October 2005 (replacing Decision No. 192) regarding block grants and block staffing for all the agencies and units concerned. Future activities, expected outcomes: - Efforts will continue to renovate financial mechanisms to be more suitable and relevant to the requirements for administrative agencies and public service delivery agencies and with a view to effectively utilising available resources. Constraints: - Some ministries, central sectoral agencies and local authorities have not been as serious and committed as desired in their efforts to renovate financial mechanisms. A proportion of public officials and civil servants still have a wrong understanding and awareness that to implement block grants and block staffing mechanisms primarily serves to 155 increase resources. They therefore fail to pay due attention to the requirements of renovation of management mechanisms. 5. Other initiatives: 5.1 Socialisation and public sector salary reform The Government issued Resolution No. 05/2005/NQ-CP dated 18 April 2005 on the acceleration of socialisation in such sectors as education, health, culture, sports and games. Implementation of this Resolution will contribute to overcoming difficulties in State budget shortages; abolishing a sense of reliance on the State budget currently experienced by various public sector agencies and units; opening up new directions for proactive thinking towards the quest to bring domestic resources more fully into play. The non-State sector continues to develop with various new types and models of operation, while the State sector has been experiencing numerous positive changes towards self-governance and self-responsibility/ accountability. However, the rate of socialisation is still felt to be slow compared with its potential. Managerial leadership is still a mismatch between orientations for development, planning and steering/ guiding policy implementation. Mechanisms, policies and guidelines are not as detailed, specified and clear as desired, and are still unsynchronised. The new public sector salary scheme has been implemented nationwide in spite of the fact that the progress is still slow due to obstacles still existing with the issuance of certain legal documents providing guidance for its implementation. Positive adjustments have been made to overcome mismatches in the former salary system, establishing correlations amongst various salary scales, grades and schedules for various categories of public officials and civil servants in public administration. The Prime Minister issued Decree No. 118/2005/ND-CP dated 15 September 2005 regarding "adjustiment of the common salary base level", whereby from 1 October 2005 onwards, the common salary base level has been increased from 290,000 VND per month to 350,000 VND per month. 5.2 Strengthening order and discipline in public administration Ministries, central sectoral agencies and local authorities have been paying due attention to the development and issuance of legal documents governing the strengthening of ethical values and working styles and attitudes of public officials, civil servants and employees. Many practical measures have been taken such as issuance of the Directive on Improving Working Rules and Regulations; paying more attention to local government and grassroots levels; piloting guidelines and policies on civil service inspection in some city agencies and units, etc. However, efforts made to strengthen order and discipline in public administration have not yet resulted in the visible desired changes, whilst weak supervision and limited corrective measures are still reported. The Government is urgently completing preparatory work to issue the Decree on civil service inspection with a view to improving the management of public officials and civil servants and thereby contributing to the development of clean State machinery that operates effectively and efficiently. 5.3 Modernising public administration Ministries, central sectoral agencies and local authorities have been implementing many activities towards the realisation of the goals set forth for the modernisation of the public administration; making significant changes in the introduction of ICT for managerial 156 leadership in public offices and developing the habits of using ICT to handle day-to-day work. The scheme of computerisation of State administrative management for the 2001-2005 period is being intensively implemented by agencies and units according to established time and progress schedules, contributing to the "step by step" introduction of ICT to managerial leadership and serving the citizens, and linked with PAR efforts towards modernisation. Some ministries, central sectoral agencies and local authorities have been proactive in conducting research and establishing procedural processes to handle work utilising the ISO 9001:2000 on aspects of management and public service delivery. The one-stop-shop mechanism has gained initial encouraging results, "first and foremost" making changes in the model of organising and assigning tasks within the State administrative agencies. 5.4 Renovation of steering and guiding PAR efforts The Prime Minister issued Directive No. 09/2005/CT-Ttg regarding sustained efforts in accelerating the PAR process. On a monthly basis, the Government gives its steering and guidance instructions and ideas to ministries, central sectoral agencies and local authorities for them to implement PAR tasks that have been mentioned in the Programme in a well- aligned manner. The PAR Steering Committees of ministries, central sectoral agencies and local government authorities have been strengthened and consolidated; operating smoothly and providing recommended measures and solutions on a timely basis for accelerating PAR efforts. The new measure in the steering and guidance of the organisation and implementation of PAR tasks in 2005 is that an inter-sectoral working group has been created and inspection and supervision of civil service operations and thematic supervision activities have been carried out. However, steering and guidance efforts made by PAR Steering Committees at all levels have not been fully focused and intensive, while insufficient resources and efforts have been allocated to steering and guiding the conduct of overall reviews of PAR implementation and drawing experiences and lessons learning from pilot models for replication purposes. 5.5 PAR advocacy: Central and local mass media agencies have always been proactive in implementing PAR advocacy activities as per Decision No. 178/2003/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister. 5.6 General review of the implementation of the PAR Master Programme, Phase I (2001-2010): As per the instructions and guidelines issued by the Prime Minister; to date, 50 provinces and 25 ministries and central sectoral agencies have conducted their general reviews of the implementation of Phase I of the PAR Master Programme. The Secretariat of the PAR Government Steering Committee is in the process of developing a report on the general review of the implementation of Phase I of the PAR Master Programme and the PAR plan for phase II (2006-2010). The PAR Government Steering Committee chaired by the Prime Minister will comment on this report some time between 21 and 25 November 2005. It is expected that an international seminar on the general review of the implementation of phase 1 of the PAR Master Programme and the PAR Plan for phase 2 will be organised by the Government of Vietnam with the participation of the PAR donor community during 29- 30 November 2005 to provide an opportunity for all the stakeholders to discuss and provide 157 inputs for the improvement of the reports so that they can be submitted to the Government in its regular meeting scheduled to take place in December 2005. III. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITIES: In 2005, the PAR Partnership continued to confirm and act as one of the active and dynamic partnerships between the Government of Vietnam and the PAR donor community. It should be acknowledged that through partnership activities, the donor community and Government agencies concerned, including MOHA, which has been playing a role as a lead agency, have together built mutual trust, sharing useful information and experiences for the benefits of both sides. This in turn has encouraged both sides to accelerate their partnership activities for mutual benefit. Partnership activities have become more diverse, combining both formal and informal, bilateral and multilateral activities. In such a spirit, the content, form and way to implement activities have been continually improved to produce greater relevance, effectiveness and efficiency, open and straightforward dialogue and respect for the ideas of both sides. In general, in 2005 regular meetings and thematic workshops were conducted which help to enhance the value of the PAR partnership. The PAR partnership has provided good opportunities for the donor community to contribute their comments and ideas and to recommend how to improve management and coordination in the course of implementing the PAR Master Programme of the Government; linking PAR efforts with HEPR, socio- economic development and attaining the MDGs and at the same time promoting information and experience sharing amongst 26 PAR donor-funded projects of ministries, central sectoral agencies and local government. An update on these projects is as follows: (1) PAR donor-funded projects in Vietnam: · Support for the Implementation of the PAR 2001-2010 Master Programme ­ VIE/01/024 (MOHA) co-funded by UNDP, the Netherlands, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland (2003-2006) · Programme Loan to Support the Implementation of PAR Master Program funded by ADB, phase I 2003-2005 with a focus on (i) training program to improve the quality and competency of civil servants, and (ii) program of administrative modernization, including computerization and e-government. ADB also co-financed with France and New Zealand to support the implementation of the Program Loan through 3 technical assistance projects. · Supporting Administration Reform in Dak Lak Province funded by DANIDA - Denmark phase II (10/2003-9/2007) · Dong Hoi Urban Development Project (phase III) funded by SDC-Switzerland 1/7/2003-30/6/2006 · Nam Dinh Urban Development Project phase III funded by SDC- Switzerland, 1/7/2003- 30/6/2006 · PAR in Ninh Binh Province phase II (funded by NORAD-Norway), 2005-2008, (approved by the Government) · Support to PAR in Ho Chi Minh City funded by UNDP phase II VIE/02/010 (2003- 2005) 158 · PAR pilot project in Quang Tri Province, phase I funded by Sida-Sweden 1999-2002, (Plus budget and extending to 31/12/2003). At present, continuing 3 subprojects and preparing for the phase II · Supporting Democracy Regulations Implementation at Grassroots of Quang Tri Province phase II funded by Finland 12/2004-12/2005 · Support to Can Tho City and Hau Giang Province PAR project funded by Belgium VIE/00/009 1/2002-1/2005. Extending to 28/2/2006 · Project of Enhance the Local Government Capacity at Commune level in Cao Bang Province. Funded by Helvetas-Switzerland. Pilot phase 2003-2004. Extending to the end of 2005 · Project Supporting Public Administration Reform in Cao Bang. Inception and Planning Phase (April 2005- September 2006). Funded by SDC- Switzerland · Program of Rural Development in Thua Thien Hue, Phase II funded by Finland from April 2004 to April 2008 · Support to the Reform of the Forestry Administration System REFAS phase III at MARD funded by GTZ- Germany 8/2003-7/2006 · Support to the PAR in MARD phase II (funded by UNDP) (VIE/02/016) · Support Project to the Fisheries Programme (SPS). Component 1 "Enhancing the institution of Fishery" (STOFA) 1999-2010, phase I, 10/99-2004 · Strengthening the Capacity of People's Elected Bodies in Vietnam phase II (VIE/02/007) at National Assembly funded by UNDP, SDC, CIDA, DFID. 1/1/2003 - 31/3/2008 · Support the Legal Reform at National Assembly funded by Denmark phase II 2001 ­ 2004. Extended until June 2005 · Support to the National Academy of Public Administration funded by DANIDA- Denmark, 2000-2004. Extended until end of 2005 · Capacity Building for Public Management Training in Vietnam NAPA- SDC (Switzerland) mid- term of phase II 12/2002-5/2004. Extending to 10/2005 · Development of State Audit in Vietnam phase III funded by GTZ - Germany. 1/2004- 12/2007 · Capacity Strengthening of Office of the Government funded by Danida - Denmark 1/1/2002 30/6/2004. Extended until May 2005 · Technical support project "OOG in coordinating policies" (TA 4082) support to Loan for computerisation 2003-2005 · Project on "Corruption and Anti-Corruption Solutions in Vietnam" of Central Commission on Internal Affairs (funded by Sida -Sweden) 2002-2005 · Project "Ministry of Finance on enhancing the capacity to analyse fiscal policies" VIE/03/010 (UNDP) 1/1/2004-31/12/2006 · Project of Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) "Upgrading the capacity of local authorities in planning and managing social-economic development in rural Vietnam (phase I: 2005-2007) funded by the Netherlands. Total number: 26 PAR or PAR component projects are under operation in which: · Projects at the central level: 15 projects at MOHA (2), NAPA (2), MARD (2), ONA (2), Ministry of Fisheries (1), State Audit (1), Central Commission of Internal Affairs (1), OOG (2), MoF (1), VASS (1). 159 · Projects at provinces: 11 projects at Dak Lak (1), Dong Hoi (1), Nam Dinh (1), Ninh Binh (1), HCM City (1), Quang Tri (2), Can Tho (1), Cao Bang (2), and Thua Thien Hue (1). · Projects completed in 2005: 12 projects including ADB-MOHA phase I, PAR project in HCM City, PAR in Quang Tri, Grassroots democracy in Quang Tri phase 2, pilot project in Cao Bang, STOFA in Fishery Ministry, Legal Reform in ONA, NAPA-Denmark, NAPA-SDC, OOG-Denmark, ADB-OOG, Central commission on Internal Affairs. · Projects under formulation and appraisal for government's approval: 2 projects including SIDA project, phase II (MOHA), PAR project in Quang Tri phase 2. (2) Coordination and collaboration between the Secretariat under the PAR Government Steering Committee of Vietnam and PAR donors: Within the framework of the Project VIE/01/024B co-funded by UNDP and multi donors, "Support for the Implementation of the PAR 2001-2010 Master Programme", the Secretariat under the PAR Government Steering Committee conducted a meeting with the donor community right from the beginning of 2005 to announce the content of Directive No. 09 by the Prime Minister regarding the priorities and directions for PAR efforts in 2005. This initiative opened up a new and systematic approach for donors to align with the PAR process. On such a basis, donors can integrate and adjust their workplans and activities. This useful initiative should be further promoted and sustained. (3) Effective use of the PAR Website: The PAR website ­ the only website run by the Government covering PAR activities ­ has been operational since the end of 2004 and continues to be updated and upgraded through exchanges of ideas and suggestions facilitated by the PAR partnership. The PAR website has proven very useful and is a very effective channel of information sharing and a model for advocacy and promotion of PAR models and initiatives. The development of information sharing on good practices and initiatives of PAR posted on the PAR website has been accelerated further following the PAR Partnership Meeting conducted in Nha Trang City in July 2005 so that it can be made operational as soon as possible. To contribute to realising this initiative, a thematic workshop specifically on sharing information and learning from good practices and models of PAR was conducted in Da Nang City in November 2005 by MOHA in conjunction with the PAR Project of MARD. This activity is considered an important thrust in creating favourable momentum for the process of preparing and putting this system into operation. (4) Enhancing effectiveness and quality of training and upgrading public officials and civil servants: The question of quality of training and upgrading public officials and civil servants has been paid due attention by PAR stakeholders. Almost all of the PAR donor-funded projects have their own training components. Furthermore, the Government is managing an ADB programme loan project with huge amounts of funds specifically for the training and upgrading of public officials and civil servants; the question of training quality has been recognised as a priority issue. In fact, the Government and the donors have always been paying great attention to training quality and to enhancing the quality of the personnel of 160 public officials and civil servants and allocating significant amounts of funds to training and upgrading work. However, what has been achieved is still modest compared with the funding levels. Based on a common concern expressed by PAR partners, MOHA in collaboration with ADB and the ADB programme loan project conducted a workshop in Hanoi specifically on improving training quality as a follow-up activity of the PAR Partnership Meeting in Nha Trang City in July 2005. The coordination and cooperation between the Government of Vietnam and donors and amongst PAR projects as well as amongst donors has been considered a pressing issue for effective and efficient use of resources allocated to training and upgrading public officials and civil servants. (5) Post-project evaluation: SIDA of Sweden conducted a comparative study of the outputs and outcomes of the 2 PAR SIDA-funded projects that have been completed, i.e. the project on personnel management and development of MOHA (completed in 2003) and the PAR project of Quang Tri Province (completed in 2004). MOHA and SIDA agreed on the schedule for a workshop on the evaluation reports of the independent evaluation team regarding these 2 projects in December 2005. This is a good initiative and this has been the first time ever a post-project evaluation has been conducted. Objective and multi-dimensional findings and evaluations and in-depth analyses of the strengths and weaknesses of these projects will contribute significantly to the improvement and enhancement of effectiveness and efficiency of other SIDA-funded projects in particular and other PAR projects in general. (6) Replication of what has been gained as a result of pilot activities conducted by PAR donor-funded projects Most of the PAR donor-funded projects are of a pilot character. The results of such pilots need to be considered and assessed for possible replication. This is what all PAR partners are interested in. PAR donor-funded projects need to produce tangible outputs and outcomes and most importantly, they should ensure sustainability and replicability. From the actual replication of the one-stop-shop mechanism on a nationwide scale at provincial, district and commune levels to the self-sustaining mechanism through block grants and block staffing is being replicated throughout the country. Within the framework of Project VIE/01/024, support has been provided to introduce ISO to the administrative system and a result-based management system in Ho Chi Minh City and the outcomes of these pioneering practices now are being replicated in other provinces. Specifically, provinces of Ben Tre and Lao Cai are introducing the result-based management system to their public administration, while 4 provinces of Bac Ninh, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh and Thai Binh are piloting job descriptions and job analysis which previously was supported by the PAR SIDA-funded project of MOHA (with the exception of Thai Binh province). After successful replication of the model of granting land use certificates pioneered by Quang Tri province to the 4 central provinces, SIDA continues to provide support Tra Vinh province in its efforts to install this model. SDC after having provided support to 9 provinces to implement the one-stop-shop mechanism at the provincial and district levels, now continues to support these provinces to replicate the mechanism to the commune, ward and township levels. 161 (7) Participation in the review of the implementation of phase I (2001-2005) of the PAR Master Programme, and the PAR plan for the upcoming years: During the past few months, some PAR donor-funded projects were providing support to their own "client"agencies and local authorities to conduct reviews of their 5 years' implementation of the PAR Master Programme. Project VIE/01/024 was assisting the PAR SC Secretariat in preparing a Report on the Five Years of Implementing the PAR Master Programme and the PAR Plan for the 2006-2010 Period to be submitted to the Government. An international workshop combined with a PAR Partnership meeting will be organised on 29-30 November 2005 in Hanoi to provide an opportunity for all PAR stakeholders to give their comments and ideas as inputs for the improvement of the PAR review and plan before its submission to the Government. This provides further evidence of the participatory approach, openness, transparency and straightforward dialogue in a constructive and responsible spirit of PAR partners and stakeholders. (8) Support to the CPRGS: All the PAR partners are aware of the need to link the implementation of the PAR Master Programme with the CPRGS roll-out. Apart from the UNDP-funded project of HCM City supporting the development of its strategy on PAR and sustainable development, the UNDP-funded project of MARD with additional funds is supporting the development of an Agricultural Extension Centre electronically networked with 13 communes of 10 provinces. SDC-funded projects in Dong Hoi and Nam Dinh are supporting the development of strategies for municipal development of these cities. However, more debates and discourse need to be given to such topics as linking PAR efforts with socio-economic development, HEPR, grassroots democracy and anti-corruption. They are also the ultimate goals of PAR efforts, i.e. providing an enabling and conducive environment for socio-economic development. However, how to integrate them to produce synergy is still a question for all the stakeholders. IV. FUTURE ACTIVITIES: · To continue to improve the content and the way to implement the PAR Partnership activities, making the partnership between the Government of Vietnam and the donor community truly useful and relevant. · To strengthen the sharing of information and good practices through exchange of knowledge combined with field visits. · To strengthen coordination and supervision/monitoring of PAR donor-funded projects in order that available resources are more effectively and efficiently utilised. · To try harder to link PAR projects' activities with the implementation of the socio- economic development plans, HEPR, and the attainment of the MDGs. 162 ANNEX RECENTLY ISSUED IMPORTANT LEGAL DOCUMENTS RELATTING TO PAR AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE APPARATUS · Decree No. 115/2005/ND-CP dated September 5, 2005 by Government Providing for the autonomy and self - management mechanism applicable to public scientific and technological organisations · Resolution No. 05/2005/NQ-CP dated April 18, 2005 by Government On stepping up socialisation of educational, healthcare, cultural, physical training and sport activities · Directive No. 09/2005/CT-TTg dated April 5, 2005 by Prime Minister On Further Stepping up the Administrative reform · Decree No.203/2004/ND-CP dated December 14, 2004 by Government Prescribing the minimum wage level · Decision No 2343/Q-BNV dated December 8, 2004 by the Minister of Home Affairs Regarding the Establishment of the Public Administration Reform Website of the Ministry of Home Affairs · Decree No. 172/2004/ND-CP dated September 29, 2004 by Government Prescribing the organisation of the professional agencies under the People's Committees of the rural and urban districts as well as provincial capitals and cities · Decree No.171/2004/ND-CP dated September 29, 2004 by the Government Prescribing the organisation of professional agencies under the People's Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities · Government Resolution No 08/2004/NQ-CP on 30/6/2004 On continuing to strengthen governance decentralisation from central to provincial government and centrally- managed cities. · Programme on the renovation of the financial management mechanism for the state administrative agencies and public service delivery agencies Phase 2004-2005 · Law on the Organisation of the People Committee and People · Prime Minister's Decision No 181/2003/QD-TTg on 04/9/2003 On the issuance of the Regulation to implement the `One-Stop Shop' mechanism in local administrative agencies · Prime Minister's Decision No 178/2003/QD-TTg on 03/9/2003 On the approval of the Advocacy Project for the Public Administration Reform Master Programme 2001-2010 · Project on the renovation of the management modality and modernisation of the State administrative system, Phase I (2003-2005) Promulgated together with the Prime Minister's Decision No.169/2003/QD-TTg of August 12, 2003 · Government Decree No 79/2003/ND-CP on 07/7/2003 On the issuance of the Regulation on democracy implementation at the commune level · Government Decree No 71/2003/ND-CP on 19/6/2003 On decentralisation of staff, administration and public service delivery management · Ordinance on Cadres and Civil Servants · Programme on redefining roles, functions and organisational structure of the agencies in the state administrative system, Phase I (2003-2005) · Programme on developing and improving the quality of civil servants and public cadres, Phase I (2003-2005) · Government Decree No 30/2003/ND-CP on 01/04/2003 Regulating the functions, duties, authority and organisational structure of Government-affiliated agencies 163 · Government Decree No 86/2002/ND-CP on 05/11/2002 on regulating the functions, duties, authority and organisational structure of ministries and ministerial agencies · Government Decree No 10/2000/ND-CP on 16/01/2002 On the financial mechanism applying for income-generating public service delivery agencies · Law on Government Organisation · Prime Minister's Decision No 192/2000/QD-TTg on 17/12/2001 On extending block staffing and block grants for the state administrative agencies · The Public Administration Reform Master Programme 2001-2010 · Project on the computerisation of the state administrative management Phase 2001- 2005 · Prime Minister's Decision No 74/2001/QD-TTg on 07/5/2001 On the approval plan for training and retraining cadres and civil servants for the period 2001-2005 · Government Decree on 12/2001/ND-CP 27/3/2001 On the reorganisation of professional agencies belonging to the People's Committee of provinces and centrally-managed cities, the People's Committee of districts, rural districts and townships belonging to provinces · Government Resolution No 38/CP on 4/5/1994 On taking a step in reforming administrative procedures for dealing with people and organisation affairs · Government Resolution No 16/2000/NQ-CP on 18/10/2000 On staff down-sizing in administrative agencies and public service delivery agencies · Government Resolution No 09/2003/NQ-CP on 19/06/2003 on the modification and amendment of Government Resolution No 16/2000/NQ-CP on 18/10/2000 On staff down-sizing in administrative agencies and public service delivery agencies on 30/6/2004 Nhà xut bn Lao ng - Xã hi: Giy phép xut bn s 86-2005/CXB/01-151/LXH Cp ngày 30/11/2005. 164