Mapping The Government - NGO- and the World Bank …hongson2.tripod.com/Map_vie.pdfMapping The Government - NGO- and the World Bank Relationship A Case Study of Vietnam Prepared by

Mapping

The Government -

NGO- and

the World Bank

Relationship

A Case Study of Vietnam

Prepared by Dang Ngoc Quang Nghiem Hong Son Rural Development Services Centre For: Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, ANGOC Hanoi -2001

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Table of Contents

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................................................................................................3

II. BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................7

1. GENERAL COUNTRY PROFILE AND BACKGROUND....................................................................................... 7 2. OBJECTIVES.......................................................................................................................................................... 7 3. RESEARCH TEAM ................................................................................................................................................ 8 4. COVERAGE OF THE STUDY ............................................................................................................................... 8 5. PROFILE OF RESPONDENTS............................................................................................................................... 9 6. LIMITATIONS..................................................................................................................................................... 10

III. OVERVIEW AND CONTEXT OF NGO-WB RELATIONS.....................................................................11

1. OVERVIEW OF NGOS IN VIETNAM ................................................................................................................. 11 2. WORLD BANK POLICIES ON NGOS................................................................................................................ 18 3. POLICY CONTEXT FOR NGO-GO-WB COOPERATION ............................................................................... 18 4. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR PROMOTING COOPERATION WITH NGOS......................................... 20 5. EXISTING MECHANISMS FOR NGO-WB COOPERATION............................................................................. 20 6. EXISTING MECHANISMS FOR NGO-WB-GO COOPERATION...................................................................... 21

IV. REPONDENTS’ VIEWS ON INFORMATION AND TRANSPARANCY.............................................22

1. NGOS IN VIETNAM ........................................................................................................................................... 22 2. WORLD BANK ................................................................................................................................................... 23 3. GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM ........................................................................................................................... 23

V. RESPONDENTS’ VIEWS ON CONSULTATIVE PROCESS......................................................................23

1. NGOS IN VIETNAM ........................................................................................................................................... 23 2. WORLD BANK ................................................................................................................................................... 24 3. GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM ........................................................................................................................... 24

VI. RESPONDENTS’ VIEWS ON PROJECT ENGAGEMENT......................................................................25

1. NGOS IN VIETNAM ........................................................................................................................................... 25 2. WORLD BANK ................................................................................................................................................... 25 3. THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM .................................................................................................................. 25

VII. RESPONDENTS’S VIEWS ON THE CONTEXT FOR ENGAGEMENT................................................25

1. NGOS IN VIETNAM ........................................................................................................................................... 25 2. WORLD BANK ................................................................................................................................................... 26 3. THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM .................................................................................................................. 26

VIII. EXAMPLES OF JOINT NGO-GO-WB PROJECTS .................................................................................26

IX. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................27

1. CONCLUSIONS.................................................................................................................................................... 27 2. RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................................................................... 29

X. BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................................................................................................32

XI. LIST OF PEOPLE INTERVIEWED..............................................ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

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I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In preparation for the regional meeting of East Asia Pacific Regional NGO Working Group on the World Bank (EAPR NGOWB), the Steering Committee Member in Vietnam, RDSC, has conducted a mapping exercise of World Bank-Government-NGO relationship in the country.

The research aims to improve the engagement of NGOs in policy consultation with the World Bank and the Government. This study has utilized three main methods, including desk review, survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The research covered 4 WB officials, 4 government officials, 3 INGOs, 2 LNGOs and 2 MOs. Even though the sample size is not large, no biased outcome is expected due to comprehensive selection criteria, in-depth interviews and careful desk review.

NGOs is a complicated phenomenon in Vietnam. Even though a number of research on NGOs in Vietnam have been conducted, there is no unique the definition of NGO community in Vietnam. In this research the NGO community in Vietnam is classified into three categories: international non-governmental organizations (INGOs); local social development organizations (LNGOs); and Mass Organizations (MOs). Main characteristics of these three groups of NGOs are described below.

Strengths Weakness

INGOs International expertise

Close relationship with donors and government

Limitation understanding of local culture and language

LNGOs Working close with the community

Sectoral expertise

Cost effectiveness

Lack of full recognition of the government

Lack of solid network

MOs Complete network from central to local levels

Close relationship with the government

Poor staff capacity, especially at local level

Lack of experience on poverty alleviation

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All parties involved in this study agreed that information sharing and transparency among WB, NGO and the government is properly managed. WB regularly provides information related to its activities for NGOs though periodic mailing. Additionally, WB in Vietnam has an information center that everyone can access. The government also started to publish its formal called confidential information. In 2000, government budget for the first time was published.

The study also revealed that the policy consultation process develops towards participatory. The government has tried to include wide consultation with all stakeholders in the process of formulating I-PRSP. Similarly, WB has encouraged the inclusion of NGO community in the consultation process through PWG and PTF mechanisms. However, LNGOs and CBOs have not secured a formal position in the consultation process.

Context for the NGO-WB-GO relationship is developing. The political and legal environment for this relationship is stable and improving. NGOs are allowed to register and operate legally. However, full legislation for LNGOs have not been introduced.

The engagement of NGOs in government and WB projects is limited. At local scale, NGOs have partnership with government in development projects. However, there is no evidence of collaboration among NGOs, WB and the governments in national-level projects.

Major recommendations from this study include:

• Develop a full legal framework for LNGOs. • Include LNGOs and other CSOs in policy development process. • Create opportunities for LNGOs to engage in government and WB

projects. • Strengthen the network of LNGOs. • Establish a network of INGOs and LNGOs. • Improve capacity for LNGOs, CBOs and MOs.

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List of Abbreviations AAV Action Aid Vietnam

ADB Asian Development Bank

ANGOC Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development

AusAID Australian Agency for International Development

CAS Country Assistance Strategy

CBO Community-Based Organization

CDF Comprehensive Development Framework

CDG Co-operation and Development Group

CECI Center for Education and Cultural Exchange International

CEPEW Center For Education Promotion and Empowerment of Women

CG Consultative Group

CPRP Comprehensive Poverty Reduction Program

CRD Center for Rural Development in Central Vietnam

CSO Civil Society Organization

DANIDA Danish International Development Agency

DFID Department for International Development

EAPR-NGOWG NGO Working Group on World Bank Issues of the East-Asia Pacific Region

ECO-ECO Institute of Ecological Economy

FDI Foreign Direct Investment

GTZ German Technical Co-operation

HDI Human Development Index

HEDO Highland Education Development Organization

HERP Hunger Eradication and Poverty Reduction

HIPC Highly Indebted Poor Country

ICCO Inter-Church Co-operation Organization

IFIs International Financial Institutions

ILO International Labor Organization

IMF International Monetary Fund

INGOs International NGOs

I-PRSP Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper

JICA Japan International Co-operation Agency

JSA Joint Staff Assessment

LERES Center for Legal Research and Services

LNGOs Local NGOs

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MARD Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development

MO Mass Organization

MoF Ministry of Finance

MoLISA The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs

MoSTE Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment

NGOs Non Government Organizations

OXFAM GB Oxfam Great Britain

PER Public Expenditure Review

PPA Participatory Poverty Assessment

PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper

PTF Poverty Task Force

PWG Poverty Working Group

RaFH Center for Reproductive and Family Health

RTCCD Hanoi Research and Training Center for Community Development

RDSC Rural Development Services Center

SIDA Swedish International Development Authority

SME Small and micro-enterprises

TEW Towards Ethnic Women

UNDP United Nations Development Program

VCCI The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry

VFU Vietnam Farmers' Union

VLSS Vietnam Livings Standards Survey

VND Vietnam Dong

VWU Vietnam Women's Union

WB The World Bank

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II. BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION

1. General Country Profile and Background

Vietnam is a country of transition economy, known as one of the poorest country, but with high level of success in poverty reduction in the last decade. In Vietnam the World Bank's (WB) engagement in its development is relatively new, however, the country is known as one of few examples of a good partnership between the government, WB and Non-government organizations (NGOs). Vietnam is also a CDF1 country where the Bank explores how its approach works. This is in Vietnam the new WB's instrument, the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), is under the first time implementation.

In Vietnam, the interest among NGOs both local and international in engaging in the policy dialogue with the government and multilateral monetary is growing. The number of organizations taking part in this process although small but it increases. Compared with the previous WB-NGO mapping exercise when only four NGOs responded to a small survey conducted by the Rural Development Services Center, the respondents this time represents a much lager group.

In preparation for the regional meeting of East Asia Pacific Regional NGO Working Group on the World Bank (EAPR NGOWB), the Steering Committee Member in Vietnam, RDSC, has conducted two in-country activities: rapid assessment of PRSP process and the mapping of World Bank-Government-NGO relationship in the country. This report will focus on the second activity.

2. Objectives

The mapping exercise aims to improve the engagement of NGOs and civil society organizations with World Bank in policy development. The focus of this mapping include:

n Information and transparency among World Bank, Government and NGOs/Civil Society Organizations;

n Analysis on the consultation in policy development process; n Analysis on the engagement of NGO/CSO in World Bank

and/or Government-funded projects; and

1 CDF stands for Comprehensive Development Framework, a development vision recently adopted by the Bank.

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n Analysis on the context of engagement.

3. Research Team

The research team2 formed by RDSC includes a supervisor who has more than ten years experiences in policy dialogue and engagement in consultation on poverty alleviation. The supervisor is responsible for the designing of relevant research tools and conducting the in-depth interviews with WB and government officials, and editing the final report. The team also includes an agricultural economist with strong research experiences in poverty issues. The researcher is responsible for reviewing literature, conducting questionnaire and in-depth interviews, processing the data, writing draft report. A Canadian volunteer is also actively involved in this research. Her contribution consists of desk review, comments and proof reading the report.

4. Coverage of the Study

a) Methodology

Given the timeframe and resources the research team utilizes the following methods: n Desk Review: Review and analyze existing workshop

minutes and researches papers related to the research topic.

n Semi-structured interviews: The interviews will be conducted with the World Bank Representatives, Government Officials and L/I NGOs and other civil society organizations. The interviews focus direct information that lead to the fulfillment of the research objectives.

b) Sampling

For the Interviews The interview samples are selected non-randomly from the target organizations/ institutions, which have involved in the process of policy making and/or project implementation. The sample size includes 4 World Bank officials, 3 government officials. Also, the interviews cover 2 LNGOs (i.e., CEPEW and HEDO), 3 INGOs (i.e., OXFAM GB, ActionAid and CECI) and two Mass Organizations (MO).

2 The research team includes: Mr Dang Ngoc Quang, the team leader and Mr Nghiem Hong Son, Researcher.

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Table 1: Overview of sampling

Target groups Questionnaires Interviews Sent Returned % Planne

d Conducted %

World Bank 3 2 67 3 4 133 Government 12 3 25 8 3 38 Mass Organizations

2 2 100 2 1 50

Local NGOs 15 2 13 8 2 25 International INGOs

15 3 20 5 3 60

Total 47 12 26 26 13 50 For the Survey The survey samples are selected randomly from the target groups with main selection criteria are experience in poverty alleviation and involvement in policy making process of the country. The total number of questionnaires sent-out includes 40 NGOs (20 INGOs and 20 LNGOs) and 10 government institutions. All questionnaires were sent by all the possible means (email, fax and post) as well as telephone for recipient confirmation. The total number of returned questionnaires is 8, which is small but double the figure of the previous mapping exercise. Generally the return rate of the questionnaire is somehow show the level of interest of the participation agencies.

5. Profile of Respondents

c) The World Bank

The four WB officials involved in this research include a principal economist, two social development specialists, and a poverty reduction specialist. The principal economist leads the Poverty Reduction Unit of the WB Resident Mission in Vietnam. She has played significant role in promoting the engagement of NGOs in policy consultations with the Bank and Government. Other three WB staff is also the key players in poverty reduction activities of the Bank.

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d) The Government

The research team of this study also conduct interviews with four government officials. The first official is the Deputy director general of the National Economic Issues Department, Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI). He is the leader of the I-PRSP drafting team of MPI. He has present drafts of I-PRSP in many workshops and conferences. The research team also interviews the Director of the National Program Office for HEPR, Ministry of Labor, Invalid and Social Affairs (MoLISA). He has led the process of formulating many important policies on poverty alleviation such as HEPR and CPRS. The third government official interviewed is the Head of Rural Economics Unit of the Central Economic Management Institute. He is also the key player in the process of formulating important documents of the government on poverty reduction and rural development. The final government official involved in this study is the Head of Local Planning Department, MPI, who play an important role in the process of formulating and implementing rural development projects of the government.

e) NGOs

As mentioned before, the NGO community in this study is classified into three categories: INGOs, LNGOs and MOs. The research team has interviewed representatives and advocacy officers of three INGOs including Action Aid, CECI and Oxfam GB. All of these INGOs are the core members of INGO community in the PWG. The study also involved two LNGOs, namely HEDO and CEPEW. The former is one of the earliest LNGOs in Vietnam, focusing on education for mountainous areas. The latter is a newly emerged LNGOs with specialized in the sector of gender and health care. Finally, the study also interviewed two main MOs in Vietnam that is the Women’s Union and the Farmers’ Union. They are the key players in implementing poverty reduction activities of the government, especially in rural microcredit and small-scale agricultural extension.

6. Limitations

The small sample size of this research is a limitation on statistical reliability. However, the research has good inputs from direct interviews with proper sample selection criteria. Moreover, the research is based on the literature review from wide range of documents. Therefore, the small sample size does not create biases for this research.

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III. OVERVIEW AND CONTEXT OF NGO-WB RELATIONS

7. Overview of NGOs in Vietnam

f) Definitions and Typology

The definition and typology of LNGOs, a new phenomenon in Vietnam, were discussed in a training need assessment report3 produced by RDSC in 1998. There has not been an official legal framework to regulate the activities of LNGOs despite their rapid “organic growth”. Thus, a number of definitions of LNGOs are considered in this research.

UNFPA Definition UNFPA conducted a research on NGO in Vietnam4, where it proposed a definition on NGOs in Vietnam. To quote:

A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a not-for-profit non-governmental body legally established under laws governing such groups in the country of its headquarters. It normally has a written constitution and by-laws, a governing board, a chief executive director, and staff. Most NGOs have a membership or constituency, comprising individuals, groups, or both. Many have developed networks of like-minded groups. Universities, colleges, and other higher educational institutions, as well as trade union, and co-operatives are also considered to be NGOs.

In the research, the author considered non-profit consulting companies and Mass Organizations, and professional associations as Vietnamese NGOs.

ADB Definition The Asia Development Banks also conducted a study5 on NGOs in Vietnam, which categorized NGOs into six groups. Beside the obvious group of INGOs, the other five groups mentioned about LNGOs include: • Mass organizations; • Independent research and training organizations; • Professional and business organizations; • Peasants’ organizations or traditional ethnic groups; and • Others that do not fit into these groups

3 Management Training Needs of Social Development Organizations in Vietnam. Prepared by Dang Ngoc Quang, Rural Development Services Center, for Foundation for International Training.- Nov 1998. 4 “Report on Vietnamese Non-Governmental Organizations in Population and Family Planning”, prepared by Jmaie Uhrig for the Government of Vietnam and UNFPA, July 1995 5 A Study of NGOs: Vietnam. ADB. April 1999

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Gray’s6 Definition

In a research on the emergence of NGOs in Vietnam, Gray proposed a definition of LNGOs based on their origin of establishment. According to the authors LNGOs include three groups: • Founded by Government bodies such as HEDO and NEDCEN;

• Founded by hospital or universities such as CRES, ECO-ECO; and

• Founded by individuals not associated with above two groups such as TEW and RDSC

In this research, the author did not include MOs in the list of LNGOs.

Types of NGOs in Vietnam involved in this research

In this research the research team investigate four groups of NGOs7, including:

1. Government founded organizations;

2. Mass organizations (MOs);

3. University founded organizations;

4. Local social development organizations; and

5. International non-governmental organizations.

The list of NGOs in each groups involved in this study is presented in the appendix.

g) History, sizes, location and scale of operations

Most NGOs in the first group were established by Government bodies recently, especially in the past 10 years. This type of NGOs was established mainly for the purposes of making partners in development projects funded by INGOs or donors. They do not receive fund from the government but maintain close linkages with the Government. In fact, this type of NGOs is often run by retired Government officials. At present,

6 Creating Civil Society? The Emerge of NGOs in Vietnam, Michael L. Gray, 1998 7 List of these organizations are presented in the appendix

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there are about 20 organizations of this type. They locate and have activities across the nation.

MOs are part of the government system, which was established since the inauguration of the country. MOs are closely linked with the Government and Party. In fact, each MO has members within the National Assembly and Peoples’ Committees from province level to commune levels. The main advantages of MOs include massive number of members and a complete nation-wide network. There are five main MOs including Women’s Union, Farmers’ Union, Youth Union, Veteran’s Association, and Elderly Association. They have a complete network from central level to commune level. Thus, MOs also have operational activities across nation. Main tasks of MOs are to support the Government in performing its political roles. Due to the strong linkage with the Government, MOs are often engaged in implementing Government's development programs.

The third type of NGOs include independent research centers establish by universities. Often, researchers or lecturers run this type of NGOs whilst maintaining their position at universities or research institutes. There is no record available on the number of this NGO type. However, it is estimated that the total number maybe less than 20. These organizations locate mainly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with operations across the country.

The fourth type includes those established under the Decree 35/CP on scientific and social research association. These organizations were founded by an individual or groups of persons sharing mutual interest of contributing to poverty reduction and development. At present, there are about some 30 organizations of this type with location mainly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. These NGOs also have their activities across the nation.

INGOs started their appearance in Vietnam mainly in the past 10 years. At present, there are about 200 INGOs operate in Vietnam. They are located mainly in big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Most of INGOs have their operation across the country in a wide range of sectors.

There are significant differences in key aspects such as financial sources, scale of operations, human capacity and sector of expertise among INGOs, MOs and local NGOs (LNGOs). INGOs often receive funding from the Governments, and donor agencies from the countries of origin. Most of INGOs operate at commune and district level. Some big INGOs have their operation at provincial scale.

The government funds MOs for their routine operations. All staffs of MOs are also full-time state employees. MOs engage easily in the

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development projects of the Government. Recently, some MOs, especially at grass-roots level, have started to receive funding from INGOs and donors to implement small-scale development projects.

LNGOs do not receive funding from the Government. Most of their funding comes from INGOs or donors. Many NGOs obtain from local sources such as funds for local initiatives operated by embassies. Like INGOs, LNGOs include full- and part-time staff. Most of LNGOs operate at commune or village levels. The expertise of LNGOs focuses on key sectors such as rural micro-finance, community health care and agricultural extension.

Because of the above differences, the analyses for NGOs from now on will divided into three main groups: MOs, LNGOs and INGOs.

h) Existing Network

MOs have a complete nation-wide network from central to local levels. MOs also have Code of Conduct developed since the establishment of the MOs. In the country all MOs are members of the Fatherland Front, which is an umbrella organization for all MOs. Furthermore, many associations also group around Unions, which are an umbrella for the member organizations. An example of this is the Union of the Science and Technology Associations, which cover more than 100 associations.

In contrast, the interviews and questionnaires results show that the NGO community (INGOs and LNGO) in Vietnam has not developed a Code of Conduct. However, the operation of NGOs is regarded as fairly ethical.

Part of the LNGO community has set up a network called the “Co-operation and Development Group (CDG) in late 1998. CDG is initiated by four LNGOs8 under the funding of ICCO, a Dutch NGO. The main objectives of CDG are to share field experiences, improve partnership and build capacity to member LNGOs. At present CDG has increased its members to 8 LNGOs9, including some LNGOs outside ICCO’s fund. Additionally, there are more than 10 LNGOs are in the position of observers of CDG. After one year, observers interested in CDG activities will be considered for full membership.

In December 1999, two LNGOs10 have made an initial step towards the establishment of another network. They called for a meeting of some 30 LNGOs to assess the performance of LNGOs in the past and

8 These include Rural Development Service Center (RDSC), Hanoi Research and Training Center for Community Development (RTCCD), Towards Ethnic Women (TEW), and Center for Rural Development in Central Vietnam (CRD) 9 The additional four LNGOs include CPSE, CIRD, CHESH, CGFED 10 These are RaFH and RTCCD.

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requirements for co-operation in the future. The meeting has agreed upon the idea of establishing a Coalition of LNGOs with the aim also to improve co-operation and building capacity for member organizations. The meeting has appointed representative of key LNGOs to be in a Liaison Committee to coordinate activities related to all LNGOs. Although the new LNGO coalition has not officially formed, it shows the need of co-operation among local NGOs to strengthen the voice of the LNGO community.

There are many networks or working groups among INGOs in Vietnam. These networks work around specific issues, such as reproductive health, extension and reforestation, small and micro-enterprises, and ethnic minorities. Among these networks, a special group is NGO Policy Learning Group that works on policy advocacy. Most of INGOs group under the NGO-Resource Center, which provides support to their members, which count for about 200. NGORC co-ordinate also INGO involvement in policy dialogues with the donors, particularly with the WB. It is NGO RC, which nominates INGO-representatives to attend CGs or to be part of the PTF and sectoral working groups administered by the WB or Government.

i) Strengths and Weakness

Strengths

MOs

The strengths of MOs include close linkages with the Government, massive number of members, and a complete network. As mentioned before, MOs have members in the National Assembly and People's Committees from provincial level to commune level. MOs act as a chain between Government and people. They play the role of delivering Government's welfare programs as well as verifying the impacts of these programs. The number of those receiving membership of MOs is counted in millions (e.g., Women's Union has 12 million members, Youth Union has about 2.5 million and Farmers' Union has some 40 million members). With huge number of members and complete network, MOs have significant influence on the development and poverty reduction process of the country.

LNGOs

The main strengths of LNGOs include expertise in key development sectors, working close with communities, and cost-effectiveness. LNGOs often include groups of professionals with focus on key sectors. For example, RDSC has main strengths in rural micro-finance and

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participatory rural appraisal; TEW has strengths in working with ethnic minorities; CIRD focuses on researching in indigenous knowledge; and RaFH has strengths in reproductive health. Besides theoretical knowledge, the expertise of LNGOs was built from the cumulative first-hand experience in the fields. For example, RDSC is now ranked by international community as the top class in rural micro-finance and participatory rural appraisal.

Working close with communities is also one of the main strengths of LNGOs. Most of LNGOs focus their work at village or commune levels in mountainous and disadvantage areas. Most of LNGOs apply participatory approaches in their work. Staff of LNGOs, especially field workers, stays in communities frequently.

Cost effectiveness is another critical strength of LNGOs. Financial management of LNGOs is generally clear. The main requirement of donors in the projects of NGOs is proper accounting and auditing. Furthermore, capacity building and self-help promotion are the key principles of LNGOs. Thus, together with external assistance, local resources are always mobilized to address the problems of communities in development projects of LNGOs. Also, overhead cost of projects implemented by LNGOs is less than that of INGOs’ since the staff salary of the former is often lower.

INGOs

Similar to LNGOs, INGOs also have strengths in development expertise and working close with communities. Moreover, INGOs have additional advantages of close relationship with Government. Their good relationship with Government is based partly on strong and long-term commitment to poverty reduction in Vietnam. INGOs have a key role in PWG, where they bring to consultation comments of local partners alongside with their own perspectives.

Weaknesses

MOs

The main weakness of MOs is human capacity. Most staff of MOs, especially those at the local level, has low education attainment, poor or dated career knowledge. Additionally, personnel and members of MOs have poor or no skill in development. Regular training and refresh training for staffs and members career and development skills are essential to improve this weakness.

LNGOs

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Most LNGOs lack the ability to integrate their field experiences into policy recommendation. As mentioned before, LNGOs focus mainly on project implementation, while little emphases have been focused on crystallizing their field experiences into development concepts, which can easily be integrated into policy advocacy.

Some respondents in the research argued that LNGOs has institutional limitations. LNGOs are insufficient to organize themselves into a sole and solidarity network. There are some signs of miscommunication and rivalry among LNGOs, which may lead into the danger of damaging the credibility of LNGOs into the eyes of donors. Instead of making a unique voice to the donors and government, LNGO community has separated into two different networks, which have created confusion to donors and the government. For example, in February 2001 the WB sent an email asked LNGO community to select a representative to attend a series workshop on capacity building in Washington and Tokyo. Due to miscommunication, the two LNGO networks sent two candidates to WB, making confusion and curiosity about the lack of solidarity among LNGOs. The poor return rate and difficult to get contact with other LNGOs in this survey also show the lack understanding and solidarity among LNGOs.

j) Emerging Trends and Challenges

Emerging trends

There are signs that the Government will launch a full legal framework for regulating the activities of LNGOs. In the future, there will also be more chances for LNGOs and MOs to engage in government-funded projects. Furthermore, in the future INGOs will focus more on building capacity for LNGOs and MOs.

Challenges

It is clear that the number of LNGOs will continue to increase in the future. Thus, the need for a Code of Conduct and an efficient network is obvious. Improving credibility of LNGOs and MOs into the eyes of donors and Government is also a significant challenge in the future. The hesitation of Government on LNGOs is mainly due to political risks. Thus, if LNGOs do not show their solidarity and goodwill, the chance of achieving official legal framework will be lessen. Also, the donor community may think twice before assisting LNGO community if rivalry and fighting among them still exist.

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Human capacity of LNGOs should be continued to improve so that field experiences will be brought into formal dialogues with the Government and donors.

8. World Bank Policies on NGOs

The World Bank resident mission in Vietnam has considered relationship with NGOs as important as that with the Government to ensure the effectiveness of poverty reduction. The establishment of PWG has indicated the willingness of World Bank to emphasize partnership with NGOs and Government. In 1998, the Resident mission, against the current practice of the World Bank on the confidentiality of Country Assistant Strategy (CAS), has conducted broad consultation with INGOs, LNGOs, MOs, Government and donors in preparation of CAS. Furthermore, CAS was published in Vietnamese and English language. In 1999, World Bank Vietnam asked PWG to conduct a qualitative and a quantitative poverty study as inputs for the Vietnam Development Report that is normally prepared by the Bank. The quantitative and qualitative reports11 prepared by PWG were highly appreciated by all stakeholders. In addition to the PWG, there are a number of mechanisms for NGO-WB-Government co-operation such as PTF and sectoral working groups.

Overall, WB policies on NGOs are receptive, supportive and open.

9. Policy Context for NGO-GO-WB Cooperation

MOs-GO-WB Cooperation The policy for MOs-GO cooperation has been established since the inauguration of the country. Five MOs are considered in the government system; staff of MOs receives salary from the state budget. MOs have members in the main governmental-body (People’s Committee) from central to local level. MOs are always considered as key partners to implement development projects. In the process of policy development, MOs are also involved in formal consultations through various channels such as PTF, Civil Society Forum at CG (Consultative Group) meeting, National Assembly, and People Council from central level to commune level. The context for MOs-WB cooperation is also very open. WB welcomes all local agencies that have ability and willingness to contribute to poverty reduction in Vietnam. However, there is no significant cooperation between MOs and the WB. The two MOs interviewed in this study revealed that they never have direct contact with WB. MOs have no

11 Vietnam: Attacking Poverty; and Voice of The Poor, respectively; Joint GOV-Donor-NGOs, 1999

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information on WB policy and activities. Therefore, there is no evidence of direct cooperation between WB and MOs despite MOs has co-operated with government in some WB funded development program such as the “5-million hectare reforestation program”. INGOs-GO-WB Cooperation The relationship between Government and INGOs is also very strong. The Government of Vietnam encourages and supports INGOs to contribute their expertise and resource in poverty reduction of the country without violation of the state law and policies. INGOs have actively co-operated with the government and WB in policy consultation. INGOs have involved actively in PWG, where key INGOs have conducted the qualitative report “Voice of the poor” along side with the quantitative report “Vietnam: attacking poverty”. Recently, the PWG was asked by the Government to collaborate with MoLISA to write the comprehensive poverty reduction strategy (CPRS). INGOs are also very active in maintaining partnership with LNGOs and other CSOs in consultation with the Government. Besides PTF, INGOs have also established Poverty Policy Learning Group, which consists of INGOs and few key LNGOs to act as “think tank” for policy consultation.

The cooperation among INGOs, the Government of Vietnam and the World Bank in project implementation are limited. INGOs have cooperation with local government in implementation of their projects. However, there is no evidence that INGOs cooperate with central Government in national program. Similarly, the study did not discover evidence of cooperation between INGOs and WB in project implementation.

LNGOs-GO-WB Cooperation The relationship between Government and LNGOs is very limited. The research revealed that the interaction between Government and LNGOs is too little. NGOs do not receive Government’s recognition. No legal framework to regulating the operations of LNGOs is available. The Government is still hesitant to include LNGOs in formal consultation dialogues such as PWG or Civil Society Forum at CG meeting. Despite the constraints, there are still quite many examples of good relationship between LNGOs and the Government, especially local government. Furthermore, recently key LNGOs have been included in the PTF, an extended group of PWG. This is a good signal for the improvement of relationship between Government and LNGOs.

The cooperation between LNGOs and World Bank is also mainly in policy consultation. In fact, WB has encouraged and supports the inclusion of

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LNGOs in the consultation process. However, the cooperation in project implementation is not significant. WB in Vietnam has small grant program for poverty reduction that LNGOs can apply. However, there is no sign of cooperation between LNGOs and WB in larger scale projects. The limited capacity and lack of Government’s recognition are likely the main reasons that LNGOs could not involve in WB projects.

10. General Considerations for Promoting Cooperation with NGOs

The perspective of the Government on cooperation with NGOs varies among different types of NGOs. The roles of MOs in poverty reduction activities will be strengthened, especially in rural microcredit and community agricultural extension. The government also maintains the cooperation with INGOs in poverty reduction at local level. However, the government will pay careful attention to activities of INGOs in sensitive regions such as the central highland, where some extremists, with supports from foreign elements, have organized anti-government activities in March 2001.

There is no consideration to promote the cooperation between Government and LNGOs. The study has reviewed latest policies of Vietnam including the document of the 9th Congress of the Party, and did not find evidences that the position of LNGOs will be promoted in the coming decade. The government welcomes the contribution of LNGOs in social development but limits their activities in less-sensitive sectors such as community mediation and environment protection.

The World Bank maintains their supports to include NGOs, especially LNGOs and CBOs in the policy consultation and project implementation process. However, the government reserves strong power to give final decision on the issue of promoting cooperation with NGOs.

11. Existing Mechanisms for NGO-WB Cooperation

There are several mechanisms for NGO-WB cooperation in Vietnam. WB and the government have co-chaired many policy consultation forums such as CG meetings, PWG and PTF. Additionally, WB cooperates with government institutions such as General Statistic Office (GSO) and the National Strategic Economic Institute to improve the quality of data collection and macro-economic policy research.

Apart from policy consultation, WB also cooperates with the government in project implementation. WB has funded key national poverty alleviation programs such as the “5-million hectare reforestation program” and the

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National Hunger Eradication and Poverty Reduction (better known as the 135 program).

12. Existing Mechanisms for NGO-WB-GO Cooperation

The cooperation among NGO-WB-GO is mainly in policy consultation. The most effective mechanism for NGO-WB-GO collaboration is PWG, which was initiated by the Bank. Members of PWG groups include key government institutions, WB and donor community, and key INGOs. In 1999, the Annual Country Report of the based was based on two essential inputs, which are the products of PWG (Vietnam: Attacking Poverty, and Vietnam Living Standard Survey). The performance of PWG has been highly appreciated by the Government and international community. Following is an example of appreciation on the good work of PWG.

“there has been a considerable amount of qualitative information on poverty produced in Vietnam over the past 8-10 years, (but) it has rarely grabbed the attention of policymakers who have tended to view such information as “unscientific” and lacking in credibility. By contrast, the PPAs implemented in 1999 have been widely circulated, used and quoted. It is possible to identify a number of factors, which have profoundly influenced the potential to use this participatory research for both program development and policy formulation. These include:

F Leadership and a significant commitment of resources – financial and other – by the World Bank and other donors; F Excellent technical capacity and strong relationships with local communities and local authorities

in the PPA agencies, combined with an eagerness to engage at the national policy level and to commit resources for this purpose; and F A strong emphasis on ensuring Government ownership of the PPAs through the mechanism of

the Poverty Working Group (PWG)”12.

In the CG meeting in December 1999, the Prime Minister of Vietnam also highly appreciated these first products of PWG. He told the Bank and related government institutions to produce a synthesis version of Vietnam: Attacking Poverty to distribute national-wide. As a result, the report Voice of the Poor was published in both English and Vietnamese language. The government also asked PWG to cooperate with MoLISA to produce the comprehensive poverty reduction strategy. Apart from PWG, the World Bank also initiated Poverty Task Force, an extended version of the PWG, which include key LNGOs. In the process of formulating the I-PRSP, TFP has played active role in contributing

12 Linking Participatory Poverty Assessments to Policy, Carrie Turk, World Bank Vietnam

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comments. At present, TFP are preparing comments for the formulation of national development targets in the 2001-2010 period.

IV. Repondents’ Views on Information and Transparency

13. NGOs in Vietnam

The results of interviews and questionnaire survey show that information sharing between NGOs and the Bank is properly managed. The World Bank staff responsible for poverty reduction contact NGOs regularly. The most popular reasons for contacting NGOs focus on information sharing such as to discuss the involvement of NGOs in specific Bank process, provide information about Bank activities and request information from NGOs. All NGOs agreed that they have been invited to go to information sharing meetings as well as to participate in development of specific Bank policy. On average, the percentage of focus topics of meeting between Bank and NGOs is presented in Table 2.

As can be seen in Table 2, during the last twelve months, the meeting between NGOs and the Bank has focused on a wide range of issues. However, the specific development process, particularly the I-PRSP formulation process has received the most attention. In addition to meeting and workshops, the Bank and NGOs have arranged many face-to-face meetings to discuss the concern topics into more details.

All NGOs involved in this research agreed that they have easy access to information from the Bank through mailing and public information center. Additionally, the Bank also provides information upon request.

Table 2: Main topics in NGO-WB meeting in the last 12 months

Topics Percentage

General information about Bank activities 10.00

Specific policy development process 46.67

Specific Bank funded project under development 10.00

Topic in a conference or workshop 23.33

Specific sector (health, agricultural etc) 10.00

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Source: survey questionnaire

14. World Bank

Similar to NGO's view, the Bank staff also confirmed that information sharing and transparency between WB and NGOs is commendable. Responsible staff of the Bank contacts NGOs on a regular basis. Main focuses of these contacts are to provide information about Bank activities and to discuss the involvement of NGO in a specific Bank activity.

In terms of information dissemination, the Bank staff also distributes Bank's reports systematically to NGOs and CSOs. Most of the reports are translated to Vietnamese. Apart from Bank's report, the Bank has a public information center that everyone can have access to; most of the documents at this center are free or subsidized sale. Additionally, the Bank also provided information upon request of NGOs and other CSOs.

15. Government of Vietnam

Government officials involved in this research confirmed that NGOs were invited to meetings and workshops on WB-related issues. The focused topics of Government-NGO meetings are to formulate Bank-funded projects; discuss on sectoral issues such as health and agricultural; and discuss about topics in workshops or meetings. More importantly, direct interviews show that local government has more frequent and closer contacts with NGOs.

Regarding transparency, Government agencies do not provide information to NGOs since it is not included in their political tasks. However, there are a good trend that more confidential documents of the Government are published so that everyone can get access to.

V. Respondents’ Views on Consultative Process

16. NGOs in Vietnam

According to NGOs in this study, the Bank invited NGOs to involve in the process of developing the I-PRSP. Most of them have involved in several consultations. In each consultation, NGOs were given draft copies of the document several days before the consultation so that they have sufficient time to study the drafts and prepare comments. The consultations are normally taken in the form of meeting and workshop.

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NGOs also admitted that, the Bank and Government also include primary stakeholders in consultation. Typical example for the consultation of primary stakeholders is the Participatory Poverty Assessment (PPA). This is a qualitative process conducted by PWG, where a lot of interviews and discussions with CBOs, local MOs and the poor themselves were taken.

As mentioned before, the Government takes the lead in the process of preparing the I-PRSP. It welcomes all comments and suggestions from NGOs and other stakeholders. However, the Government will give the final decision on whether or not consultation results are translated into policy. According to NGOs there are only little changes between drafts of I-PRSP as the results of consultations with NGOs and civil organizations.

17. World Bank

The World Bank officials involved in this study satisfy with the results of policy consultative process. The Bank has tried to include wide consultation into policy making process through PWG and PTF. The Bank staff also admitted that the government has made significant steps towards the inclusion of grass-roots stakeholders in the consultation process. CBOs have a chance to bring their voice to the I-PRSP formulation process, although it was done through the mediation of INGOs and donors. According to WB officials, a lot of efforts must be spent to include LNGOs and primary stakeholders in formal consultation process.

18. Government of Vietnam

The Government officials also confirmed that NGOs are invited by the Government to consultations. Many of them have contributed valuable comments and the Government has considered few comments to put in the policy. Government officials claimed that operation scale of NGOs is too small, thus, some comments may be too specific, which is very hard to integrate into the macro-economic framework of I-PRSP. More importantly, Government officials admitted that in the near future, NGOs, especially LNGOs will be included in more formal consultations. Also, according to a government official, the comprehensive legal framework to regulate LNGOs will be launched sooner or later.

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VI. Respondents’ Views on Project Engagement

19. NGOs in Vietnam

According to NGOs, they have some chances to engage in some processes of development projects funded by donors and executed by the Government. The key factors that enable the involvement of NGOs in development work include the credibility of NGOs though working groups involving donor and government such as PWG; the connection with ministries at central level though dialogues. Additionally, some NGOs also argued that the Government has started to change its attitude to NGOs.

20. World Bank

The Bank staff confirmed that the Government support NGOs and other CSOs to participate in Bank-funded initiatives and Government-sponsored development processes. The Bank needs to get an agreement with the Government and made a clear guideline from the Government for NGOs/CSOs to involve in specific project activities. Additionally, the Bank also shared experiences with Government and invited NGOs to attend workshops or seminars, where they can have their voices and influences on Government-sponsored development process.

21. The Government of Vietnam

Government officials stated that NGOs have roles in the process of formulating development projects sponsored by the Government as well as in Bank-funded development work. Government officials also gave credit to NGOs in terms of expertise, organized and ethical.

VII. Respondents’s Views on the Context for Engagement

22. NGOs in Vietnam

Most NGOs assess the legal environment for NGOs to engage the government is enough. NGOs can register with the Government to operate legally. The legal environment for LNGOs to operate include Decree 35/CP on the establishment of scientific and social research association; and, the recently-launched Decree No 177/1999 on "Promulgating the Regulation on Organizations and Operations of Social Funds and Charity Funds”.

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The political environment is encouraging for INGOs and MOs to participate in the process. However, LNGOs is still facing careful attitude from the Government. LNGOs have not ensured a position in the formal, direct consultation process. Luckily, there are signals for improvement. The inclusion of LNGOs in PTF is the best example for this trend.

23. World Bank

Generally, the Bank staff agreed with the NGOs representatives that the legal environment for NGOs in Vietnam is satisfactory. According to the Bank's staff, the freedom of association and freedom of speech is fair enough and the Government is respected. Also, NGOs can register and operate legally in Vietnam.

Technical aspect is also essential for NGOs to involve in Government-sponsored development work. The Bank gives credit to NGOs in terms of their efforts in working closely with community; well organize and transparency; and skills in mobilizing the community for development.

24. The Government of Vietnam

According to Government officials, NGOs can register with related agencies to operate legally. However, there is no official legislation related to LNGO. Actually, the Government does not want to launch a comprehensive legal framework for LNGOs and CSOs until their pro-poor attitude and capacity are proven. Good results in consultation for I-PRSP have fastened the steps towards the process of full recognition and receptivity for LNGOs.

VIII. Examples of Joint NGO-GO-WB Projects

As mentioned before, the collaboration among NGOs, WB and government in project implementation is limited. INGOs and LNGOs have collaborated with local government in implementing development projects at local level. However, there is no evidence of collaborating with central government at national level. MOs have closer relationship with the government but in development projects, MOs play the role of assigned agencies to implement some components rather than partners of the government.

The collaboration between WB and NGOs is also focused mainly on policy consultation. There is no evidence of joint projects between WB and NGOs. LNGOs and CBOs can apply for the small grant program of WB, however, the WB plays the role of a donor rather than a partner in the projects that LNGOs and CBOs implemented with grant from WB.

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Similarly, none of NGO involves in this study ever participate in WB-funded government-led projects. Key stakeholders in these projects are mainly government institutions and foreign consultancy firms if required by WB. Government officials interviewed in this study also felt that it is inappropriate for NGOs to participate in government or WB projects.

Overall, this study did not discover any joint projects among WB, NGO and the Government. However, NGOs community wish to collaborate with government and WB in formulating projects in order to avoid conflict and overlapping.

IX. Conclusions and Recommendations

25. Conclusions

a) Summary of Findings

In this report the definition of NGOs in Vietnam include three main groups MOs, LNGOs and INGOs. MOs were created and developed during the struggle of the nation for independence and now for its social-economic development. They have close linkage with the Government from central to grass-roots level. Additionally, MOs have mass number of members and nation-wide network. MOs have mandate in the process of policy formulation. However, personnel capacity is still the biggest constraint for MOs to engage in the process.

LNGO is a relatively new phenomenon in Vietnam. Despite there is no special legal framework regulating their operations, the number of LNGOs has increased significantly in the last few years. Main strengths of LNGOs include expertise in specific sectors and working close with community. However, the LNGO community is not very strong in transparency and solidarity. Additionally, the lack of Government’s recognition and concentration on project-to-project approach have constrained the involvement of LNGOs in policy development. Despite all the constraints, LNGOs has contributed significantly to the poverty reduction process of Vietnam, especially at the local level.

Not until the doi moi policy was launched, some key INGO started their operation in the country. The INGO community has shown their strong and long-term commitment to poverty reduction in Vietnam. The main strengths of INGOs include solid international expertise and practical experience and strong funding base. Furthermore, INGOs have close linkage with donors and the Government. INGOs play the key role in various working groups such as PWG and TFP, where they also brought

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comments and suggestions of CBOs and some LNGOs for policy development process to consultations. INGOs also promote the involvement of LNGOs in the policy dialogues.

The relationship between Government and MOs is very strong. Members of MOs are present in Governmental bodies from central level to local level. All staffs of MOs receive salary from the Government budget. Also, MOs have easy chance to involve in development work sponsored by the Government. In contrast, the relationship between MOs and World Bank is not very strong. According to MOs involved in this research, they do not have much contact with the Bank. Thus, they do not have much information about Bank’s activities and policies.

LNGOs do not have close relationship with the government. They have not got a position in formal dialogues with the Government and donors such as PWG and CG meeting. The legal status for LNGOs to operate is not yet clear. However, there are some signs for improvement. Key LNGOs are invited to PTF to discuss the development of policy. The relationship between LNGOs and World Bank, in contrast, is quite open. Most LNGOs have regular contact with the Bank to get update with information on Bank’s policies and specific activity. Additionally, the Bank’s have public information center, where every one can access; and of course all NGOs have made the best use of this center. Key LNGOs have also involved in the Bank-funded initiatives.

The relationships among Government, INGOs and the Bank are very strong. All three parties have agreed to strengthen their partnership in poverty reduction, which has become the central point in their policies. PWG is the best example for the Government-INGOs-World Bank partnership. PWG has produced several quality products for policy development such as PPAs, VLSS and the Comprehensive Poverty Reduction Strategy. PWG also play significant role in the development of the I-PRSP.

In short, NGOs are known as in the best position to work with the poor at grassroots level and the help them build self-reliance. The main strengths of LNGOs and INGOs include working close with the community, expertise in key development sectors, flexibility in implementing development programs, cost-effectiveness (low overhead cost), and especially strong commitment to poverty reduction. Meanwhile, MOs have strengths in close links with the Government and strong network across the nation. The partnership between Government-Donor, NGOs and other CSOs have performed well in poverty reduction process during the last few years. However, the existence and performance of LNGOs and CBOs have not been officially recognized by the Government. Thus, they have not got a chance to involve in formal and direct consultation for

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policy development. However, at local level, there are many examples of good partnership between government and LNGOs/CBOs.

b) Role of World Bank in promoting NGO-Government Co-operation

Being a co-ordinating body in official development aid, the Bank has played a significant role in enhancing the partnership between Government-NGO. The Bank has taken initiatives to bring Government agencies, donors and key INGOs together in PWG. The first product of PWG (Vietnam: Attacking Poverty) is considered as a key document in international aid and development support delivery.

The World Bank has also tried to strengthen the partnership of Government and LNGOs and has received gradual improvement. In June 2000, the Bank and the Government co-chaired the NGO-Donor meeting prior to the mid-year CG meeting. Some key LNGOs were invited to attend the meeting. However, in the last minute the Government decided that it is not appropriate for LNGOs to participate in this meeting; MOs were invited instead.

Additionally, the Bank has initiated the PTF, an expended group of PWG to include LNGOs and MOs in consultations.

26. Recommendations

It is admitted that the existing partnerships among Government, NGOs and World Bank are pretty good in Vietnam. However, there is still ample room for improvement. Based on the findings from survey questionnaires, direct interviews and desk reviews, the research team proposes following suggestions to improve the WB-NGO-GO co-operation.

For Government:

1. Undertake a throughout study on the performance of LNGOs in the country to create the basis for the development of full legal framework that serves as an enabling environment for the operations of LNGOs. This framework will assist LNGOs mobilize more resources for development and poverty reduction, and strengthens the advantages of LNGOs on expertise, close linkages with the community and cost-effectiveness. In section of strengths of LNGOs, it is explained that LNGOs have expertise in particular sectors; working close with the community; and cost-effectiveness, especially low overhead cost. Therefore, the full legal framework will exploit these strengths of LNGOs in poverty reduction activities. Also, the official legal

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framework will help Government to manage better the operation of LNGOs.

2. Undertake a thorough study on the performance of CBOs in the country to create the basis for the development of full legal framework that serves as an enabling environment for the operations of CBOs. This framework will in the same directions to CBOs as to LNGOs.

3. Strengthen the involvement of LNGOs and other civil society organizations in policy development process. This can be done by making separate forum for LNGOs in the consultation process.

4. Promote the involvement of primary stakeholders in the policy development process.

5. Create opportunities for LNGOs to engage in development projects sponsored by the Government.

6. Establish a mechanism to involve LNGOs, CBOs, INGOs in the policy formulation.

For LNGOs:

1. While working at the grass-roots level, a proper record-keeping system would be helpful for policy advocacy.

2. Strengthen the network of LNGOs in terms of organizations and operations for solidarity, co-operation and transparency. A resource center, which is similar to NGO-Resource Center operated by the international NGOs could be a model to be considered.

3. Strengthen the capacity in policy research and dialogue with governments, especially at the national level;

4. Develop a linkage with INGOs in building and strengthening local capacity in policy dialogues with donors and the government. Resource from INGOs should be tapped for building advocacy capacity.

5. Continue to improve capacity for CBOs and MOs at grass-roots level to ensure local ownership in development process. Because of their close linkage with the Government, these organizations have better chance to involve in policy development process at the local level.

For MOs:

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1. Improve partnership with LNGOs and INGOs as well as donors in project engagement and policy development.

2. Improve the personnel capacity in project management skills.

For INGOs:

1. Assist LNGOs to build the capacity in policy research and dialogue with central Government.

2. Establish a network of INGOs and LNGOs to improve information sharing and transparency among the NGO community.

For Donors: 1. Explore the mechanism for civil society organizations to engage in

monitoring and evaluating the impacts of the development programs, which are funded by donors and implemented by the government.

2. In collaboration with the government, the donors should device a mechanism to involve NGOs in policy dialogues.

3. Develop an education program for the public, particularly for NGOs, on the instruments donors use in their lending program.

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X. BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. World Bank (2000), A Progress Report on the Country Assistance Strategy of the World Bank Group, 1999-2002, Hanoi, September 2000

2. Adam McCarty (2001), Governance Institutions and Incentive Structures in Vietnam, paper presented at the conference on “Building Institutional Capacity in Asia”, Jarkata, 21 March, 2001

3. Comprehensive Development Framework Discussion Papers, RDSC’s Collection from the World Bank E-discussion series on CDF, 2000

4. Entering the 21th Century: Partnership for Development, Vietnam Development Report 2001, PWG, December 2000

5. Ho Chi Minh City – A Participatory Poverty Assessment Save the Children (UK) in partnership World Bank and DFID (UK), November 1999

6. Hunger Eradication and Poverty Reduction Strategy in the 2001-2010 Period, MoLISA, Hanoi, November 22, 2000

7. Interim-Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, Ministry of Planning and Investment, various drafts

8. Koos Neefjes (2000), Comments on the Comprehensive Development Framework: A Research Evaluation Concept Paper, Oxfam Hong Kong.

9. Koos Neefjes (2000), The Comprehensive Development Framework and Interim-Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper in Vietnam, Oxfam Hong Kong.

10. Management Training Needs of Social Development Organizations in Vietnam. Prepared by Dang Ngoc Quang, Rural Development Services Center, for Foundation for International Training.- Nov 1998.

11. Minutes of Poverty Task Force Meeting (PTF), 10 May 2000

12. Minutes of Sapa Workshop, PTF, July 2000

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13. Minutes of the Round Table Discussion on Rural Social Development Strategies for Vietnam, December 1999

14. Non-Governmental Organizations in Bank-supported Projects, the World Bank, Washington DC, 1998

15. Steve Godfrey and Tim Sheehy (2000), Civil Society Participation in Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, Vol. 1, 3, SGTS & Associates.

16. Vietnam- Attacking Poverty: World Development Report 2000 Joint Report of the Government of Vietnam/Donor/NGO Poverty Working Group, Consultative Group Meeting for Vietnam, December 14-15, 1999

17. Vietnam Public Expenditure Review, Vol. 1: Main Report, Join Government of Vietnam-Donor Working Group, December 2000

18. Voices of the Poor - Synthesis of Participatory Poverty Assessments, World Bank and DFID (UK) in partnership with Action Aid Vietnam, Oxfam (GB), Save the Children (UK) and Vietnam-Sweden MRDP, November 1999

19. Linking Participatory Poverty Assessments to Policy, Carrie Turk, World Bank Vietnam, 2000