The Asia Foundation

Panel discussion featuring Dr. Bruce Tolentino, The Asia Foundation's Director, Economic Reform and Development; Dr. Veronique Salze-Lozac'h, The Asia Foundation's Regional Economic Director in Cambodia; Dr. Eddy Malesky, Harvard Academy Fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs; and Dr. Neil McCulloch, The Asia Foundation's Director for Economic Programs in Indonesia. The panel discussed the Economic Governance Index, a tool pioneered and designed by the Foundation and used by local governments to determine how best to encourage private sector development in Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.

Provide scholarships for 140 disadvantaged girls in three provinces of Nam Dinh, An Giang and Can Tho to complete primary and secondary education, through Center for Raising the Intellectual Standard of People; Vietnamese Association for Promoting and Supporting Educational Development.

Acquisition and distribution of 30,738 books and journals to 122 schools, universities, public libraries, and other institutions throughout Vietnam.

Local Partners:

National Library of Vietnam

Supporting the third dialogue in a series focusing on regional economic architecture in East Asia, political trends in the region, and effective regional coordination of nontraditional security issues, disaster relief, and humanitarian aid.

Local Partner:

China Institute of International Studies

Strengthening Vietnam's civil society and developing its capacity to mobilize public participation and engage with government in policy and lawmaking processes.

Local Partners:

Centre for Community Empowerment (CECEM); Center for Education Promotion and Empowerment for Women; Institute for Social Studies; Institute for Research and Consulting on Policy, Law and Development (PLD); Training Center for Elected Representatives/Office of National Assembly; Research and Action Center for Community (REACOM); Viet Nam Environment and Sustainable Development Institute; Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment

Assisting the publication of a work of research reviewing U.S.-Vietnam relations, 1994-2010.

Local Partners:

Institute of American Studies; Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences

Support for research to improve the competitiveness of firms in the garment, seafood, and electronic product industries in Vietnam.

Local Partner:

Central Institute for Economic Management

Supporting an assessment of how citizens' petitions are received and processed by relevant government agencies to inform the development of decrees guiding the implementation of the Law on Complaints.

Local Partner:

Government Inspectorate

Supporting two public consultation workshops on the draft Law on Access to Information.

Local Partner:

Ministry of Justice

Supporting a comprehensive update of the National Assembly's Dự Thảo Online, a website portal dedicated to gathering public review and feedback of draft laws and ordinances into a more user-friendly information and policy support instrument.

Local Partner:

Office of the National Assembly

Supporting an assessment of the effectiveness of the implementation of the government's Nong Thon Moi (New Countryside) program in Nam Dinh province.

Local Partner:

Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development; Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Rural Development Center

Improving the quality of support to victims of trafficking through the development of national minimum standards for victims' care, integrating safe migration and anti-trafficking messages into secondary schools' activities, and building safe migration and human trafficking issues into teacher training programs in the Mekong Delta.

Local Partners:

Research Center of Educational Technology (RECEET); Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs

Assisting the publication of a collected work on the ideals and models of universities around the world to contribute to the ongoing discussion in Vietnam on higher education reform.

Local Partner:

Knowledge Publishing House

Supporting the development of methodology for and piloting a rural public service index to assess the quality of the provision of public services in rural areas.

Local Partners:

Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development; Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Rural Development Center

Supporting scholarships for over 300 disadvantaged girls to attend and complete high school in Nam Dinh, An Giang, Hau Giang, and Can Tho provinces.

Local Partner:

Center for Raising the Intellectual Standard of People

An event to release Asia Foundation book on Strengthening Local Economic Governance In Asia: Experience and Innovations, featuring case studies on Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and the Philippines.

Building effective and sustainable disaster response in Vietnam by developing the disaster preparation and response capacity of small and medium enterprises and promoting disaster-related corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Local Partners:

Centre for Education and Development; Da Nang Young Entrepreneurs Association; Vietnam Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Assistance to the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam to support American Studies and the network of American Studies scholars in Vietnam through the preparation and publication of a comprehensive American Studies Reader, and the organization of a workshop on American Studies.

Local Partner:

Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam

Supporting CSOs to implement innovative, market-based economic development models to generate income and employment in distressed rural areas, and to deliver critical social services to urban poor and migrant labor populations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Local Partners:

Center of Education Development; Centre for Environment and Community Development; Center of Education Development (CED); Environment Communication & Community Development Association (ECCDA); Ho Chi Minh City Child Welfare Foundation (HCWF); Institute for Community Health and Development (LIGHT); Institute for Research and Consulting on Policy, Law and Development (PLD); Southern Center for Support and Development of Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises (SOCENCOOP); Vietnam Rural Industries Research and Development Institute (VIRI); Worker Support Foundation

Support for research examining the effects of governmental decentralization on select key public services in urban areas to contribute to the government's ongoing effort to improve urban governance.

Local Partners:

Institute of State Organizational Sciences; Ministry of Home Affairs

Support for research to identify best provincial economic governance practices on transparency and access to information.

Local Partner:

Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Third U.S.-China-Vietnam Trilateral Dialogue in Annapolis, Maryland, examining the regional architecture of East Asia, political and security issues, and efforts at effective regional coordination of disaster relief and humanitarian assistance.

Supporting 100 disadvantaged young women to pursue undergraduate studies in science and technology through a 5-year scholarship program.

Local Partner:

Center for Education and Development

The third of three dialogues for Vietnamese scholars and experts to meet with their Chinese and American counterparts to discuss issues of common interest and concern to the three nations.

Local Partner:

Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam

Providing funding and mentoring support for the development and implementation of eight winning entries in a national contest for youth-led environment initiatives.

Local Partners:

Center of Education Development; Ministry of Education and Training; Vietnam National Institute of Educational Studies

Baseline research on philanthropy and fundraising in Vietnam.

Vocational training and job placement in local restaurants or hotels for 18 poor and disadvantaged women in Can Tho City.

Technical and financial support for poor women and women with HIV/AIDS in the northern mountainous province of Phu Tho and in Hanoi to set up their own cooperatives.

Training program on public participation, mobilization, and policy advocacy for local civil society organizations (CSOs); Training based on training of trainers approach to approximately 200 local CSOs nationwide.

Scholarships for 348 disadvantaged girls in four provinces of Hau Giang, Nam Dinh, An Giang, and Can Tho to complete high school.

Research on the competitiveness of exporting firms in Vietnam with a focus on three industries—garments, seafood, and electronic products. Findings from the research will contribute to CIEM’s effort to recommend strategic policies and supporting measures to the government that will help facilitate Vietnam’s sustainable growth and development.

Applying prevention-focused, community-based environmental management (CBEM) approaches to reduce river pollutants.

Developing models of eco-tourism and community-based tourism in Hanoi’s Ba Vi district, with the goal of generating employment opportunities for the local poor who have been strongly affected by the recent economic crisis.

Raising awareness for local people in buffer zone of Phong Dien Nature Conservation on managing, conserving, and using natural resources effectively; Formulating a local regulation (specifically, a regulation on sustainable management, use, and conservation of non-wood forest products) and institutionalizing activities of management, use, and conservation of natural resources in the buffer zone; Enhancing the effectiveness of the project activities by sharing experiences and duplicating the successful models to the neighboring communes.

Increasing the quality of care and support for victims of trafficking through development of national minimum standards to protect victims of trafficking.

Technical assistance to the Rural Development Center (RUDEC) for the development of a composite rural public service index; Training course on quantitative research (methods, techniques, and applied statistics) to enhance the capacity of the RUDEC research team; Multi-purpose data and research resource center for an extensive user community—including researchers, students, lecturers, social workers, and policymakers in Vietnam—to facilitate evidence-based analysis for research, policymaking, and social development programs.

National research grant competition for Vietnamese scholars under the age of 45 working on issues related to the U.S.; Symposium under the theme “Vietnam – U.S. Relations: Towards a Brighter Future” in Hanoi; Compiling the first-ever general reader on American Studies to support teaching of the subject at the university level; Workshop on American Studies to encourage networking and information-sharing among American studies lecturers and scholars across Vietnam.

Study to examine the current legal framework and practices in handling land-related complaints and petitions since the Land Law 2003 came into effect, including an assessment of actual law implementation in nine selected provinces; Findings on legal issues, practices models, and mechanisms to resolve land-related petitions presented at three provincial round-table discussions.

Enhancing the efforts of CSOs to deliver critical social services to people severely affected during the global economic crisis, focusing on the needs of migrant labor and the urban poor.

Two consultative workshops on election laws in Thanh Hoa province and Da Nang city—Electing the National Assembly Deputies and the People’s Councils Deputies at the Same Time: Issues to be Resolved and Improving The Legal Status of the Unified Election of the National Assembly Deputies and People’s Councils Deputies: A Step Forward in the Renovation Process of the Election Regime in Vietnam.

Study of the current mechanism for handling administrative complaints in Vietnam; Inputs to the draft Law on Petition; Disseminating findings to a wide range of government authorities involved in the drafting process to serve as a basis for public policy debates.

Training program on nonprofit sector governance for local CSOs; Training based on training of trainers approach to approximately 200 local CSOs nationwide; Comprehensive e-bulletin serving the increasing information-sharing and outreach needs of the civil society community and related networks.

Finalization and publication of Vietnam-U.S. Relations 1994-2010.

Assisting victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, as well as at-risk groups and/or disadvantaged women and girls, through provision of safe shelter, basic needs such as food, clothing and medical treatment, provision of legal assistance, and provision of vocational training and educational opportunities for an economically secure future; Building capacity and cooperation among law enforcement, social service providers and community groups to protect victims’ rights and prosecute traffickers; Enabling LWU officials to participate in the ASEAN Confederation of Women’s Organizations 14th General Assembly and Conference, Enhancing Women’s Effective Participation Toward a Peaceful, Prosperous and Sustainable ASEAN Community, in Vietnam; Providing a computer, printer, and tables to facilitate the LWU’s work.

Eighteen-month pilot project to strengthen public library institutions and support public Internet access in three provinces of Vietnam: Thai Nguyen, Nghe An, and Tra Vinh. The project helps expand public access to information in rural areas and provides opportunities for Vietnamese citizens to improve their daily lives.

Expert meeting between the drafting committee and the National Assembly (NA) Committees and their respective technical departments and a consultative workshop with NA deputies, both on the Access to Information draft law.

Three-year Memorandum of Understanding with the National Library for donation and distribution of 120,000 books to Vietnamese libraries. In 2010, this included approximately 35,000 books that were provided to 113 provincial public libraries, universities, research organizations, government institutions, local NGOs, and the National Library; Three sets of computers for reader use.

Upgrading the website Du Thao Online to increase citizens’ access to information about the National Assembly and Vietnam’s lawmaking process, and their participation in the lawmaking process.

Series of public consultation activities in order to support the drafting committee to refine the current Draft Law on Administrative Litigation.

Pro-poor economic research in six provinces of the Mekong Delta region focusing on women and marginalized groups; Recommendations on regional strategies and practical local solutions to generate income and employment opportunities for the target groups; Regional workshop to disseminate findings and a position paper on new patterns of poverty to policymakers; Final report to be published and disseminated to the public; Study to develop a comprehensive rural public service index in Vietnam; In-depth research to map out a comprehensive picture of current rural public services; Developing a set of indicators and measurement methods for public service quality assessment; Constructing a comprehensive rural public service index.

Establishing and implementing two apprenticeship programs for social work students; Developing guiding materials for practicing skills in social work; Designing a social work field practice program for undergraduate social work students; Advocating for replication of the model to other universities/colleges and sites.

Ten training courses to enhance the cooperatives’ internal governance and agricultural production skills; Cooperative coaching program for five provinces on business strategy development, marketing, and brand development; Information network and database to facilitate market access and adaptation of cooperative operations to agricultural technological innovations; Public events and trade promotion activities to enhance linkages between value chain actors; Documenting the cooperative profiles and success stories for dissemination.

In-depth study on labor relations and an assessment of the motivations of the labor force leading to strikes in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai provinces; Meetings and workshops to engage policymakers during the research and dissemination of research results; Publication of final report including informed recommendations to improve the labor environment in Vietnam and protect workers’ rights.

Trainings for National Assembly members to enhance their knowledge and skills in consulting NGOs and constituencies in the lawmaking process; Integrating this knowledge and skills into TCER’s formal training agenda.

Support for environmental leaders from Laos, Thailand and Vietnam to participate in the Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program at the University of California, Berkeley.

Gathering public opinion through meetings, workshops, and roundtables for the development of an environmental tax law.

Mapping best practices in transparency and access to information which can be formulated into targeted technical assistance packages; Provincial workshops to deliver the packages to local governments and to disseminate best practices to support reforms in other localities; Web-based business survey to capture the state of the economy and business environment, and provide economic forecasts; Dissemination and outreach activities based on survey results to foster public-private consultation and partnerships in policy formulation and economic development.

Improving the environment in and around the To Lich River Basin of Hanoi; Researching the current status of To Lich river water and field studies in selected villages to gain an improved understanding of pollution loads on the river; Survey on perception and attitudes of communities living along the river; Suggesting appropriate solutions and priorities to restore water resources; Strengthening NGO, community, and business partnerships in the restoration and protection of water resources in Hanoi.

Practical awareness activities to educate primary pupils in Hanoi about environmental protection; Supporting a team of young Vietnamese to develop and produce a film on youth and the environment with examples from the U.S.

Reducing the vulnerability of communities in the Mekong Delta to human trafficking through safe migration education strategies.

Building capacity for local people in identification and utilization of their local resources to improve living standards and establishing management structures for community-based tourism (CBT) development; Improving basic tourism-related infrastructure and facilities of the craft villages; Increasing income and job opportunities for poor people by improving rural industries and CBT while establishing efficient marketing services and facilities; Sharing experience for the development of CBT to improve livelihoods in other areas of Bac Ninh province and throughout Vietnam.

Release of findings and recommendations of companion reports compiled in "America's Role in Asia: Asian and American Views," with public events in Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

A sociological research and assessment of emerging issues related to "Giving and Fund Raising in Viet Nam."

"Global Integration, Global Crisis: Challenges and Prospects for Vietnam's Development"

A panel discussion featuring the head of the business law department at Hanoi National University, director of research for the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program in Ho Chi Minh City, and The Asia Foundation's country representative in Vietnam. The panel provided insights into key challenges facing Vietnam's economy, legal reform and governance, and important factors in U.S.-Vietnam relations.

Acquisition and distribution of approximately 17,817 books to 105 provincial public libraries, universities, research organizations, and the National Library, in partnership with the National Library of Vietnam.

Providing marketable vocational training for 18 poor and disadvantaged women in Can Tho city; Support for job placement of these women in local restaurants or hotels.

Technical and financial support for poor women and women with HIV/AIDS in the Northern mountainous province of Phu Tho and in Hanoi to set up their own cooperatives.

A training program on public participation, mobilization, and policy advocacy for local civil society organizations (CSOs); Delivering training based on training of trainers approach to approximately 200 local CSOs nationwide.

Scholarships for 181 disadvantaged girls in four provinces of Hau Giang, Nam Dinh, An Giang, and Can Tho to complete high school education.

Study of the current mechanism for handling administrative complaints in Vietnam; Inputs to the draft Law on Petitions; Dissemination of findings to a wide range of government authorities involved in the drafting process to serve as a basis for public policy debates.

A pilot community-based environment management project to reduce pollution and restore quality to To Lich River along the stretch in Buoi ward, Tay Ho district, Hanoi.

Supporting the organization of a two-day workshop on American Studies at the College of Foreign Languages of Hue University, in which two American Studies scholars from Japan and China were invited to share their experiences in teaching and doing research on American Studies with 30 Vietnamese scholars.

Technical assistance to the Rural Development Center (RUDEC) in the development of a composite rural public service index; Training course on quantitative research (methods, techniques, and applied statistics) to enhance capacity of the RUDEC research team.

National research grant competition for Vietnamese scholars under the age of 45 working on issues related to the U.S. and widely advertised in universities and research institutes, with the five winning scholars selected by a distinguished selection committee.

Study to examine the current legal framework and practices in handling land-related complaints and petitions since the Land Law 2003 came into effect, including an assessment of actual law implementation in nine selected provinces; Findings on legal issues, practice models, and mechanisms to resolve land-related petitions to be presented at three provincial round-table discussions.

A social development website to enable information sharing and networking among Vietnamese CSOs; Establishing a comprehensive civil society database of local NGOs; Assessing non-profit sector training needs for follow-on training interventions and organizational capacity development; Training program on non-profit sector governance for local CSOs; Delivering training based on training of trainers approach to approximately 200 local CSOs nationwide.

Embroidery training and placement in a local company that produces and exports embroidery products to 35 young and disadvantaged girls and women in Nam Dinh province.

An 18-month pilot project funded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to strengthen public library institutions and support public Internet access in three selected provinces of Vietnam, including: Thai Nguyen, Nghe An and Tra Vinh. The project helps expand public access to information in rural areas and to provide opportunities for Vietnamese citizens to significantly improve their daily lives; Three-year Memorandum of Understanding with the National Library covering the period February 2009 to February 2012 for the donation and distribution of 120,000 books to Vietnamese libraries, in partnership with the Foundation's Books for Asia program.

A nonprofit sector governance guide for CSOs in Vietnam; Publishing and distributing approximately 1,000 handbooks to local CSOs.

Study tour for a delegation from the Vietnam Lawyers' Association, the National Assembly, the Ministry of Justice, and other civil society organizations to Korea; Meetings and consultations with counter-part offices to learn Korean experiences in enacting and implementing the Act on Information Disclosure.

Practical awareness activities to educate primary pupils in Hanoi about environmental protection through VNIES and RECET, working closely with the Hanoi Department of Education and Training (DOET), primary schools in Hanoi, and other organizations; Supporting a team of young Vietnamese to develop and produce a film on youth and the environment with examples from the U.S for public view in Vietnam.

Introducing anti-trafficking and safe migration education into the education curricula of select secondary schools and Community Learning Centers in An Giang and Kien Giang provinces in the Mekong Delta.

Pro-poor economic research in six provinces of the Mekong Delta region with a focus on women and marginalized groups; Formulating recommendations on regional strategies and practical local solutions to generate income and employment opportunities for the target groups; Regional workshop to disseminate findings and a position paper on new patterns of poverty to the policymakers; Publishing and disseminating the final report to the public. Study to develop a comprehensive rural public service index in Vietnam involving: in-depth research to map out a comprehensive picture of current rural public services, developing a set of indicators/indices and measurement methods for public service quality assessment and constructing a comprehensive rural public service index based on developed indicators and indices and pilot test in 3-4 provinces.

In-depth study on labor relations and an assessment of the motivations of the labor force leading to strikes in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai provinces; Meetings and workshops to engage policymakers during the research and disseminating research results; Publication of final report including informed recommendations to improve the labor environment in Vietnam and protect workers' rights.

Principal support to organize a two-part project called "Teaching American Studies in Vietnam - Reality and Solutions." At the end of 2008, a group of young lecturers and upperclassmen visited USSH/Hanoi to observe and discuss its multidisciplinary program in American Studies, followed by a networking workshop with lecturers and students from several universities taking part in an intensive experimental course in August 2009.

Research to map out best practices in transparency and access to information to be formulated into targeted technical assistance packages; Organizing provincial workshops to deliver the targeted assistance packages to local governments and disseminating best practices to support reforms in other localities; Developing a web-based business survey to regularly capture the state of the economy, business environment, and provide a forecast of economic outlook; Conducting dissemination and outreaching activities based on survey results to foster public-private consultation and partnership in policy formulation and economic development.

Improving the environment in and around To Lich River basin of Hanoi; Research on the current status of To Lich river water and field study in selected villages to gain an improved understanding of pollution loads on the river; Survey on perception and attitudes of communities and citizens living along the river; Recommending appropriate solutions and priorities to restore water resources; Strengthening NGO/community/business partnerships in the restoration and protection of the water resources in Hanoi.

A delegation of Vietnamese legal specialists to study Korea's experience in enacting and implementing its Act on Information Disclosure by public agencies and the role of civil society organizations.

Burn prevention education; Professional and skills training, as well as communication campaigns raising awareness for communities and improving skills and knowledge for local health workers and practitioners.

Convening a cross border workshop between Vietnam and Cambodia for 70 people coming from 12 border provinces from each side, different agencies from the two governments, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations.

Setting up community theatre groups, providing training to build their skills and support for rehearsals and performances; Support media to produce and air selected performances; Convene a series of discussions between Vietnam and Cambodia that will facilitate the exchange of information for effective cross-border cooperation.

Enhance capacity for the An Giang Vocational Training Center to provide necessary skills trainings on household services to disadvantaged girls and women in An Giang.

Five Korean development practitioners from government and NGO agencies were awarded fellowships to work in projects in developing Asian countries (Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam) for up to three months.

A sociological research and assessment of emerging issues related to “Giving and Fund Raising in Vietnam.”

Increase cooperation between Bac Ninh water supply and drainage company and Ranhill Water Utility Behard of Malaysia; Training courses and regional technical exchange on non-revenue water.

In partnership with the National Library of Vietnam, acquisition and distribution of 24,139 books and journals to 117 institutions including schools, universities, NGOs, government bodies, libraries, and medical institutions.

Setting up community theatre groups, providing training to build performance and operating skills for members, and support for rehearsals and performances; Support media to produce and air selected performances.

Introduce safe migration education to the school system; School surveys in Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, An Giang on school student awareness and understanding of safe migration issues; Set up local peer educator networks in each province and provide training for them on how to organize safe migration education campaigns in schools; Support school programs and activities; Develop a guide on how to conduct safe migration education activities and programs at school; Workshops to share lessons and experiences among schools in each province; Publications of sample modules on promoting safe migration in schools.

Scholarships for 140 disadvantaged girls in three provinces of Nam Dinh, An Giang, and Can Tho to complete primary and secondary education.

Study of the current mechanism for handling administrative complaints in Vietnam; Inputs to the draft Law on Petition; Dissemination of findings to a wide range of government authorities involved in the drafting process to serve as a basis for policy debate and consideration through workshops; Raising public awareness about administrative complaints.

Pilot community-based environment management project to reduce pollution and restore quality of To Lich river, the stretch in Buoi ward, Tay Ho district, Hanoi.

Community-based social network education and information-sharing; Provision of information, counseling, and referral services for migrants; Enhance legal education and legal aid for migrant women and children.

National research grant competition for Vietnamese scholars under the age of 45 working on issues related to the U.S. The call for proposals was widely advertised in universities and research institutes. The five winning scholars were selected by a distinguished selection committee.

The regional ECO-Asia program in Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam aims to increase access to clean water and sanitation for Asia's urban poor; to strengthen national- and local-level environmental governance capacity; and improve transboundary conflict in the lower watersheds of the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Vocational training assessment in An Giang province to make recommendations for policy and implementation changes to offer better vocational training assistance and work opportunities for young people in An Giang province.

Study to examine the current legal framework and practices in handling of land-related complaints and petitions; A review of legal documents relating to handling of land petitions since the Land Law 2003 came into effect; Assessment of actual law implementation in nine provinces; Three provincial round-table discussions to present findings and discuss best practices models and mechanisms to resolve land-related petitions.

Customer outreach development including customer service training, development of customer strategies and pilot customer campaigns; Sanitation pilot project with Halong City Peoples Committee and Halong Urban Environmental Management Company; Training courses with technical assistance from international experts and trainers; Regional exchanges for Quang Ninh staff.

Customer outreach development and other technical assistance.

Increase allocations of public resources for women’s needs at the local level; Survey on the budget allocation process at the local level to identify ways to enhance women’s and community participation in that process; Training on the budget allocation process, gender equality, and democracy exercises for women’s and community groups as well as local staff; Support to raise public officials’ awareness of the need to include the community and women in the budget allocation process; Raise awareness among local communities and women’s groups of the benefits of participation in the budget allocation process.

Development of social development website to enable information sharing and networking between civil society organizations and NGOs in Vietnam; Establishment of a comprehensive civil society database of local NGOs; Assessment of non-profit sector training needs for follow-on training interventions and organizational capacity development.

Demand-driven assistances to Tay Ninh and Hai Duong provinces to improve provincial economic governance including the development of a business portal, compilation of tax registration and declaration manuals for small and medium enterprises to reduce the compliance costs, capacity building for provincial Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Centers, and organization of policy dialogues with provincial leaderships to develop a broader reform agenda.

Development of Manual for Environmental Inspection;Nationwide trainings for environmental inspectors from 64 provinces in Vietnam; Support for the Vietnam Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in environmental compliance and enforcement.

Embroidery training and job placement for poor women in Nam Dinh province.

Essay contest, “Search for Cultural Ambassadors” asking Vietnamese students between the ages of 18-22 to summarize in 1,000 words or less their hopes for the future in Vietnam.

Setting up community theatre groups, providing training to build their skills, and support for rehearsals and performances; Support media to produce and air selected performances.

Development of a non-profit sector governance guide for civil society organizations and NGOs in Vietnam; Published and distributed approximately 1,000 handbooks to local NGOs.

Study tour for four offices: the Office of the Government, the Office of the President, the Office of the National Assembly, and the Office of the Party Central Committee, on institutional reform strategy, policy analysis and coordination, and Recruitment and training in similar offices/institutions in Korea and Singapore.

Study on the policy and incentives of the decentralization process in Vietnam with focus on Investment Law. The study, conducted in seven provinces with different demographical features (Vinh Phuc, Ha Tay, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa, Tien Giang, and Binh Duong) will provide an analysis of provincial budget structure aiming at improved understanding of the leadership incentives to undertake reform programs.

Pro-poor economic research in six provinces of the Mekong delta region with a focus on women and marginalized groups; Formulate recommendations on regional strategies and practical local solutions to generate income and employment opportunities for the target groups; Regional workshop to disseminate findings and a position paper on new patterns of poverty to the policymakers; Final report to be published and disseminated to the public; Study to develop a comprehensive rural public service index in Vietnam; In-depth research to map out a comprehensive picture of current rural public services; Set of indices and measurement methods for public service quality assessment; Comprehensive rural public service index based on developed indicators and indices and pilot test in three to four provinces.

In-depth study on labor relations and an assessment of the motivations of the labor force leading to strikes in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai provinces; Field survey and studies in Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces; Meetings and workshops to engage policymakers during the research and to disseminate research results; Final report including informed recommendations to improve the labor environment in Vietnam and protect workers’ rights.

Community-based surveys to help identify trafficking survivors and better understand the local nature of the trafficking problem in the province; Critical services to trafficking survivors (e.g., healthcare and life skills training); Raise public awareness to prevent trafficking; Enhance management capacity of local staff to assist their women members to access local credit sources.

Guide book to provide a set of essential skills for the functioning of commune People’s Council’s representatives. These include skills to oversee People’s Committee works, to supervise law and policy implementation in the communes, to communicate with local citizens, to handle administrative complaints, and to conduct public hearings.

Second conference in a series that examined regional challenges facing East Asia and constructive ways for the three nations to resolve regional problems such as the environment and transnational crime.

Partial support for USSH/HCMC’s Department of International Relations to organize the two-part project, “Teaching American Studies in Vietnam –Reality and Solutions.” At the end of 2008, a group of young lecturers and upperclassmen visited USSH/Hanoi to observe and discuss that institution’s multidisciplinary program in American Studies. This will be followed by a July 2009 workshop in which lecturers and students from several universities will take part in an intensive experimental course and share the results with the network.

Development of an American Studies program at the university level. Support includes providing faculty consultants, teaching materials, and textbooks (including translations of key texts into Vietnamese); long- and short-term training opportunities in the U.S. for selected faculty; and annual networking workshops to encourage networking and information-sharing among American Studies lecturers and scholars across Vietnam.

Fourth annual development of Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) which measures provincial performance in economic governance; Provincial diagnostics to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the province in question, in order to improve its PCI ranking; Development of two additional Infrastructure and ICT sub-indices.

Improve the environment in and around To Lich River basin of Hanoi; Research on the current status of To Lich river water and field study in selected villages to gain an improved understanding of pollution loads on the river; Survey on perception and attitudes of communities and citizens living along the river; Suggest appropriate solutions and priorities to restore water resources; Introduce appropriate safe agricultural cultivation methods using water from To Lich river to protect community health; Raise environmental awareness among selected target groups to restore water quality; Strengthen NGO, community, and business partnerships in the restoration and protection of the water resources in Hanoi.

Assessment of the current situation of legal aid providers in Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces; Enhance the capacity of its legal counseling network and the capacity and services of legal counseling offices in Hanoi, Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces; Disseminate experiences and information to other legal counseling centers and offices within its network through publication and distribution of 1,000 legal counseling handbooks.

Prevent burn accidents through prevention education and improvement of skills and knowledge for local health workers and practitioners; Raise citizen and community awareness of the danger and consequences of burn accidents; Improve knowledge and skills of local health workers to handle burn cases; Develop and publish a set of training materials on burn prevention education and treatment for communities as well as local health workers.

A delegation of Vietnamese officials, led by the Office of the National Assembly, visited Korea to study Korea's experience with public administration capacity building and economic and political transition.

A delegation of Vietnamese officials, led by the Office of the National Assembly, visited Korea to study Korea’s experience with public administration capacity building and economic and political transition.

Support a VUFO staff member to participate in an exchange program of the American Council of Young Political Leaders to the United States from July 19-August 1, 2008.

Training on safe migration, women’s legal rights, and labor rights for local educators at
the provincial level; Local training at district and commune levels in An Giang province;
Setting up community theatre groups, providing training to build their skills, and support
for rehearsals and performances; Support media to produce and air selected performances; Convene a series of discussions between Vietnam and Cambodia that will facilitate exchange of information for effective cross-border cooperation.

Under the EcoAsia project, ncrease cooperation between Bac Ninh water supply and drainage company and Ranhill Water Utility Behard of Malaysia to encourage cross sharing of information and client services; training courses and regional technical exchange over non-revenue water.

Three-year Memorandum of Understanding with the National Library covering donation and
distribution of 120,000 books. In 2007, this included approximately 40,000 books that were provided to provincial public libraries, universities, research organizations, and the
National Library.

Setting up community theatre groups, providing training to build performance and operating
skills for members, and support for rehearsals and performances; Support media to produce and air selected performances.

Develop training materials on how to migrate safely for women and workers recruited by labor export companies in An Giang, Quang Ninh, and Can Tho; Training for local trainers and communities on migration issues and labor rights; Training materials and pilot activities to increase women’s and community participation in the budgeting process in Thai Nguyen province; Training local authorities and people on gender issues, budget processes, and democracy exercises at the commune level; Workshops to discuss results of pilot activities.

Introduce safe migration education to the school system; Conduct school surveys in Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, and An Giang on school student awareness and understanding of safe migration issues; Set up local peer educator networks in each province; Train selected local peer educators; Support school programs and activities; Develop guide on how to conduct safe migration education activities/programs at school; Workshops to share lessons and experiences among schools in each province; Publications of sample modules on promoting safe migration in schools.

Study of the current mechanism for handling administrative complaints in Vietnam; Inputs  to the draft Law on Petition; Dissemination of findings to a wide range of government
authorities involved in the drafting process to serve as a basis for policy debate and
consideration through workshops; Raising public awareness about the topic.

Support under the Vietnam Environment Protection Agency to build capacity for an
Environmental and Health Impact Assessment of local development plans in selected sectors in Da Nang City.

Second trilateral conference on the relationship between China, the United States and
Vietnam.

Luncheon featuring The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in Vietnam, Dr. Kim Ninh. 
The focus of the discussion centered on achievements and challenges in the political,
economic, and social arenas in Vietnam.

A seven-year ECO-Asia program in Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam that aims to increase access to clean water and sanitation for Asia's urban poor; to strengthen national- and local-level environmental governance capacity; and improve transboundary conflict in the lower watersheds of the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Improving the current legal framework and building capacity for people’s inspection boards (PIBs) at the grassroots level: Consulting stakeholders on the drafting of regulations on PIBs; Improving PIB capacity through training on operational skills and techniques; Developing a model PIB at the commune level for later replication; Raising public awareness about PIBs via publication and dissemination of a guide book on how PIBs should be organized and operated.

Under the EcoAsia project, customer outreach development including customer-service training, development of customer strategies and pilot customer campaigns; Sanitation pilot project with Halong City Peoples Committee and Halong Urban Environmental Management Company; Training courses with technical assistance from international experts and trainers; Regional exchanges for Quang Ninh staff.

Under the EcoAsia project, assist water supply companies to efficiently and effectively address concerns of citizens and other technical assistance.

East Asia Community Building workshop; Support to further the establishment of a new Master of Arts program in American Studies.

Conduct in-depth research of the economic capacity and potential of the Mekong delta region; Formulate recommendations on regional strategies as well as practical local solutions to generate income and employment opportunities for disadvantaged groups in the region;
Disseminate findings to policy makers and the wider public via the Internet and media
outlets. 

Conduct series of demand-driven provincial reform activities in Tay Ninh and Hai Duong
provinces to improve provincial economic governance (i.e. development of a business portal, compilation of tax registration and declaration manuals for SMEs); Capacity building for provincial Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Centers and organization of policy dialogues with provincial leaderships to develop a broader reform agenda.

Development of Manual for Environmental Inspection; Nationwide trainings for environmental inspectorates from 64 provinces in Vietnam; Support for the Vietnam Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environmental in environmental compliance and enforcement.

Organization of workshop “Migrants and Social Related Issues” to review and discuss issues
related to labor migration in Vietnam; Publication of workshop proceedings and materials.

Prevent trafficking in women and children and enhance protection of victims of trafficking
through provision of improved legal aid services to trafficked victims. Increase in-country
coordination among government agencies and mass organizations tasked with victim protection, integration, and investigation.

Training on safe migration, women’s legal rights, and labor rights for local educators at
the provincial level; Local training at district and commune levels in Nghe An province;
Setting up community theatre groups, providing training to build their skills, and support
for rehearsals and performances; Support media to produce and air selected performances.

Development of a nonprofit sector governance guide for civil society organizations and NGOs
in Vietnam; Publish and distribute approximately 1,000 handbooks to local NGOs.

Study assessing the scope and effectiveness of citizen participation over the last two
decades and exploring ways to increase participation; Training manual for legislators
outlining basic concepts of public participation and offering strategies for seeking citizen
input; Web application to allow National Assembly members to solicit citizen opinions about draft legal documents via the Internet.

Conduct a study on policies and incentives of the decentralization process in Vietnam with a
focus on investment law; Research and analysis of the provincial budget structure aimed at
improving understanding of the leadership incentives to undertake reform programs.

Develop Transformation in Governance and Economic Reform (TIGER) program;
Formulate a technical working group consisting of national experts in several areas (e.g.,
general governance, law, land management, public finance, planning, etc.); Develop TIGER diagnostic tools for implementation in pilot provinces taking into account international best practices.

Essay contest, “Search for Cultural Ambassadors” asking Vietnamese students between the ages of 18-22 to summarize in 1,000 words or less their hopes for the future in Vietnam.

Setting up community theatre groups, providing training to build their skills, and support
for rehearsals and performances; Support media to produce and air selected performances.

In-depth study on labor relations and an assessment of the motivations of the labor force leading to strikes in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces; Field survey and studies in Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces; Meetings/workshops to engage policy makers during the research and disseminate research results; Final report including informed recommendations to improve the labor environment in Vietnam and protect workers’ rights.

Conduct community-based surveys to help identify trafficking survivors and better understand the local nature of the trafficking problem in the province; Provide critical services to trafficking survivors (e.g., healthcare and life skills training); Raise public awareness to
prevent trafficking; Enhance management capacity of local staff to assist their women
members to access local credit sources.

Setting up community theatre groups, providing training to build their skills, and support
for rehearsals and performances; Support media to produce and air selected performances.

Support five regional consultation workshops in Vietnam to review Decision No. 340 governing international NGO operations in Vietnam; Incorporate public opinion in revising the existing regulations to facilitate and support better working environments for international NGOs in Vietnam.

Increase allocations of public resources for women’s needs at the local level; Survey on the budget allocation process at the local level to identify ways to enhance women’s and
community participation in that process; Training on the budget allocation process, gender equality, and democracy exercises for women’s and community groups as well as local staff; Support to raise public officials’ awareness of the need to include the community and women in the budget allocation process; Raise awareness among local communities and women’s groups of the benefits of participation in the budget allocation process.

Development of an American Studies program at the university level. Support includes
providing faculty consultants, teaching materials and textbooks (including translations of
key texts into Vietnamese); long- and short-term training opportunities in the U.S. for
selected faculty; and annual networking workshops to encourage networking and
information-sharing among American Studies lecturers and scholars across Vietnam.

Continued development of the Third Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), which
measures provincial performance in economic governance; Conduct provincial diagnostics to
analyze the strengths and weaknesses of provinces in order to improve PCI rankings.

Supported the development of the Vietnamese prviate sector to accelerate the country's transition to a market-based economy. The Foundation provided technical and managerial leadership for the Provincial Policy Reform Portfolio, under which the pioneering Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) was implemented.

Improve the environment in and around To Lich River basin of Hanoi; Research on the current status of To Lich river water and field study in selected villages to gain an improved understanding of pollution loads on the river; Survey on perception and attitudes of communities and citizens living along the river; Suggest appropriate solutions and priorities to restore water resources; Introduce appropriate safe agricultural cultivation methods using water from To Lich river to protect community health; Raise environmental awareness among selected target groups to restore water quality; Strengthen
NGO/community/business partnerships in the restoration and protection of the water resources in Hanoi.

Support to the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor to assess the current situation of
legal aid providers in Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces; Enhance the capacity of its legal counseling network and the capacity and services of legal counseling offices in  Hanoi, Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces; Disseminate experiences and information to other legal counseling centers and offices within its network through publication and distribution of 1000 legal counseling handbooks.

Prevent burn accidents through prevention education and improvement of skills and knowledge for local health workers/practitioners; Raise citizen and community awareness of the danger and consequences of burn accidents; Improve knowledge and skills of local health workers to handle burn cases; Develop and publish a set of training materials on burn prevention education and treatment for communities as well as local health workers.

Prevent trafficking in women and children and increase effective women’s participation in
addressing this problem in Vietnam through prevention education and community monitoring support, vocational/technical training, business development and management training for at risk beneficiaries, provision of micro-credit, and strengthening Women’s Union program management capacity; Organize cross-border workshops with Cambodia and China to promote bilateral cooperation; Develop training materials on laws related to trafficking for VWU staff at all levels; Support legal training for VWU staff at the central and grassroots levels to improve their understanding of legal issues and enhance their capacity to participate in the policymaking process.