The Asia Foundation

Advancing Entrepreneurship and Economic Opportunities for Small and Medium Businesses

The Asia Foundation has a decades-long history of supporting broad-based economic growth across Asia through both public and private...

Advancing Entrepreneurship and Economic Opportunities for Small and Medium Businesses

The Asia Foundation has a decades-long history of supporting broad-based economic growth across Asia through both public and private channels. Through its Economic Development programs, the Foundation has assisted micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in accessing the legal information, financing, business services, and skills they need to enhance their competitiveness and profitability, thereby helping to create jobs and reduce poverty.

Hanoi, November 2011

A brief report on the standards in provision of services to victims of human trafficking. These draft Minimum Standards are part of the Preventing Human Trafficking and Protecting Victims in The Mekong...

Hanoi, November 2011

The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) has been working with The Asia Foundation to develop a set of National Minimum Standards on Victim Support as well as a Manual for Social Workers and...

Hanoi, November 2011

The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) has been working with The Asia Foundation to develop a set of National Minimum Standards on Victim Support as well as a Manual for Social Workers and Staff Providing Services for Victims of Human Trafficking. This documents has been developed with the following objectives:

i) To provide the best services and support for returnees to reintegrate into the community,

ii) to ensure that minimum standards of service provision are met;

iii) to provide information, knowledge, and basic skills for social workers and staff who support victims.

A comparative research project that provides an overview of civil society organizations (CSOs) in Vietnam. The research was carried out in Vietnam's two major metropolitan areas, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which are the bases for the majority...

A comparative research project that provides an overview of civil society organizations (CSOs) in Vietnam. The research was carried out in Vietnam's two major metropolitan areas, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which are the bases for the majority of Vietnamese CSOs. The research team selected fifty representative CSOs from each city, interviewing leaders of those organizations on multiple aspects of civil society operation and development. The findings focus on civil society governance, programmatic focus, operational approaches, forms of engagement with other sectors such as businesses and government, networking, and funding.

The Asia Foundation's Books for Asia program has operated in Vietnam since 1993 through a partnership with the National Library in Hanoi. The program provides high-quality educational materials to help improve the scientific knowledge of...

The Asia Foundation's Books for Asia program has operated in Vietnam since 1993 through a partnership with the National Library in Hanoi. The program provides high-quality educational materials to help improve the scientific knowledge of Vietnamese citizens, and to promote the development of various educational fields in Vietnam.

Now more than ever, disaster preparedness and risk reduction are essential to the sustained well-being and future development of communities throughout Asia and the Pacific. For over 17 years, The Asia Foundation has been helping communities...

Now more than ever, disaster preparedness and risk reduction are essential to the sustained well-being and future development of communities throughout Asia and the Pacific. For over 17 years, The Asia Foundation has been helping communities strengthen their resilience to natural disasters and the increasing threats from climate change. It is cultivating leadership among local and national governments, building the capacity of vulnerable communities, and engaging the private sector.

Detailed guidance and technical information for businesses to develop disaster preparedness and response plan. Part of the materials used for disaster risk management training for businesses in The Asia Foundation's USAID/OFDA sponsored...

Detailed guidance and technical information for businesses to develop disaster preparedness and response plan. Part of the materials used for disaster risk management training for businesses in The Asia Foundation's USAID/OFDA sponsored project in Vietnam.

Information and approaches to help businesses resume  operations more rapidly after a natural disaster. Part of the materials used for disaster risk management training for businesses in The Asia Foundation's USAID/OFDA sponsored project...

Information and approaches to help businesses resume  operations more rapidly after a natural disaster. Part of the materials used for disaster risk management training for businesses in The Asia Foundation's USAID/OFDA sponsored project in Vietnam.

(In Vietnamese) The "Agricultural Cooperatives Manual" is a product of an Asia Foundation project to enhance capacity of rural cooperatives to respond effectively to the economic and development needs of their communities conducted between...

(In Vietnamese) The "Agricultural Cooperatives Manual" is a product of an Asia Foundation project to enhance capacity of rural cooperatives to respond effectively to the economic and development needs of their communities conducted between 2010 and 2012. The manual includes an analysis of Vietnam's legal documents on cooperatives, development of agricultural cooperatives in Vietnam, and international models of agricultural cooperatives.

(In Vietnamese) The legal handbook is part of an Asia Foundation project to enhance the efforts of CSOs to deliver social services to vulnerable populations affected by the global economic crisis. This handbook provides migrant workers with...

(In Vietnamese) The legal handbook is part of an Asia Foundation project to enhance the efforts of CSOs to deliver social services to vulnerable populations affected by the global economic crisis. This handbook provides migrant workers with information on their rights, procedures, and contacts for support.

Since its inception in 2005, the Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) has been a critical tool for measuring and assessing the standards of economic governance in Vietnam's 64 provinces from the perspective of private sector...

Since its inception in 2005, the Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) has been a critical tool for measuring and assessing the standards of economic governance in Vietnam's 64 provinces from the perspective of private sector businesses. However, while the PCI has been influential in identifying issues that impact the enabling environment for private sector development, it cannot provide detailed feedback on what provincial governments can actually do to improve economic governance, and thereby support private sector development. In repeated conversations with provincial and national-level policy-makers, The Foundation has found that policy-makers are increasingly aware that there are governance problems at the provincial-level, but do not have the research and technical support to understand what specific reforms are most effective in improving the governance environment. The primary objective of the research is to map best practices in transparency/access to information that can be formulated into targeted technical assistance packages. The research includes both quantitative analysis of the PCI dataset and qualitative analysis of the case studies.

Since its inception in 2005, the Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) has been a critical tool for measuring and assessing the standards of economic governance in Vietnam's 64 provinces from the perspective of private sector...

Since its inception in 2005, the Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) has been a critical tool for measuring and assessing the standards of economic governance in Vietnam's 64 provinces from the perspective of private sector businesses. However, while the PCI has been influential in identifying issues that impact the enabling environment for private sector development, it cannot provide detailed feedback on what provincial governments can actually do to improve economic governance, and thereby support private sector development. In repeated conversations with provincial and national-level policy-makers, The Foundation has found that policy-makers are increasingly aware that there are governance problems at the provincial-level, but do not have the research and technical support to understand what specific reforms are most effective in improving the governance environment. The primary objective of the research is to map best practices in transparency/access to information that can be formulated into targeted technical assistance packages. The research includes both quantitative analysis of the PCI dataset and qualitative analysis of the case studies.

The global financial crisis has impacted negatively Vietnam's export and GDP growth, highlighting fundamental weaknesses in the country's economic structure and growth strategy. While export clearly will continue to play an important role in...

The global financial crisis has impacted negatively Vietnam's export and GDP growth, highlighting fundamental weaknesses in the country's economic structure and growth strategy. While export clearly will continue to play an important role in Vietnam's economic growth strategy, improving the competitiveness of exporting companies is crucial for Vietnam if the country is to enhance its export value and solve the trade deficit puzzle. The Foundation's assisted CIEM to research the competitiveness of exporting firms in Vietnam with a focus on three sectors: garments, seafood and electronic products. The research examines the characteristics, the nature and influencing factors affecting the competitiveness of the three selected sectors. The Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) is the leading research institute of the Ministry of Planning and Investment tasked with advising the government on economic policy. Findings from the research will contribute to recommendations to the government that will help facilitate Vietnam's sustainable growth and development.

In this issue: "Asia Foundation Hosts Australia's Foreign Minister in San Francisco," "Economist Cheng Siwei Is Asia Foundation Chang-Lin Tien Fellow, "David D. Arnold at The Economist's Banyan Conference," "2011 Survey of the Afghan People...

In this issue: "Asia Foundation Hosts Australia's Foreign Minister in San Francisco," "Economist Cheng Siwei Is Asia Foundation Chang-Lin Tien Fellow, "David D. Arnold at The Economist's Banyan Conference," "2011 Survey of the Afghan People Released in Kabul, Washington, New York, and London," "APEC 2011: Unleashing Women's Entrepreneurship in Asia," "Briefly Noted," "Featured Multimedia," "Remembering Robert Scalapino," and "A Luce Scholar Reconnects as Program Wraps Up 37th Year."