Civil Society in Vietnam

 Introduction

1. This paper presents an overview of civil society in Vietnam. It begins by defining civil society and what it means in the context of this country. It then presents an overview of the current state of play of the different elements of civil society organisations and the overarching legal framework in which they operate. It examines the engagement of donors with civil society. In conclusion, it sets out the need to develop a common shared approach and strategy for engagement with civil society in Vietnam.

Changing Context

2. The broad based political organisation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) combined with the tradition of a one party state until recently allowed for little space for growth of an independent civil society. The political discourse of the CPV was not supportive of organisational expression of collective identity and interest outside the framework of the Party. Though Vietnam in the past had a rich associational life civil society as understood in mainstream development practice has remained underdeveloped. Mass organisations have been the largest and most dominant of social groupings. They occupied the space that civil society organisations tend to occupy across other countries and political contexts.

3. However, since doi moi the political and economic context is rapidly changing characterised by opening up of the economy and a move towards global integration. This has led to the emergence of social groupings outside the party. Some have argued that since mid 1990s the institutional environment appears to be shifting from a total state domination of development activity to an acceptance of the contribution of other development actors. In other words, Vietnam can be described as characterised by a low but increasing tolerance of autonomous civil activity though civil society remains a politically sensitive issue.

4. There are two broad trends that one notices over the past decade. Firstly there has been the growth of development NGOs essentially different from the organisations that emerged as a product of the retrenchment process during the late 1980s. Secondly, there has been a mushrooming of associations – voluntary, non-profit, non-Governmental, community based, grassroots and cooperative. These associations fulfil a variety of roles ranging from organising activities, to income generation to disseminating knowledge. These new associational forms together with the mass organisations provide material assistance to the poor but do not engage in public debates about policy.

5. The current interplay between government and civil society groupings in terms of Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and NGOs, or "institutional environment", appears to be shifting from a total state domination of development activity, to an acceptance of the contribution that other players may bring. The Socio-Economic Development Strategy (2000-2010) and the draft Socio-Economic Development Plan (2006-2010) reflect this changing context and set out a challenging role for CSOs in Vietnam. Broadly, this covers three areas of action:

    1. Strengthening the decentralisations process through the Grassroots Democracy Decree i.e. enhancing accountability of governments at the provincial, district and commune level;
    2. Enhancing the participation of poor in the development planning, implementation and monitoring i.e. strengthening voice of the poor in policy making and implementation; and
    3. Supporting service delivery for poverty elimination with particular focus on HIV/AIDS and social safety nets i.e. improving access to the hard to reach.

6. It is worth noting that this shift has taken place gradually, with CSOs now emerging at the margins of development context. This has been helped by building of relationship of trust between government departments and specific INGOs. As evident from the SEDP there is now recognition from the highest levels that civil society organisations may have a more mainstream role to play in the development of the country and taking action against poverty. However, this role or range of roles has yet to be fully defined by government or by civil society itself. There is much potential for facilitating CSOs movement from the margins to the mainstream of development action and increasing their impact on the policy-making process.

Civil Society Spectrum in Vietnam

7. The term "civil society" is defined as "the broad range of organised groupings which occupy the public space between the state and the individual citizen" . The term civil society is used in development circles in Vietnam. However, its use is recent, and as a conceptual base for understanding interconnections between various civil society actors, there is much work to be done in developing a common, meaningful and locally relevant definition.

8. Civil society in Vietnam can be described as consisting of a range of organisations, which when organised along a spectrum consist of CBOs at one end of the spectrum and research based organisations and INGOs at the other end. There are several other elements that fall between these two ends such as mass organisations, cooperatives, social and charity funds and Local NGOs etc. Its important to note that in the context of Vietnam, the media and the private sector are not being considered as part of civil society at this point in time.

9. At the lower end of the civil society spectrum are the CBOs or organisations of the poor such as water user groups, savings and credit groups, farmers collective etc. Most activities undertaken by the CBOs are financially sustainable and their emergence is closely associated with donor/INGO development interventions.

10. Occupying the middle band of the civil society spectrum are cooperatives, mass organisations, social and charity funds and Local NGOs. It's worth examining each separately, as they play different roles and have potential to develop further. The new Cooperatives are largely emerging through endogenous processes. They provide the opportunity for a new generation of local leaders to seize economic opportunities by organising farmers to produce and market their goods collectively.

11. Mass organisations are redefining their role and position in the rapidly changing development context of Vietnam. Over the past decade they have proved to be effective in reaching services down to the communes. They are an important vehicle for improving access of services specifically across the poorest provinces but are not effective in promoting accountability of local government's. Mass organisations are largely funded by the Party though increasingly they are collaborating with INGOs to implement development programmes.

12. Charities are engaged in reaching services mainly to the urban poor. They are largely supported by domestic donations. In the future charities will continue to play a role in enhancing access to the hard to reach urban poor.

13. NGOs are the latest entrant and are developing their identity while progressively widening their remit, function and outreach. Financial resources, capacity and the legal framework remain a key constraint. In the long run they have an important role to play in enhancing accountability, voice and access.

14. At the higher end of the civil society spectrum INGOs occupy the space that NGOs tend to occupy in other developing countries in South Asia. They are largely engaged in implementing development programmes at the level of the commune/district and piloting innovative development interventions for poverty reduction. More recently there has been a trend amongst some of the more progressive INGOs to operate through LNGOs. This has allowed them to strengthen the LNGO capacity in implementing development programmes while increasing their outreach. Some have successfully engaged in the policy making process of the state while others have been engaging in issue based advocacy. In the long run, as capacities of local NGOs develop they will need to redefine their role vis a vis the emerging development context of Vietnam.

15. Research institutions operate within the framework of the government and ministries. They are not always an "independent voice" that tables' alternative analysis and contributes to evidence based policy making. In the future, they have a critical role to play.

16. The local CSOs in Vietnam tend to be densely concentrated along the Red River and Mekong delta of Vietnam. The few development oriented NGOs have now begun to spread their operations into some of the poorer provinces of the country. Most well off provinces have small savings and credit groups, water user associations, NGOs and INGOs. But their spread begins to thin pretty fast as one moves to the highlands.

17. Data suggests that there are roughly 140,000 CBOs, 3,000 cooperatives under the new law with most of them operating in the areas of agriculture, fisheries, construction, sanitation and health care. There are about 200 charities and 1000 Local NGOs that are registered. However, we need to bear in mind that over the past decade the number of CSOs is rapidly growing and these figures are rough indication of the density of CSOs in Vietnam.

Legal Framework for Civil Society: Fixing the Parts & Missing the Whole
18. The legal framework is constantly evolving to keep pace with the challenging role that the government has set for civil society. Individual decrees relating to different elements of civil society have been issued in the recent past. These decrees/laws provide the basis for the establishment of civil organisations that operate relatively independent of the state. However, these ad hoc regulations do not add up to a comprehensive and clear legal framework for the formation and operation of NGOs/CSOs. This is also an indication that the issue of "independent" civil society organisations remains political sensitive.

19. Broadly, there are five important decree/laws currently in existence, which govern different elements of civil society organisations in Vietnam. The laws and decrees show clarity of purpose for cooperatives, CBOs and charities. The Grassroots Democracy Decree 79 (2003) institutionalises the participation of local communities/CBOs/organisations of the poor in development activities at the level of the commune. This is seen as an important step in the development of civil society in Vietnam. The law on Cooperatives recognises cooperatives as voluntary organisations functioning as independent economic entities. The law on Science and Technology recognises professional associations as independent service organisations with the only option available to most development NGOs. The decree 177 recognises charity and social funds. Lastly, the law on Associations is currently under revision by the NGO Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is hoped that the law, which is in its 10th draft, will define the concept of NGOs along with their role, function and management arrangements. The only option currently available to development NGOs is to be registered under the law on science and technology. This requires them to justify and link their existence and operation to science and technology.

20. The analysis of these decrees confirms that the Government is keen to set out roles and responsibilities for the new forms of associational life that emerge.

Donors Engagement with Civil Society

21. Donors in Vietnam do not have an explicit approach or strategy for engaging with civil society organisations. For most bilateral organisations the small grant scheme provides the organising framework for engagement with civil society organisations. Some multilaterals particularly the UNDP and ADB also have similar schemes. Support under these schemes is not positioned to be strategic in nature. They generally support small ad hoc projects ranging from income generation to training, service delivery, awareness generation programmes to human rights and democracy promotion.

22. There are many donor-funded initiatives to support research capacity in a wide range of policy-related fields. Analysis suggests that support is limited to three or four research organisations, some of the regional universities and ministry based research bodies. Most of this support is for Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and its different institutes such as Institute of Economics, Institute of Sociology and Centre for Analysis and Forecast. Central Institute of Economic Management and the Vietnam National University along with Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Association are some of the other research bodies that are currently being supported.

23. Support to research organisations is largely focussed on building capacity of Vietnamese researchers. The link between research and policy related analysis is not always explicit across these projects. Donors also support new areas of research such as WTO with specific thematic focus such as gender. Most of this support remains ad hoc with little attempt at rationalising engagement and offering comprehensive funding for capacity building.

Conclusions

24. The embryonic stage of civil society in Vietnam and the continued political concerns and sensitivities around its development makes the task of strengthening this sector a challenge. Engagement in this sector will require the donor community and the government to develop a common shared approach and strategy to support civil society to move from the margins into the mainstream of development practice and debate. With Vietnam currently engaged in developing its five-year plan and with its rapid integration into the world economy, the time may just be right for the donor community to start this process in close consultation with the government.

Source: Global Policy Forum

Community change leaders in Vietnam listen, inspire and nurture

When people who migrate from poor, rural Vietnamese villages to large cities require public services such as education or health care, few know they must first secure a local residency card. Until they obtain this document, they will need cash and/or a lot of patience to stand in long lines to obtain services, says Dana Doan, founder and strategic advisor at LIN Center for Community Development in Ho Chi Minh City. She says LIN strives to exemplify the words that compose its acronym: Listen, Inspire and Nurture.



Knowing how to maneuver Vietnam's multi-layered system to access basic public services is frustrating even for those who have means. For those who are poor and without the required residency status, it can seem impossible, she said.

"There is a housekeeper who moved to the city when she was just 7, encouraged by her family to find work and to send her earnings back home. She is now nearly 50 years old and missed an opportunity to attend school because she had to work. She also didn't know much about the system for accessing public services and never applied for the paperwork that would make her eligible to receive those services," Doan said. "People like this woman work hard but still struggle to get out of the poverty trap.”

Instead of simply shaking her head in disbelief at situations like these, Doan was motivated in 2007 to establish LIN, which was legally registered in 2009 to operate in the country's largest city and its surrounding areas. Doan reasoned that LIN could support nonprofits and philanthropists to better address local needs, such as providing vital information to migrants in need of basic public services. To achieve its goal, LIN set out to build the capacity of local nonprofits through small grants, technical assistance, peer exchanges and networking events.

Among other things, LIN:

• administers Narrow the Gap Community Fund, which collects and distributes local resources to address the most pressing needs in the greater Ho Chi Minh City region,
• provides sponsorship of Vietnam Causes, a website that offers nonprofits a no-cost central electronic site to post their website addresses, focus areas, current needs, events calendars, etc.,
• runs a program that matches volunteers with nonprofits in need of specific skills, which is now supported by BlueBees, a website connecting skilled professionals to volunteer opportunities that can be completed online;
• offers support services, including one-on-one pro bono consultations for individuals and businesses interested in strategic philanthropy.

"Vietnam has many people who are smart, generous and desiring to do something good. We can help them do good by giving well, by teaching them how to give strategically," Doan said. However, she said, those associated with LIN — staff, board members, volunteers, interns, and pro bono professionals serving the organizations in specialty fields such as accounting and law — value the collective knowledge that already exists within the community. Consequently, she says, LIN works alongside many local partners.

LIN’s ability to engage thoughtfully and productively with local groups inspired staff at the South Africa-based Global Fund for Community Foundations (GFCF). A Mott grantee, GFCF has given three grants totaling $44,900 to strengthen LIN internally, help develop local philanthropy, and create LIN’s own grantmaking program. To date, LIN has made grants to many of its nearly 150 nonprofit partners for projects ranging from micro-credit training for poor women, to social interaction for sick children living at home or in the hospital, to environmental activities at a university campus.

The GFCF has partnered with LIN since the latter’s earliest days, making LIN one of GFCF’s first grants in Asia and its only partner in Vietnam to date. Both the GFCF and LIN have learned from each other, said Jenny Hodgson, GFCF’s executive director. In addition to being a grantee, LIN is a key member of the GFCF’s network, she said, and serves as a network leader in its creative use of social media to engage with residents and funders.

For example, in August 2014 LIN created a Facebook page campaign to secure 500 photographs of local residents raising their hands for education. In an effort to support LIN’s work, Kinh Do Corporation, Vietnam’s largest confectionary company, pledged the equivalent of $2.50 for each of the first 500 pictures posted to further LIN’s work. The money was raised quickly after more than 800 people posted photos online within 10 days — a testament to LIN, its network members, and the power of social media to raise awareness and funds.

“LIN innovates, tests, documents and adapts its programs — always learning,” Hodgson said. “Through its efforts both to strengthen local civil society groups and to encourage ordinary Vietnamese to learn about, get involved with, and support often complex issues on their doorstep, LIN plays an essential role in building trust and social capital in Ho Chi Minh City.”

While LIN welcomed GFCF's initial funding in 2008, especially because it was the organization's first grant from an international funder and provided a confidence boost, it also valued the opportunities to connect with GFCF's other grassroots funders worldwide, Doan said. Those international connections helped LIN realize it wasn't the only philanthropic organization working within a difficult legal context, she said. So, in addition to gaining financial support early on from the Vietnam-based Horizon Capital Group, LIN pressed on and secured additional funders. These included individuals and other corporations operating in Vietnam, plus non-Vietnam based nonprofit foundations such as Give2Asia, Global Giving and Irish Aid.

According to Doan, with more money coming in the door, funds can be directed to projects that do more than just provide short-term fixes to improve health, education and economic conditions for local residents.

"We want to tackle the root causes of problems facing our community by being thoughtful and more strategic, not simply charitable," Doan said. "We've helped a lot of organizations get stronger and more sustainable, but many, many others are not sure where the money is coming from to keep them going. So our work is not done."

Source: http://www.mott.org/news/news/2015/20150513-LIN-Community-Foundation

http://www.mott.org/news/news/2015/20150513-LIN-Community-FoundationWhen people who migrate from poor, rural Vietnamese villages to large cities require public services such as education or health care, few know they must first secure a local residency card. Until they obtain this document, they will need cash and/or a lot of patience to stand in long lines to obtain services, says Dana Doan, founder and strategic advisor at LIN Center for Community Development in Ho Chi Minh City. She says LIN strives to exemplify the words that compose its acronym: Listen, Inspire and Nurture.

Dana Doan (right), executive director of the LIN Center for Community Development. Photo courtesy of the LIN Center for Community Development

Knowing how to maneuver Vietnam's multi-layered system to access basic public services is frustrating even for those who have means. For those who are poor and without the required residency status, it can seem impossible, she said.
"There is a housekeeper who moved to the city when she was just 7, encouraged by her family to find work and to send her earnings back home. She is now nearly 50 years old and missed an opportunity to attend school because she had to work. She also didn't know much about the system for accessing public services and never applied for the paperwork that would make her eligible to receive those services," Doan said. "People like this woman work hard but still struggle to get out of the poverty trap.”
Instead of simply shaking her head in disbelief at situations like these, Doan was motivated in 2007 to establish LIN, which was legally registered in 2009 to operate in the country's largest city and its surrounding areas. Doan reasoned that LIN could support nonprofits and philanthropists to better address local needs, such as providing vital information to migrants in need of basic public services. To achieve its goal, LIN set out to build the capacity of local nonprofits through small grants, technical assistance, peer exchanges and networking events.
Among other things, LIN: 

• administers Narrow the Gap Community Fund, which collects and distributes local resources to address the most pressing needs in the greater Ho Chi Minh City region,
• provides sponsorship of Vietnam Causes, a website that offers nonprofits a no-cost central electronic site to post their website addresses, focus areas, current needs, events calendars, etc.,
• runs a program that matches volunteers with nonprofits in need of specific skills, which is now supported by BlueBees, a website connecting skilled professionals to volunteer opportunities that can be completed online;
• offers support services, including one-on-one pro bono consultations for individuals and businesses interested in strategic philanthropy.

"Vietnam has many people who are smart, generous and desiring to do something good. We can help them do good by giving well, by teaching them how to give strategically," Doan said. However, she said, those associated with LIN — staff, board members, volunteers, interns, and pro bono professionals serving the organizations in specialty fields such as accounting and law — value the collective knowledge that already exists within the community. Consequently, she says, LIN works alongside many local partners.

The “Raise Your Hand For Education” social media campaign raised awareness and funds for LIN. Photo courtesy of the LIN Center for Community Development

LIN’s ability to engage thoughtfully and productively with local groups inspired staff at the South Africa-based Global Fund for Community Foundations (GFCF). A Mott grantee, GFCF has given three grants totaling $44,900 to strengthen LIN internally, help develop local philanthropy, and create LIN’s own grantmaking program. To date, LIN has made grants to many of its nearly 150 nonprofit partners for projects ranging from micro-credit training for poor women, to social interaction for sick children living at home or in the hospital, to environmental activities at a university campus.
The GFCF has partnered with LIN since the latter’s earliest days, making LIN one of GFCF’s first grants in Asia and its only partner in Vietnam to date. Both the GFCF and LIN have learned from each other, said Jenny Hodgson, GFCF’s executive director. In addition to being a grantee, LIN is a key member of the GFCF’s network, she said, and serves as a network leader in its creative use of social media to engage with residents and funders.
For example, in August 2014 LIN created a Facebook page campaign to secure 500 photographs of local residents raising their hands for education. In an effort to support LIN’s work, Kinh Do Corporation, Vietnam’s largest confectionary company, pledged the equivalent of $2.50 for each of the first 500 pictures posted to further LIN’s work. The money was raised quickly after more than 800 people posted photos online within 10 days — a testament to LIN, its network members, and the power of social media to raise awareness and funds.
“LIN innovates, tests, documents and adapts its programs — always learning,” Hodgson said. “Through its efforts both to strengthen local civil society groups and to encourage ordinary Vietnamese to learn about, get involved with, and support often complex issues on their doorstep, LIN plays an essential role in building trust and social capital in Ho Chi Minh City.”
While LIN welcomed GFCF's initial funding in 2008, especially because it was the organization's first grant from an international funder and provided a confidence boost, it also valued the opportunities to connect with GFCF's other grassroots funders worldwide, Doan said. Those international connections helped LIN realize it wasn't the only philanthropic organization working within a difficult legal context, she said. So, in addition to gaining financial support early on from the Vietnam-based Horizon Capital Group, LIN pressed on and secured additional funders. These included individuals and other corporations operating in Vietnam, plus non-Vietnam based nonprofit foundations such as Give2Asia, Global Giving and Irish Aid.
According to Doan, with more money coming in the door, funds can be directed to projects that do more than just provide short-term fixes to improve health, education and economic conditions for local residents.
"We want to tackle the root causes of problems facing our community by being thoughtful and more strategic, not simply charitable," Doan said. "We've helped a lot of organizations get stronger and more sustainable, but many, many others are not sure where the money is coming from to keep them going. So our work is not done."

- See more at: http://www.mott.org/news/news/2015/20150513-LIN-Community-Foundation#sthash.Ap0azAXM.dpuf

When people who migrate from poor, rural Vietnamese villages to large cities require public services such as education or health care, few know they must first secure a local residency card. Until they obtain this document, they will need cash and/or a lot of patience to stand in long lines to obtain services, says Dana Doan, founder and strategic advisor at LIN Center for Community Development in Ho Chi Minh City. She says LIN strives to exemplify the words that compose its acronym: Listen, Inspire and Nurture.

Dana Doan (right), executive director of the LIN Center for Community Development. Photo courtesy of the LIN Center for Community Development

Knowing how to maneuver Vietnam's multi-layered system to access basic public services is frustrating even for those who have means. For those who are poor and without the required residency status, it can seem impossible, she said.
"There is a housekeeper who moved to the city when she was just 7, encouraged by her family to find work and to send her earnings back home. She is now nearly 50 years old and missed an opportunity to attend school because she had to work. She also didn't know much about the system for accessing public services and never applied for the paperwork that would make her eligible to receive those services," Doan said. "People like this woman work hard but still struggle to get out of the poverty trap.”
Instead of simply shaking her head in disbelief at situations like these, Doan was motivated in 2007 to establish LIN, which was legally registered in 2009 to operate in the country's largest city and its surrounding areas. Doan reasoned that LIN could support nonprofits and philanthropists to better address local needs, such as providing vital information to migrants in need of basic public services. To achieve its goal, LIN set out to build the capacity of local nonprofits through small grants, technical assistance, peer exchanges and networking events.
Among other things, LIN: 

• administers Narrow the Gap Community Fund, which collects and distributes local resources to address the most pressing needs in the greater Ho Chi Minh City region,
• provides sponsorship of Vietnam Causes, a website that offers nonprofits a no-cost central electronic site to post their website addresses, focus areas, current needs, events calendars, etc.,
• runs a program that matches volunteers with nonprofits in need of specific skills, which is now supported by BlueBees, a website connecting skilled professionals to volunteer opportunities that can be completed online;
• offers support services, including one-on-one pro bono consultations for individuals and businesses interested in strategic philanthropy.

"Vietnam has many people who are smart, generous and desiring to do something good. We can help them do good by giving well, by teaching them how to give strategically," Doan said. However, she said, those associated with LIN — staff, board members, volunteers, interns, and pro bono professionals serving the organizations in specialty fields such as accounting and law — value the collective knowledge that already exists within the community. Consequently, she says, LIN works alongside many local partners.

The “Raise Your Hand For Education” social media campaign raised awareness and funds for LIN. Photo courtesy of the LIN Center for Community Development

LIN’s ability to engage thoughtfully and productively with local groups inspired staff at the South Africa-based Global Fund for Community Foundations (GFCF). A Mott grantee, GFCF has given three grants totaling $44,900 to strengthen LIN internally, help develop local philanthropy, and create LIN’s own grantmaking program. To date, LIN has made grants to many of its nearly 150 nonprofit partners for projects ranging from micro-credit training for poor women, to social interaction for sick children living at home or in the hospital, to environmental activities at a university campus.
The GFCF has partnered with LIN since the latter’s earliest days, making LIN one of GFCF’s first grants in Asia and its only partner in Vietnam to date. Both the GFCF and LIN have learned from each other, said Jenny Hodgson, GFCF’s executive director. In addition to being a grantee, LIN is a key member of the GFCF’s network, she said, and serves as a network leader in its creative use of social media to engage with residents and funders.
For example, in August 2014 LIN created a Facebook page campaign to secure 500 photographs of local residents raising their hands for education. In an effort to support LIN’s work, Kinh Do Corporation, Vietnam’s largest confectionary company, pledged the equivalent of $2.50 for each of the first 500 pictures posted to further LIN’s work. The money was raised quickly after more than 800 people posted photos online within 10 days — a testament to LIN, its network members, and the power of social media to raise awareness and funds.
“LIN innovates, tests, documents and adapts its programs — always learning,” Hodgson said. “Through its efforts both to strengthen local civil society groups and to encourage ordinary Vietnamese to learn about, get involved with, and support often complex issues on their doorstep, LIN plays an essential role in building trust and social capital in Ho Chi Minh City.”
While LIN welcomed GFCF's initial funding in 2008, especially because it was the organization's first grant from an international funder and provided a confidence boost, it also valued the opportunities to connect with GFCF's other grassroots funders worldwide, Doan said. Those international connections helped LIN realize it wasn't the only philanthropic organization working within a difficult legal context, she said. So, in addition to gaining financial support early on from the Vietnam-based Horizon Capital Group, LIN pressed on and secured additional funders. These included individuals and other corporations operating in Vietnam, plus non-Vietnam based nonprofit foundations such as Give2Asia, Global Giving and Irish Aid.
According to Doan, with more money coming in the door, funds can be directed to projects that do more than just provide short-term fixes to improve health, education and economic conditions for local residents.
"We want to tackle the root causes of problems facing our community by being thoughtful and more strategic, not simply charitable," Doan said. "We've helped a lot of organizations get stronger and more sustainable, but many, many others are not sure where the money is coming from to keep them going. So our work is not done."

- See more at: http://www.mott.org/news/news/2015/20150513-LIN-Community-Foundation#sthash.Ap0azAXM.dpuf

NGO, foundation launch disaster risk reduction project in 3 Vietnamese provinces

 A community project for the reduction of disaster risks in flood-prone areas was launched this week in three provinces in Vietnam by the international non-governmental organization Save the Children and Prudence Foundation of Prudential Vietnam.

A Vietnamese official speaks at a ceremony to launch a community project for the reduction of disaster risks in flood-prone areas.

Kicking off on Wednesday, the three-year project will be implemented till 2017 to raise public awareness and prepare vulnerable people for disasters such as typhoons and floods.

It is estimated that 6,000 vulnerable children and 30,000 adults in Dien Bien and Hai Phong in the north and Tien Giang in the Mekong Delta will benefit from the project.

The project will train teachers and children on disaster preparedness and methods to reduce subsequent consequences.

Every year, two million people are estimated to be affected by typhoons in Vietnam, most of whom are children.

Save the Children has 20 years of experience in emergency response and disaster risk reduction in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, the Prudence Foundation previously funded a project for disaster risk reduction in the Mekong Delta provinces of Dong Thap and Tien Giang from 2013 to 2014.

Source: Tuoi Tre

Conference on strengthening the partnership with international non-governmental organizations

 On November 21, 2014, Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) held a conference on strengthening the partnership with international non-governmental organizations (INGO) in Ho Chi Minh City.

Mr Phan Anh Son - member of the VUFO Standing Committee cum Chief of People's Aid Coordinating Committee (PACCOM) and Mr Nguyen Ngoc Hung - Vice Chief of PACCOM co-chaired the meeting with the participation of representatives of focal points of INGO issues in localities, leaders of some southern provinces’ Union of Friendship Organizations, INGOs, Consulate Generals, donors and businesses.

The conference aimed at reviewing the activities of INGOs in the past 10 months of 2014, the implementation of the National Programme on aids mobilization in 2014, advantages and difficulties in mobilizing aids in 2014 and directions for 2015, discussing INGO’s aid trends and measures to promote and strengthen aid mobilzation in the new situation ...

An overview of the INGO activities in 2014 was presented at the conference. More than 500 organizations maintained activities in 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam with total aid value of 2014 estimated at 250-300 million USD. The cooperation with INGOs has recently entered a new phase. The authorities of Vietnam have actively supported the activities of INGOs in terms of legislation and resources. Some localities have worked closely with the Central agencies and INGOs in the receipt, management and use of aid. However, a number of difficulties have still remained, such as: for INGOs, lack of law understanding, working without registration and out of registered areas, small-scale or scattering activities, high administrative costs, insufficient reporting; for Vietnamese agencies, the gap between regulations and implementation in reality, inconsistent procedures among different localities, inactive in both aid mobilization and information sharing with INGOs and  limitation of human resources.

Several measures to implement the National Program of INGO aid mobilization for the period of 2013 - 2017 were put forward as follows: simplifying a number of related legal documents, providing more specific guidance for localities, supporting localities in developing programs, projects calling for INGO aid, building a set of guidance for INGOs, establishing INGO data center, enhancing the supervision to improve the effectiveness of aid use, improving human resources, strengthening central and local organizational system related to INGO work.

At the conference, the participants also shared information about INGO aid trends in the new situation, advantages and disadvantages during implementing programs and projects in localities as well as solutions for the coming time. Mr. Marko Lovrekovic - Co-director of INGO Data Center (the Center ) said the Center had monthly meetings with PACCOM to exchange information about INGO issues and recommended PACCOM, related ministries and localities to support and invite more donors for consultation and dialogue. INGO data should be soon completed and put into use.

To conclude, Mr. Phan Anh Son emphasized it was the first conference of various sectors, PACCOM would try to solve the problems of administrative procedures, share information for related parties. He also would like to welcome more new members in the southern provinces and hoped that all INGOs would work closely with PACCOM to provide more effective support for localities in need.

Source: MOFA

Foreign NGOs provide $300mn in aid for Vietnam in 2014

Foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have provided Vietnam with an estimated US$300 million in aid in the year to date, according to the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO).

Five hundred international NGOs are operating in Vietnam with 42 more coming and 10 leaving, a representative from the People’s Aid Coordinating Committee (PACCOM) said at a ceremony held in Hanoi on Friday to review and recognize the contributions of the NGOs.

“Though the global economy has yet to show any sign of recovery, foreign NGOs have offered impressive financial support to Vietnam this year,” Don Tuan Phong, vice president of the VUFO, said at the event.

Phong added that the aid has focused on dealing with social issues, healthcare, education improvement, socio-economic development, and environmental protection.

Meanwhile, the PACCOM has vowed to further enhance information sharing with the international NGOs operating in Vietnam and to seek sponsorship for them.

During the event, the VUFO presented 33 foreign NGOs and one individual with certificates of merit in recognition of their significant contributions to poverty reduction and sustainable development in the country.

Marko Lovrekovic, co-managing director of the VUFO-NGO Resource Center, told Tuoi Tre News that the quality of programs run by NGOs is more important than the number of NGOs in Vietnam.
“I think Vietnam does not need to increase the number of NGOs. I think they need to help NGOs better coordinate and implement their projects. The biggest issues now are about legislation and policies, and the legal environment,” Lovrekovic said.

Source: Tuoi Tre

Approved! Social enterprise receives legal status in Vietnam

Hailed as a “crucial milestone”, the legislation is expected to vastly enhance social enterprises’ ability to operate and thrive.

On 26 November, 86% of Vietnamese MPs voted in favour of revisions to Vietnam’s Enterprise Law which for the first time provides a legal definition of social enterprise and grants social enterprises a number of specific rights.

The amended law defines a social enterprise as a business whose main aim is to address a social or environmental issue and which re-invests a minimum of 51% of its annual profits towards its social or environmental mission.

It states that government will “encourage, support and promote the development of social enterprises.” For instance, social enterprises will enjoy “preferential conditions or be considered for special treatment” in the granting of licenses and certificates.

Moreover, the law authorises them to obtain funding, sponsorship and investment from Vietnamese and foreign individuals, enterprises and NGOs to cover their operational and administration costs.
In addition, it enjoins government to provide detailed business registration procedures and other measures to promote the development of social enterprises.

Pham Kieu Oanh, founder and CEO of Centre for Social Initiatives Promotion (CSIP), says that the law is, “a crucial milestone that highlights the recognition by government and society of the contributions social enterprises are making in Vietnam.”

She adds that the law, “creates new opportunities for social enterprises to conduct policy advocacy and supports the development of a comprehensive ecosystem for SEs. It also makes it easier for them to secure capital and form partnerships with the public, private and third sectors.”

British Council Vietnam has played an important supportive role in securing this outcome. Over the past six years, the British Council and its partners have provided capacity-building activity for social enterprises, awareness raising of social enterprise and social investment, and support for intermediary organisations. In the last two years, a key area of focus has been advocacy at the policy level and the introduction of social enterprise concepts to key government institutions.

Ian Robinson, deputy director of British Council Vietnam said, “Knowing the extent to which social enterprise contributes to the UK economy and has successfully weathered the recent financial crisis, the British Council was keen to share this experience in Vietnam.”

He added: “Working with an influential government think tank, the Central Institute of Economic Management (CIEM), the Ministry of Planning and Investment and key offices of the National Assembly, as well as local and national media, we built relationships and worked hard to ensure these key institutions understood the value social enterprise can bring to an economy.”

Robinson explains that after the British Council organised workshops, a study tour to the UK and meetings with UK experts, CIEM took the decision to promote the inclusion of social enterprise in the revision of the Enterprise Law, as they saw huge potential for applying UK best practice in social enterprise as a viable model to tackle social and environmental challenges in Vietnam.

Further support from the British Council ensured key individuals visited other ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries to apply their understanding to the ASEAN context and a delegation was also supported to take part in the Social Enterprise World Forum in Seoul.

The legislation was backed by deputy prime minister Vu Duc Dam and vice minister of planning and investment, Dang Huy Dong.

Nguyen Minh Thao, deputy director of the Department for Competitiveness and Business Environment at CIEM said, “Vietnamese social enterprises have emerged and developed steadily during the past years. They have contributed many business innovations to achieving social and community objectives. Their innovations should be nurtured, recognised and promoted. The approval of social enterprise articles on enterprise law affirms the concern, recognition and appreciation from society to social enterprises.”

Next steps include preparation for a decree to guide the implementation of the law and awareness-raising in the provinces, which will take time and effort.

According to Ian Robinson, “The British Council doesn’t intend to pursue that on its own, but is instead working to identify Vietnamese and international partners with which we can work to help turn the new law into reality.”

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/british-council-partner-zone/2014/dec/16/approved-social-enterprise-receives-legal-status-in-vietnam

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