Our History

The VUFO-NGO Resource Centre was established in 1993 to serve the community of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) working in Viet Nam and their Vietnamese partner institutions. It exists through a partnership between INGOs working in Vietnam and the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO).

Originally, the VUFO-NGO Resource Centre grew out of a loose network of foreign NGOs working in Vietnam whose representatives, in the early 1990s, started to meet on a regular basis (every last Friday in the month), in order to discuss the practical details of establishing and managing programmes and projects in Vietnam. INGOs have focused increasingly on sharing information on their programmes and working together to improve the quality of their work.

The Resource Centre has approximately 160 members (in-country and overseas). We provide a variety of services to INGOs, their partner organisations, donors, government agencies, local organisations and others concerned with hunger eradication, poverty reduction and sustainable development in Viet Nam.

In 1998, the development of a strengthened partnership began between the Resource Centre and VUFO. This involved an official name change (previously we were called the NGO Resource Centre), and the establishment of a co-directorship and an expanded Steering Committee, all of which has enabled the centre to continue to exist and provide services to support the work of NGOs in Vietnam.

We have an office located in Hanoi, Vietnam staffed by one managing co-director, one administrator/librarian, one working groups coordinator, one communications advisor and one other part-time assistant. In addition there is another co-director who works within the People's Aid Coordinating Committee (PACCOM) under the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations. We employ additional staff and volunteers on a needs basis.

Further Reading

• The VUFO-NGO Resource Centre: 10 Years of Partnership between Vietnam and International NGOs
  This article was written by the managing co-director of the Resource Centre for a special edition of VUFO's Huu Nghi (Friendship) magazine, produced for the Viet Nam-INGO Conference in November 2003.
• Lessons Learned from a Decade of Experience: a strategic analysis of INGO methods and activities in Vietnam 1990-1999
  This independent study was commissioned by the Steering Committee of the VUFO-NGO Resource Centre in 2000 to review the previous decade and draw lessons from the experiences and contributions of INGOs.

Activities & Services

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INGO Forum
The Resource Centre organises and hosts the monthly INGO Forum meeting, which provides INGO representatives with an opportunity to share experiences and to better coordinate common activities. The Resource Centre acts as a secretariat for the INGO Forum Meeting, setting the agenda in consultation with the Steering Committee, taking and distributing forum minutes, and when relevant following up on discussions from meetings.

INGO Working Groups
The Resource Centre encourages and facilitates its INGO members to establish a range of Working Groups focusing on different sectoral and/or cross-sectoral issues.

• List of current Working Groups

Library
The Resource Centre maintains a library as well as online resources containing a wide range of information from NGOs and others concerned with development and Vietnam, including studies, reports, sectoral handbooks and other resources. The library is open to the public during working hours, and is utilised by a wide range of people including NGO staff and volunteers, government agencies, donors, local and visiting researchers, local organisations and others. All library holdings are maintained in an online searchable database, with a terminal available to library users at the Resource Centre.

Annual INGO Directory
The Resource Centre produces an annual directory of INGOs providing support to Vietnam in English and Vietnamese. This directory is used by INGOs, government agencies, donors, embassies, local organisations, researchers and others to find out about the work of INGOs in Vietnam. A database of INGO organisation details, including staff and activity locations, is maintained by the Resource Centre. We can conduct searches of this databases upon request.

Resource Centre Website: www.ngocentre.org.vn
The Resource Centre website provides updated information and resources in English and Vietnamese to support the work of NGOs, VUFO and others focused on hunger eradication, poverty reduction and sustainable development in Vietnam. The NGO RC welcomes any feedback you may have relating to our website and associated services. If you would like to submit suggestions or comments, please contact the NGO RC Communications Advisor Eddy McCall on eddy@ngocentre.org.vn.

Fortnightly email newsletter
The Resource Centre produces an informal newsletter that is sent out via email to member organisations and friends of the Resource Centre. The newsletter includes information relevant to member organisations, including Resource Centre news; library arrivals; calendar of events; agency personnel and address announcements; other announcements; conferences, meetings, workshops; training opportunities; and current vacancies. If you are interested in subscribing to the newsletter, use the following form: http://mailman.ngocentre.org.vn/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/newsletter

Newsbrief Service
The Resource Centre subscribes to a weekly Newsbrief Service which compiles news items from the Vietnamese press on a broad range of topics relevant to NGOs and development. This service is available to member organisations by subscription via the Resource Centre. The Resource Centre and subscribing organisations share the cost of the service.

Information and assistance provided to NGOs as needed
The Resource Centre provides information and 'unofficial advice' to new NGOs wanting to set up an office or work in Vietnam, and to newly arrived expatriate staff. For INGOs without offices in Vietnam, and for those based outside of Hanoi, a visit to the Resource Centre is often on their agenda when they first arrive in Hanoi. The Resource Centre responds informally to queries regarding operational and programme issues for INGOs in Vietnam including Issuing/Renewal of INGO Permits, Project Approvals, Personal Income Tax, Value Added Tax (VAT) etc. We also arrange presentations during the year from Vietnamese authorities and other experts on programme and operational issues.

Maintain and foster dialogue between INGOs and Government agencies
Working under the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and in close cooperation with the Peoples' Aid Coordinating Committee (PACCOM), the Resource Centre also plays an important role in the overall relationship between INGOs and Vietnamese authorities. The Resource Centre is also perceived as a contact point for INGOs and INGO activities, in particular by certain government ministries (MPI, MARD, etc.) and by donor agencies (WB, UN, bilateral cooperation agencies, etc.).

The Resource Centre coordinates and facilitates INGO representation at the mid-term and annual Consultative Group meetings for Vietnam, and within the Poverty Task Force, which supports the implementation of the Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy for Vietnam, as well as a range of other partnerships and campaign initiatives.

The Resource Centre attends the monthly donor meeting held at the UNDP to maintain awareness of issues relevant to the INGO community in Vietnam. The centre also attends or facilitates INGO representation at numerous other donor and government meetings throughout the year.

Management Structure & Staff

VUFO-NGO Resource Centre Steering Committee

The Steering Committee has the responsibility to govern, oversee, and decide on policy issues of the NGO Resource Centre, as well as to provide guidance, support, and oversee the activities of the two co-directors. The Steering Committee meets once every quarter and consists of 11 members.

The Vietnamese side is represented by five Steering Committee members, appointed by Vietnamese agencies, departments and committees responsible for the work of INGOs in Vietnam. The Vietnamese representatives are all directors or deputy directors within their respective agencies, and are members of the INGO Working Group, which is an advisory group to the Committee for Foreign NGO Affairs. The following agencies are represented on the Steering Committee:

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Organisations Department
• Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO)
• People's Aid Coordinating Committee (PACCOM)
• Central Commission for External Relations of the Communist Party of Vietnam
• Ministry of Public Security

The INGO members are represented by five elected country directors/representatives of member organisations. Elected representatives serve two-year terms. Eligibility criteria and election procedures are outlined in the Guidelines for the election of INGO Representatives to the Resource Centre Steering Committee. As of April 2007, the INGO representatives of the Steering Committee are:

• Daniel Selvanayagam/World Vision Vietnam (from September 2005)
• Jeremy Stoner/Save the Children UK (from September 2005)
• Patrick Burke/Academy for Educational Development (from September 2005)
• Diana Measham/PACT (from September 2007)
• Pieter de Baan/SNV (from September2007)

Staff at the NGO Resource Centre

The ongoing management of the Resource Centre is carried out by two co-directors:

• An expatriate Managing Co-director, Mrs. Trine Glue Doan (from April 2006), who works full-time at the Resource Centre and is responsible for the day-to-day management and representation of the centre
• A Vietnamese Co-director, Don Tuan Phong, appointed by the Vietnamese side, who is based full-time at PACCOM, and provides guidance and support to the expatriate co-director and Resource Centre staff in carrying out their work

Other staff positions at the NGO Resource Centre include:

• A Working Groups Coordinator (full-time): Mrs. Phan Thu Ha (From September 2004)
• An Administrator (full-time): Mrs. Giang Ngan Ha (from February 2007)
• A Communications Advisor (full-time): Eddy McCall (from October 2006)
• An Accountant (part-time)
• A Data Supporter (part-time)

In addition a number of volunteers have been or are currently active at the centre, including a Webmaster/IT Support Volunteer, and a number of part-time volunteers.

The Resource Centre welcomes applications from qualified volunteers who wish to contribute their services towards the operations of the centre.

Membership Information

As a membership-based centre, we consider that the interests, aspirations and needs of our INGO members and their partners in Vietnam provide the fundamental basis and direction for our work in information-sharing and building relationships. This is reflected in the objectives of the Resource Centre:

• to promote, facilitate and contribute to the sharing of information, resources and experiences within and between INGOs, their partners and local organisations, in order to improve the quality and impact of their work in Vietnam
• to strengthen the relationship and enhance the dialogue between INGOs and other development 'actors' in Vietnam, including government agencies, donors and local organisations

Membership in the Resource Centre is open to all foreign/international non-governmental organisations, foundations, institutes, universities, learning centres, trusts, friendship associations and other organisations that are legally registered to work in Vietnam.

For more information on registration in Vietnam, please contact us. Currently, we have more than 160 members based both within Vietnam and overseas. These members support the work of the Resource Centre through payment of an annual membership fee, which provides our core operational budget.

Benefits of membership
Membership in the Resource Centre provides organisations with access to a range of information-sharing services, including:

• the regular Email Newsletter and other announcements circulated via email and through our website
• our Library of over 4,000 reports, books, magazines, videos, IEC materials and other development-related items
• the INGO Directory: free annual listing and complimentary copies of the English and Vietnamese versions
• the quarterly Agency Personnel List, with addresses, phone and email contacts, and staff listings for all member agencies
• the Weekly Newsbrief Service (by subscription)

Through our Newsletter, email lists and website, we also circulate announcements from our members, such as new office locations, introduction of new representatives and staff members, meeting announcements, training opportunities, new resources, and recruitment notices.

Other benefits

• Members can request searches of our database to identify other organisations working in similar locations/sectors, as well as access to updated contact details for other organisations in Vietnam.
• Members have the opportunity to participate in monthly INGO Forum meetings, as well as to participate in or even lead the activities of the various sectoral working groups.
• Members have opportunities to join information sharing or consultation meetings arranged by NGOs, donors, or Vietnamese agencies arranged with the support of the Resource Centre, and can request our support to arrange such meetings.
• Members can also access information about operational issues, such as INGO permits, project/program approvals, tax, recruitment and staff issues, etc.
• Members may stand for election to the Resource Centre's Steering Committee, as well as for other positions such as the INGO representatives to the annual and interim Donor-Government Consultative Group meetings and various other donor-led Partnership Groups.
• Through our close institutional and working relationship with VUFO and PACCOM, we can support the overall dialogue on how to strengthen INGO partnerships with Vietnam, as well as the overall legal and administrative framework for INGOs.
• Finally, all members have the opportunity to shape the development and activities of the Resource Centre, and to support better information-sharing, co-ordination and networking in Vietnam. We always welcome ideas, requests, suggestions and feedback from our members, and take regular opportunities to consult with them about how to improve our work.

Membership fees

The current schedule of fees was adopted in 1999. We may be able to consider some flexibility in specific cases where these fees are genuinely not affordable.

Membership Fee Categories

INGO without office in Vietnam	$100
INGO with office in Vietnam but outside Hanoi
Regular Membership Fee	$150
Membership Fee with Annual Library Subscription Fee	$225
INGOs with office in Hanoi
Budget up to $499,999	$400
Budget from $500,000 to $999,999	$500
Budget above $1,000,000	$600
INGOs who can contribute more	$1000

Payment

Membership fee payments can be made directly at the Resource Centre or via bank transfer to our USD or VND accounts.

VUFO-NGO Resource Centre

La Thanh Hotel

218 Doi Can Ha Noi, Viet Nam

Tel.: +84 (0)4 832 85 70

Fax: +84 (0)4 832 86 11

E-mail: info@ngocentre.org.vn

VUFO-NGO Resource Centre bank account details

ANZ Bank

14 Le Thai To Ha Noi, Viet Nam

ACCT # 11 06 04 for US Dollars ACCT # 307 45 15 for VN Dong

Swift Code: ANZBVNVX

Please refrain from sending a cheque, taking into account the charges banks usually levy for cashing cheques as well as the special regulations currently in place in Vietnam, making it extremely difficult to cash a cheque which has been issued more than 15 days prior to processing.

Donations to support the work of the VUFO-NGO Resource Centre are always welcome!

COMINGO, VUFO & PACCOM

Committee for Foreign NGO Affairs (COMINGO)

105A Quan Thanh, Ha Noi, Viet Nam

The Committee for Foreign NGO Affairs (COMINGO) brings together key government ministries and other bodies to assist the Prime Minister in guiding and addressing issues relating to foreign NGOs in Vietnam. COMINGO was established on 24 April 2001 under Decision 59/2001/QQ-TTg of the Prime Minister.

COMINGO has the following key tasks:

1. Proposing guidelines and policies relating to foreign NGOs in Vietnam; coordinating with relevant agencies to provide guidance, monitoring, and oversight for the implementation of laws and policies relating to the operations of foreign NGOs.
2. Considering the issuance, amendment, or withdrawal of INGO Permits (for Operation, for establishing a Project Office, or for establishing a Representative Office) according to the regulations on the operation of foreign NGOs in Vietnam promulgated in conjunction with Decision 340/TTg of the Prime Minister dated 24 May 1996.
3. Periodically reporting to the Prime Minister on the operations of foreign NGOs in Vietnam.
4. Carrying out tasks related to foreign NGOs in Vietnam as assigned by the Prime Minister.

Chairperson
H.E. Mr. Le Van Bang, Deputy Minister / Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Executive Member
H.E. Mr. Vu Xuan Hong, President / Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO)

Members
Vice Minister / Ministry of Public Security
Vice Minister / Ministry of Planning and Investment
Chairperson / Government Commission for Religious Affairs
Deputy Chief / Government Office
Deputy Chairperson / Commission for External Relations of the Party Central Committee
Vice Minister / Ministry of Finance

COMINGO has its own legal stamp and takes the headquarters of VUFO as its office.

Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO)

105A Quan Thanh, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
Tel: 84-4-8 233 481
Fax: 84-4-7 330 201
vufothongtin@fpt.vn
www.vietpeace.org.vn

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) is a nation-wide socio-political organisation whose main function is to establish and promote friendly and co-operative people-to-people relations between Vietnam and other countries in the world.

VUFO is a member organisation of the Vietnam Fatherland Front. VUFO comprises many peace, solidarity and friendship member organisations - both bilateral and multilateral - and provincial and municipal friendship unions in the whole country. These member organisations carry out their activities in accordance with the objectives and statutes of VUFO.

VUFO operates within the law of Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It has a permanent office, juridical person, its own budget and bank accounts.

VUFO has the following main tasks:

1. To carry out activities in its own name and guide and co-ordinate related activities of its member organisation with a view to: consolidating and developing the ties of solidarity and friendship, advocating and supporting economic, technical-scientific and cultural co-operation between the Vietnamese people and peoples of other countries; enlisting broad sympathy and support of the peoples in the world to the Vietnamese people's cause of national construction and defence; and supporting the just cause of the peoples of other countries, contributing to the common struggle for peace, national independence, democracy, economic development and social progress and for the solution of global problems.
2. To act as the standing agency of the Committee for Foreign Non-Governmental Organization Affairs; to co-ordinate in mobilising and enlisting material aid from peace, solidarity and friendship organisations, humanitarian, non-governmental organisations, corporations and individuals in other countries with a view to contributing to socio-economic development of the Vietnamese people.
3. To do research on the activities of peace, solidarity and friendship organisations in different countries and foreign non-governmental organisations of the above-mentioned tasks and for the making of appropriate recommendations to the State and related organisations of Vietnam in this regard.

In order to realise these tasks, VUFO carries out diversified activities of friendship and co-operation, such as exchange of information and visits, holding of friendship meetings, seminars and workshops, organising of study tours, cultural groups' tours, exhibitions, short-term training courses, consultations, etc.

VUFO publishes a monthly magazine, the Friendship Review.

The People's Aid Co-ordinating Committee (PACCOM)

105A Quan Thanh, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
Tel.: (84 4) 8436 936/7
Fax: (84 4) 8452 007
info@paccom.org.vn

Background, Functions, and Tasks
Presently, there are about 500 foreign NGOs operating in Viet Nam, majority of which come from Western Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific region. The Regulations on the Operation of Foreign Non-Governmental Organizations in Viet Nam (herein referred to as the Regulations) promulgated in accordance with Decision No.340/QD-TTg dated 24 May 1996 of the Prime Minister, have created a favourable legal environment for foreign NGOs to work in Viet Nam. In order to assist the Prime Minister in addressing questions relating to foreign NGOs, the Prime Minister established the Committee for Foreign Non-Governmental Organization Affairs (herein referred to as the Committee). The President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) has been assigned as Executive Member of the Committee. VUFO bears the principal responsibility for aid mobilisation and for relations with foreign NGOs.

The People's Aid Coordinating Committee (PACCOM), the specialized and functional body of VUFO, was established on 10 June 1989. The organisational structure of PACCOM includes Director, Deputy Directors and Programme Coordinators, working in four desks (Administration, Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific). PACCOM's headquarters are at 105A Quan Thanh, Ha Noi, and its Southern Representative Office is at 9 Le Duan, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City (Tel.: 84 8 8250 372; fax: 84 8 8333 436). To facilitate foreign NGOs' activities in Viet Nam, PACCOM has its network with close and effective collaboration of focal points for foreign NGO affairs at the central level and in all 64 provinces and centrally administered cities.

PACCOM is entitled to perform the following tasks:

1. To reinforce the partnership between foreign NGOs and Vietnamese institutions and localities
2. To facilitate foreign NGOs' activities in Viet Nam, and assist local partners in their relationship with foreign NGOs
3. To gather and disseminate information concerning the activities of foreign NGOs in Viet Nam; conduct studies and reviews on the activities of foreign NGOs, and assess the needs of different localities
4. To participate, with concerned agencies, in guiding and monitoring the implementation of the Regulations, laws and policies relating to the operations of foreign NGOs; and recommend to the Government proper policies for the operation of foreign NGOs in Viet Nam.

Principal Activities

• Facilitating humanitarian and development aid activities of foreign NGOs
• Processing the issuance, extension, amendment of Permits of different types for foreign NGOs working in Viet Nam, according to the Regulations
• Working as the focal agency between foreign NGOs and Vietnamese partners, formally introducing foreign NGOs to Ministries, central line agencies and institutions, and local authorities
• Arranging field visits for foreign NGOs, and entry-exit visas (official visa type) for expatriate staff of foreign NGOs
• Facilitating procedures for permission from competent authorities for the organization of internal meetings and reviews of foreign NGOs in Viet Nam
• Gathering and disseminating information with foreign NGOs and Vietnamese partners

Technical Activities

• Assessing needs of central institutions and localities, formulating feasibility studies to seek funding/assistance from foreign NGOs; appraising, monitoring and evaluating programmes/ projects; conducting strategic planning
• Organising thematic/sectoral seminars that are of interest to foreign NGOs and Vietnamese partners
• Developing training manuals on foreign NGO aid mobilisation and issues in the development project cycle; conducting training courses for localities on the mobilisation and implementation of humanitarian and development projects

Contact Details & Map

VUFO-NGO Resource Centre
La Thanh hotel, 218 Doi Can, Hanoi
Tel. +84 (0)4 832 8570 Fax. +84 (0)4 832 8611
info@ngocentre.org.vn

Please note that the Resource Centre moved to a new location within La Thanh hotel from the start of August 2005. Details of how to find us are given in the map below.

Our phone, email and mail contacts remain unchanged.

Location in Hanoi  

 

Annual Reports & Workplans

2007 Reports & Workplans

• VUFO-NGO RC Annual Report 2007 English
• VUFO-NGO RC Activity Plan 2007 English
• International NGO Partnerships for Development: An overview of informaiton-sharing and co-ordination through the INGO Working Groups during 2007 English Vietnamese

2006 Reports & Workplans

• VUFO-NGO RC Annual Report 2006 English
• International NGO Partnerships for Development: An overview of informaiton-sharing and co-ordination through the INGO Working Groups during 2006 English Vietnamese

2005 Reports & Workplans

• International NGO Partnerships for Development: An overview of informaiton-sharing and co-ordination through the INGO Working Groups during 2005 English Vietnamese

2003 Reports & Workplans

• Member Survey Report 2003 English Vietnamese
• Resource Centre Annual Plan 2003 English
• Resource Centre Annual Report 2003 English