The World Bank has started to prepare for the Vietnam Development Report (VDR) 2009. This report will focus on the economic pillar of Vietnam's reform agenda (SEDP), and has Resource Mobilization as tentative title.
It is the first time that the World Bank launches the preparation process at this early stage, which provides donors and NGOs an opportunity to provide input on the outline of the VDR and to allocate time and resources.
In 2006, the NGO RC coordinated an extensive NGO input for the preparation of the VDR, and an Evaluation on NGO involvement in the VDR and PRSC (2006/7) found that there was the added value of NGO participation in the process was substantial and was recognised by donors, however it also emphasised that NGOs needs to coordinate better and engage from and early stage. Hence, the NGO RC would like to encourage NGOs contribute to this process. At this stage, we should provide comments on i) The proposed outline and ii) Information on ongoing or recently completed studies which could serve as inputs for the preparation of this report.
The draft outline can be downloaded at the following link:
The first draft Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC) 7 has been sent
to the Government of Vietnam. The Poverty Reduction Support Credit
(PRSC) is the main aid instrument for providing direct budget support
to the government to finance the SEDP, based on annual policy actions
approved by the government. The policy dialogue on the draft policy
actions included in PRSC 7 takes place between donors, led by the World
Bank, and government agencies through two rounds of technical meetings,
the meetings are open to NGO participation. The first round of
technical meetings will take place during the last two weeks of
January. The NGO RC is coordinating the NGO participation in the
meetings, if your organisations is interested in these policy dialogue
meeting please contact: director@ngocentre.org.vn. The draft policy
matrix an other related documents can be downloaded at the following
link: http://www.ngocentre.org.vn/node/99
Please click here for Triggers for PRSC 7 and Policy Actions Under PRSC 7.
The process of consulting the I/NGOs on the Vietnam Development Report (VDR) 2007 started in June 2006, when a meeting was held for all interested I/NGOs. Eight temporary policy groups were formed around 17 areas of policy interest, and four of these groups produced a report on specific areas. These reports where handed over to the World Bank as input for the VDR Workshop in October organised by the World Bank. NGO Representatives from the policy groups were present at the VDR workshop and attended most of the 19 thematic break out sessions, where they again presented the NGO viewpoints. As follow up on the workshop the NGO RC and INGOs have been in ongoing dialogue with the authors of the report through out the process of finalisation. Below the different steps in the NGO consultation process are described.
The final VDR 2007 is available from the World Bank. An online version will be posted on this website when it is made available.
On June 23, a meeting was held at the NGO Resource Centre for international NGOs and local NGOs to discuss how they could collaborate on preparing policy recommendations on SEDP 2006-2010 implementation (meeting minutes). This NGO contribution is part of the consultation process being led by the World Bank. The process will form the basis for the next Vietnam Development Report (VDR 7) to be presented at the December 2006 government-donor Consultative Group meeting and the elaboration of specific, sequenced and strategic policy actions that can be supported by the international community through the direct budget support funding mechanism of the Poverty Reduction and Support Credit (PRSC).
At the meeting, a presentation was given on the Poverty Reduction and Support Credit (PRSC) experience from PRSC 1-5 and the workplan for PRSC 6-10. At another meeting held on July 7 at the NGO RC, 30 participating NGOs discussed and produced an initial 'Overview of Policy Areas and Interests of Organisations', and in extension to that, a number of Policy Groups were identified. Some of these were initiated with NGOs taking lead and meeting dates being set. It was also presented what the World Bank is expecting with regard to the content and format of the NGO contribution. It is expected that NGOs will contribute with so-called policy papers for each specific policy issue.
Around 40 NGOs (including international NGOs and local NGOs) and more than 85 grass-roots disability organisations have participated in the consultation process.
Led by the NGO Resource Centre (NGO RC), the consultation process began in June 2006 with a meeting to mobilize engagement in the process, was followed up in July with the identification of thematic working groups and a common methodology, continued through August with working group meetings, and culminated in September with working papers distributed widely for comment and a workshop held to make final recommendations.
The results of this consultation are the papers to be gathered in a report and handed over to the WB. While the papers and the proposals therein do not cover all the actions that NGOs would see as necessary for full SEDP implementation, it is believed that these four papers will provide a distinct contribution to the policy discussion in these areas, based as they are on significant grass roots and specialist experience and expertise from a non-governmental perspective.
The issues are being presented within the framework of World Bank consultation on policy actions to be proposed to the Government of Vietnam linked to its concessional lending instrument, the Poverty Reduction and Support Credit (also grant-funded by many bilateral donors), in support of SEDP implementation. The NGO proposals will be discussed alongside proposals from bilateral and multilateral donors, the results of which will be presented for discussion with government as part of annual PRSC negotiations, as well as forming the basis for the Vietnam Development Report 2007.
Please consult the full report for further details: VDR/PRSC Consultation Exercise, 2007