People’s Participation Working Group
Partnership Note
Hanoi, November 2006
The People's Participation Working Group (PPWG) was established in 1999 as one of the partnership groups, and it provides an informal forum for organisations and professionals - including donors, government employees, NGOs, project managers, consultants, researchers - to meet and exchange information and ideas on issues relating to people’s participation, grassroots democracy and civil society. Participants are encouraged to share information relevant and interesting to other members of the network.
The overall goal of the group is to support the Government of Vietnam in its efforts to enhance people’s participation in their own development and the development process in Vietnam including participation in development policy design, implementation and monitoring.
The immediate objectives of the group are to promote i) an enabling environment and capacity building for enhanced people’s participation and ii) co-ordination of activities for efficient use of resources invested in this area.
Co-ordination of the PPWG
The PPWG is co-ordinated by an elected Chairperson assisted by a voluntary core group. This core group consists currently of about 15 members from UNDP, Embassy of Finland, International NGOs and Vietnamese NGOs, who meet regularly to organise thematic workshops and other events. Ms. Nguyen Thi Le Hoa from Oxfam Great Britain chaired the group up to end of August 2006. The current Chairperson is Ms. Vu Thi Bich Hop, Director of SRD (Center for Sustainable Rural Development). The level of activities in respect of people’s participation and civil society development increased during 2006, and the core group met regularly to plan and keep the group updated on activities and events.
The PPWG is open to all those who are interested in participating and contributing to sharing information and carrying out joint objectives.
I. Update on PPWG activities in 2006
In 2006, the PPWG continues to provide a forum for exchange of information and networking between international and Vietnamese organisations engaged in promoting people's participation. During this year the PPWG has attracted more participation from Vietnamese governmental bodies and civil organisations. In particular, the main thematic workshops and other meetings described below provided a forum for dialogue between different stakeholders. Some of the core issues include participation of organisations in the implementation of the SEDP, the Grassroots Democracy Decree and to participate in other forums; to strengthen the organisations; to follow the development of the legal frame for organisations. Furthermore, the PPWG will continue the discussions on working definitions used by the group related to civil society and participation.
II. Thematic meetings organised by PPWG in 2006
Volunteering in Vietnam 17 February
This meeting was organised by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) office and hosted by the PPWG with the purpose of promoting discussion on national volunteering including the idea of a National Volunteer Centre in Vietnam.
Law on Association, 15 May
The draft Law on Associations was reviewed by the National Assembly during spring session 2006 and had drawn a lot of attention from the development community and the mass media in Vietnam. Considering the importance of the law to Vietnamese NGOs PPWG core group decided to conduct a PPWG meeting on the topic. The meeting was conduced 15 May 2006 with the objective to share information and promote discussion about the draft law. Prof. Giao from LERES gave a thorough presentation of the draft of the Law on Associations and the implications of its contents. MOHA was invited to the meeting but had to send regrets. The meeting was well attended by local NGOs.
The status of Civil society in Vietnam and how to strengthen it, 14 June
The meeting presented the UNDP/SNV supported CIVICUS Civil Society Index Study, an initial assessment of what it describes as ‘the emerging civil society’ in Vietnam. The national coordinators, Dang Ngoc Dinh from VIDS and Irene Norlund, International consultant for UNDP/SNV, presented the outcome of the one-year long study, and four of the senior researchers involved in the project gave each their comments to the strengths and weaknesses of the study. The meeting was very well attended and the participants were engaged in the discussions.
Link: http://www.undp.org.vn/undpLive/digitalAssets/3202_Civicuc_report__E_.pdf
Mapping out Participatory Models, 16 November
Plan International has commissioned a consultant, Anna Lauridsen, to compare various approaches to participation. Based on the recognition that various organisations carry out ‘participation’ differently from one project to another, the study was conducted to inform about the different models and facilitate learning about advantages and disadvantages in the various approaches. The study findings were presented during a PPWG meeting on the 16 November 2006.
Two PPWG meetings planned for the autumn 2006 were cancelled due to overlapping with Government workshops and events. One meeting on Vietnam’s 5-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) 2006-2010: experiences from Vietnamese and International NGOs on participatory planning in its implementation was cancelled/postponed due to a workshop hosted by Ministry of Planning and Investment with support from SCF UK on 26 September on a very similar subject. Another meeting on Rural Collaborative Groups and Networking amongst Vietnamese NGOs was postponed as the thematic study (led by Department of Cooperatives, MARD with field survey support from IFAD, CARE, OXFAM GB and SRD) to the 7th draft of RCG Decree. This Draft is being circulated among PPWG Core group for feedbacks and comments will be provided to MARD prior National Workshop planned for 13 December 2006. The Decree will be submitted for Government approval.
III. Other activities during 2006
Update of the PPWG Website at http://www.un.org.vn/donor/donor.htm, working group space. The VUFO-NGO Centres has established a new, more active and updated website, and PPWG core group decided to move the PPWG webpage.
The link under the UN Vietnam website under partnerships is maintained. The PPWG server for distributing messages to the full group of interested persons has moreover changed to ppwg@ngocentre.org.vn. The VUFO-INGO website will be launched 10 December 2006.
Inventory update for organisations involved in PPWG. It will in the future be updated twice a year from 2007.
IV. Related activities/activities of interest in 2006
Participation in the briefing on the draft Law on Associations at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) for Ambassadors as well as PPWG members, 3 April.
Launch of the CIVICUS Civil Society Index Study supported by the Vietnam Institute of Development Studies, SNV and UNDP, on 9 May.
The Embassy of Finland’s study on Measuring Grassroots Democracy, conducted by Mekong Economics, and review of support for GDD. The Finnish Embassy has conducted some consultation with NGOs.
UNDP/VASS paper on grassroots democracy and participatory governance in Vietnam. It was available at the “20 years of doi moi conference” organised by UNDP and VASS in June.
Case Study of VNGO Network under the Capable Partners Program (CAP), USAID Office of Private Voluntary Cooperation (USAID/PVC) and the Academy for Educational Development (AED) and its main partner Management Systems International (MSI). This report was expected to be finished by mid-year.
PPWG members were actively taking part and contributed to the Vietnam Development Report by the World Bank. INGOs and NGOs were for the first time invited to take part, from June to November.
PPWG supported the preparation for the workshop “Capacity Building and Strengthening the NGO for Socio-Economic Development in Vietnam”, 9 November. The workshop was organised by VUSTA with support from UNDP and SNV and was a major event with participation of more than 140 participants from different stakeholders groups (Vietnamese and international NGOs, government officials and donor community).
Support for Plan International’s project on assessing different participatory models, presented at the PPWG meeting, 16 November.
V. Meetings planned for 2007
Topic 1: Participatory planning and budgeting - role of I/NGOs
This topic is being discussed by various organisations involved in the new type of participatory development, and PPWG would like to ensure involvement and networking on the results from these approaches. Organisations which have gained experiences will present cases to be discussed by the plenary.
Topic 2: Rural Collaborative Groups and Networking amongst Vietnamese NGOs
It is expected that the final draft Decree on Rural Collaborative Groups (RCG) will be formulated by end of the 2006. PPWG have been proactive in pushing for this change in the legal frame for small rural groups that hitherto had no legal frame. The purpose of this PPWG meeting would be to discuss the draft and the report that came out as a result of the meeting in 2005 on the same topic. The RCG topic might be combined with discussion of how to form networks between RCG. Topics to be addressed will include formation of networks, structure and capacity, activities, contributions to the development process, and challenges faced in promoting these networks to follow up on activities from 2005.
Topic 3: Reflections of how to follow-up on the “Capacity building and strengthening of NGOs”
The VUSTA workshop 9 November 2006 was a landmark event with presentations from national and international speakers, government and non-government sector. The afternoon was spent on group discussions on how to support NGOs and their participation in the development process in Vietnam. UNDP, SNV and VUSTA all expressed commitment to contribute to strengthening the NGO sector, for instance through the suggested establishment of a fund for Capacity Development of NGOs. The PPWG meeting would be on follow-up measures from the workshop.
Topic 4: Participation of INGOs and NGOs in implementation and M&E of the SEDP
This PPWG meeting will aim to explore the involvement of Vietnamese and International NGOs in the development and implementation of the SEDP, and what this means for the contribution of these organisations to government policy and the improvement of participatory governance.
Topic 5: Developing an enabling environment for CSOs development
It is clear that CSOs can only develop and contribute if they are facilitated by an enabling environment. Other than to follow-up the Law on Association (which might not be taken up in the NA again before 2008) PPWG members would seek opportunities to look into the overall CSOs legal framework (including legal documents for other types of CSOs such as funds, foundations, CSOs at grassroots levels...) and other mechanism necessary to facilitate the growth of CSOs. This include assuring sustainable finance for CSOs as tax provision, grants, aids, donation, voluntary work...; assuring actual and effective participation of CSOs in public service delivery, national program 135...; capacity building to enhance CSOs capability, accountability and transparency; enhancing the State-CSOs and State-CSOs-Market dialogues...
Other activities
Of other activities planned for 2007 include:
Identify means and ways to strengthening the PPWG further and identify strategic directions. This includes reviewing goal, objectives, working definitions, etc.
Discussions to provide inputs for the Ordinance on Grassroots Democracy
WTO impacts on the NGO sector.
