LPRV SUSTAINABILITY Resources for Funding August, 2002

Transcription

1 LPRV SUSTAINABILITY Resources for Funding August, 2002 INTRODUCTION: Although everyone in the LPRV network in very busy with other work, the course books, the third commune project and preparing for the national meeting in August 2002, it is very important in the last year of the project to begin to look farther ahead. In order to help the C/CPRs and the LPRV do that, this book presents some opportunities and some information on funding. The LPRV network can use the information to help them make decisions on the future of the network and how it could continue to function after the CIDA funding has finished. At the CCPR Ms. Le will continue to work on finding opportunities for the CPRs and the LPRV network. She will pass this information around to the CPRs as she finds it. In the future the CCPR will work on making these opportunities available and supporting the CCPRs to apply for them. FORMAT: There are several agencies listed in this book: NGOs, development agencies and multigovernmental agencies. For each listing, there is some information on the agency (for example, contact information), they types of projects it funds, how to apply for funding from that agency, what some good possibilities for the LPRV might be within that agency and whether or not contact has already been made with the agency. If contact has been made, any s received from the agency have been included. ***Please note that this is just a sample of agencies. For lack of time and because the LPRV is at this time without a strategy for continuing its program, not all possible agencies were contacted. In the cases where and agency (usually and NGO) was contacted and was found to be a non grant-making agency, this was noted in the summary of all agencies contacted. GENERAL FINDINGS/RECOMMENDATIONS: Some agencies publicize their funding schemes under specific project titles and make a public call for proposals. These funds change often and some are offered regularly and some are offered only once. A good way to find out about these is to have a list of websites of NGOs and embassies in Vietnam that are checked once a month in order to have current information on what is available. The LPRV may want to assign someone who does this regularly and tells the network members what is available, or the CPRs could organize this for themselves.

2 Most agencies will accept unsolicited funding proposals. The best way to make these proposals is to make contact with the person in charge of funding at an agency and get information from them about when they accept proposals, what format they should be in and what kinds of projects they fund. The best opportunities for funding project work are through NGOs (which tend to have limited and specific schemes) and the best opportunities for keeping the network together are from embassies/development agencies or the European Commission which tend to offer much larger and more comprehensive schemes. The LPRV network has many resources for securing more funding that are not currently being mobilized as they possibly could be. In general, people in the network are very well connected both in Vietnam and internationally and have worked on numerous projects. Any kind of personal knowledge of other projects or connections with people in other agencies could lead to important opportunities for cooperation and dissemination of lessons learned through the LPRV program. INFORMATION RESOURCES: For Donors: Included in this document is a short brochure (in English) that can be given or ed to potential donors to provide them with basic information on LPRV. If it seems that it would be helpful, a similar document could also be developed in Vietnamese. As well, the newsletter that the LPRV has produced can also be given out. For the C/CPRs: The NGO Directory (which all CPRs have in their libraries) is available in English and Vietnamese and lists all the NGOs working in Vietnam, along with some information about their program and projects. An updated version of this directory will be available in September from the NGO Resource Centre in Hanoi. Many of these agencies are open to be contacted with project ideas. CONCLUSIONS: There is a lot of interest in the work the LPRV has done and there seemed to be a lot of opportunities to continue to do this work with the support and cooperation of other agencies. It is now up to the CCPR and the CPRs to decide on the best way to use this interest to keep the network functioning and the work continuing. However, building and maintaining relationships with outside agencies does take sustained effort. It is not something that can be left to the last few months of the project, if the work started by the LPRV program is to continue and make a significant difference in Vietnam. CCPR, AUGUST 2002

3 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION SUMMARY OF ALL AGENCIES 1. GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES AusAID (Australia) CIDA (Canada) DANIDA (Denmark) DFID (Britain) JICA (Japan) SIDA (Sweden) USAID (United States) 2. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOs) ActionAid The Asia Foundation The Ford Foundation Oxfam Great Britain Oxfam Quebec/Novib SNV - Netherlands 3. OTHERS The European Commission 4. APPLICATION FORMS AVAILABLE (***Please request from Ms. Le at the CCPR if you are interested) The Canada Fund (CIDA) English Language Application The Canada Fund Vietnamese Application Embassy Fund (Netherlands) Ford Foundation (not available electronically) European Commission Local Women Fund (Netherlands) Local Environment Fund (Netherlands) Novib (Oxfam Quebec/Oxfam Netherlands) 5. CORRESPONDENCE 6. INFORMATION FOR INTERESTED AGENCIES (***Please request from Ms. Le at the CCPR if you are interested) An English language booklet on the LPRV and the C/CPRs that can be distributed to agencies as a general summary of the LPRV program.

4 SUMMARY OF AGENCIES 1. Embassies ORGANIZATION: FUND: DETAILS: Australia (AusAID) 8 Dao Can, Hanoi Tel: Fax: austemb@fpt.vn Web: Britain (DFID) Suite Hai Ba Trung Tel: ~5 Fax: Direct Aid Program Australian Small Activities Scheme (ASAS) AusAID Projects (official AusAID funding) No specific funding schemes but support quite a few poverty reduction initiatives. Provides funds at the discretion of the Ambassador primarily to small, community-based development activities. Supports small-scale development projects/activities that are participatory. Special attention is given to the needs of minorities, women and children. **Hue CPR applied for one of these in Website has very specific information about what will and will not be funded and also how to apply for it. Received information about LPRV but did not reply to it. Canada (CIDA) 31 Hung Vuong, Hanoi Tel: Fax: hanoi@dfait-macci.gc.ca Denmark (DANIDA) Danish Embassy 19 Dien Bien Phu Tel: Fax: hanamb@um.dk Canada Fund for Local Initiatives Canadian Embassy Supports small hands-on projects on poverty reduction at the local level. Administered by the Canadian Cooperation Office, Hanoi. Government shift to the right has reduced aid budget substantially. All money is allocated at the moment, however, should check back with them in some months to check the situation

5 Japan (JICA) 11th Fl. Daeha Office Twr. 360 Kim Ma Tel: ~8 Netherlands 6th Fl. Daeha Office Twr. 360 Kim Ma Tel: Fax: Sweden (SIDA) Swedish Embassy 2 Nui Tru, Van Phuc Compound, Hanoi Tel: Fax: development.hanoi@sida.se Has 2 funds dispersed through different agencies: 1) Local Environment Fund 2) Local Women s Fund Has one fund dispersed through the Embassy: PKP Plus fund No specific small funding scheme but cooperates with agencies that approach it with a specific plan. Largest international donor to Vietnam. Does provide gran t aid but the majority of its programs are technical and infrastructure projects. Fund projects in 3 areas: 1) health; 2) forestry & biodiversity; 3) water management. These funds are all administered through MARD. They are currently discussing with AusAID the possibility of funding its Small Activities Scheme (but will have to check with Aus AID to see if that happens). Requested information on the LPRV to learn more. United States (USAID) Rose Garden Tower 6 Ngoc Khanh, Hanoi Tel: Fax: Focusses almost exclusively on the development of private enterprise and on governance related work.

6 2. NGOs ORGANIZATION: FUND: DETAILS: ActionAid Rm International Residence 521 Kim Ma, Hanoi Tel: or Fax: No specific funding scheme but expressions of interest can be made year-round. Involved in very diverse project work, including some training of local level officials. The Asia Foundation Quang Trung, Hanoi Tel: Fax: Jonathan Stromseth, Rep. The Ford Foundation Suites Vietcombank Tower 198 Tran Quang Khai Tel: /7/8/9 Fax: Helvitas (Switzerland) Oxfam Great Britain La Thanh Hotel Focus on funding in 5 areas: international cooperation; poverty alleviation in upland areas; sexuality and reproductive health; sociology, and; arts and culture. A non grant-making organization. No specific schemes but very open to partnerships. Current program activities include: research and dialogue on business law and economic competitiveness; community legal assistance; women s legal education; women s leadership training; support for implementation of the Regulation on the Exercise of Democracy in Communes; technical assistance for enhancing foreign policy analysis, and; research and educational exchange related to US-Vietnam relations. Primarily a grant-making agency. Most of what they do is funding thus any agency that has an idea for a project falling into the categories of projects they fund can apply under the program. Focus on a very specific rights-based approach to funding. Does offer some opportunities for LPRV project work.

7 218 Doi Can, Hanoi Tel: Fax: Web: Oxfam Quebec Plan International Fiscal year goes from May April so they make all funding decisions in May. Administers (but has no discretion) on a project fund sponsored by the Dutch Oxfam (NOVIB) Not a grant-making organization. A very small organization. Gets most of its funding from CIDA and uses this to develop its own programs. Plans, runs and implements own programs (by soliciting funding from agencies such as CIDA). Does not work with other institutions (like LPRV) to do this. 3. Others: Organization: Fund: Details: European Union 7th Floor, Metropole Centre 56 Ly Thai To Tel: United Nations ***Posts many open calls for proposals. Check website regularly: Keep a watch for consulting opportunities, they often post them in various publications (newspapers, NGO Resource Centre newsletter, etc.) There are many opportunities posted here but the application forms are very long and would take a lot of effort & collaboration to fill in. World Bank 63 Ly Thai To Tel: Fax: Keep a watch for consulting opportunities, they often post them in various publications (newspapers, NGO Resource Centre newsletter, etc.).

8 1. Embassy Development Agencies Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) 8 Dao Can, Hanoi Tel: Fax: austemb@fpt.vn Web: Contacts: AusAid Australia Office (Canberra) Tel: (02) Fax: (02) Christine Pahlman, Vietnam Program Officer christine_pahlman@ausaid.gov.au AusAID Hanoi Office Shireen Sandhu, First Secretary (Dev. Cooperation) shireen.sandhu@dfat.gov.au Mr. Nguyen Quoc Viet, Senior Program Officer quoc-viet.nguyen@dfat.gov.au Doan Thu Nga, Program Officer thu-nga.doan@dfat.gov.au AusAID Regional Projects Mr. Terry Bull, Team Leader, Quang Ngai Rural Development Program 93 Le Trung Dinh Quang Ngai, Vietnam Tel: Fax: Mob: terryqnrdp@dng.vnn.vn

9 Status: AusAID is aware of and interested in cooperating with LPRV. Personal contact has been made with Christine Pahlman, Terry Bull and Nguyen Quoc Viet. They are interested in arranging a meeting the next time Terry Bull (who is running a somewhat similar project in Quang Ngai Province) is in Hanoi. AusAID funds many projects throughout Vietnam. Unsolicited applications can be made for AusAID funding (guidelines taken off are attached). In the past, AusAID also posted open calls for small projects under two schemes: a human rights enhancement scheme and a small activities scheme. Details of these can be found on their website. These funds are small and specific.

10 Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Canadian Embassy 31 Hung Vuong, Hanoi Tel: Fax: Contacts: CIDA at Canadian Embassy: Ms. Camille Baudot, First Secretary (Development) Canadian Cooperation Office: Hanoi Towers, 12th Floor 49 Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi Tel: Fax: Ms. Hoang Thi Phuong, Poverty Reduction & Gender Consultant Ms. Le Thi Phuong Thao Canada Fund Project Officer Status: LPRV people have had several meetings with both Camille Baudot and Ms. Phuong from CIDA. The results of these meetings have been very positive. CIDA has shown a great deal of interest in the LPRV and feels that its activities are timely, relevant and important. They have not offered anything concrete in terms of future support but they have expressed a broad interest in making sure that LPRV lessons and activities are not forgotten or lost. Camille sees cooperation possibilities with LRPV in CIDA s Capacity Development Enabling Environment (CDEE) project in Soc Trang and Tanh Hoa provinces which offers training to provincial and local level officials. The problem with this is they are having a problem finding traning experts yet there is a major demand for this because of the governments expressed commitment to decentralization.

11 CIDA believes that LPRV has developed a good local level understanding among participants at the C/CPRs. Mentioned a new working group called the Like-Minded Donor Group (LMDG) which is an association of development agencies (incl. Dutch, Swiss, CIDA, DFID, SIDA, etc.) that share similar views of development funding. LMDG is working to organize ODA money to try and increase effectiveness and decrease duplication, etc. Their partner in this initiative is the MPI. They are starting with an evaluation of indicators and assessments. Camille thinks universities are good sources for linkages in working on this. In concrete terms, also believes this will lead to a need for knowledge, links between higher and local level organizations and university activities. The Canadian Embassy has two small funding schemes: the Canada Fund and the Social and Women s Initiative. Information on the Canada Fund is attached in both English and Vietnamese.

12 Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) Danish Embassy 19 Dien Bien Phu, Hanoi Tel: Fax: Web: Contacts: Hanoi Office: Jan Moller Hansen Counsellor, Development Cooperation Status: I met briefly with the Development Counsellor at DANIDA. He was helpful with information but discouraging about the possibilities for cooperation or support from DANIDA, even though their thinking on development is relatively consistent with the LPRV goals. DANIDA is in a difficult position at the moment because a change in government has led to major reductions in their aid budget. In Vietnam, they were even forced to cancel contracts for development projects that had already been signed, due to reduced funds. Recommendations: At this time, all DANIDA funding has been allocated and they are not looking to make partnerships or cooperate further with other programs due to budgetary restrictions however, this does not mean that there will not be possibilities for cooperation in the future so a possible relationship with them should not be discounted completely.

13 Department for International Development (DFID) British Embassy Central Building 31 Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi Tel: Fax: Web: Status: I was unable to make a good contact at the DFID. I did go in and speak with the person in charge of funding there and left her some information on the LPRV but did not receive a very favourable response. I also did not get a reply. However, according to Camille Baudot at CIDA, the DFID is actually potentially a very good source of funding and cooperation because they are (according to Camille) very forward thinking and also one of the main principles of their activities in Vietnam is poverty reduction thus they are very willing to fund poverty reduction activities. DFID is also a member of the loose association of like-minded donors, which also includes CIDA. Recommendations: As with most other government agencies that do not have specific small funding schemes, it would probably make the most sense to wait until a proposal was worked out before approaching DFID again. The DFID is currently in the process of updating their Country Strategy Paper for Vietnam and when this is finished, it should also provide some guidance as to the best approach for cooperation with them. While they do not have any official small funding schemes, they do occasionally post consulting opportunities on their website which may be of interest to some CPRs.

14 Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) 11th Fl. Daeha Office Tower 360 Kim Ma Tel: ~8 Web: Status: JICA is the largest donor agency to Vietnam however it seems that most of this money goes towards loans rather than grants. Grant money is second priority and third priority is technical assistance. They maintain a very good and informative website on their activities in Vietnam. They have no specific small funding schemes. Recommendations: They do not seem to support any kinds of programs such as the LPRV, nor is poverty reduction listed as part of their priority activities. They do some institutional capacity building but it is mainly to do with supporting private enterprise and legal reform.

15 Netherlands Embassy 6th Floor, Daeha Office Tower 360 Kim Ma, Hanoi Tel: Fax: Contacts: Hanoi Office Ms. Pham Minh Uyen Secretary, Development Cooperation Status: I spoke with Ms. Uyen and got information from her, but did not give any to them about the LPRV. The Netherlands Embassy development cooperation focuses on three main project areas: 1) health; 2) forestry and biodiversity, and; 3) water management. Their Vietnamese partner ministry is usually MARD. In addition to forming partnerships with organizations and agencies in Vietnam (interest can be expressed through submitting a proposal), the Netherlands Embassy also has three small projects funds and in the future may also fund the Australian Small Activities Scheme. The Local Environment Fund (LEF). This fund is for small environmental initiatives. It is administered by the NGO SNV Netherlands (see NGO section). The Local Women Fund (LFW) is administered through a partnership between three agencies (the Thai Binh Women s Union, the Medical Committee Netherlands-Vietnam and the Centre for Education Promotion and Empowerment of Women (CEPEW). Information and application is attached here. The Small Embassy Projects fund (SEP) is administered directly by the Embassy. It funds a variety of small projects with a general focus on poverty alleviation. Information and an application form is included at the end. Recommendations: Any one of these funds should be appropriate for CPRs with plans for small-scale initiatives however, in terms of cooperating with the Embassy itself, I think we would have to wait until there is a better plan for the future of the LPRV.

16 Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) Swedish Embassy 2 Nui Tru, Van Phuc Quarter, Hanoi Tel: Fax: development.hanoi@sida.se Web: Contacts: Hanoi Office Mr. Ha mr.ha@sida.se Status: Was sent a copy of LPRV information (July ) and said they would review it and get back to us. I did not hear a reply and did not pursue it as without a specific funding proposal, it does not seem appropriate. Has no specific funding schemes but accepts proposals to cooperate with SIDA on projects. Camille Baudot of CIDA recommended CIDA as a development agency that should be interested in LPRV-type activities and is also a member of the Like Minded Donor Group. Recommendations: There are good possibilities that SIDA might be interested in something like the LPRV however (as has been mentioned before), the program would need to come up with a proposal that was more specific before a relationship could really be pursued.

17 2. Non-Governmental Organizations ActionAid Rm International Residence 521 Kim Ma, Hanoi Tel: or Fax: Contacts: Hanoi Office: Ms. Hoang Phuong Thao, Funding Officer Dr. Ramesh Kadka, Country Director Status: Has no specific fiscal year or period for allocating funds. Accepts proposals throughout the year. Also has no standard format for proposals. Has received a copy of information about LPRV and sounded interested. Recommendations: Van Anh knows the director of AA and said she would speak with him. They do very diverse project work, mainly very targeted and specific projects (example: Training and Equiping of Village-based Para-vets ), they also run some micro-finance schemes. Probably the best opportunity for LPRV is their projects on capacity building for HEPR projects and the district and provincial level.

18 The Asia Foundation (TAF) Quang Trung, Hanoi Tel: Fax: Contacts: Hanoi Office Dr. Jonathan Stromseth, Country Representative Ms. Nhung, Secretary Status: Spoke with the secretary about their schemes. They provide both money for projects and books for libraries but these books are almost entirely textbooks on technical subjects. Ms. Nhung is responsible for distributing the books and Dr. Jonathan Stromseth is responsible for disbursing project money. Projects are considered when a letter of interest is submitted to Dr. Stromseth. There is no specific format for expressing interest. A copy of LPRV information was sent to Dr. Stromseth (July 2002) but no reply was received. This was intended to just be reviewed by him for us to get an idea if TAF would be interested in LPRV. No reply has been received. Current program activities include: research and dialogue on business law and economic competitiveness; community legal assistance; women s legal education; women s leadership training; support for implementation of the Regulation on the Exercise of Democracy in Communes; technical assistance for enhancing foreign policy analysis, and; research and educational exchange related to US-Vietnam relations. Recommendations: Some possibilities for the LPRV are projects on women s leadership training, and there are maybe some possibilities for getting them interested in our library and getting some funding or book donations.

19 The Ford Foundation Vietcombank Tower, 15th Floor 198 Tran Quang Khai, Hanoi Tel: /7/8/9 Fax: Web: Contact: Hanoi Office: Dr. Charles Bailey, Country Representative (grant manager for environment, development & international cooperation) Dr. Lisa Messersmith, Program Officer (grant manager for sexuality & reproductive health) Dr. Michael DiGregorio, Program Officer (grant manager for social sciences, art & culture & education reform) Ngo Le Mai, Grants Administrator Status: Funds focusing on five program areas: 1) international cooperation; 2) poverty alleviation in upland areas; 3) sexuality and reproductive health; 4) arts and culture, and; 5) social sciences (which primarily funds education exchanges and joint research initiatives). The organization is considering expanding its grant making to education reform. The foundation is already funding a project through the NCSSH Institute of Ethnology and has a project office at the NCSSH. They also are funding a project involving a network of 11 universities, led by the Agriculture University in Hanoi. For more information about this, contact Dr. Tran Duc Vien at They take applications for funding throughout the year and provide a standard format for submitting an application. This is available from their headquarters in Hanoi or from the CCPR and is relatively simple and short to fill out and can be submitted by letter, fax or but must be written on LPRV letterhead paper.

20 Recommendations: As it is at the moment, this fund probably only offers opportunities for Dalat and Thai Nguyen (poverty alleviation in the uplands) or possibly Hue CPR (sexuality and reproductive health) as it has health care experts. Other potential opportunity for funding could be possible if any of the CPRs have capacity to work with communities (perhaps ethnic minorities) on cultural preservation. At present it doesn t seem that any of the CPRs have capacity in this area.

21 Oxfam Great Britain (OGB) La Thanh Hotel 218 Doi Can, Hanoi Tel: Fax: Web: Contacts: Hanoi Office: Mr. Do Thanh Lam, Programme Coordinator Status: Mr. Lam of Oxfam GB has received LPRV materials and is familiar with it from a personal meeting in which the potential for OGB to support LPRV project activities was discussed. OGB s fiscal year runs from May to April so this years funding is already allocated. They have no standard format for applications at this time but they are updating their old format sheet so there may be one soon (ask before applying). What they will fund depends on the subject and content of the proposed project and how well it conforms with OGB s mission statement. OGB pursues a rights-based approach in all its projects, working to consolidate several rights such as the right to an education, the right to equality, etc. and selects projects that support these rights. They used to do a lot of micro-credit programmes but will stop doing those as they have found the legal policy framework in Vietnam is insufficient for allowing these programmes to be effective. They will now focus on trying to change policies. Recommendations: Van Anh knows Mr. Lam and other people at OGB. The right that is most closely connected with LPRV activities is probably the right to be heard which is a slightly controversial attempt to build the capacity of civil society type organizations that have the possibility to influence policy. They place a very high priority on this and are eager to fund programmes that can support this initiative, and particularly for projects that focus on a local problem but ultimately influence national policy. At the moment, OGB is funding LERES & LaDeCen (formerly

22 the NGO Training Project) which provide training on participatory approaches but these are not able to influence national policy. LPRV may be able to fill in this gap Also pursue a right to equality which mainly focuses on gender mainstreaming, human trafficking and domestic violence. They feel their capacity to work in this area is low and if they had a strong local partner, they could do more. This could also be a possibility for LPRV but first, possible projects must find out from OGB more specific details about this.

23 Oxfam Quebec (OQ) 16 Ngo 164 Doi Can Ba Dinh, Hanoi Tel: Fax: Web: Contacts: Hanoi Office Mr. David Horley, Country Representative Ms. Joanne Dessureault, Program Officer (funding) Status: Oxfam Quebec is not normally a grant-making organization as it has a very small budget and gets most of its project money from CIDA. However, they do act as an administrator for a fund, on behalf of the Dutch Oxfam (Novib). This is a small project scheme that will grant a maximum of $10,000 for a one year project. If the partnership is successful, NOVID may decide to expand the project into a larger and more comprehensive funding scheme. OQ has no authority over decision making for who will receive this fund. Generally, other Oxfam member organizations have preference for these funds, however any organization can apply. There is no particular time to apply and applications can be made throughout the year. A short application form is following as an appendix. They want the project description to be very brief (about 3 pages) and once approval is made, the project can get underway very quickly as OQ can disperse the funds right away. Recommendations: Offers a good opportunity for a CPR with an idea for a small project. Has the advantage of a simple application procedure and a quick response time.

24 SNV Netherlands , D1 Van Phuc Compound Kim Ma, Hanoi Tel: Fax: Contacts: Hanoi Office: Ms. Ty, Funding Coordinator Status: I made contact with them in July 2002 to ask about the scheme. They sent me the information but did not receive any information about LPRV as they are only funding small-scale project-base environmental initiatives. The SNV program funds two types of initiatives: 1) income and employment generation and 2) natural resource management. In addition to this, they mainstream gender and capacity building in all their activities. Attached here is the funding description and application information for a small-project funding scheme they have called: SNV Local Environment Fund. Proposals can be submitted at any time and they will be considered 4 times yearly (the first of March, June, September and December). Recommendations: This could be a very good opportunity for a CPR that has a small project idea and wants the benefit of some funding to support a small initiative that could then be used to tie back in to general research at the university and CPR level. *****For anyone who is interested in applying for this, please note that Mr. Do Thanh Lam of Oxfam GB is on the Board of Directors for this funding scheme and Van Anh knows him so there is a potentially good contact to be made there. He personally recommended this scheme for LPRV attention.

25 3. Others The European Commission (Europeaid) 7th Floor, Metropole Centre 56 Ly Thai To Tel: Fax: Web: do not have a specific site for Vietnam Contacts: European Commission Delegation in Vietnam, Hanoi Office Andrew Jacobs, Vietnam Funding Officer (? Not sure of exact title) andrew.jacobs@delvnm.cec.eu.int Tel: (ext. 226) Henrik Franklin, Programme Officer (Development) henrik.franklin@delvnm.cec.eu.int Tel: ext. 216 Eva Capa, Programme Officer (Education & Development) eva.capa@delvnm.cec.eu.int Tel: ext. 252 Status: The EC publicize many open calls for proposals and they fund many comprehensive and longer-term projects as well. The disadvantage of the EC is that their application procedure is very long and quite complex. Another disadvantage is that the EC proposals are open to many developing countries, not just Vietnam so the competition many be quite strong. Recommendations: It is difficult to get a good sense of what the chances are like of getting one of these grants but the website should be checked regularly for new calls for proposals. Instructions for the website are attached below as the site is somewhat complicated to get through.

26 EC Funding Proposals Directions for Website: 1) Go to website: 2) Select language 3) Go to Institutions: European Commission 4) Go to Directorates and General Services 5) Go to Europeaid Co-operation Office 6) Go to Tenders and Grants 7) Go to Tender and Calls for Proposals Notices 8) In the search engine on the left side select: status (open), type(grants), region (ALL), country (ALL) This will give you access to the list of projects that are currently looking for proposals. The EC office recommends checking this site about once a month as it changes regularly.

27 Correspondence: This may be of some use if any of the below agencies are contacted. 1. AusAID: Date : Wed, 3 Jul :04: From : christine_pahlman@ausaid.gov.au To : "Xochitl Benjamin" xochitlbenjamin@hotmail.com CC : Shireen.Sandhu@dfat.gov.au, Quoc-VIET.Nguyen@dfat.gov.au, Thu-Nga.Doan@dfat.gov.au, cecilie_young@ausaid.gov.au Subject : Re: AusAID Activities in Vietnam Dear Benjamin Thank you for you inquiry. I was already broadly aware of your Program (which sounds very interesting) as AusAID funds a broadly similar program called Capacity Building for Agriculture and Rural Development. We also are funding another project in Quang Ngai province which is based on a participatory development approach and there may be some useful connections that can be made between the two projects. The relevant contacts in Viet Nam to discuss these issues are Shireen Sandhu, First Secretary (Development Cooperation), Doan Thu Nga (Program Officer) and Nguyen Quoc Viet (Senior Proram Officer) AusAID, Australian Embassy Hanoi. The telephone number of AusAID at the Australian Embassy is Please note that Shireen Sandhu is presently on leave and will be returning on 22 July. Regards Christine Pahlman Program Officer, Viet Nam AusAID Canberra Tel : Fax: Date: 02/07/ :58 PM From: "Xochitl Benjamin" xochitlbenjamin@hotmail.com To: Christine Pahlman christine_pahlman@ausaid.gov.au Subject: AusAID Activities in Vietnam Dear Ms. Pahlman, I am writing on behalf of my organisation, Localized Poverty Reduction Vietnam (LPRV), a capacity building for poverty reduction programme currently funded by Canadian (CIDA) grant money. You may have been in contact with another person from our agency, Dr. Steffanie Scott, who teaches at the University of Western Australia. It was through her that I got your name as an AusAID contact.

28 As an organisation, we are nearing the end of our five-year funding scheme. As part of the strategy for our fourth and fifth year, I am working towards making connections with other agencies in Vietnam, publicising the type of work we've been doing, sharing our findings, project work and the lessons we have learned in the hopes that we can find other agencies that may be interested in working with us or supporting our continued efforts, either comprehensively or through smaller scale one-off projects. We are very flexible in structure and have excellent organisational capacity and strong regional representation. We have poverty reduction centres in five cities throughout Vietnam, as well as a national coordinating centre in Hanoi. Each centre has so far been responsible for developing and implementing 3 small participatory poverty reduction projects (15 all together). Each centre has also developed a university level taught course on various topics relating to poverty reduction and local participation. In collaboration with the national centre, the program has developed a workshop training course for training local officials to effectively involve local people in the development and implementation of poverty reduction projects. I am writing to you to ask for help on a few items, if possible. First, I am wondering if you can recommend the appropriate person in Vietnam for me to contact. As well, I am wondering if you can provide me with any kind of insight as to whether or not AusAID would be interested in making a connection with our programme and perhaps meeting with us to discuss it further. Thank you in advance for your time and help, Xochitl Benjamin Date : Thu, 4 Jul :34: From: "Terry" terryqnrdp@dng.vnn.vn To: "Xochitl Benjamin" xochitlbenjamin@hotmail.com Subject: Poverty reduction Dear Xochitl, Sorry about getting the gender wrong, I took a punt and it had to be a 50:50 chance. I agree that we should have several areas of mutual interest and I will certainly give you plenty of notice when I next intend to come up to Hanoi. I am fairly busy down here at present and have no plans for a trip in place but things have a habit of changing rapidly around here. Some members of the AusAID team in Hanoi have requested to be included when we meet. I trust this will be OK with you. All the best, Terry. Date: Thursday, July 04, :24 AM From: "Xochitl Benjamin" <xochitlbenjamin@hotmail.com> To: <terryqnrdp@dng.vnn.vn> Cc: <trvananh@hn.vnn.vn> Subject: Re: Poverty reduction Dear Terry, Thank you for your message, it would be great to have you come to our offices to visit. If you can give me a little notice, I can try to make sure the director of our programme is here as well.

29 I am responsible for trying to make connections with other projects that are doing similar activities so we would be very happy to exchange ideas and information with you. One of the aspects of our programme that is developing very well at this stage is a course on training locallevel officials to involve local people and effectively build participatory poverty reduction initiatives. This is something that might tie in very well with your programme. As well, if you have specific project activities, such as small-scale infrastructure or micro-credit for example, that we have some experience with, we can share the relevant lessons learned with you. Thank you for your interest and I hope to meet you soon, Xochitl Benjamin (P.S - I know my name is a little confusing but actually I am Ms. Benjamin. Xochitl (pronounced Socheel) is my first name.) Date: Thu, 4 Jul :11: From: "Terry" terryqnrdp@dng.vnn.vn To: xochitlbenjamin@hotmail.com CC: Quoc-VIET.Nguyen@dfat.gov.au, "Ted A'BEAR" edward_a'bear@urscorp.com Subject: Poverty reduction Dear Mr Benjamin, AusAID have forwarded me a copy of your recent message to Christine Pahlman and I have accessed your web site to gain a little background on your project. It appears that our programs may have areas of mutual interest, particularly as we move into the implementation phase of our program. QNRDP is a poverty reduction program focussed on identifying and resolving householder constraints to increasing income and improving livelihoods. The program is centred round a participatory planning and implementation process that starts with householder participation in problem census and solving, moves to the formation of activity groups and progresses to supporting approved activities to empower the householders to be in a better position to continue livelihood gains on a self help basis. It endeavours to involve all stakeholders involved in the development process (within Quang Ngai) and will clearly require appreciable capacity building at householder and local government levels as we progressively identify the relevant skills and knowledge gaps. If you have no objection I would like to visit your office for a general chat when I next come to Hanoi. Best regards Terry Bull Team Leader Quang Ngai Rural Development Program

30 ActionAid: From : Hoang Phuong Thao <ThaoH@aaviet.netnam.vn> To : Xochitl Benjamin <xochitlbenjamin@hotmail.com> CC : rameshk@aaviet.netnam.vn, ngocp@aaviet.netnam.vn Subject : Re: Localized Poverty Reduction Vietnam Date : Wed, 10 Jul :59: Dear Ms. Xochitl: Thanks for calling to express the interest in ActionAid. I have forwarded your message and document to my bosses and will certainly get back to you after I am back. With best regards, P Thao ************ Xochitl Benjamin wrote: Hello Ms. Phuong Thao, I am who you just spoke with on the telephone. Attached is the information I said I would forward to you. Thanks for your time and I look forward to speaking with you when you return. Thank you, Xochitl Benjamin European Commission: From : To : Subject : "henrik.franklin" <henrik.franklin@delvnm.cec.eu.int> <xochitlbenjamin@hotmail.com> Fw: EC Call for Proposals for co financing in 2002 and 2003 of decentralised co operation activities in the developing countries Date : Wed, 17 Jul :26: Hi- Thanks for your interest in EC Development Cooperation. Here is the referred . For university cooperation please contact my colleague Eva Capa. Best regards, Henrik Franklin

31 Dear Sirs/Madams- Please be informed that the European Commission currently has a Call for Proposals open for the co financing in 2002 and 2003 of decentralised co-operation activities in the developing countries. In 2002 and 2003, priority will be given to projects which will: - build up the capacities of civil society representatives and local authorities; - promote dialogue beteen non-governmental actors and government (locally, nationally and internationally) so as to establish new partnerships between the public and private sectors; - promote and strengthen civil society and local government participation in programming and implementing Community cooperation; - improve information, communication and networking between actors in the South. The total indicative sum that will be made available for decentralized cooperation in 2002 is estimated at EURO 3.2 Million. Subject to the Budgetary Authority's decision, the indicative sum that will be made available for decentralised cooperation in 2003 is estimated at EURO 5.8 Million. Application guidelines and background information can be obtained on the following website: and to get to the appropriate site please follow these steps: > 1) Select language > 2) Go to Institutions: European Commission > 3) Go to Directorates and General Services > 4) Go to Europeaid Co-operation Office > 5) Go to Tenders and Grants > 6) Go to Tender and Calls for Proposals Notices > 7) In the search engine on the left side select: status (open), type > (grants), region (ALL), country (ALL) The Delegation would very much appreciate if you can make this information available to your partners. Thank you. Yours sincerely, Henrik Franklin