CSOs AND AID EFFECTIVENESS WORKSHOP Ha Noi October 2 nd, 2007 GROUP WORK REPORT

GROUP 1 Topic: Role and models of CSO involvement in Aid Effectiveness

Role and models of CSO involvement in AE Monitoring AE and ODA at commune level, fund from NGO/IOs. - CSO directly involve in monitoring, not state agencies Effective implementation: community-based projects, highly participatory approach from design to implementation of projects, cost effectiveness, low administrative cost, benefits from the fund go directly to the people, transparency, and openness of information Advocate: Unite among some CSO to advocate to get attention of and to influence government’s policy,  enabling environment for CSO’s best practices Introcuction of gender issue into the development agenda to create equality in community development

What to do to ensure the involvement of CSO in AE – for CSO Improved participation of CSO: CSOs are allowed to participate and negotiate with donors on development programs, on development priorities that close to grassroots' needs CSO should be mutual and independent orgs CSO with monitoring role: Network with other CSOs, self-capacity building to persuade and prove their expertise. VUSTA can play as the facilitator and connector of the network

What to do to ensure the involvement of CSO in AE – for Government Finalize legal framework for the operation of CSOs (adjusted decree 88, Law on Associations) Empowerment: CSOs have chance to access fund to implement, monitor and evaluate use of fund. CSOs’ involvement are clearly indicated in 5 principles of PD and HCS Donor have a proportion of money for CSOs’ monitoring and evaluation Stipulate that CSO shall be represented in the M&E delegation of all aid-funded projects/programs to guarantee transparency

What to do to ensure the involvement of CSO in AE – for Government Simplification of fund receiving procedure (allow CSOs to receive direct aid in cash) Public of ODA information On Website; Mass media (TV, newspaper); Official correspondence;..

GROUP 2 Government–CSO relationship in Viet Nam

Focus About HCS (Ha Noi core statement) How does HCS linked to CSOs? How CSOs participate in HCS?

1. About Vietnamese CSOs Vietnamese CSOs have experienced high development thanks to recent enabling legal framework However, discrimination among different types/levels of CSOs still exists Different perspectives of state agency and CSOs/associations on the same issue

2. about ODA Could have bad effect: discourage internal force, increase dependency,  should not rely too much on ODA Might become the tool of influence of donor countries Like a cake, and unequally shared, even not all stakeholders are involved in the splitting up of this cake (CG meeting)

3. About HCS 14 objectives are good but only in theory It takes much longer time to implement This is just the effort to localize the PD e.g. Commitment 3: consultation. Government should not be the project owner, especially the technical assistant project

4. Recommendations to enhance AE CSOs should be allowed to involve in all steps: consultation, implementation, monitoring, evaluations of ODA. Government policies in general and in ODA in particular should be consulted with CSOs, meanwhile CSOs also actively access ODA related legal documents to have timely consultation ODA projects should benefit the right beneficiary, implementation should be consistently deployed from central level to local level. CSOs should unite and coordinate with each other for better efficiency (from project to program approach)

4. Recommendations to enhance AE (cont) Higher professionalize, less bureaucratic procedures among CSOs There should be an information center to provide CSOs related and reliable source of information. Capacity building for CSOs, especially in independent monitoring and evaluation Enabling legal framework for CSOs Frequent dialogue between government and CSOs

GROUP 3 INGO/ Donor-CSO relationship in Viet Nam

1.Donor/INGOs – CSOs relationship : + Ideal partnership relationship + Subcontractor (employee) – Investor (of money, technology) relationship

2. Recommendations of CSOs to Donors/INGOs: Better CSOs participation in big development projects CSOs are allowed to directly implement and monitor projects Classification of types of fund, give CSOs the fund amount appropriate with their capacity. When they are not capable of take in huge projects Better assistance from government, donor/INGO to help enhance capacity of CSOs, be ready to take in responsibilities when donors/INGOs withdraw This is the expansion of Ha Noi Core statement: Government/INGOs create legal framework for CSOs. Currently 30% of aid comes from state budget, the rest 70% are from CSOs’ program/projects

3. What CSOs should do in the future to better access to funds of donors/INGOs Capacity building for CSOs at all levels Networking to make it strong enough in terms of financial and human resources to be able to take in big projects and receive fund directly from donors/INGO. Positive competition among CSOs by: + Upward and downward influence + Information sharing among CSOs and with other stakeholders such as government, donors and INGOs