Partner Capacity Development Program Vietnam Quarterly Report January - March 2015

The program aims to build the capacity of Vietnamese organizations and individuals through administrative, technical, and management interventions, including technical assistance and participant training. The program focuses on eight key areas: economic growth and inclusion, private sector partnerships and innovation, HIV/AIDS, climate change and disaster risk reduction, disability and vulnerable populations, avian and pandemic influenza, education, and environmental remediation. The program's objectives are to equip key organizations and individuals to better achieve program objectives and improve their performance. During the January-March 2015 quarter, the program conducted several key activities. Workshops were held in Hanoi and HCMC to introduce the program and conduct a training needs assessment of a cross-section of Vietnamese non-governmental organizations (VNGOs). The assessment identified key needs in governance and organization management, fund raising and proposal writing, and project cycle management. The program also supported the Business Reform and Enterprise Climate Development (BREC) organization through facilitation of the BREC taskforce monthly meetings and recruitment of a local consultant to support BREC. An HICD assessment was conducted for COHED, and a capacity building work plan was developed. The program signed MOUs with four selected organizations, including MCD, CCRD, LIFE Center, and COHED, which include an intervention plan for each organization for 2015. The program also collaborated with USAID in launching a video contest in January to engage students in emerging development issues in Vietnam and publicize USAID's role in promoting Vietnam's development. The program circulated contest information to students in 50 universities around Vietnam and held meetings with students to share information about the contest. Additionally, the program released an RFP to solicit bids from local organizations to serve as a PCD local collaborator in conjunction with AGC and KNO. The program secured travel approval for representatives from KNO and AGC to travel to Vietnam in March to provide support in designing interventions. The program also provided technical assistance to the PCD target organizations, including BREC, MCD, CCRD, and LIFE Center. For BREC, the program provided remote back-stopping and facilitated strategy sessions with BREC leaders. For MCD, the program delivered a Performance Analysis and Solutions Recommendation report and established a schedule for beginning performance improvement solutions. For CCRD, the program drafted statements of work detailing solutions proposed in the assessment recommendations and recruited a local expert to assist CCRD in improving the quality of its training outputs. Overall, the program made significant progress in the January-March 2015 quarter, conducting several key activities and providing technical assistance to the PCD target organizations. The program's objectives are to equip key organizations and individuals to better achieve program objectives and improve their performance, and the program is on track to achieve these objectives.