Quarterly Progress Performance Report: Inclusion of the Vietnamese with Disabilities - IVWD FY 2013, October – December

The project is implemented by Vietnam Assistance for the Handicapped (VNAH) and has several key objectives, including improving the disability services system, promoting integration of disability services, and enhancing the capacity of Vietnamese university partners in developing training materials on social work with people with disabilities. During the reporting period of October to December 2012, the IVWD project achieved several major accomplishments. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MOLISA) completed a draft ministry report for the national assessment on disability services system. However, delays were experienced in completing the reports by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET). Final draft reports from the three ministries are expected in the next quarter. A multi-disciplinary team was established and approved by MOH to draft the action plan on rehabilitation/disability service. The drafting team includes representatives from MOLISA, MOET, VNAH, and other organizations. The team will begin drafting the action plan at the end of the next quarter when preliminary findings and reporting from the assessment are available. The project also made progress in promoting integration of disability services. Social work case management (CM) and cross-sectoral coordination in Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) have been selected as key instruments. A first draft of the inter-ministry circular on CM for people with disabilities was completed by MOLISA. The circular is joined by other parties, including MOH and MOET. In parallel, an inter-ministry circular on CBR will be made by MOH, which leads the process and is joined by MOLISA and MOET. A detailed work-plan for this CBR circular was approved. The Disability Information System (DIS) has been successfully replicated to Ba Ria-Vung Tau, a second city after Danang's roll out of this DIS, which was designed by USAID's support. The first draft Penalty Decree for violations of disability law was completed and consulted with stakeholders via two workshops in the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh Cities. UNICEF has also contributed to the workshop expenses. On Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), a second draft of VR guidelines was completed by the Employment Department of MOLISA. Meanwhile, VR curriculum with Hanoi Medical University (HMU) completed two more chapters. All are available for comments by related stakeholders and U.S. expert, who is coming in March to provide technical assistance for Vietnamese partners. At the practice level, the HEIC VR service attracted more than 40 service providers and 100 people with disabilities who have applied for services to date. In regard to social work curriculum, a second draft of training material on general case management and a university textbook and training material on social work with people with disabilities completed and available for comments. As a step forward, VNAH is working with university partners on an outline/framework for a concentration/major on social work with people with disabilities. In employment front, 141 people with disabilities obtained jobs as a result of BREC's activities and its partnerships with Employment Services Centers (ESC) in Hanoi, HCMC, Danang, and Dong Nai. Four job fairs were organized in this quarter. Strategic plans for inclusive business (IB) and income generation were developed and presented to BREC members for input and expected to be finalized next quarter. The M&E framework for NCCD and VFD is being developed. First draft will be available by next quarter. This quarter also marked three regional training workshops for DPO leaders, jointly sponsored by VNAH, CRS, Irish aid, UNICEF, and other organizations. As a result of the new National Action Plan (NAP) designed with USG support, the central GVN has obligated approximately USD 1,000,000 for disability programs for FY13. This is the first FY funding was obligated for NAP. NCCD reported that over 20 provinces have also drafted the provincial disability action plans following this NAP. Among the major impacts of the NAP is that 30% of the obligated fund for the FY13 will come from National Target Programs (NTP) for Vocational Training (under MOLISA) and NTP for Health (under MOH). This is a milestone accomplishment in disability inclusion at policy level, making a precedent for mainstreaming disability and disability budget in national priority program for social development. It opened up opportunities for larger and more sustainable funding for disability programs. The project efforts resulted in high-level joint forces, for a first time, by the ministries MOLISA, MOH, and MOET to review the current disability services system and to design a national strategy promoting services integration. A multi-sectoral drafting team included these three ministries was formed. The IVWD improved the capacity of Vietnamese university partners in developing textbook and training curriculum on social work with people with disabilities. University partners have gradually shifted from the traditional