SIIR/Vietnam Summary - January 2010 Report

The PPT consisted of five departments: the International Cooperation Department (ICD), the Department of the Labor Inspectorate (LI), the Department of Labor and Wages (LWD), the Department of Legal Affairs (LA), and the Department of the Labor Inspectorate (LI). The ICD was designated as the lead/focal point for the PPT. The SIIR project team held its first meeting with the PPT in January to brief on project progress and discuss project framework, work-plans, and PPT working rules. Due to the end-of-year holidays, the team was unable to meet with the PPT as a whole before the holidays, but individual meetings were held with PPT members to develop proposed activity plans. The SIIR project team then worked on the project proposal framework and sent the first draft to the PPT departments, including ICD, Labor & Wages Department, Legal Department, and Labor Inspectorate, for comments. The PPT members provided comments on their respective sections, but not on the document as a whole. The SIIR project team continued to follow up with the ICD, responding to its comments and sending back further revisions. In addition to meeting with the PPT, the SIIR team held planning meetings with other project partners, including the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the legal division of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (VGCL). Two meetings were held with the Trade Union University to discuss possible technical assistance areas, including developing an industrial relations (IR) curriculum, translating reference materials, and capacity building for education IR lecturers. An IT specialist from the DAI Home Office traveled to Vietnam from January 4th to 10th to oversee the setting up of the SIIR office IT system and network, as well as train the local IT consultant. The IT equipment, which had been held up on customs for several weeks, finally arrived at the end of December, and the Regional Cooperation Office (RCO) granted permission for the IT specialist to travel, enabling him to arrive in Vietnam as soon as possible after the beginning of the new year. The Chief of Party (COP) continued to work on the project design needs assessment after receiving the external consultant's initial report. The external consultant had come to Vietnam in December and sent a report later in January. The needs assessment is being developed in line with the overall project design and the project documents required by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA).