USAID/VNCI II Monthly Report October 2012

In October 2012, the project continued to support the Administrative Procedure Control Agency (APCA) in its efforts to strengthen the administrative procedure control system. APCA, with the support of USAID/VNCI and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), developed a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework for administrative procedure control. The framework includes a Scorecard, which is used to evaluate the performance of ministries and provinces in implementing administrative procedure control and identify areas for improvement. A workshop was organized to introduce the Scorecard to APCA staff, representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), four ministries, and three provinces. The National Contest for Administrative Procedure Reform Initiatives was also supported by USAID/VNCI. The contest, which was held on October 19, 2012, attracted over 250 participants from key ministries, cities, and provinces, as well as civil societies and mass organizations. The contest received over 31,000 entries, and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc presented awards to the top 21 individuals and organizations. The contest is planned to be held annually to showcase the government's commitment to reforming administrative procedures and to gather reform initiatives from citizens and businesses. Institutional support was also provided to APCA through a study mission to the UK, the Netherlands, and Austria. The mission, which was supported by USAID/VNCI, aimed to improve APCA's capacity, professional knowledge, and vision for the next ten years. APCA staff, accompanied by a USAID/VNCI advisory team member, visited various institutions and organizations to learn about best practices in administrative procedure control. USAID/VNCI also provided training to APCA staff on communication skills and the upgrade version of the national database. The training, which was held on October 1, 2012, aimed to equip APCA staff with the necessary skills to effectively communicate with stakeholders and to use the upgraded database. Regulatory Reform and Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) was another area of focus for USAID/VNCI in October 2012. The project organized two RIA training workshops for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT). The workshops aimed to introduce the RIA method and to provide participants with the necessary skills to perform policy analysis. A deputy director of MOHA's Personnel Department attended the workshop and expressed the need for training for civil servants on a systematic approach to impact assessment of legal documents. USAID/VNCI also sent an RIA expert to speak at a training workshop organized by the National Assembly's Committee for Finance and Budget for Bac Kan province's elected representatives. The workshop aimed to teach RIA principles to participants so that they have better analytical skills in appraising legal normative documents. The Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) was another area of focus for USAID/VNCI in October 2012. The project continued to work on the PCI index construction and rankings for the PCI 2012 report. A conference call was held on October 12 to discuss the timeline for launching the PCI 2012 report and its outline. The report is expected to include a standard chapter on the PCI 2012 rankings and tracking of changes in the local business climate perceived by domestic and foreign investors over time. The PCI 2011 diagnostic workshop was also conducted in three provinces: Yen Bai, Hoa Binh, and Lam Dong. The workshops aimed to diagnose problems in governance and business climate and to discuss solutions with local leaders and businesses. The workshops were attended by over 60 representatives of local government and businesses, and specific action plans were reported at the workshops by the Tax Authority, DPI, DONRE, and DOLISA. Infrastructure Financing/Development via Public-Private Partnerships was another area of focus for USAID/VNCI in October 2012. The project drafted a Terms of Reference (TOR) for hiring an international consultant to develop a project proposal for the Dong Nai Inter-port highway project. The project also continued to draft an Information Memorandum for the e-procurement project and helped the e-GP PMU to review the FS outline submitted by Ubitec consultants. The project also drafted a pre-assessment report for the Soc Trang's Water Treatment Plant expansion project and prepared a quick report for the Lao Bao ICD and Dong Ha Logistic Center in Quang Tri provinces. These projects have great potential for Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) based on successful Phase I plant's revenue stream and in terms of the CAPEX size, the complexity of the project, and the readiness of the project.