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c. Research & Development Priorities
1. CARD Program Strategic Framework
1.1 Government of Vietnam Priorities
In 2001, the GoV announced a Ten-Year Socio-economic Development Plan and, in 2002, published its Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy (CPRGS). Considered together, the Plan and Strategy identify Government’s goals for agricultural and rural development to 2010.
Specific targets set for agricultural and rural development under the ten-year plan include maintaining the annual agricultural growth at around 4% and that of rural industry and services at 10-12%. Agriculture's share of GDP is targeted at 16-17% by 2010 and the average per capita GDP in the rural areas at $A1, 800 by end-2010. The Ten-Year Plan also targets a sustainable national forest cover rate of 43%, education at national standards for all people in rural areas, improved rural infrastructure, universal access to potable water and the elimination of all basically dangerous diseases. The CPRGS aims to reduce poverty incidence by 2/5ths by 2010.
These two documents propose a common approach to rural development that focuses on:
(i) reducing poverty and ensuring national food security;
(ii) creating employment and increasing incomes for rural workers;
(iii) improving rural infrastructure, rural health services, and rural education;
(iv) encouraging urbanisation in the rural areas and reducing the gaps among the regions;
(v) increasing export values of agricultural, forest and aquaculture products;
(vi) increasing the percentage of forest cover and the rate of environmental protection.
The CPRGS pays particular attention to meeting the needs of the poor, minority people and women within this framework.
1.2 Strategies for Rural Development
The Goverent broad program for agriculture and rural development is succinctly captured by the following five main strategies identified in the ADB Agricultural Sector Program Study.
Strategy 1: increase productivity and competitiveness of agricultural system, including post-production technology, achieved through efficient, diversified agricultural system integrated with world markets and supported by good science and small and medium scale commercial farmers (trang trai) and rural agro-industrial enterprises.
Strategy 2: reduce poverty and vulnerability of farmers and rural populations through more livelihood-targeted credit, social services, safety nets and rural infrastructure programs and the empowerment of disadvantaged groups.
Strategy 3: institutional and legislative reform to deepen analytical and policy capacity at the central level in support of (i) more market oriented land, state enterprise, credit and trade policy and (ii) the devolvement of responsibility for development planning and implementation to provinces and lower levels.
Strategy 4: improved natural resources management to ensure sustainability of growth including extensive reforestation and flood protection programs and improved efficiency of water use.
Strategy 5: increased stakeholder participation in the management and delivery of services, including self-help action and the implementation of the ‘Grassroots Democracy Decree’ at the local level.
1.3 Vietnam Australian Development Cooperation Program Strategy 2003-2007
The goal of the GoA development program in Vietnam is ‘to advance Australia's national interest by assisting Vietnam to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development. GoA views rural development as a primary component of its Vietnam development aid program. In pursuit of this Goal, the Vietnam Australia Development Cooperation Program Strategy 2003-2007 has established a set of Strategic and Intermediate Objectives. Those that relate most closely to the CARD Program are as follows:
Strategic Objective 1: Broad based growth by strengthening the governance of the institutions required for a competitive market economy
Strategic Objective 1.2 Facilitate internal and international economic integration
Intermediate Objectives:
1.2.1 Optimise the benefits of international integration for the poor.
1.2.2 Enhance food safety and quarantine standards compliance.
Strategic Objective 2: Improved productivity and links to markets for the rural poor in the Mekong Delta and Central Coast regions
Strategic Objective 2.1 Increase rural productivity
Intermediate Objectives
2.1.1 Increase agricultural efficiency and competitiveness
Strategic Objective 2.2 Improve the efficiency of on and off farm markets
Intermediate Objectives
2.2.1 Improve the policy environment for agricultural markets
2.2.3 Increase access to market information
Strategic Objective 2.4 Reduce vulnerability to environmental and economic shocks
Intermediate Objective
2.4.2 Increase stability of household income through encouraging diversification of production and marketing
The emphasis placed on assisting the central coast region and the Mekong Delta is the outcome of government-to-government dialogue in the course of preparation of the Program Strategy. This emphasis acknowledges that the central coast region is comparatively under-served by donor assistance and poverty analysis shows that it remains one of the poorer regions in Vietnam, with deep and widespread poverty in selected provinces and a high level of vulnerability to natural disasters. The Mekong Delta region is also relatively underserved by donor support. The Delta has a relatively low proportion of poor but, due to its large population, has many people living in poverty (around 3 million).
1.4 Focussing CARD Projects
The strong compatibility between the strategies for rural development of the GoV and the Vietnam Australia Development Cooperation Program Strategy are shown in the correlation matrix below. Those elements that are considered most pertinent to both the CARD Program and the enunciated strategies of the GoV are shaded in grey.
Proponents should use this matrix as a guide in developing the design and approach in order to confirm the relevance of the problem being addressed. At both the EOI and full proposal stages proponents will be expected to indicate clearly how the proposed project objectives relate to an identified area within this matrix, expressed in terms of its expected contribution to either or both the GoV Rural Development Strategies or the Vietnam Australia Development Cooperation Program Strategy.
This draft Framework is regarded as a preliminary approach and is expected to be revised following input from the members of the PCC at Program inception and remain subject to annual review.
2. Further Information on Research Priorities
A copy of the Draft Masterplan for Agricultural Research is available on the CARD Temporary Website isgmard.org.vn (click on links). This provides useful guidance on national and regional priorities.
Correlation Matrix between GoV Strategies for Rural Development and Vietnam Australia as related to the CARD Program (Detail)
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