Public Service Provision Improvement Programmein Agriculture and Rural Development (PS-ARD)

Project completed
Village Road Building in Hoa Binh Province, Vietnam. © Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation.

Despite Vietnam’s high economic growth rate in the last decades with impressive achievements in poverty reduction, the poverty rate gap between urban and rural areas is still high. More than 95% of poor people live in rural areas. In Hoa Binh and Cao Bang, where ethnic minority accounts for more than 60% and 90% respectively, the poverty rates are 16% and 25% in 2009 respectively.   

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Vietnam
Hoa Binh
Agriculture & food security
Agricultural policy
01.05.2011 - 31.12.2015
CHF  4’630’000
Background

The Public Service Provision Improvement Programme in Agriculture and Rural Development (2008-2010) is the new programme approach to consolidate SDC’s supports in governance and natural resource management in the two provinces Hoa Binh and Cao Bang in the North of Vietnam, taking on board the phasing out plan of 24 months of the Small-scale Agro-enterprise Development project for the uplands of Vietnam (2003-2007) implemented in Hoa Binh. The objectives of the programme is to contribute to building up efficient and effective decentralised public service delivery systems and processes in agriculture and rural development as well as to improve the effectiveness of SDC interventions by shifting from four individual projects in two provinces towards an integrated programme approach in alignment with the government system to enhance the cooperation and coordination between these existing projects. The new programme will focus on public service delivery in agriculture and rural development and participatory socio-economic development plan (SEDP). After three years, public services in all 102 communes in 3 districts in Hoa Binh and 2 districts in Cao Bang will be improved regarding planning, budgeting, monitoring and communal financial management.

Objectives

To contribute to province and district-wide mainstreaming of participatory local planning, financial decentralisation and improved public service delivery in agriculture, in order to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods in disadvantaged areas of Hoa Binh province.

Target groups

Over 150’000 households in 210 communes in 11 districts in Hoa Binh.

Medium-term outcomes

Outcome 1: Consolidating, scaling up and mainstreaming of decentralised and participatory planning and transparent and efficient financial management piloted in phase I to increase local ownership and contribute to poverty reduction and economic development.

Outcome 2: Providing needs and demand-based quality ARD services piloted in phase I, resulting in increased agricultural productivity.

Results

Results from previous phases:  

  • In Hoa Binh and Cao Bang, 80% and 55% of interviewed people report an improvement of public services in ARD after two years[1].
  • In 5 districts in Hoa Binh and Cao Bang, people participating in local planning increased from 10% to 50%. People were informed of and agreed with the planned commune budget, resulting in the effective use of the fund with stronger local ownership: 3’400 projects implemented in 103 communes benefited 77’000 households, with local contribution to infrastructure projects increasing to 40%.
  • 4 prov. schools in Hoa Binh and Cao Bang improved their curricula with quality assessment criteria in all modules, which brings long-term benefits in human resources development to both prov.
  • In the project areas, PSARD contributed to reducing poverty  from 33% in 2007 to 25% in 2009.

 

 

[1] Satisfaction Survey Report, October 2010.

 

 


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Development cooperation
Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    4’630’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    4’283’016
Project phases

Phase 7 01.05.2011 - 31.12.2015   (Completed)

Publications

  1. Project Factsheet in English
  2. Project Factsheet in Vietnamese

Previous phases of this project are known respectively as Social Forestry Support Programme (SFSP) and Extension and Training Support for Forestry and Agriculture in the Uplands (ETSP).

Videos

1. Voice from Village Film Series: Irrigation Channel in Chi Dao village, Hoa Binh province, Vietnam.

Have you ever wondered how rice farmers can improve their irrigation system to benefit the whole village? In this film, you will see how a community in Hoa Binh province works together to solve this problem by building a low cost irrigation channel - simple technology with lots of benefits.

2. Voice from Village Film Series: A training class on growing mush room that really meets the interest of local people, Farmer Field Schools, Hoa Binh province, Vietnam.

3. Voice from Village Film Series: Water Tank in Rong Vong village, Hoa Binh province, Vietnam.

Another story about how life can change when having tap water to home in a village in Hoa Binh.