Cooperation Programme for Improving Policy Dialogue

An agreement has been signed by Sweden and Vietnam for the Cooperation Programme between Sida and MARD to support capacity building for development of new policies as regards new modalities for development cooperation. The programme is planned for three years with a total budget of SEK 40 million.

MARD has expressed a specific interest that Sida promotes a better understanding within the MARD leadership regarding harmonisation of development assistance and the moving away from project support to a sector-wide programme and result based approach. The request from MARD is based on the trust that Sweden has generated within MARD from previous rural development programmes (for instance the Vietnam – Sweden Mountainous Rural Development Programme MRDP), which have had policy development components with advisory position linked to both the Planning and Policy departments of MARD.         

The Cooperation Programme also provides financial assistance to the various partnerships and trust funds presently established at the Ministry. They include the International Support Group, the partnership for Natural Disaster Mitigation, the Forestry Sector Support Partnership and the Trust Fund for Forests, the partnership for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation.

The Cooperation Programme assists the MInistry in advancing its dialogue with the donor community in Vietnam as regards new policies and modalities for development assistance in the sector of agriculture and rural development. In this context the Programme supports the implementation of the Paris and Hanoi Declarations for improved aid effectiveness, ownership, harmonisation, alignments and results of development assistance.

The Cooperation Programme focuses on providing advisory services to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for continued development of the policy and institutional framework for such new initiatives within its mandate. 

A Policy Advisory Group to the MARD leadership is expected to be established with facilitation from the MARD-Sida Cooperation Programme.

Consultancy services to the programme, through a Technical Assistance Unit, are provided by the SPM Consultants AB.