Lessons

Viet Nam: Agriculture Science and Technology Project

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Lessons

Ambitious project designs and inadequate assessment of implementing agency (IA) capacities can create implementation risks. 

This project’s design was ambitious in its inclusion of 5 geographically dispersed provinces under the grassroots extension component, and nationwide coverage for 10 research institutes and 10 rural technical and vocational training schools under the research and training components.  As such, the design itself posed a risk to effective implementation and the achievement of project outputs and outcome. The risk was aggravated by weak capacity of all the project management units (PMUs) that acted as the project IAs.  Although the latter was overcome with training provided by the project, a more thorough assessment of capacity and capacity-building needs at appraisal could have prevented the delays in the first 2 years. Since this was an innovative approach to research and extension delivery, a more focused effort in selected agroecological zones and fewer provinces would have been preferable. 

Project Cycle Stage: 
Preparation
Implementation

More user-responsive and demand-driven agricultural research could be achieved through a competitive bidding process using a clear set of selection criteria. 

The use of a clear set of criteria, which prioritized marginal areas, aligned the bids for agricultural research to this project’s target clientele—the poor, women, ethnic minorities, and those living in upland and mountainous areas. Joint formulation by researchers and extension workers of the criteria ensured that these reflected the needs of the target clients and were supported by research-based evidence and empirical knowledge. The competitive bidding process, open to both the public and private sectors, was effective in generating a wide bench of research proposals to choose from. As a result, the 125 research proposals that were picked from the 550 bids represented an array of topics that were most relevant to the target clients, and aligned the project’s research component to the national agricultural sector goals of diversification and equitable growth.  Of the 125 research programs completed by 42 separate organizations, comprising 26 research institutes and 16 schools, extension stations, and farmers’ unions,  74% related to mountainous and remote areas, 52% dealt on climate change adaptation and mitigation, and 65% addressed poverty reduction and food security. Research programs covered the introduction of 198 new crop and livestock varieties, 244 new production practices or processes, and 292 trials or demonstrations.  Productivity gains resulting from these activities were estimated to be between 10% and 55%.  

Project Cycle Stage: 
Preparation

Competitive bidding for extension proposals developed through a participatory process can significantly improve the scope and quality of extension services and eventually lead to a multiplicity of service providers. 

To ensure pro-poor and gender-equal service delivery, this project aimed its extension programs to be implemented in communes where at least 30% of the households were poor.  It required the involvement of the poor in the development of the extension proposals and for at least 40% of the service beneficiaries to consist of women.  The proposals should also incorporate ethnic minority participation, practices, and perspectives, as appropriate.  These requirements resulted in demand-driven extension proposals and the capture by poor households of the services delivered. Of the total 21,000 extension household beneficiaries, 89% were poor.  Women accounted for 53% of the individual beneficiaries, and ethnic minorities for 36%.  A multiplicity of service providers, a key feature of a market-oriented, client-responsive extension service, was targeted through open, competitive bidding. However, provincial agricultural extension centers and district agricultural extension stations won 55% of the contract awards, both in terms of number and value.  This was to an extent inevitable because of the previous virtual monopoly of such providers in service delivery.  But as the project progressed, their share in extension contracts declined.  After 2010, as awareness of the project and the bidding process grew, the range of bidders increased and included a larger number of nongovernment service providers such as social organizations, professional associations, and agricultural service companies. 

Project Cycle Stage: 
Preparation
Implementation

Inappropriate design of consulting services and delays in consultant recruitment can cause problems early in project implementation. 

Consultant recruitment for this project was completed about 16 months after loan effectiveness. The delay caused problems early in project implementation, especially in areas where the PMUs lacked experience and expertise. It also led to the replacement of several consultants, as certain inputs became less relevant than they would have been at the start of the project.  Delayed consultant recruitment and changes in consultant specifications resulted in the project having a limited amount of international consulting services, which was inappropriate given the introduction of new research and extension systems and new curriculum development.  While the amount of national consulting time was significant, transfer of international best practices was limited. 

 

Project Cycle Stage: 
Preparation
Implementation

Requiring the collection of gender-disaggregated data for all project activities is effective in improving gender mainstreaming in project implementation.

The project achieved 13 of its 14 gender targets.  This 92% gender success rate meant that the project was able to meet the strategic and practical needs of women farmers, extension workers, and researchers or lecturers for equality, with priority given to participation by and benefits for poor ethnic minorities, single and disadvantaged women, and women-headed households.   Having a good system in place to monitor and evaluate gender-disaggregated quantitative data and capture and report on the implementation of the gender action plan was one of the key factors for the project’s gender success, although some deficiencies were noted in terms of fully capturing some qualitative data or targets, and consolidating project-level sex- and disaggregated data throughout implementation. 

Project Cycle Stage: 
Preparation
Implementation

Monitoring and regular reporting on indigenous peoples’ participation can lead to better awareness of the special measures required to address their needs and interests. 

The project target of having indigenous people comprise at least 20% of the participants in research activities was achieved almost two-fold, as ethnic minorities made up 37% of the total 6,540 farm household research participants. Extension workshops and most other project activities also saw ethnic minorities participating in significantly greater numbers than envisaged. This enabled the project to increasingly learn and address their needs as implementation progressed.  Nevertheless, at project completion, concerns were raised that the extension materials produced were too technical and the participation of indigenous people in monitoring and evaluation was limited. Greater sensitivity to language and the literacy characteristics of target groups, especially indigenous people, should be ensured in future projects.

Project Cycle Stage: 
Preparation
Implementation

The lack of an effective project performance monitoring system (PPMS) can undermine the success of a project.

The project management arrangements made no specific reference to the establishment of a PPMS, a standard requirement in ADB projects. As a result, neither the central nor the provincial PMUs engaged monitoring and evaluation officers, and this undermined project monitoring and evaluation.  A repeat of this experience should be avoided as failure to properly report on implementation progress can itself undermine project success. 

Project Cycle Stage: 
Preparation
Implementation
Background

In 2005, the agriculture sector of Viet Nam accounted for 21% of gross domestic product, after growing at an annual average rate of 4.1% over the preceding 10 years. It also accounted for around 30% of the value of exports and 60% of employment. The sector’s growth was largely due to market-oriented reforms that recognized farm households as the key unit of production, liberalized land use rights, and increased investment in irrigation. Improvements in agriculture science and technology (AST) also played an important role, though their focus was more on increasing the quantity of production and less on quality and marketing.

With globalization, trade in agricultural products was becoming diverse, and the technological base for agriculture was increasingly dependent on advanced AST to improve competitiveness. To make the AST in Viet Nam better positioned to meet the demands of globalization while ensuring food security, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) assisted the government in 2003 in formulating an AST road map aimed at (i) increased emphasis on client-oriented agricultural research and extension, (ii) coordination and partnership with key stakeholders in public and private sectors, and (iii) the provision of comprehensive and quality services with increased focus on poor and disadvantaged farm households.  

ADB approved a $30 million loan for Viet Nam’s Agriculture Science and Technology Project in December 2006 to help implement the road map.  At appraisal, the project envisaged sustainable and equitable agricultural growth, as impact, and a strengthened national AST system, as outcome.  Its scope comprised (i) client-oriented agricultural research and capacity strengthening, (ii) grassroots agricultural extension improvement, and (iii) rural-based technical and vocational training. Activities related to extension were designed to cover mainly upland or remote areas in five provinces with a focus on the central region.

At completion, the project funded 125 research programs that covered a broad range of topics relating to mountainous and remote areas (74%), climate change adaptation and mitigation (52%), and poverty reduction and food security (65%).  The research programs were selected, out of the 550 proposals received, through competitive bidding based on client needs, strategic relevance, and sustainability.  Programs applicable for extension to farmers were immediately developed into farmer-managed on-farm trials and demonstrations for further extension. New crop and livestock varieties and production practices or processes introduced resulted in productivity gains of 10%-55%.  Many beneficiaries were from the 6,540 farm households who participated in the research activities, 48% of which had women managers and 37% comprised ethnic minority households. Given the scale, diversity, and outreach of the research activities, the project fully achieved its aim to make agricultural research more responsive to client needs and support the diversification and equitable sector growth policies of the government.

The technical capacity of staff at agricultural research institutes and related organizations was enhanced through on-the-job training, postgraduate study programs, overseas study tours, and short-term training courses.  Equipment provided to high-priority institutes with mandates and core functions relevant to national agriculture goals has improved research quality and scope and reduced the need to outsource sample analyses thereby improving the efficiency of analyses. Provincial agricultural extension plans were developed, based on which, training-of-trainer groups were formed, training courses were prepared and subsequently provided to provincial and district staff and commune extension workers and other service providers. Improvement of curricula, technical knowledge, and teaching and managerial capacity and the upgrade of facilities and laboratory equipment of 10 rural technical and vocational training schools resulted in the elevation of 8 of them to college status.  The training and office facilities and laboratory equipment of 13 national research institutes were likewise upgraded.

Extension contracts, promoting a pro-poor and gender-equal delivery of extension services, were tendered for competitive bidding among the national and regional research institutes that participated in the research programs and the grassroots extension workers who trained under the project.  Service proposals were also required to incorporate ethnic minority participation, practices, and perspectives, as appropriate. Extension beneficiaries were identified in a participatory process involving the poor.  The demand-driven extension services provided, which related mostly to livestock husbandry, crop production, fisheries, and demonstration models and research trials, benefited 21,000 households, 89% of whom were poor.  Project extension activities have significantly improved farmers’ access in the project provinces.

Overall, the project thus achieved its intended outcome of strengthening the national system of agriculture science and technology. It also succeeded in demonstrating that a more market-oriented, demand-driven agricultural research and extension can have a positive and immediate impact on productivity and the incomes of farm households. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) was the executing agency.  A central project management unit within MARD, along with 5 counterpart provincial units, took charge of day-to-day implementation. The 10 agricultural research institutes and 10 technical and vocational training schools involved in the project set up their own project management units.

 

Project Information
Project Name: 
Agriculture Science and Technology Project
Report Date: 
September, 2014
Main Sector: 
Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Development
Country: 
Viet Nam
Project Number: 
36304
Report Type: 
PCR
Project/Modality: 
Project loan
Themes: 
Inclusive Economic Growth
Gender Equity and Mainstreaming
Governance and Capacity Development
SDG: 
Goal 12: Responsible Production and Consumption
Goal 15: Life on Land
Sub Sector: 
Agriculture research and application
Loan Number: 
2283
Source of Funding: 
COL/ADF
Date Approved: 
11 December 2006
Report Rating: 
Successful

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