The document summarizes the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation National Target Programme II Joint Annual Review from 2007. Some key points: - The RWSS NTP II aims to increase access to clean water and sanitation in rural Vietnam from 2006-2010. - A Joint Annual Review meeting was held in October 2007 to assess progress and make recommendations. - 12 recommendations were made, including strengthening capacity building, institutional frameworks, decentralization, budget allocation, and monitoring of benchmarks and triggers. - Potential pilot activities in sanitation marketing, IEC materials, private management of water schemes, and a national hand washing campaign were identified.

1. Rural Water Supply and Sanitation National Target Programme II Joint Annual Review 2007 Overview

2. RWSS NTP II The GoV RWSS NTP II is the main programme providing water supply and sanitation services in the sector and covers the period 2006 - 2010. RWSS NTP II targets for are: 85% of population using clean water with 60 lcd (50% with access to standard TC09) 70% rural households with hygienic latrines 70 % hygienic sanitation for livestock pens; 100% access to clean water and hygienic latrines for rural schools, clinics and commune people’s committees and public places Minimize environmental pollution at trading villages, particularly at food processing ones.

3. Funding (in VND) Bn Vnd Central state budget 3,200 Local budget 2,300 International funding 3,400 People’s contribution 8,100 Preferential credit (mainly SPB) 5,600 Total 22,600

4. Pilot Provinces AusAID/Danida/Netherlands are co-financing NTP II through ‘Targeted Programme Budget Support (TPBS) and this approach represents a major commitment of support through GoV’s own financing and implementation structures. This is a ‘learning process’ for both GoV and donors and thus a phased approach has been adopted with TPBS being directed to 9 pilot provinces (Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Ninh Thuan, Phu Yen, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Tra Vinh and An Giang) until end of 2008. Pilot activities will allow the potential system risks to be further investigated in the nine provinces and help develop greater focus on sanitation and hygiene, better targeting to the poor, improved O&M and further decentralisation. The TPBS is complemented with technical and capacity-building support to help address current weaknesses in service delivery and improve the effectiveness of RWSS expenditure.

5. Implementation is carried out by the relevant authorities at local (P/D/CPC, Dard, DoH, DoET) and central (MARD, MoH, MoET etc) levels. NTP II is overseen by a Steering Committee chaired by the Minister of MARD which has already met twice this year. To support the SC and implementation a Standing Office (SO) has been established under the Department of Water Resources at MARD. Joint donor / GoV reviews are undertaken bi-annually: Joint Supervision Mission occurs around March assess progress against programme benchmarks / triggers. Joint Annual Review (JAR) occurs around October is more on a policy / strategic level. The JAR paves the way for the annual consultations between GoV and donors later the same month. Organisation and Management

6. Joint Annual Review The first JAR took place from 24 th Sept - 5 th Oct cumulating in a workshop on the 5 th Oct to present and discuss the findings. The main purpose is to review programme design, implementation and sector policy. The focus of this year’s JAR was on: pro-poor targeting and guidance; sanitation and demand driven planning; water quality institutional set up reporting mechanisms for monitoring triggers and benchmarks in the future.

7. JAR Recommendation – 1 The review came up with 12 recommendations: Capacity Building: The SO and the provincial authorities supported by relevant ministries and TA should prepare and resource a capacity building action plan as specified in the benchmarks. Important aspects include: finalization of the guidelines and the supportive institutional framework undertaking of the necessary training in the guidelines and key new approaches (i.e. decentralization, pro-poor targeting, planning, IEC, O&M, monitoring and reporting monitoring of the adherence to guidelines and implementation of the capacity building plan

8. JAR Recommendation - 2 Institutional Framework: The SO structure and staff responsibilities should be defined and disseminated to stakeholders. As a minimum: Job descriptions should be prepared for SO staff. MOH should allocate a full time resource perons to the NTP II. The SO should include expertise in state budget financial management.

9. JAR Recommendation - 3 Experimentation in Pilot Provinces: The SO, with the support of TA, should cooperate with the 9 pilot provinces to encourage flexibility and innovation in NTP II implementation to identify best practice approaches that can be replicated.

10. JAR Recommendation 4 Sanitation and IEC: Progress in the implementation of sanitation programs (coverage) especially at household level and the effectiveness of IEC approaches in the pilot provinces should be monitored by MOH, the provincial and district authorities as well as the SO as specified by the benchmarks i.e. increased recurrent funding for sanitation and IEC rollout of affordable household sanitation solutions

11. JAR Recommendation - 5 Decentralisation: Provincial authorities in the pilot provinces, with the support of the SO and TA should: plan for early delegation of implementation from province to districts and communes. use the resources available, including local and international TA to build capacity at the local level; consolidate the lessons learnt for national replication.

12. JAR Recommendation - 6 Budget Allocation: The GoV should review and confirm with the TPBS donors that the budget allocation for 2008 will be made consistent with the funding agreement.

13. JAR Recommendation - 7 Planning and Reporting: The SO supported by TA should provide training to improve and standardize the quality and timeliness of physical and financial planning and reporting as specified in the benchmark.

14. JAR Recommendation - 8 Technical Assistance: The TA workplans should focus on achievable results within the key areas for new approaches. This is likely to differ from province to province. The TA reporting channels at provincial level should be formalized.

15. JAR Recommendation - 9 Triggers and Benchmarks: The SO and provinces should formally report on progress on the benchmarks and triggers at half year intervals in line with the GOV reporting cycle.

16. JAR Recommendation - 10 Operation and Maintenance: SO and provinces supported by TA should the reinforce emerging recognition of the importance of O&M including the adoption of a viable tariff and appropriate application of institutional models for O&M consistent with the relevant trigger.

17. JAR Recommendation - 11 Water Quality MARD and MOH should take a feasible, practical and prioritized approach to ensure compliance with clean water hygienic standards for small water supply schemes. The RWSS partnership should follow up on the results of these studies when they available towards the year end and integrate them into its overall water quality initiatives.

18. JAR Recommendation - 12 Donor Fund Transfer: Efforts should be made by the donors to synchronize the timely transfer of funds in order to provide greater budget certainty to assist MOF planning.

19. Pilot activities During the JAR Workshop after presentation of the recommendations other sector stakeholders were requested to present possible relevant pilot activities that are ready to be scaled up in the pilot provinces

20. Potential Pilot Activities IDE – Sanitation marketing supporting the private sector in delivering appropriate sanitation services. UNICEF – IEC materials for promoting different types of sanitation technologies. SPB – They have large successful programme which is part of NTP II providing credit for water supply (mainly connection fees) and sanitation (mainly latrines) services.

21. Possible Pilot Activities EMW – supporting the small scale private sector operators for managing water supply schemes. SNV – supporting the relevant institutions in delivering W&S services and have activities such as poor targeting, community micro-financing and appropriate technologies such as biogas.

22. Possible Pilot Activities Other relevant activities: Red River Project – This project is developing private enterprise management model for operating piped water schemes. Hand Washing Campaign – MoH with support from WSP are developing a National Hand Washing campaign using social marketing techniques to promote HW with soap.

24. RWSS NTP II If you require further information about RWSS NTP II please contact: Standing office: [email_address] John Pinfold: [email_address]

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