Triangulation: The information and data collected from multiple sources was triangulated before making any evaluative judgements. The evaluation design matrix guided how each of the questions was addressed based on the available evidence, facilitated the analysis and supported the evaluation team in drawing well-substantiated findings, conclusions and recommendations. Evaluation quality assurance: The report went through a series of internal and external reviews in line with the IEO peer review process, to ensure a sound and robust evaluation methodology and analysis. Following the reviews, the draft ICPE report was first shared with the country office and RBAP, then with the Government and other national partners in Viet Nam. Evaluation limitations: The travel restrictions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic forced the evaluation team to cancel the planned data collection mission to Viet Nam, limiting the capacity of the team to conduct in-person interviews and interact with different stakeholder groups and communities benefitting from UNDP support. To mitigate these challenges, the team broadened the range of documentation included in the desk review, including data and reports from the Government, United Nations agencies, donors and others. The team expanded the universe of its stakeholder and key informants to ensure coverage and diversity of views and triangulation of evidence from multiple sources. In addition, a national consultant conducted context analysis, as well as in-person meetings where necessary4 and field/ site visits in Bac Kan, Thai Binh and Thanh Hoa while strictly adhering to “do no harm’ principles. 5 The team also conducted a virtual debriefing meeting with the country office to discuss some of the emerging findings, check accuracy of evidence and fill any data gaps due to the limitations. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
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1.3 Country context Viet Nam is a lower middle-income country (LMIC)6 with a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of $2,715.7 In 2019, its human development index (HDI) value was 0.704,8 which put the country in the medium human development category, at 117 out of 189 countries, with a rapid 48 percent growth in HDI since 1990. Viet Nam has a population of 95.5 million, 33 percent of whom are under the age of 14, and 36 percent living in urban areas.9 The population is composed of 54 ethnic groups, and administratively the country has 63 provinces, each governed by a People’s Council and a People’s Committee. Over the years, Viet Nam has achieved significant achievements in economic growth. Following reunification in 1975, and with the dramatic growth achieved through intensive political and free-market economic reforms launched in 1986 (Đổi Mới or ‘Open Door’), Viet Nam has transformed itself from one of the world’s poorest nations to a dynamic emerging country in the region, with more than three decades of uninterrupted growth, making it one of the great economic success stories of the 21st century. In 2018, economic growth was at 7.1 percent.10 Viet Nam was one of the first countries in the Asia-Pacific region to adopt the multidimensional poverty (MDP) approach to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1. It successfully used MDP as a tool for targeting, policy development and development monitoring, and extended the approach to identify the poor at the commune level.11 There are, however, concerns that poverty gains are fragile, with a significant portion of the population vulnerable to falling back into poverty.12 With UNDP support, the Government has developed and applied the Resolution for a National Targeted
Some stakeholders were reluctant to have Zoom interviews. http://www.unevaluation.org/document/detail/2866. MIC status achieved in 2010. World Bank data 2019. Human Development Indicators: http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/VNM. HDR 2019. These calculations were done before COVID-19. UNDP 2018 Report on Measurement and Uses of Multi-dimensional Poverty in Asia-Pacific Countries. 5.6 percent of the population is vulnerable to MDP and 9.8 percent are living below the poverty line. Source UNDP HDR 2019.
INDEPENDENT COUNTRY PROGRAMME EVALUATION: VIET NAM
