2008:45 The Strengthening Environmental Management and Land Administration Programme in Vietnam

Description:
The Mid-Term Evaluation concluded that the SEMLA objective and its five basic principles (poverty alleviation, participation, cooperation, decentralisation, and integration) remain relevant. SEMLA holds the potential for a rights-based approach to improving efficiency in public administration, i.e. strengthening the capacity of authorities to deliver essential services, and assisting communities and individuals to empower themselves to be able to demand greater accountability from the administrative system. The Programme has increased the capacity of many civil servants at national and local level and has used various means to introduce the rights and obligations of users when it comes to land and environment.
More emphasis could be put on capacity building of a broader range of particularly lower level civil servants and on empowering the communities. SEMLA has further contributed to the successful strengthening of the legal and regulatory framework and capacity in the fields of environmental management and protection and land administration but could be stronger on capturing opportunities to mainstream poverty reduction considerations into its various processes. The M&E system needs to be improved to include indicators to monitor outcomes at grassroots level in line with SEMLA guiding principles. Sustainability is at risk unless measures are taken to internalise implementation of activities and to man National Programme Office positions with regular staff that will remain once the Programme ends.