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Centre for Rural Development in Central Vietnam (CRD) under Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry (HUAF) was established according to decision numbered 73/QD-TC dated 7/11/1995 issued by Hue University Director. The center aims to offer technical consultancy services, to give short training courses on rural development and the related areas, to facilitate various activities on information exchange for the sake of the rural development, hunger eradication and poverty reduction (HEPR) in the region.
CRD’s staff are selected from various colledges of Hue University. At present, CRD has 60 staff mainly selected from Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry, College of Economics, Sociology faculty (University of Science). Most of CRD’s staff have Master’s Degree and attend short and long-term training courses in rural development and related areas in many training centres at home or abroad. The 20 full-time staff members are qualified graduates from various disciplines of Hue University.
Despite of belonging to HUAF, the financial system, accountant and account of CRD work independently, which are managed logically following Vietnamese financial rules as well as partners’ requirements.
ACTIVITIES OF CRD
Currently, CRD has two major fields of interest: Consultancy and Community development
2.1. Consultancy
2.1.1. Consultancy activities:
CRD provides technical assistance and supports related activities for rural development projects funded by different organizations (NGOs, GOs) in the Central region. The Consultancy division consists of 3 sections: Technical Support; Training and Research; and Information.
Technical support
CRD has provided technical support and built credit systems for 70 projects funded by various organizations in 52 communes of 12 districts mainly in three provinces Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue.
The main activities of the projects are: Capacity building for communities; Development of agro-forestry and aquaculture; Improving health care; Providing safe water and environment hygiene; and Building rural infrastructure.
Many of the new technologies introduced by the CRD staff, applying the “Participatory technology development” approach, have been accepted and successfully applied in production. This has resulted in high yields in animal and crop productions. Some projects have brought economic benefits to beneficiaries; their living standard has improved significantly. Many households that participated in the projects have produced not only enough food for daily consumption, but also for keeping stocks and for reproduction.
Feasibility study
CRD has carried out many feasibility assessments for project approval as required by donors. With qualifications and practical experiences, CRD staff members have given useful ideas on project improvement to donors as well as to the local Project Management Boards. CRD has also provided comments, so that the projects could be implemented successfully if investment were made.
Project monitoring and evaluation
CRD has carried out a number of monitoring and evaluation activities, including mid-term and final evaluation. This activity has provided important information on project outputs, effects as well as lessons learned during the implementation process to various project stakeholders. CRD provides suggestions in order to improve the projects in the next phase.
Participatory sub-project planning
CRD has supported many programmes/projects in activity planning of sub-projects (at hamlet and commune levels). It has also provided services and consultancy for project management boards at all levels, in order to implement successfully the invested projects/programmes.
CRD’s staff work hard and effectively and find out suitable methods to transfer technological progress. Most of these progresses are accepted and applied intensively by the local people.
2.1.2. Training and research:
CRD has an available human resource selected from various branches of Hue University. They have practical experience and knowledge in rural development and related areas. After many years working and training at home and abroad, CRD staff have improved a lot in training methods, especially the learner-centred one.
CRD has been well-equipped with training facilities and a library with more than 2,000 books on rural development.
With the support of ICCO and SNV, CRD has organized many short training courses on rural development for various organizations. Thanks to that, working capacity in general and training in particular have been improved day by day.
During the past years, CRD has organized hundreds of short training courses (5 to 10 days) for thousands of trainees to serve the rural development and HEPR program for localities and international organizations in the region. Training contents are PRA and Project Planning; Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation; project proposal writing; Report writing; TOT; Community Development; Gender; Credit; Rural Extension; Techniques for Agro-forestry and aquaculture production; Farming Product Preservation and Processing.
Especially, CRD was selected by Ministry of Planning and Investment and World Bank to compile manuals and train on rural development and related areas for staff of Project Management Boards of all levels of “Community-Based Rural Infrastructure Project” (CBRIP) at 13 provinces in the Central.
In general, training activities of CRD have enormously contributed to capacity strengthening of the management staff and local people and success of HEPR projects in the region.
CRD has carried out research on, for example, “Customs, habits and cultures of ethnic minorities”, “Factors influencing the agricultural technique transferring process for the Cotu people”, and “Applying the participatory action research (PAR) for various purposes of agricultural extension, rural development, technique transfer, etc”.
In general, the training and research activities have enormously contributed to improving the capacity of the managing officers and beneficiaries. This brings about the successful implementation of the invested projects.
2.1.3. Information activity
CRD has conducted many seminars, workshops, study tours and experience exchange meetings for project officers of various organizations in the region.
CRD has also built demonstration models for field workshops in order to expand the production applying the “Farmer to Farmer extension” approach
CRD has established an information library on Rural development to serve training and consultancy activities of CRD. To strengthen capacity and practical experience for its staff, CRD has organized many workshops, study tours at home and abroad for project staff.
2.2. Community Development
The community development division is responsible for the identification and implementation of development programmes and projects, mainly in the Northern provinces in the Central region of Vietnam.
CRD has conducted many Rural Participatory Appraisals (PRAs) in many communes, mainly in Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam provinces. The results of these PRA’s are the basis for project formulation to improve the livelihoods of poor communities in the region.
As they were based upon the actual community needs, most of CRD’s projects have met the expectations of the local people and responded to the socio-economic development trends of the localities. Therefore, the project implementation is beneficial and actively supported by local people. All projects obtain the effects as defined in the objectives.
To sum up, all activities of CRD are carried out for the sake of the target groups i.e. the poor and contribute to the HEPR in the region.
With the mentioned capacity, CRD ensures to provide and implement successfully the assignments
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