Joint programming is a key element of how the UN works at the country level. The concept of joint programming has been considerably refined and should be driven by the needs of each country situation. Enhancement of development impact is the key underlying principle. When Agencies plan and design their programmes together they increase programme effectiveness. The identification of Joint Programmes is a way to better support national implementation capacity while enhancing effectiveness and efficiency.
A Joint Programme is a set of activities contained in a common work plan and related budget, involving two or more UN organizations and (sub-) national partners. The work plan and budget forms part of a joint programme document, which also details roles and responsibilities of partners in coordinating and managing the joint activities. The Joint Programme document is signed by all participating organizations and (sub-) national partners.
Current Joint Programmes in Viet Nam
As of April 2010, six joint programmes are established within the overall framework of the One Plan in Viet Nam:
- The Joint Programme on Strengthening Capacity in Socio-economic Development Planning, Implementation and Provision of Basic Social Services in Kon Tum (2007-2010)
- The Joint Programme to fight Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (2006-2010)
- The Joint Programme on Gender Equality (2009-2012)
- The Joint Programme on Integrated Nutrition and Food Security Strategies for Children and Vulnerable Group (2010-2012)
- The Joint Programme on Green Production and Trade to increase Income and Employment Opportunities for the Rural Poor (2010-2012)
- The UN Joint Programme on HIV
1. The Joint Programmes on Kon Tum 2007-2010: Addressing Disparities in the Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Regions
UN agencies in Viet Nam have long been actively involved in the development of Kon Tum, and the joint programme provides a more coordinated and strategic response, involving collaboration between UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF to provide wide-ranging, harmonized support to the province. The main objective of the Joint Programme on Kontum is to increase the capacity of sub-national authorities in the province to better plan, budget and manage public resources. Improvements in local management capacity are to ensure that planning and budgeting processes are rights-based, participatory, evidence-based and transparent. The joint programme also works to raise awareness of, and build capacity for, the development of pro-poor and gender-sensitive budgets. This includes attention to, delivery of, access to, and demand for quality services – in particular for vulnerable groups (children, women, youth, ethnic minorities and migrants). Other objectives include improving the capacity to implement and monitor the socio-economic development programmes of the sub-national authorities of Kon Tum.
Implementation period: 2007-2010
Budget: Estimated USD 5 million
UN Participating agencies: UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF
National implementing partners: Provincial People’s Committee, Kon Tum; Department of Planning and Investment (DPI), Kon Tum; Department of Health, Department of Education and Training, Committee for Population, Family and Children, Center for Rural Water Supply & Environmental Sanitation
Contact: Rajen-Kumar Sharma, UNICEF Chief, Provincial Child Friendly Programme at
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2. The Joint Programmes to Fight Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) 2005-2010
Viet Nam was one of the first countries severely affected by the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), which has been sweeping across Asia since 2003. Of the 116 cases of human infection confirmed to date in Viet Nam, 58 have been fatal. And to date, more than 53 million poultry have been culled, impacting the livelihoods of hundred thousand families across the country.
The joint Government-UN programme was established to support an integrated, multi-sectoral and well-coordinated response to the challenge of controlling avian influenza in animals and responding to the threat of a possible human pandemic. Phase I of the programme (six months emergency support) began in October 2005. This has been followed by a second phase of longer-term capacity building support.
Implementing period: 2005-2010
Budget: Estimated at USD 23.1 million over five years for Phases I and II
UN participating agencies: FAO, WHO, UNICEF and UNDP
National implementing partners: The National Steering Committee for Avian Flu Control and Prevention (NSCAI); Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD); Ministry of Health (MoH)
Contact: David Payne, UNDP Donor Coordination Specialist at
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Brief of The Joint Programme on Avian Influenza - Programme Document of Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza Joint Programme
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3. The UN-GOV Joint Programme on Gender Equality
In November 2006, the National Assembly in Vietnam passed the Gender Equality Law (GEL), and in November 2007, it passed the Domestic Violence Law (DVL) –which came into effect on the 1st July 2007 and 1st July 2008 respectively. These two laws codify the State’s accountability for strengthening gender equality in public and private life.
Under the Joint Programme (JP) on Gender Equality, the UN in partnership with the Government of Vietnam, will support Viet Nam to effectively implement the Gender Equality Law and the Domestic Violence Law. Direct beneficiaries include line ministries, Government agencies, Party and elected bodies and civil society including mass organizations and mass media.
The programme aims to improve capacity of relevant national and provincial authorities, institutions and other duty bearers to effectively implement, monitor, evaluate and report on the Law on Gender Equality and Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control by 2011.
Implementing period: 2009-2011
Budget: More than 4.5 million.
UN participating agencies: FAO, ILO, IOM, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNIFEM, UNODC, WHO.
National implementing partners: Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA). Gender Equality Department; Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MOCST) Family Department; and Ministry of Planning and Investment, General Statistics Office (GSO)
Contact: Aya Matsuura, UNFPA Programme Coordinator at
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Gender Joint Programme Fact Sheet4. Joint Programme on Green Production and Trade to Increase Income and Employment Opportunities for the Rural Poor
The joint programme aims to increase income and employment opportunities for raw material growers/collectors and grassroots producers of handicrafts and small furniture, targeting 4,450 poor households in four northern provinces of Viet Nam, namely Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Hoa Binh and Phu Tho. The approach is to develop better integrated, pro-poor, and environmentally sustainable “green” value chains, enabling poor growers, collectors and producers to improve their products and to link them to more profitable markets.
The programme aims to improve understanding of the handicrafts and small furniture value chains; develop sustainable income increases of poor crafts and small furniture raw materials growers/collectors; c) develop sustainable income increases of rural poor crafts and small furniture producing households and enterprises; and, d) improve policies and regulatory frameworks at the provincial and national levels for the pro-poor promotion of handicrafts and small furniture production. As such, the programme will contribute to the achievement of MDG 1, ending poverty and hunger, to MDG 3, promoting gender equality, and to MDG 7, ensuring environmental sustainability.
Timeline: 2010-2012
Budget: Estimated USD 4.12 million
UN participating agencies: ITC (coordinating agency), FAO, ILO, UNCTAD, UNIDO
National implementing partners: Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietrade, Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, Vietcraft, Vietnam Handicrafts Exporters Association
Contact: Alain Chevalier, ITC Senior Trade Advisor at
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or Mr. Koen Oosterom, Trade Promotion Adviser, ITC Office for Asia and the Pacific (OAP) at
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5. Joint Programme on Integrated Nutrition and Food Security Strategies for Children and Vulnerable Groups
The joint programme supports the Government in addressing the continuing prevalence of malnutrition among the most vulnerable and in preventing future malnutrition. It does this through improving the monitoring of food security, nutrition and health; improving the capacity to deliver critical health and nutrition services including the appropriate care of the sick and malnourished, improved infant and young child feeding and the promotion of breastfeeding, and ensuring adequate intakes of iron, vitamin A and iodine including supplementation and salt iodization; and improving food security by increasing homestead food production and linking this to the increased consumption of a variety of safe, good quality food.
The programme combines both short-term strategies such as breastfeeding, iron and vitamin A supplementation to address current issues of malnutrition, with long-term policies and strategies that improve the quality of diets through the increased availability of improved crops and animal source foods (meat, milk and fish). The programme includes activities for strengthening information and mapping systems, including nutritional sentinel surveillance, food security and early warning, and market information systems, and for enhancing capacities in data collection, management, analysis and use for policy, programming and monitoring purposes.
Timeline: 2010-2012
Budget: Estimated USD 3.55 million
UN participating agencies: FAO, UNICEF, WHO
National implementing partners: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Ministry of Health
Contact: Vu Ngoc Tien, FAO National Programme Officer at
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In addition to the Joint Programmes, the establishment of Joint UN Teams have emerged within the larger context of both UN reform and international efforts to improve aid effectiveness.
6. The UN Joint Programme on HIV
The UN Joint Programme on HIV in Viet Nam (represents coherent strategies and action to support Viet Nam in addressing the challenges and opportunities in the National response to HIV.The Joint Programme is:
- The outcome of a joint programming exercise by the UN system. It includes ongoing and future HIV activities of participating UN organisations that contribute to a set of common and agreed objectives and results in support of national needs and priorities.
- An integral part of the overall UN support to national development priorities, including poverty reduction and socio-economic development strategies, and sits within the framework of the MDGs, the 2001 UNGASS Declaration and Universal Access.
- An integral part of UNDAF and of results-based programming.
- A management tool and an instrument for accountability. Reporting on progress of Joint Programme implementation will form part of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Annual Report.
The UN Country Team (UNCT) in Viet Nam recognises that as a mulitsectoral issue, HIV requires a multi-faceted response, drawing on the strengths of its many organisations. This response will be significantly enhanced through closer coordination and collaborative approaches, in line with the Ha Noi Core Statement. With the establishment of a Joint Programme on HIV, UN organisations will work more effectively together and with GOVN, capitalising on their collective comparative advantage and maximising results.
The Joint UN Team on HIV comprises HIV technical staff from each participating UN organisation: ILO, IOM, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNIFEM, UNODC, UNV and WHO. The Team:
- Developed and implements the Joint UN Programme on HIV in partnership with government ministries and other national and international partners
- Develops an annual work plan (which also contributes to the achievement of the UNDAF outcomes) in close consultation with relevant government ministries
- Develops coordination and implementation arrangements for joint activities
- Takes decisions on technical issues (with referral to Heads of participating UN organisations when necessary)
- Implements mechanisms for monitoring of activities in the Joint UN Programme on HIV
- Liaises with relevant government ministries and bilateral donors
- Reports to Heads of participating UN organisations on progress of the implementation of the Joint UN Programme on HIV
The UNAIDS Country Director convenes, coordinates and facilitates the Joint UN Team on HIV.
A UN Theme Group on HIV, which comprises of the Heads of participating UN organisations, provides general oversight and policy guidance for implementation of the Joint UN Programme on HIV and meets on an as needed basis.
All UN programming and activity relating to HIV in Viet Nam are reflected in the Joint UN Programme on HIV and are undertaken in accordance with the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2006-2010 and the One Plan, which guides cooperation between GOVN and the UN.
The eleven participating UN organisations working on HIV in Viet Nam agree to implement this programme jointly. Thematic focus areas of UN organisations participating in the Joint Programme in Viet Nam will be similar to those outlined in the UN Technical Support Division of Labour Matrix (see Annex C).
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Joint Teams on HIV in Viet Nam Terms of Reference (TOR)