[2 July 2019] - Economica Vietnam completed a feasibility study on integrating Social Impact Assessment (SIA) into a subject or into the curriculum of selected universities in Vietnam. The study is implemented under the GIZ project “Social dimension in sustainable green growth in Vietnam” which supports the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and which is funded by German Development Cooperation. It aims to create and enhance conditions for integrating social dimensions in other sectors through Policy Impact Assessment, focusing on areas of German development cooperation (Vocational training, energy, and sustainable natural resources and climate change). The project is a combination of content and process advisory and concentrates on capacity building in the ministry.

Vietnam introduced Policy Impact Assessment (PIA) as one feature in the law preparation process in 2016. The GIZ project “Social dimension in sustainable green growth in Vietnam” provided inputs to the development of the PIA approach and the development of a PIA handbook issued by the Ministry of Justice. MOLISA is since mandated to lead and roll out social and gender impact methods, thinking and application on a government level. By now different law projects have been piloted with the help of the project and different – legal and social impact assessment (SIA) technical – trainings have been executed, working groups have been set up and studies conducted. On a central government level, renewed renovation of the law on law-making itself is now being discussed. MOLISA Legal Department (LD) set up a working group with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to work on this.The GIZ project “Social dimension in sustainable green growth in Vietnam” is assisting selected ministries in Vietnam in this ongoing legal reforms in conducting Policy Impact Assessments – as a new due diligence requirement in the legislative process for all new legal projects. Awareness rising, the introduction to an analytical framework for SIA and exchange of experience in its application will be core activities of the project also in the next three years. A series of trainings and exchange of experience workshops will be offered to a wider stakeholder group in Vietnam (Human Capacity Development Measures - HCD) to support the introduction of an ex-ante impact assessment perspective in the legislative process in Vietnam. Training will be offered to government bodies involved in conducting PIA in the areas of GIZ priority in Vietnam. Roll-out on provincial level is foreseen.

On a practical level, three pilot SIAs are being conducted by the relevant departments and with the support and input from the project. While two of those concern laws that MOLISA is in charge of, like Labour Code and Social Insurance, one “green” law is to be worked upon with the ministry and stakeholders in charge: the new Bio Diversity law, supported in its review by another GIZ project, has been selected as another SIA application, where MOLISA practices its collaboration in producing or commenting on PIA, driven by another sector ministry. Cooperation with ministries on relevant laws are foreseen in the next phase (MoF). 

Under the study, Economica Vietnam  looked both into  demand side which include potential clients and target groups like government agencies, research institutes, students and into the supply side which means the institutes of universities that express an interest in establishing such an addition to their curriculum.  The feasibility study also elaborates the feasible options for the cooperation between GIZ and the selected universities and institutes for integrating SIA into training curriculum and programs.