The  Licensing  Procedure Reform  Project  (LRP)  is  aimed  at  reducing  administrative  burden  for  both government  and  businesses  by  simplifying  selected  business  licenses,  and  to  rationalise  the process of  issuing new business  licenses. The project  is designed  to align with and support the Office  of  the  Government  (OoG)’s  Project  30  -  a  public  administrative  reform  initiative.

Economica Vietnam was contracted by IFC/WB to implement the technical assistance to the Office of the Government. The project includes (i) Research and review of more than 30 administrative procedures out of more than 250 administrative procedures reviewed and reformed under the Project 30; (ii) Introduction of standard cost model to the Project and development of manual and capacity building for the Office of the Government, ministries; (iii) support to the design and implement the communication activity under the Business Licensing Reform Project; and (iv) Provide ad-hoc assistance to IFC, the Special Taskforce and of the  Consultative Council on Administrative Reform of the Project 30 in the implementation process.

Under the project, Economica Vietnam is responsible for:

• Review  and  propose  solutions  for  simplifying  administrative  procedures  of  20  selected licenses  in  Import-Export,  Investment-Construction, Finance/Banking, Environment and Culture/Information. Specific activities include:
• Conduct qualitative research for review of licenses using the Guillotine approach, based on which a recommendation to eliminate or simplify procedure(s) will be made by addressing the necessity, legality, and reasonableness of each licensing procedure.  This  will  include identifying  regulations/licensing  procedures  in  Vietnam  that  are  ineffective and/or  unnecessary  and  not  in  line with  international  best  practices  to  support reform recommendations.
• Process map  related  procedures  of  license  to  quantify  –  through  the  Standard Cost Model  –  reductions  in  administrative  burdens  arising  from  the  reform  of licenses. 
• Collect  inputs  and  validate  reform  recommendations  through  consultation workshops on specific topics or face-to-face interviews with businesses.
• Prepare recommendation reports on the reform. 
• Provide  assistance  in  building  relevant  public  official  and  key  stakeholder  capacity  to review licenses through training and other related support.
• Provide assistance to develop and implement a communications plan serving the reform.
• Develop newsletters on the review activities to solicit inputs and raise awareness
• Provide other ad-hoc advice and assistance to IFC, the Special Taskforce and of the  Consultative Council on Administrative Reform of the Project 30 in the implementation process.

The Project is implemented in close cooperation with the Taskforce on Administrative Reform of the Office of Government.