Governance is one of the most critical elements in the sustainable development of nations. In developing countries, fair governance ensures social inclusiveness throughout the course of development. This means that development projects and investments must be beneficial to the most impoverished and vulnerable communities; businesses are able to operate in a democratic environment under a fair and transparent regulatory framework; poor people have access to land, natural resources, and sustainable livelihoods; and government capacity is compatible with the pace of economic development in the country. Vietnam has focused on improving the effectiveness of its governance in recent years as the country has reached middle-income status, and needs to enhance governmental and institutional capabilities for its next period of development.
MDRI is involved with a number of research projects related to governance with the aim of supporting government policies and strategies in this area. Our research is instrumental in providing evidence-based policy advice for the government of Vietnam to plan the social-economic development strategy in the post-Millennium Development Goal period. Our strong relationships with the Vietnamese government at both the national and local level allow us to influence positive policy changes in areas such as educational reform, ethnic minority issues, and renovation of the household registration system.
One of our key projects related to governance is the design and implementation of a spot-check mechanism for the Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI), a tool that tracks policy implementation and public service delivery over time.