Impact of Ho Chi Minh City’s Poverty Reduction Policies on the Poor and Near-poor Households in 2009 – 2013

Authors

Mekong Development Research Institute research team including Phung Duc Tung (team leader), Nguyen Viet Cuong, Nguyen Hong Thuy, Phung Thi Thanh Thu, Do Thu Trang, Le Hai Chau and Nguyen Thu Nga.

Approved

October 2013

INTRODUCTION

Scope of research

In preparation for Poverty Reduction and Increase Better-off Household Program Phase 4, Ho Chi Minh City is reviewing its achievements and limitations in Phase 3 period to better improve its implementation plan and policy support mechanism for the coming period. The main purpose of this report is to assess the impact of five policy groups on poverty reduction results including. These five policy groups include (i) Housing support; (ii) Education; (iii) Healthcare; (iv) Credit and (v) Vocational training and job creation. The report will focus on 4 aspects of each policy group including:

  • Access to poverty support policies/programs of poor households, especially migrants and laborers in informal sector.
  • Impact of support policies/programs on poor/near poor households.
  • Challenges in implementing support policies/programs to poor/near poor households.
  • Suggestions to enhance the impact of support policies/programs.

The report is developed incorporating findings from both quantitative and qualitative perspective to assess the impact of the Poverty Reduction Program on beneficial households and to evaluate the efficiency of the Program implementation process from policy beneficiaries’ identification to support provision.

Report

The report consists of five chapters. This chapter refers to general issues in evaluating urban poverty and the need for the impact evaluation of Ho Chi Minh Poverty Reduction and Increase better-off Households Program. Chapter 2 provides detailed information on the methodology used in this report. Chapter 3 provides an overview of Poverty Reduction and Increase Better-off Household Program including the program’s overall evaluation, five main support policy groups and their implementation results. Chapter 4 presents findings in regard of five policy groups’ impact on poverty reduction. The chapter provides insights on the poor/ near poor households’ ability to access support policies, policies’ impact and some limitations in the policy implementation’s process. Chapter 5 summarizes impact assessment results of the Poverty Reduction Program and policy implications for policy makers to improve the Program’s support mechanism and efficiency in the coming periods.