Challenges to Rural Poverty Reduction in Viet Nam - Oxfam Blogs

Participatory poverty monitoring in rural communities in Viet Nam
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head of the credit groups. They also serve as a focal point, providing feedback to the
commune and welcoming visitors. In mountainous ethnic minority communes, village
heads are also heads of some mass organizations. Most village heads feel they have a
very heavy work load, and are sometimes forced to neglect household chores.
Allowances for village heads are low. Allowances for village heads at most monitoring
points increased in early 2011 and range between 60% and 100% of the minimum wage
(830,000 VND per month in late 2011) depending on the province. Allowances only
cover travel and communication costs. Many people do not want to take the position of
village head because allowances are too low.
Village heads have had little opportunity to participate in comprehensive
training, so have limited understanding of relevant policies. Most have completed
lower or upper secondary school, although some did not complete primary school. In
mountainous ethnic minority areas (Thuan Hoa-Ha Giang, Ban Lien-Lao Cai, Luong Minh-
Nghe An, Xy-Quang Tri, Phuoc Dai and Phuoc Thanh-Ninh Thuan), village heads have only
a limited knowledge and understanding of regulations and policies. Statistics, records
and data are not kept systematically by village heads. Most village heads expressed
a desire to attend more comprehensive training on policies, and management skills
so as to better fulfil their roles. However, there are few advanced training courses on
professional skills for village heads. This is a vital issue if village heads are to increase
people’s participation and empowerment.
Village patriarchs
Village patriarchs play an important role in mobilizing villagers. At present, “village
patriarchs” are either “traditional” and elected according long-standing community
practices or “modern”, a result of recent Government policy 12 . An important requirement
is to understand traditional customs, traditions and rituals. Therefore, village patriarchs
tend to be elderly people. In some villages, as custom and tradition plays a diminishing
role village “traditional patriarchs” have become less important. For modern village
patriarchs, age is not considered the most important criterion. Some are young but
trusted and elected by villagers (such as the one in Doi 1 village, Ban Lien-Lao Cai who is
just 37 years old). The role of village patriarchs is mostly to assist the Village Management
Board communicate and mobilize people to implement Government policies and local
guidelines, and resolve conflicts in the village.
Farmers’ groups with community functions
Groups with community functions are highly sustainable in the last five years,
as they stem from direct interests of local residents, help maintain community functions
which are really needed by the people, and operates on voluntary basis and consensus
of members, not dependent on external financial support. In fact, in surveyed sites, there
are many farmers’ groups with community functions such as Community Forest Protection
Group, Construction Board, Water Project Management, Community Development
Club, Inter-Family Group etc. which are operational very well. These forms of informal
community cooperation may promote the participation and empowerment of villagers
in the implementation of policies, programmes, and projects as appropriate to local
customs, practices, and socio-economic conditions. The development of operational
regulations which are clear and binding responsibilities among members also help the
groups to operate more effectively.
12 According to Instruction 06/2008/CT-TTg dated 1 February 2008 of the Prime Minister on promoting the
roles of the respectful people in ethnic minority areas. Each village can elect one “respectful person” (so called
“patriarch”).