Balancing growth
Unprecedented, cutting-edge governance assessment tool will help Vietnam evolve more smoothly from an agricultural to an industrial economy
Although Vietnam is steadily shifting to a manufacturing economy, the agricultural sector still provides 60 percent of the nation's livelihood. As resources for urban residents have improved, public services— from water to schools—in rural areas have lagged behind. Vietnam's industrialization requires rural infrastructure to be transformed to meet the needs of the rural population—and that agricultural communities be adequately prepared for the challenging economic transition ahead. We partnered with the Institute for Agriculture and Rural Development, the key policy research and advice think tank of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, to develop the Rural Public Services Index, a new diagnostic tool that will analyze the delivery of resources such as veterinary services, clean water, health care, and education. This approach is unprecedented in Vietnam. The first series of results will be used to galvanize public and government support to adopt the index as a nationwide governance assessment tool to improve public services for rural citizens—and aid sustainable growth.