Competition, Service Delivery, and Poverty Alleviation in Viet Nam: The Role of the Ministry of Education and the Vietnam Bank of Agriculture

Abstract

"Most writing (by large donors) on the issues of growth and poverty reduction in developing countries reflects a 'rational actor' perspective; policymakers make rational choices between 'better' and 'worse' policies. In Vietnam, large donors have criticized the government for the past five years regarding its poor record in implementing 'good' policies. However, there is a lack of critical discussion regarding politics, policies, institutions, organizations, and the complex web of interactions underlying these relationships. Analyze how the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and the Vietnam Bank for Agriculture (VBA) attempt to translate policy into equitable, high quality outcomes for local beneficiaries. This analysis will link specific policies with specific outcomes in two provinces (one in the North, and one in the Mekong Delta), focusing on how these institutions 'work' to both influence policymaking and translate these policies into outcomes at the grassroots level. The focus will be on the norms and values embodied within the organizations examined for this study, and the overarching institutional values (the 'formal and informal rules of the game') under which they operate."