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Part Two

OBJECTIVES AND VIEWPOINT

I. THE OBJECTIVES:

1. Objectives of population-family planning policies (PFP)

The resolution on population-family planning policies adopted at the 4th Session of 7th term of the Party Central Committee set forth the overall target of "Achieving small, healthy families in order to create conditions for an abundant and happy life"T, and specific objectives as: "Each family should have one or two children so that by the year 2015 each family (a couple) in the entire society will have had two children, as a means to reach the stabilization of our population scale starting from the middle of the 21st century. Every efforts should be concentrated at producing obvious changes right during these 90s".

For the culmination of the target set forth in this resolution, a PFP Strategy has to be formulated and successfully implemented in two phases, namely from 1993 to 2000, and 2001 to 2015. For the immediate future, a PFP strategy to the year 2000 should be formulated and implemented. Another FPF strategy for the period 2001 to 2015 will have to be formulated in the end of this decade.

2. Objectives of the PFP Strategy to the year 2000:

To rapidly reduce the rate having from third child upward so that by the year 2000 the total fertility rate (average number of children per woman at reproductive age ) will have gone down 2.9 or lower, in order to attain the scale of population below 82 millions.

Implementation of this strategy is spaced into two phases. namely from 1993 to 1995, and 1996 to 2000.

-1993-1995 Phase : Model development and human resource preparation

It is the time for development of models and preparations for resources. The key objective of this phase is concentration on developing resources coupled with matching deployment of PFP activities aiming at curbing total fertility rate down to 3.6 in the year 1995 with a population size of approximately 75 million.

Principle task: To establish and develop a personnel organizing system, particularly with the task of upgrading capabilities for the grass-roots level networking, mobilizing and rapidly incrementing resources, and at the same time applying incentive policies with an aim to developing and improving the PFP activity model.

- 1996-2000 Phase: To massively expand and effective undertake PFP activities at the nationwide scale. The objective of this phase is an all out effort for cutting total fertility rate down to 2.9 or lower in the year 2000 with a population size of approximately 82 million.

Principle task: On the basis of the set-up networking and model, and increased resources available, to intensively and harmoniously undertake solutions down in every hamlet, sub-hamlet and tribe throughout the country with an aim to creating obvious changes during these 90s.

Thus, implementation of the PFP strategy constitutes an important task of Party units, Government institutions, mass and social organizations and individual household at all levels in an attempt to successfully culminate our PFP target.

II. THE VIEWPOINT OF THE PFP STRATEGY TO THE YEAR 2000:

1. To thoroughly perceive and reflect the 5 basic viewpoints of the Resolution on PFP policies adopted at the 4th Session of the 7th term of the Party Central Committee in all PFP activities such as:

2. The PFP Strategy to the year 2000 identifies the followings:

- Sites of concentration are rural areas, especially regions of high population density and high fertility rate: activities will be concentrated at hamlets, sub-hamlets and tribes.

- Target intended audiences are eligible couples, particularly those of two or more children.

- Core forces for the achievement of this strategic objective are the PFP networking at grass-roots level.

3. The PFP Strategy to the year 2000 will be implemented on the basis of a matching undertaking of a 7- solution system and materialized by goal- oriented programmes for each specific period. Implementation, monitoring and evaluation of activities will be based on a contracted responsibility approach.

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Note:  Quoted from Resolution on PFP policies adopted at 4th Session of 7th term of Party's Central Committee.  January 1993.

THE SOLUTIONS

The solution system includes leadership and organization as pre-conditional solutions; IEC work, FP service, policies and incentives as basic solutions; and finance, logistics, training, research and management as conditional solutions to ensure a successful achievement of the objectives set forth in the strategy.

I. LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION

Specific solutions:

1. Leadership of the Party and Authorities: PFP work should constitute the core content in specific plans and work programmes formulated by Party units and authorities at all levels. Key leaders at the various levels should be involved in direct management and steering activities, particularly those Party units and authorities at various local levels, in order to promote movements and further stronger mobilization of the entire society to participate and strive for the achievement of the set objectives.

2. Establishment and development of the grass-roots networking with an to conducting motivation, delivering FP services to and registration on the target audiences: The commune level PFP networking will be deployed down to every hamlet, sub-hamlet and tribe. The commune PFP board is staffed with the chairman of the People's Committee as the board director, a full-time standing staff and a pool of collaborators. Each of the collaborators is responsible for a number of households according to population grouping, for direct motivation and registration on individual audience at reproductive age, and likewise, for provision of FP service such as distribution of condoms, pills; instructions and help to contraceptive acceptors.

3. Strengthening of Committees for Population and Family Planning at all levels based on a clear identification of functions and tasks of each level, agency and member organization. Agencies, mass and social organizations closely related to PFP activities and have their representatives in the committees are responsible for mobilizing their agencies and organizations to successfully conduct activities according to specific technical tasks. Committees for Population and Family Planning at all levels coordinate with member agencies in the formulation of a full-time PFP team on such a basis that CPFPs are coordinating agencies which provide guidance to the implementation of PFP work according goal oriented programmes; member agencies, mass and social organizations are programme implementing agencies.

Establishing and improving of the standing office of Committee for population and family planning (CPFPs) at all levels enabling them to assist the committees in advisory services, management, coordination and steering of PFP work implementation according to goal oriented programmes. Provision of adequate capable staff to the standing office of CPFPs at all levels has to be undertaken. In order to reduce the number of Government employed staff but ensure adequate staff for PFP work and create staff selection possibilities, a contracted system will be applied by CPFP standing mechanism at all levels. The percentage of contracted staff for the standing mechanism of CPFPs may be 20% at central level, 30% at provincial level, 40% at district level, and 100% at commune level respectively.

Application of standardization of staff of the sector according to Government employment titles; classification and training of standing full-time staff will be done in the direction of professionalization, appropriate regulations will be developed and applied in an attempt to strongly encourage activeness among staff.

4. Development and acceleration of activities undertaken by FP volunteers' organizations which participate in the motivation of the mass for FPF activities in an attempt to gradually increment the role played by the community to the extend of community sustained programmes.

By 1995, an organizational system and a pool of staff for PFP work will have been established and strengthened in a well matching manner so as to improve quality in meeting with the growing development of the goal oriented PFP programme from 1996 to 2000.

II. INFORMATION, EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION WORK (IEC)

1. To embark the orientation of socialization for an effective mobilization of the various agencies, mass and social organizations, and individuals for their active participation in PFP IEC activities.

Concerned agencies and organizations will integrate PFP messages in their programmes and workplans for an effective implementation of IEC activities. PFP messages will be integrated in economic, cultural and social development programmes and projects so that the public of different social strata clearly perceive both the material and spiritual benefit of family planning and accept a small family.

Social organizations and individuals will be motivated for integrating PFP messages in their regulations, objectives and plans of action, and their voluntary participation in activities conducted in diversified forms.

2. Suitable IEC activities will be harmoniously undertaken for specific regions and audience groups, particularly those in rural areas. Motivation will be intended at couples throughout their reproductive age.

At the initial stage, motivation will be focussed on couples of two or more children, and with special attention paid to age groups of high fertility in rural, coastal and mountainous areas for their acceptance of contraceptive methods and a small family norm. Information will be provided to the management at different levels of the Party and authorities, members of the National Assembly, and People's Councils at the various levels, managers of mass media agencies, heads of mass and social organizations, religious leaders, community and household influentials as important audience groups so as to create a favourable social environment for acceptance of family planning, and then a small family norm. Attention is also paid to motivation of men for contraceptive method use.

At the following stage, the PFP programme will be expand and its quality improved for continued motivation of eligible couples of one or two children who are either non-user or current user of less effective contraceptive methods to the more effective ones. Quality of IEC work for other audience groups will need to be improved as well.

3. Appropriate communication approaches will be applied for specific audiences. During the 1993-1995 period, special attention should be paid to approaches intended at guiding and convincing couples for FP acceptance and practice by employing various types of dialogues specifically designed for men, religious leaders, community influentials and households. For the 1996-2000 period, guiding and convincing approaches still play the key role, and at the same time, adequate information will be provided to all necessary audiences.

4. Appropriate PFP communication messages intended at every audience group will be developed and disseminated to IEC units and individuals. The main and unchanged topic embarked to in all phases of strategy implementation is "Family Planning constitutes a means for a small and healthy family, and it creates conditions for an abundant and happy life".

With regard to eligible couples, concentrated motivation will be focussed on knowledge about contraceptive methods, economic, cultural, social and health care benefit of having a small family. With leaders and community influentials, information on the relationship between population, development and environment: policies and incentives, management and skills closely relating to PFP work will be provided. For pre-marital groups, messages will be mainly focussed on healthy sex, suitable wedding ages, a small family norm and contraceptive methods.

5. Diversified communication formats suitable to specific areas and audience groups will be resorted to, namely:

Interpersonal communication: More consideration will be made on motivation of rural audiences through the network of collaborators and local motivators. All chances will be seized and all suitable motivation formats for every audience group and individual in their households will be resorted to. Advantages of every group, community and influential will be utilized for increased motivation effectiveness. Emphasis will be placed on the use of low-cost, simple and comprehensive media for guiding and convincing purposes of interpersonal communication.

Mass communication media are responsible for dissemination of PFP messages, creating social opinions in support of PFP policies and interpersonal communication channels. Quantity and quality of PFP information will be increased with formats and programmes suitable to characteristics, needs and preference of the public so as to boost up communication effectiveness through mass media channels such as TV, radio and cable radio. Amount of PFP news and articles will be increased on the press, especially papers and magazines with large circulation. An exclusive page for PFP questions and answers with relevant contents will be opened in newspapers. Materials of less wording, more illustrations and comprehensive such as comic books, cartoons, advertisements etc., carrying PFP messages will be produced for massive distribution to the various rural audiences.

Other communication forms will be used in support of interpersonal communication. Both non-professional and professional artistic performance groups will bring PFP messages down to rural and ethnic areas through folk performance varieties. PFP message advertising will be increased on mass media, particularly on consumption goods’ packing. Other communication form developed within the market economy conditions will be rapidly adopted.

6. Massive education forms will be applied as a means to provide knowledge, to change attitude and behaviour of all audiences towards PFP policies. Formal and non-formal population education with suitable contents for specific audience groups will be carried out to make young generations accept a small family as a social norm. In the 1993-1995 period, efforts to massively introduce population education will be made for secondary schools, universities, colleges, vocational centres and complementary education throughout the country. In the 1996-2000 period, population education for primary schools will be nationally introduced so as to create and improve knowledge about the relationship between population and development for generations in the 21st century.

III. FAMILY PLANNING SERVICE DELIVERY

To ensure a timely and adequate supply of diversified choices of high quality contraceptives: strengthen and expand the FP service delivery networking to satisfactorily meet with users’ needs as a means for a rapid increment of eligible couples using contraceptive methods in order to ensure the achievement of the fertility reducing target.

1. Being active in resource creation and provision of facilities and contraceptives to users: Contraceptives will be imported in the immediate future to adequately meet with actual needs, and preparations are made for investment on infrastructures or import of technical production chains for local production of a number of contraceptives such as IUDs, pills and high quality specialized facilities as a partial response to needs that may arise in the following phase. Local and foreign economic sectors will be encouraged for joint ventures on production of family planning means and facilities.

Sources of means and contraceptives provided by UNFPA, other nations and international organizations will be sought for, effectively managed and utilized.

Application of two different supply methods: Contraceptives and FP service charge are provided by the Government to registered FP acceptors; at the same time, condoms and pills will be distributed to retainers for massive sale in the market at controlled prices; and local distributors are entitled for commission.

Development of the contraceptive delivery networking in three different systems: the service network of the health sector, the full-time PFP system at all levels, other agencies, mass organizations, wholesale and retaining sites, and private services will be mobilized. The delivery networking for pills and condoms will be extended to households for audiences through the system of local collaborators.

A suitable supply mechanism will be developed with an aim to providing adequate and timely supplies to users with an active reserve of means, facilities and equipment.

2. Diversification of contraceptive methods suitable to specific audience groups, areas and localities. Special emphasis will be laid on the increased using rate of modern, highly effective and long-lasting method.

Structures and contraceptive user rate will be drastically changed towards the tendency of rapidly increasing the use of contraceptives like condoms, pills, and method like sterilization. Each type of contraceptive method will also be diversified with supply of different choices in IUDs, pills etc.. particularly with regard to contraceptives preferred by users. Lasting contraceptive methods will be increased for couples of large number of children or those who have enough children as it is promoted for. Special emphasis will also be focussed on increasing the percentage of men practicing FP methods.

New highly effective contraceptive methods suitable to users will be promoted.

Selection and study of effective traditional medicines for contraception will be conducted in an attempt to inherit traditional experiences on this field.

3. FP services will be linked to IEC work on the basis of increased technical counselling activities for contraceptive methods.

The last link in the chain that makes audiences move from their acceptance to actual use and continued use of contraceptive methods lies in the provision of right and adequate information about contraceptive methods on aspects, such as advantages and shortcomings of every specific method to the audience in an objective, scientific and honest manner as a guide for them to select the most suitable ones for themselves.

FP technical basis will be equipped with relevant communication means, service network staff will be trained on necessary skills and provided with means, necessary communication materials for their regular exercise of counselling and technical service delivery tasks.

4. Formulation of a technical system for specialized FP service, strengthening and improvement of the service delivery network down to hamlets and sub-hamlets, regular training and upgrading training to be provided, and improvement of performance quality of service delivery staff.

The FP service delivery networking is divided into four following levels:

The grass-roots level consists of inter-communal FP centres, technical sections of commune clinics, government agencies and enterprises, health care establishments run by organizations, private individuals, and the pool of PFP collaborators.

The district, precinct and district town level consists of FP teams, maternity wards and maternity centres attached to hospitals.

The provincial level consists of MCH/FP centre, maternity wards, and maternity centres attached to hospitals.

The central level consists of specialized institutes, research and technical training centres.

Health services under various agencies, mass organizations, companies, private establishments will coordinate with the various service delivery lines in the supply of facilities and technical contraceptive performance.

The task assigning regulation on technical performance issued by the Ministry of Health will be strictly observed, and responsibilities over audience following-up for each FP service line will be taken ensuring the quality, safe and most convenient services for users.

Efforts will be concentrated on strengthening infrastructures and providing additional facilities and equipment to FP technical sections under commune clinics. On the other hand, specialized technical centers will be established at central level and in the various regions for research, training and providing technical guide to the whole service delivery network.

The FP service delivery, unit under provincial MCH/FP centres will be strengthened for provision of technical guide and specialized training.

In the initial years, emphasis will be made on strengthening organizational structures, providing additional facilities and equipment as a means to enhance activity effectiveness among district mobile teams and FP centres in assisting communes where FP service delivery is not available yet.

Conditions will be created for specialized staff to start their private FP services according to the existing medical and pharmaceutical licensing law.

5. Monitoring and registration of contraceptive users.

FP service delivery lines are held responsible for assisting the grass-roots in close monitoring and registration of contraceptive users.

Registration forms for contraceptive users and record books and forms for the various lines, especially those at the grass-roots, will be standardized for a close registration of the audience helping effective monitor and evaluate effectiveness of the implementation of our goal oriented programmes.

IV. POLICIES - INCENTIVES

1. To promote couples for contraceptive methods use and voluntary acceptance of a small family.

The mass are promoted for contraceptive use on the basis of free choice and changes of methods upon their wish. In the initial years, direct benefit will be promoted to people at reproductive age who get registered for contraceptive use by an adequate, convenient and free contraceptive supply. Condoms and pills will be widely marketed with low prices. Prime treatment will be granted to sterilization method users by providing them with medicines, social insurance and exemption of public compulsory labour. Dependent on the actual status of contraceptive use, a single-time incentive in terms of cash or materials will be given as an encouragement for a rapid increment of modern contraceptive method users. Registered users of modern contraceptives who fail in their contraception effort and have to seek for pregnancy termination or menstrual regulation will be granted with all favourable conditions and free services.

Direct economic benefit is promoted for small families in order to create strong motives in attracting more couples for an active implementation of PFP policies. Families of one to two children are entitled for tax exemption or reduction with regard to their cultivate land area, priorities in getting granted loan funds with prime interest rate (loans to be released under the PFP programme funds provided by the Government or long-term loans granted by international organizations) for production expansion, income generation activities and a number of other benefits in concerned socio-economic policies. Likewise, numerous other encouraging forms will be applied to small families.

2. Spiritual encouragement and material incentives are awarded to FP service delivery staff and motivators.

Commune standing full-time staff and collaborators are recruited by the grass-roots and are entitled for incentives according to their specifically assigned jobs.

Establishments and individuals involved in delivery of safe technical contraceptive services with efficiency and prestige will be encouraged and awarded in time. Entry exams for selection of qualified technicians will be held, and encouragement in diversified forms will be awarded. Technical contraceptive service providers are entitled for incentives and mobile subsistence allowances.

Agencies, mass and social organizations and mass media which actively participate in PFP motivation and communication work will be partially assisted in term of finance for their activities and improvement of their activity quality. PFP full-time staff and collaborators are provided with communication materials and facilities; training on motivation communications skills and experience. Due awards will be presented to successful motivators.

3. Promotion of production and supply of FP services and IEC materials, means and facilities.

In the initial years, the import of FP means and contraceptives will be promoted and exempted of all kinds of import tax, and re-export of any FP facilities and means is strictly forbidden. At the same time, investment and credits for production, product protectionist acts, and strengthening of establishments for local production of means and contraceptives are promoted.

In the following phase, priorities will be given to research and local production of new types of effective contraceptives suitable to users. Locally produced means and contraceptives will be promoted for export.

Government and private establishments will participate in the sale of contraceptives. PFP IEC materials with Government subsidized prices and commission.

Due spiritual and materials awards will be honoured to those who earn merits for collecting, inheriting and disseminating traditional medicines for contraception, authors of PFP works, and materials with interesting, attractive, highly convincing contents preferred by the public.

4. Motivation of collectives and individuals for an emulation in having a small family.

A massive emulation movement for "Having a small family" will be launched by collectives and individuals under diversified forms with regular assessments and final evaluations for dissemination of experiences gained by successful examples.

Leading units of communes, districts, provinces and the entire country; agencies and social organizations will be honoured with due spiritual and material awards. Timely encouragement will be honoured to collectives or individuals of good deeds. High results in aspects such as a drastic reduction in number of mothers of three and more children, reduction of the percentage of mothers under twenty years of age, or a rapid increment of modern contraceptive use will be highly awarded.

Mass and social organizations, and localities will formulate specific regulations as a strong social pressure over those who violate the law of marriage and family, mothers of numerous children, non-users of FP methods, those who are in short of responsibilities in caring and educating their children, who do not register their children's births or delay such registration as stipulated nor register deaths of their family members.

Party and Government offices, mass organization and socio-economic establishments have to include the effort for a small family into their emulation and awarding criteria for both active individuals and units. Administrative measures will be applied to Government staff, personnel of the armed forces, Party and Youth Union members violating PFP policies.

In formulating socio-economic policies, the various agencies and levels should gain consensus on an unified direction towards the attainment of the target of a small family and consider it as an important foundation for formulation of social service development plans. CPFPs at different levels responsible for providing suggestions and comments on concerned socio-economic policies with respective agencies prior to the submission and issuance of these policies.

CPFPs at different levels coordinate with social and mass organizations in the conducting of social activities to support and pay visits to childless couples or those of very few children and are in trouble. Activities of the FP Association, clubs for couples of one or two children, clubs for child care and child education will be conducted and widely developed.

Social and PFP policies will be integrated in an unified entity with positive impact on both objectives. People of special situations are cared for. Individuals of hereditary diseases, congenital invalidism and mental problems are encouraged for not having children.

In order to protect and increase a number of ethnic minorities who are facing decreasing population trend, there should be policies of priority on primary health care, protection of the mother and the child, malnutrition control programmes etc. The MCH network will be expanded to areas of ethnic groups in accordance to policies of priority for social, cultural and economic development among ethnic minority groups.

V. FINANCE AND LOGISTICS

1. Funding mobilization: Investment will be gradually increased so as by 1995 to reach an average expenditure equivalent to the lowest investment level of US$ 0.6 per annum per capita of countries in the region which have succeeded in their PFP programmes. The main proportion (or 80%) of total financial investment needed for PFP programmes is ensured by the Government; bilateral and multilateral cooperation with international organizations, nations, NGOs and foreign individuals will be broadened. Movements for voluntary financial contribution from the community under whatever forms are promoted.

These is a budget line for PFP activity expenditure within Government budget sheet.

The central budget will ensure funding sources for the PFP programme while local budget will be concentrated on investment for increasing both quantity and quality according to set objectives, and for the implementation of local promotion policies.

2. Fund utilization and management:

All funding sources are concentrated on a budget and unanimously managed. Funds will be released through contracts on specific objectives between CPFPs and respective agencies, mass and social organizations and individuals. Accounts will be balanced under supervision of financial agencies so as to ensure that expenditures occur according to the right objectives and with efficiency.

Adequate funds will be allocated to meet with the supply of adequate contraceptive means and devices, and provision of direct material interests to FP acceptors; essential needs for IEC activities, implementation of incentive policies for full-time staff and local collaborators and for the collection of reliable statistics and information.

3. Initiatives in import, manufacture and supply of means, facilities and materials.

Overall needs in terms of volume and types of the various means, instruments and materials needed for specific region and locality will be identified in order to standardize and establish standard supply ration according to downward plans, and at the same time, gradually advance to the stage of providing adequate supply by the grass-roots in the following years in accordance to upward planning methods.

With regard to FP service delivery, in the initial stage, specific plans for import of suitable and high quality means and contraceptives should be formulated. Logical planning for local production of contraceptives, broadening of cooperation investment forms, reception of selected foreign production technologies should be considered. Coupled with the supply of contraceptives undertaken by the health system; the network of collaborators, private health systems and trading services will undertaken the supply of condoms and pills to audiences. Contraceptive supply will be shifted and developed towards the marketization orientation in the following phase.

With regard to IEC work, adequate diversified IEC materials will be produced and distributed in a timely manner. Emphasis will be laid on production of simple and comprehensive low-cost materials at provincial level for local audience groups, particularly eligible couples in areas of concentration and densely populated provinces. Production will be reasonably assigned as follows: central level is responsible for production of material prototypes; the local level is responsible for prototypes duplication and production of low-cost materials. Agencies, mass and social organizations take initiatives in production of necessary materials for their own use. IEC materials should be pretested and evaluated before mass production. Quality of PFP materials should be improved.

By 1995, adequate materials will have been developed and produced for trainers, collaborators, Party and Government, officials at all levels, Party and administrative colleges, and mass media agencies at both central and provincial levels.

In the 1996-2000 period, rights and responsibilities of provinces and agencies in production of low-cost materials will be further increased. The production of high-tech materials will be gradually shifted over to provinces under content and technical guide of the central level. Material needs for other audience groups will be met with and gradually satisfied. Quality of printed materials will be upgraded for promotion of exchange with other nations through the Population Information System of Asia and the Pacific.

Appropriate service facilities will be gradually equipped for each level so as to ensure material basis for registration of every audience at the grass-roots. Office computers will be gradually provided to central and provincial levels. With regard to large information volumes, existing regional computer centres will be utilized.

4. A logistic network from central to grass-roots level will be established and improved, and its effectiveness will also be upgraded on the basis of a logical and effective use of existing networks under agencies and the various levels ensuring proper transport, inventory and storage services. Quality of the supply of means, contraceptives, FP services, IEC and management materials will be upgraded.

VI. TRAINING AND RESEARCH:

Knowledge, skills and upgrading training will be provided to staff of the PFP organizational system. Scientific and practical basis will be ensured for IEC activities. FP services delivery, policy development and implementation, programme management and staff training.

1. Planning of a training system, selection and strengthening of capacities for leading establishments.

Training is provided to the pool of PFP staff with adequate quantity and quality enabling them to undertake immediate and long-term tasks. In the initial stage, concentration will be made on selection, training of the network of collaborators in order to meet with the overall expansion needs of the following phase.

Training will be conducted in repeated rounds from simple to more complicated levels in which theory is related to practice. Training in concentrated hands-on, short and long-term forms will be combined.

Training modules for specific audience groups will be pretested, and the suitable and effective ones will be gradually replicated. Training of local staff is encouraged at grass-roots level.

Focus will be laid on the training of qualified experts, first of all, high level trainers through local and overseas post-graduate training systems. Selection and training of leading cadres for the various agencies and sectors, the pool of core cadres with qualification, and school teachers for population education will be undertaken. University lecturers, cadres of the various agencies and organizations with practical experiences will be mobilized in PFP teaching and training.

Training will be assigned between the central and local level; between CPFPs and agencies; mass and social organizations.

Scientific and practical characteristics of training contents should be ensured. Specific training contents and curriculum should be developed for audience groups. Grass-roots staff and collaborators will be provided with training basic and comprehensive knowledge on communication skills, contraceptive utilization, audience registration, activity planning and implementation; management staff and coordinating organizations will be provided with knowledge and skills on programme planning, monitoring and evaluations; full-time staff will be provided with upgrading training in order to improve their specialized knowledge, activity organization and implementation capabilities; interpersonal communication counselling and instructional skills relevant to audience registration; managers will be provided with basic knowledge on PFP programme management; strategic orientation capacities, PFP policy formulation; PFP trainers will be given with training in order to upgrade their training skills and methods, and training programme management methodologies and skills as well.

PFP management contents will be integrated in formal curriculum of Party and administrative colleges at all levels.

Attention will be paid to training on application of computerized PFP information management programmes for central, provincial and city levels.

Periodical monitoring and evaluation of training efficiency will be conducted for timely revision of training contents and methods suitable to programme management needs.

2. Research capacities will be upgraded on the basis of an increased cooperation between scientific agencies and PFP research organizations under NCPFP coordination in an attempt to avoid overlapping and ensure an immediate introduction of research results to reality.

Combination of basis and operational researches, evaluation and in-depth PFP researches will be accelerated. Priorities will be given to researches for application of technical advances in key areas.

Organizational models, grass-roots level networks, IEC activities, FP service delivery, policies, management information, and overall models at different levels and in different areas will be studied under specific economic, political, cultural and social conditions.

Effective models will be verified, summarized and introduced, especially those of grass-roots level. Tendencies in population dynamics and relationship between population and development in Vietnam will be studied.

Research capacities of concerned establishments will be upgraded by means of technical transfer activities and training of experts. Experience exchange and application of selected research results gained by both domestic and overseas organizations.

VII. MANAGEMENT

1. Planning renovation which is in fact a planning method undertaken by the grass-roots level in which implementation and monitoring are conducted by contractual responsibilities in an attempt to ensure a harmonious leadership of the central level in combination with local initiatives.

Annual plans will be formulated on a goal oriented approach. Planning renovation will take place in two phases :

1993-1995: Efforts will be concentrated on planning skills for all levels, particularly the grass-roots. Methodologies, progresses, planning instruction guidelines, contract contents and establishing methods will be developed by the central level so that provincial and district levels can thoroughly understand and conduct training for commune level on activity planning skills for audience registration.

Based on the goal oriented programme for 1993-1995, agencies and organizations develop their own plans, and at the same time, CPFPs at all levels guide their lower levels in formulating plans for each unit.

Special attention will be paid to follow-up, monitoring and evaluation so as to gradually upgrade and improve methodologies, planning process, contents and management mechanism for goal oriented programme through a contractual responsibility mode.

1996-2000: On the basis of upgraded capacities acquired in the previous phase, the upward planning orientation will be fully applied as follows: Based on goal oriented programmes, central, provincial and district levels provide orientations and guidelines for planning at grass-roots levels. With provided orientations, guidelines, and their actual situations and targets, the grass-roots level will formulate their own plans for submission to district, provincial and central levels for consideration and feasibility studies before the plans are submitted to People's Committees and Government for approval.

In order to implement plans, further upgrade responsibilities and effectively use funding sources, management on goal oriented programmes will exercised through a contractual responsibility mode between CPFPs and implementing agencies, mass and social organizations, and individuals. Contracts should be materialized by outputs, implementation time, and be financially cleared. Concerned levels and grass-roots level networks should be informed of contracts to be undertaken at grass-roots level for a well coordinated implementation and monitoring.

In order to ensure management effectiveness, the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation mechanism with proper scientific basis is indispensable. For the realization of this task, the followings should be done:

The setting up of PFP management information system will be undertaken in order to collect, process, disseminate and enable an adequate, accurate an timely supply of necessary information for decision making during PFP programme management and coordination. Information sources collected, information contents processed and information sources supplied should be clearly assigned from central to grass-roots level, from PFP programme coordinating to implementing agencies. Standardized statistical forms applied in the management information system will be developed in such a way to ensure possibilities for both manual and computerized processing, filling and analyzing. Attention will be paid to application of cybernetic achievements, gradually introducing computers (mainly personal computers) in management activities from central to provincial level.

A close coordination with specialized agencies in the use of information for impact evaluation, impact rates (both positive and negative) of the PFP programme will be established. Annual sample surveys on population changes, contraceptive prevalence rate will be conducted. A dynamic PFP data bank will be established, and national censuses will be conducted as basis for evaluation of PFP programme impacts.

Periodical evaluation should be carried out to determine problems arising during programme implementation for proper programme plan revision.

Special attention will be given to the management information on FP practicing audience at grass-roots level, mainly the contraceptive prevalence rate among eligible couples.

Evaluation methods and management information systems applied by countries that have succeeded in implementing this programme should be studied for application.

4. Unanimous management of all PFP related national and international projects in order to concentrate them on major targets of the national PFP programme.

CPFPs at all levels are responsible for their participation during the processes of document drafting, document approval; implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all national and international PFP related projects at respective levels.

When necessary, CPFDs will provide financial, technical and logistic backstopping according to project objectives, and coordinate with project requesting agencies for financial audit of PFP projects at respective level.

The National Committee for Population and Family Planning undertakes coordination of both national and international projects according to the goal oriented programme.

This PFP Strategy to the year 2000 has been approved by the management of the National Committee for Population and Family Planning.

Notes:  Part one of the document mentions the implementation status of the population/family planning work.