ABOUT TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL (TI)

What is TI? Transparency International (TI), founded in 1993, is the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption. Through more than 100 national chapters worldwide and an international secretariat in Berlin, Germany, TI raises awareness of the damaging effects of corruption and works with partners in government, business and civil society to develop and implement effective measures to tackle it. Vision A world in which government, politics, business, civil society and the daily lives of people are free of corruption. Goals and Objectives Increase knowledge production of corruption issues to diagnose and reduce corruption risks, and improve transparency, integrity and accountability; Promote anti-corruption norms and principles through encouraging public and private institutions to commit to anti-corruption best practices; Enhance communication and knowledge sharing; Cultivate strategic partnerships to link anti-corruption to emerging issues in the development, environmental and security agendas; Reach a broader base of citizens by exploring new avenues to engage with new public audiences; Monitor global trends to maximise our effectiveness and maintain focus on reducing corruption around the world. Guiding Principles Being independent and politically non-partisan Promoting institutional reforms, not investigating individual cases Criticizing constructively Engaging with government, business and other stakeholders Building anti-corruption coalitions Combining research, advocacy and providing solutions Accepting funding which does not compromise our objectivity How does TI operate? TI has created a wealth of resources and tools used worldwide in anti-corruption work. TI continuously develops and refines these tools including the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), the Bribe Payer Index (BPI), and the Global Corruption Barometer. It also conducts studies such as the TI National Integrity Systems assessment which is used by numerous governmental and non-governmental institutions around the world. Governments in many countries have also adopted the Integrity Pact, a tool to reduce bribery and corruption in public contracting processes. Based on these tools, TI raises awareness about corruption, monitors corruption trends, and advocates for change and reform.
Supported by the Department for International Development, UK (DFID); IrishAid (Ireland); the Embassy of Finland, Hanoi and the Embassy of Sweden, Hanoi

ABOUT TOWARDS TRANSPARENCY (TT)

Towards Transparency is a progressive Vietnamese non-profit and non-government consulting organization that was established in 2008 to contribute to national efforts to prevent and fight corruption and promote transparency and accountability in Vietnam. In March 2009 Towards Transparency became the official TI national contact in Vietnam. Towards Transparency supports the TI Secretariat in Berlin in coordinating the activities of TI in its Vietnam Programme (see below).

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Contact information:
Towards Transparency Follor 4, 51A, Nguyen Khac Hieu Str. Ba Dinh, Hanoi, Vietnam Phone: +84-4-3715 3532 Fax: +84-4-3715 3443 E-mail: info@towardstransparency.vn Transparency International Secretariat Alt-Moabit 96 10559 Berlin, Germany Phone + 49 30 34 38 20 0 Fax + 49 30 34 70 39 12 www.transparency.org

TRANSPARENCY

TOWARDS

Transparency International Activities in Vietnam

ABOUT TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL IN VIETNAM

Background TI has been involved in Vietnam since 2007, with the TI Secretariat in Berlin and a number of its national chapters holding exchanges and carrying out joint activities with Vietnamese anti-corruption agencies and other anti-corruption stakeholders in the country. Initial activities carried out by TI in Vietnam include: Participation and presentations at national workshops: Between the Government of Vietnam and the international community, including the semi-annual Anti-Corruption Dialogues (since 2008); On private sector, bribery and corporate governance organised in collaboration with the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) and the Embassy of Sweden in Vietnam (May 2008); On the APEC Code of Conduct for Small and Medium Enterprises in cooperation with the Government Inspectorate of Vietnam and VCCI, supported by the Australian Government (June 2009). Training courses for: The Inspectorate of the Ministry of Planning and Investment by TI-Norway (October 2008); and Government officials on environmental governance and transparency organised by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency in Vietnam (March 2009). The TI Vietnam Programme, 2009-2012 In 2009, the TI Secretariat in Berlin developed a strategic three-year programme on Strengthening Anti-corruption Demands from Government, Private Sector and Society (the TI Vietnam programme). The preparation phase of the TI Vietnam programme began in September 2009. The TI Vietnam programme will run until 2012 and seeks to contribute to strengthening anti-corruption work in Vietnam, with a view to establish a permanent TI presence in the country. The programme is designed in line with the national anti-corruption agenda as expressed in the 2005 Law on Anti-Corruption, the National Anti-Corruption Strategy Towards 2020, as well as the United Nations Convention on Anti-Corruption (UNCAC) ratified by Vietnam in 2009. The programme aims to raise awareness about corruption, monitor corruption trends, and advocate for strengthened policies. Overall Objective To contribute to national efforts in preventing and reducing corruption in the public sector, businesses and society organisations. Programme Goals There are four overall goals for the programme: To support ongoing research on corruption issues by Vietnamese academics and specialists and initiate complementary research; To support ongoing efforts to promote lower tolerance for corruption in Vietnam and to create a stronger demand for anti-corruption reforms; To encourage and support existing and new audiences in government, private sector and society to become engaged in the fight against corruption; To shape a supportive climate and build the foundations and structure for the establishment of a future TI national chapter in Vietnam. Programme funding The programme is supported financially by four international donors present in Hanoi: the Department for International Development, UK (DFID); IrishAid (Ireland); the Embassy of Finland and the Embassy of Sweden. Programme implementation Activities are coordinated on the ground in Vietnam by Towards Transparency, the TI national contact in Vietnam, while management and oversight are provided by the TI Secretariat in Berlin. Activities are planned and carried out in close cooperation with a wide range of Vietnamese anti-corruption agencies and other anti-corruption stakeholders from academia, media, business community and civil society. Programme activities All activities fall under the following two main dimensions: 1. Initiating research and publication on corruption and integrity issues in Vietnam; 2. Advocating for increased awareness of corruption and promotion of anti-corruption tools. The programme has also identified a number of cross-cutting activities with a specific focus on youth, business, public procurement and forest management. Initiating Research and Publications on Corruption and Integrity Issues in Vietnam To improve research and knowledge in the anti-corruption field, TI, with Towards Transparencys support, developed an ambitious research plan to support institutional, geographic, thematic and comparative research and studies on corruption issues in Vietnam. Research activities carried out in 2010 include studies on: Corruption in the education sector: This research is comprised of both qualitative and quantitative studies, including a comprehensive literature review and in-depth interviews with school administrators, parents and teachers. The initial findings of this study were presented at the Roundtable workshop ahead of the 7th semi-annual Anti-Corruption Dialogue (May 2010), which focused specifically on the education sector; Informal payments in the health sector: The survey, undertaken in collaboration with a Vietnamese NGO specialised in health, the Research and Training Centre for Community Development (RTCCD), includes interviews with key stakeholders in the health sector and field research amongst both rural and urban populations; Youth Integrity Survey: inspired by the work of other TI chapters in Asia, particularly TI Korea, Towards Transparency is conducting a survey to measure Vietnamese youth attitudes towards integrity and corruption in order to develop anti-corruption education tools and monitor policies targeting youth. This survey is conducted in collaboration with two Vietnamese NGOs: the Centre for Community Support Development Studies (CECODES)and Live & Learn; The final results of all research will be disseminated to interested relevant stake-holders to inform and support policy actions and change. Advocating for Increased Awareness of Corruption and Promotion of Anti-corruption Tools To positively respond to growing interest in TI from government agencies and the anti-corruption community, TI, through Towards Transparency, is engaged in anti-corruption initiatives to introduce to Vietnamese audience the multi-faceted experience of the international TI network as examples on how to fight corruption. So far, workshops and presentations have introduced to government officials and international and domestic anti-corruption experts: Different tools to measure corruption, including the Corruption Perceptions Index; Anti-corruption work and experiences in the health and education sectors; Expertise and tools to fight corruption in the private sector - in the framework of the Integrity and Transparency Business Initiative (ITBI) led by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in partnership with the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) and with support from the British Embassy and the Swedish Embassy in Vietnam; The application of Integrity Pacts to fight corruption in public procurement. In order to contribute to the anti-corruption forum, TI, through Towards Transparency, has organised roundtable discussions ahead of the 6th and 7th annual Anti-Corruption Dialogues (November 2009 and May 2010) on corruption in the health and education sectors (in cooperation with the Embassy of Sweden in Vietnam). These provided opportunities for fruitful discussion and debate between a wide range of stakeholders and contribute to raising awareness on corruption issues. In addition, Towards Transparency has translated and disseminated numerous TI publications, working papers and other anti-corruption literature in Vietnam. While building TIs sustainable presence in Vietnam, planned activities of the TI Vietnam Programme include, strong engagement in the Anti-Corruption Dialogues, continuous introduction and dissemination of TIs tools to target different Vietnamese anti-corruption stakeholders, anti-corruption education and awareness raising amongst youth, and closer collaboration with the media.