Support to Build Capacity for Improving National Industrial Relations Database for Evidence-based Policy-making (NIRF/Canada Project)

The Project's overall goal is to make better informed, evidence-based IR policy decisions through improved industrial relations data collection, dissemination and analysis for the Government of Viet Nam together with social partners.

Main partners
  • Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) – Institute of Labour Science and Social Affairs (ILSSA)General Statistics Office (GSO)
  • Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI);
  • Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL);
Target beneficiaries
  • Labour administration and labour policy-making agencies: ILSSA, GSO
  • Workers and employers’ organizations (VGCL and VCCI)
  • Labour policymakers and researchers.

Geographical focus
The Project targets central agencies and some selected central-affiliated industrialized cities/provinces including HCM City, Hai Phong and Dong Nai.

Project context/overview

After 30 years of the Doi Moi which drove economic development and pulled millions out of poverty, Viet Nam is entering a new era of economic development. Viet Nam’s industrialization and development strategies are fully anchored in its pursuit of global integration agenda, which requires adjustment of not only economic and trade policies, but also social and labour policies for sustainable and inclusive growth with social justice at both global and national levels.

For the Government and social partners to develop and implement new labour policies, there is a need to improve and strengthen industrial relations (IR) data which will enable tripartite partners to develop evidence-based industrial relations policies and social dialogue. However, there are multiple shortcomings of IR database including lacking data and information, low quality and inconsistencies of the available data as well as limited coordination among IR data producers in Viet Nam. At the same time, there is a deficiency of technical capacity of the Government and other stakeholders in data collection, data management, data sharing and dissemination as well as analysis. To address the above deficits and challenges, the project is designed to support Viet Nam in building a sustainable national industrial relations database for evidence-based policy-making and social dialogue.

Project objectives

The Project's overall goal is to make better informed, evidence-based IR policy decisions through improved industrial relations data collection, dissemination and analysis for the Government of Viet Nam together with social partners.

The Project’s mid-term objective includes:
  • Gender-responsive IR data system strengthened to better meet country needs and capture additional data relating to obligations under ILO 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work;
  • Viet Nam’s capacity enhanced for developing and implementing evidence-based IR policies and social dialogue.
The Project’s short-term objectives include:
  • IR data system reviewed, gaps identified and guiding document for IR data system improvement adopted by the Government;
  • Manual on IR data collection aligned to the national context and the international labour standards adopted and used by authorities at the central and local levels;
  • Capacity of policy makers and implementers strengthened in analyzing and using IR data to serve the process of evidence-based policy-making;
  • Research capacity for measuring impact using IR data improved among IR local researchers and policy-makers.

Project outcomes/main activities

  • Study current IR data for proposals to improve and strengthen IR data system, while developing a guiding document for the database development and piloting data collection manual;
  • Support the development of the IR annual report based on existing data under MoLISA and social partners’ guidance, while facilitating the discussion and adoption of the report;
  • Facilitate dialogues to discuss new policy priorities based on the use of standardized data;
  • Build capacity for local IR researchers and policy-makers on measuring IR impacts and research skills on IR policy development;
  • Encourage research activities on labour and industrial relations by the Government, the researcher community as well as the workers and employers’ organizations.

Contact information

Vu Kim Hue
National Project Coordinator
ILO Country Office for Viet Nam
48-50 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
Tel: (84-24) 37 34 09 00 ext. 102
Email: kimhue@ilo.org