On June 12, USAID/Vietnam wrapped up its five-year Partner Capacity Development (PCD) program, which aimed to build and improve the capacity of local NGOs and their staff. In his opening remarks, Mission Director Michael Greene highlighted the program’s contribution to strengthening human and institutional capacity of local organizations. During the course of the program, PCD provided technical assistance and capacity building to nine local organizations to help improve and develop their organizational strategies, monitoring and evaluation systems, and human resources. An additional 21 local institutions participated in the program’s Organizational Development Trail, a year-long curriculum that included both training and coaching for 1,844 individuals (340 male and 1504 female). As a result of the activity, 13 of these organizations have received direct funding from USAID and other donors, with grants of up to $3.8 million. In addition, with support from PCD, 150 government agencies and 1,500 participants (699 male and 801 female) have attended workshops, conferences, and forums.

So What? By building local organizational capacity, local organizations have become eligible to receive donor funding. They are increasingly more self-reliant and are in a better position to solicit and manage grants, and implement projects to address developmental challenges in Vietnam.