Overview of the Vietnam Project
摘要
This chapter provides an overview of a results-based WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) development initiative implemented between 2018 and 2022 in rural Vietnam (the Vietnam Project) to address persistent inequalities in rural water and sanitation access while promoting women’s empowerment. Funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and delivered through a government–NGO partnership, the Vietnam Project combined targeted household subsidies with performance-based incentives to expand equitable access to piped water and hygienic sanitation across five rural provinces. The chapter outlines the Vietnam Project’s design, targeting mechanisms, and delivery arrangements, highlighting its alignment with the government system and poverty and vulnerability classifications. It also describes the central role of the Vietnam Women’s Union as an institutional partner responsible for community mobilisation, behaviour change, and local implementation, positioning women as key actors in WASH governance. The chapter establishes the institutional, financial, and governance context for the subsequent analysis of the Vietnam Project’s social inclusion and women’s empowerment outcomes.