The United Nations (UN) and Vietnamese Government’s Harmonised Programme and Project Management Guide (HPPMG) marks an important turning point in the trusted partnership between both parties.

This was stated by John Hendra, the UN’s Resident Coordinator, at the signing ceremony for the HPPMG in Hanoi on May 6.

“Never within the UN system, in Vietnam or elsewhere in the world, has there been a joint set of programme and project management practices that embodies such a high degree of alignment and harmonisation”, said Hendra.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vo Hong Phuc, Minister of Planning and Investment, on behalf of the Vietnamese government, confirmed that they, together with the UN’s agencies, would do their utmost to put the HPPMG into action.

The HPPMG is a key element of the One Set of Management Practices – one of the five pillars of the ‘One UN’ Initiative that is being piloted in Vietnam . It is expected to help reduce transaction costs for all parties involved and improve the effectiveness of aid.

The guide is said to enable the three UN agencies – UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA – to simplify and harmonise the programme and project management procedures and make them more suited to the Vietnamese government’s current system.

Source: VNA