The Academy of Public Administration and Governance welcomes and works with the Global Affairs Canada Delegation

Attending the working session, representing Global Affairs Canada were: Ms. Heather McBride, Deputy Director in charge of the Vietnam Development Program; Ms. Francesca Bellone, Counselor, Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Canada to Vietnam; Ms. Stephanie Cyr, First Secretary at the Embassy of Canada to Vietnam, along with officials from the Embassy of Canada in Vietnam.

Representing the Academy of Public Administration and Governance were: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, President of the Academy; Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quoc Suu, Vice President of the Academy; Dr. Bui Phuong Dinh, Vice President of the Academy; along with leaders of several units under the Academy, and officials from the Department of Scientific Management and International Cooperation.

Speaking at the working session, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, President of the Academy, expressed his pleasure in welcoming the delegation from Global Affairs Canada to visit and work at the Academy. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien stated that the President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics had announced that Global Affairs Canada approved the funding for the project "Inclusive Local Governance in Vietnam", proposed for implementation in the 2025 - 2030 period by CIBE in coordination with the Academy of Public Administration and Governance.

Accordingly, the Academy of Public Administration and Governance has submitted an official dispatch requesting the President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics to allow the implementation of the project approval processes and procedures. Currently, the Academy is actively preparing personnel to participate in the project, while simultaneously coordinating with 6 localities including: Hanoi, Phu Tho, Ha Tinh, Thua Thien Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City to develop a specific implementation plan, ready to launch activities immediately after the project is officially approved.

In addition, the Academy is also preparing a plan for a working trip to Canada scheduled for May 2026 to exchange professional expertise, unify the cooperation orientation, and prepare the necessary conditions for the project implementation process in the coming time.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien emphasized that the "Inclusive Local Governance" project has practical significance in the context of a changing world and the rapid development of science and technology. The Academy hopes the project will soon be deployed to contribute to improving governance capacity at the local level, while simultaneously promoting the growing cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Canada.

Speaking at the working session, Ms. Heather McBride respectfully thanked the Academy of Public Administration and Governance for its thoughtful, open, and sincere reception. She believed that, in the current context where the world situation and practical needs are changing rapidly, it is necessary to continue reviewing and updating some contents in the project's initial design to ensure suitability and effectiveness during implementation. She also agreed with the Academy's proposal to organize exchange trips to learn from practical experiences and models in Canada, thereby helping both sides reference good practices and select suitable models to study and apply in Vietnam's context.

Because the project involves many stakeholders, from the donor to the direct implementation units, Ms. Heather McBride expressed her hope that in the coming time, the two sides will continue to maintain a spirit of open cooperation and strengthen information exchange. Timely and transparent exchange when there are changes in context or new emerging needs will help the parties make appropriate adjustments, ensuring the project is implemented effectively.

Discussing at the working session, Dr. Bui Phuong Dinh, Vice President of the Academy, suggested that to implement the project effectively, it is necessary to focus on input surveys in three main areas: (1) an initial survey to correctly assess needs and design suitable fostering programs, in the context that commune and ward-level officials have many changes in tasks, authority, and capacity requirements; (2) a survey to develop a master's training program in public governance; (3) designing contents related to gender equality in local governance. At the same time, he requested the Canadian side to coordinate closely with the Academy in developing criteria and capacity requirements for the contingent of officials participating in the project.

Sharing at the working session, Ms. Stephanie Cyr, First Secretary at the Embassy of Canada to Vietnam, stated that the exchanged opinions helped the delegation better understand the orientation and content of the planned activities. Regarding the development of a master's training program in public administration, she mentioned that Canada has many training programs in this field, and the delegation will connect with several universities to research suitable models, thereby developing a training program that fits Vietnam's context and needs.

Ms. Stephanie Cyr also expressed her hope that in the next phase of the project, when conducting initial research and surveys in localities, the delegation will have the opportunity to visit provinces directly to understand the practical situation. This will help the parties clearly identify the capacity gaps that the project can impact, as well as the priority areas during implementation.

Concluding the working session, the two sides agreed to continue maintaining regular exchange and close coordination during the project implementation process. In a context of many changes, the parties may consider adjusting some contents when necessary to ensure suitability with reality. The two sides also agreed on organizing a survey trip to Canada to learn from experiences and select suitable models to study and apply in Vietnam. After the project is approved, the parties will continue to discuss the official implementation of the project in localities, including unifying the activity plan, coordination mechanism, and implementation roadmap in the coming time.