Participatory poverty research and policy influencing in PRSP processes: the Vietnam case

The article explores links between participatory research and policy-making in Vietnam. The article beings by looking at the background of Vietnam and the processes of Participatory Poverty Assessments (PPAs) that have been used by INGOs and some donors to guide their programming. The author also cites the consultative process adopted for the World BankÆs World Development Report (WDR) in 2000 as an opportunity that encouraged large-scale provincial PPAs. The article suggests that the critical factors contributing to linking participatory research and policy making include working in partnership, good timing in the whole policy process, a common research framework, high quality fieldwork, combining qualitative and quantitative analysis and using the findings to influence through a variety of channels. The author concludes by looking at some of the challenges and ways forward.