Huong Tran Thi Thu

I.    Program Management:

• Managed a project under UNFPA Country Program 7 in Hoa Binh province on sexual and reproductive health
• Managed a project funded by which was funded by Luxembourg for sexuality reproductive health (SRH) for the Viet Nam Family Planning Association (VINAFPA), a health professional national organization with 42 provincial branches in Vietnam which complements and supplements the Vietnamese government?s family planning programme.

1.    Program performance management

• Represented UNFPA in the management of the Programs in Hoa Binh province and VINAFPA. Coached Project Management Units (PMUs) of VINAFPA Central and sub ? national level in 4 provinces: Thua Thien Hue, Quang Ninh, Nghe An and Can Tho in planning, monitoring, reporting. Approved action plans submitted by the PMUs and managed financial and activities conducted by the PMUs in order to ensure the programs is carried out effectively.
• Provided daily management of Hoa Binh and VINAFPA projects. Reviewed project annual work plans for submission. Reviewed the project quarterly work plans and approved the budget for quarterly cash transfer.  
• Reviewed implementation modalities/procedures regularly with implementing agencies and maintained a follow-up mechanism to improve project performance (through structured visits to various project partners at their sites of activity implementation), and corresponded monthly with agencies at the central and provincial levels.
• Monitored the project activities, conduct field visits to systematically assess achievement of results, participated in tripartite review meetings, joint monitoring missions conducted by UN agencies and the central ministries to the field,  and evaluation missions;
• Reviewed quarterly and annual reports submitted by the provincial implementing partners to ensure the quality of the reports and to give timely advice to the PMUs on further plans of the implementation.
• Reported to the UNFPA Country Office on the progress of project activities on a regular basis.
• Reviewed annual disbursement reports submitted by the provincial partners, analyzed the disbursal capacities, and advice UNFPA CO on project/program budgeting, annual budget allocation, and budget revision when needed for the Implementing Partner (IP) in-charged.

2.    Financial management and Quality assurance

• Reviewed the quarterly financial reports and approved the budget for the next quarter of activity implementation.
• Provided coaching to the PMUs on the daily financial management of the project budget.
• Together with Finance staff, conducted financial spot-check to central and provincial projects to ensure effective utilization of the budget.
• Conducted monitoring of procurement activities of the provincial and central IPs including monitoring of bidding process conducted by the PMUs or authorized Co-implementing partners, monitoring of equipment distribution and utilization, asset management of the PMUs.
• Worked in close collaboration with the selected Auditing Firm on the financial audit to the project. Reviewed the program audit reports and provided timely feedback on possible improvement to the PMUs, and followed up with further improving actions.

3.    Technical backstopping

• Provided technical assistance and facilitated the Hoa Binh and VINAFPA programs and projects under UNFPA?s country program in participatory strategic planning, annual planning, and activity planning.
• Provided technical support and facilitated UNFPA supported projects in the participatory development of SRH communication strategies and plans, communication materials, and communication sets of activities.

4.    Partnership, Advocacy and Fund Raising

• Maintained close relationship with PMUs and concerned partners and provided properly coaching to the provincial implementing partners and co-implementing partners in program administrative procedures while implementation including rules and regulations of both the Vietnam Governmental system and the UN.
• Advocated Hoa Binh provincial authorities and the 4 VINAFPA provincial authorities (Quang Ninh, Nghe An, Thua Thien Hue and Can Tho) in developing guidelines and regulations for implementing sustainable interventions on SRH.
• Advocated and supervision to the VINAFPA Central in conducting advocacy activities to Central Office for Population and Family Planning (GOPFP) ? Ministry of Health (MOH) in developing guidelines and budgeting for applying a  model of VINAFPA project ?SRH communication and counseling integration in marriage registration ceremonies? in the National Program on Population and Family Planning (Pop and FP)
• Advocated and supervision to VINAFPA Central and its branches in providing financial support to maintain and scaling up the project models in SRH, Safe Motherhood, and HIV/AIDS and integrating the FPAs into the provincial health system in implementing the National Program on Pop and FP in the provinces.
• Advocated VINAFPA Central in conducting advocacy activities to the Family Newspaper in maintaining a Special page on SRH as a permanent content of the Newspaper.
• Advocated financial and other resources contribution from local authorities for implementing SRH and communication projects after the programs supported by UNFPA are completed. Successfully financial raised from the local authorities for these sustainable projects for the next coming 5 years in Hoa Binh, Can Tho, Nghe An and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.

II.    Research, data, and publications

• Provided technical inputs on ASRH to designation, data collection, and analysis of the End-line Surveys of the Country Program on Population and Reproductive Health in Viet Nam under support of UNFPA
• Technically reviewed and give analytical inputs to the research reports on ASRH including STI/STD/HIV issues.
• Selected, recruited, and supervised international and national consultants to provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and UNFPA?s partners on various ASRH studies.
• Technically reviewed and give analytical inputs to the research reports on ASRH including STI/STD/HIV issues.
• Prepared UNFPA?s publications in SRH

III.    Partnerships

• Presented UNFPA as the focal point on Partnership with National Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) in safe motherhood, Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH) and Reproductive Rights, and RH Commodity Security interventions and policy development for UNFPA country program.
• Involved in workshops, events of NGOs to present UNFPA?s voice on the issues. Technically reviewed and gave analytical inputs to interventions and policies of UNFPA country program in term of partnerships with NGOs.

1.    Program management

• Represented HPI in the management of the Programs on HIV/AIDS conducted by MOH and its implementing partners. Coached Project Management Units (PMUs) at central and sub ? national levels in planning, monitoring, reporting. Approved action plans submitted by the PMUs and managed financial and activities conducted by the PMUs in order to ensure the programs is carried out effectively.
• Supervised, monitored and provided technical support for Legal Consultancy Centre for Health and HIV/AIDS to conduct project "Capacity building on HIV/AIDS-related laws and policies for lawyers and PLWHA in Hanoi and HCMC".
• Supervised and monitored the implementation of the network of WLWH/AIDS on advocacy and networking activities.
• Provided daily management of HIV/AIDS projects. Reviewed project annual work-plans for submission. Reviewed the project quarterly work plans and approved the budget for quarterly cash transfer.  
• Reviewed implementation modalities/procedures regularly with implementing agencies and maintained a follow-up mechanism to improve project performance (through structured visits to various project partners at their sites of activity implementation), and corresponded monthly with agencies at the central and sub-national levels.

2.    Advocacy and Fund Raising

• Advocated, developed proposal advised and supervised a network of women living with HIV/AIDS (WLWH/AIDS) in Vietnam to get financial support from HPI Mekong regional program.
• Involved in a research team of  HPI headquarter in New York to conduct an operational barrier analysis called "Mapping Policy and Program Pathways for Care for Orphans and Children Vulnerable to AIDS in Vietnam": coordinated and conducted interviews with high-ranking officials in the government, NGOs working on HIV/AIDS, analyzed data and organized a dissemination workshop.

1.    Management:

• Organizational managed and operation, including developing, getting an agreement of organizational members and monitoring the collaboration mechanisms and regulations of the CDG network.
• Financial and daily management of the CGD office.
• Quality assurance to CGD programs? outputs
• Progress and financial reported to member organizations and the network donors and Viet Nam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA), the umbrella of CDG.

2.    Partnership and advocacy:

• Established partnership with government agencies, including Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry Home Affairs (MOHA) and sub-national agencies, and NGOs and donors.
• Coordinated workshops and events which raised the voice of the network's members and its partners to government agencies at central and sub-national levels in term of poverty alleviation, health, and the environment.  

3.    Fund Raising:

• Advocated and wrote proposals for financial support from ICCO, an inter-church organization for development cooperation of Netherlands and Bread for the World, a Germany Foundation.  

A Study of the Public Health Care System in Quang Dien District, Thua Thien Hue: 2007
Research team leader
Funded by a grant from the Luxembourg Government, this particular study focused on strengthening local governance capacity in a variety of sectors. These included a focus on health, as well as implementing a range of smaller-scale infrastructure and facility improvements.

Operational barrier analysis "Mapping Policy and Program Pathways for Care for Orphans and Children Vulnerable to AIDS in Vietnam". 2007   
Research coordinator
The Operational barrier analysis was conducted by the Future Group/Health Policy Initiative (HPI) D.C. office. Coordinated and conducted interviews with high-ranking officials in the government, NGOs working on HIV/AIDS, analyzed data and organized a dissemination workshop.  

Safe Motherhood Initiative VIE/03/P21: Final Project Evaluation. 2006
Senior researcher
Joined in a research team of RTCCD to conduct a final evaluation of The Safe Motherhood Initiative (SMI) project VIE/03/P21? a part of phase I of the National Plan on Safe Motherhood. The project was implemented by the MOH and UNFPA Vietnam between 2003 and 2005 with financial support from the Dutch Embassy. Qualitative methods were applied.

Mid-term review & final evaluation of the Maternal & Child Health in Binh Dinh. 2006
Senior researcher
Joined in a research team of RTCCD to conduct a mid-term review and then the final evaluation of UNFPA?s 3-million-dollar project in Binh Dinh. Funded by NZAID, the project aimed to contribute to the attainment of a higher quality of life for women and children, especially for those living in mountainous and remote areas, adolescents and ethnic minority groups. The project was implemented throughout Binh Dinh, to 11 districts and 159 communes. After the report was published, the project strategy was revised to better respond to the needs of local people.

Training Need Assessment for Improvement of Medical Services in the Central Region Hospitals:  2005-2006
Senior researcher,  sub-team leader
The assessment was conducted at the request of JICA. It had three objectives: to provide information for designing a training program for upgrading medical services in 14 hospitals; to survey hospitals' experiences in training organization and evaluate its impact on the hospitals and to identify specific training needs in the project targeted medical areas. The study was organized using the "participatory approach in research" between RTCCD and the Hue Central Hospital who managed the implementation of the study within the project context. Data collection was carried out in seven hospitals in central regions.

Baseline survey of the health system in Hung Yen: 2001
Research coordinator
This was a preparatory assistance phase to support the Hung Yen People?s Committee, with the provincial health department as a key counterpart. The objective was to assess the sustainable development of the provincial health system in order to propose interventions, with support from the Government of Luxembourg for the period 2002-2006.

Baseline Study for the Health System Development Program in Thai Binh, An Giang and Binh Thuan provinces.  2000
Researcher
The baseline survey for the health system development program (HSDP) in the three provinces, a joint venture between Ministry of Health Vietnam and the Commission of the European Community (EU), aims to identify some of the main problems related to utilization, quality of care, referral systems, accessibility, management skills, technical skills, satisfaction and attitudes towards various health services for each health system level: commune, district and province.  

Nature conservation and sustainability of important plants in Tam Dao and Ba Be National Parks: 1999
Researcher
A research to identify community sociological and economical factors which might prevent local people from conducting deforestation and encourage them to seek livelihoods outside the buffer zone.