Strengthening supervision of development projects in ethnic minority areas

Ethnic minority people join hands to build new rural areas. Photo: D. Danh

• NUMBERS "TALK"

The total capital allocated to Lam Dong province in 2024 is up to 268.5 billion VND, focusing on key areas such as infrastructure investment, production development, education, health, culture and community capacity building. However, up to now, the disbursement rate of career capital has only reached 24.03%, investment capital has reached 60.13%. It is expected that by the end of the year, investment capital will reach 100% and career capital will only be about 40%. Meanwhile, the implemented projects are all closely linked to the direct lives of the people such as: housing support, domestic water, sustainable livelihoods, vocational training, cultural preservation, boarding education... If supervision is not focused on, it is very likely to lead to the risk of investment being spread out, overlapping, and lacking substance.

In recent times, thanks to the attention of the Party and the State, socio-economic development projects for ethnic minority areas in the province have created effective and clear changes in the lives, livelihoods, education, culture and infrastructure of ethnic minority areas. Specifically, the Project on Solving the shortage of residential land, housing, domestic water, and job conversion has supported 301 households with new housing, 406 households with access to centralized domestic water, 706 households with decentralized water use, and 1,574 households with support in job conversion, creating sustainable livelihoods.

The Project on Planning, Arranging and Stabilizing Population has implemented 4 settlement projects, completed 2 key projects, contributing to stabilizing the lives of people in difficult areas. Infrastructure such as: traffic, water supply and drainage, electricity, lighting has been invested quite synchronously. Planning, arranging, relocating and stabilizing population in necessary places... The Project on Developing Sustainable Agricultural and Forestry Production has built an agricultural value chain, developed precious medicinal plant growing areas and started businesses in the districts of Dam Rong, Lac Duong, Lam Ha.

The Ethnic Minority Essential Infrastructure Investment Project has built and maintained 21 rural traffic works, 34 km long, in extremely disadvantaged communes and villages in 5 districts. Investing in essential infrastructure, serving production and life in ethnic minority and mountainous areas... The Education and Human Resource Development Project has upgraded facilities for 9 boarding and semi-boarding schools, purchased technology equipment to serve digital transformation in education... The Cultural Preservation Project associated with tourism development has supported the preservation of 2 traditional cultural villages, built 3 typical tourist attractions in Di Linh, Don Duong, and Lac Duong districts; repaired and renovated 83 village cultural houses.

The project on Child Health and Nutrition has implemented a nutrition model for the first 1,000 days of life in Da Long commune (Dam Rong); published 4,600 communication products to raise awareness about nutrition. The project on "Supporting ethnic minorities with very few people, reducing child marriage", organized 10 pilot models of "Say no to child marriage", trained 200 officials, and communicated to 800 ethnic minorities about preventing incestuous marriage.

With the project "Communication, monitoring, and application of information technology in ethnic minority areas", in 2024, organized training courses for 447 prestigious people, study tours for 80 people. Propagating laws in 7 districts and cities. Purchasing computers, televisions, and internet connections in disadvantaged communes. Establishing support points for ethnic minorities to apply information technology in extremely disadvantaged villages.

• SUPERVISION - THE “KEY” TO ENSURE THE EFFICIENCY OF PUBLIC INVESTMENT

Monitoring is not simply checking data or progress, but more importantly, assessing the actual effectiveness, spread, sustainability and especially the satisfaction of the people - the direct beneficiaries.

In reality, many localities in the province have proactively organized internal inspections, but the scale and frequency are still limited, while some units still face difficulties in coordination between levels and sectors.

In the context of large but uneven investment resources, establishing an independent monitoring system with community participation is a direction that needs to be researched and institutionalized.

The solution to effective monitoring is based on outputs and social impacts. Monitoring needs to clarify the real impacts such as: do people have access to clean water? Does career change help them escape poverty sustainably? Do ethnic minority children have access to education? In addition, it is necessary to strengthen community monitoring, promote the monitoring role of people, village chiefs, residential groups, and prestigious people in ethnic minority communities through community monitoring teams. These are local forces, have a good understanding of the area, and can promptly detect shortcomings in the implementation process. People always want to receive practical support to help their lives become more stable and better.

In addition, the application of information technology in monitoring also needs to be of interest to the authorities. That is, establishing platforms to monitor project progress in real time will help make information transparent and increase people's participation. Each project should have its own QR code or management application for people to look up and give comments. In addition, the competent authority needs to periodically publicize the results of monitoring and inspection. Localities need to organize regular "supervision dialogues" between the government, implementing agencies and people to make timely adjustments and at the same time create trust in ethnic policies.

In the process of building ethnic minority and mountainous areas to develop rapidly and sustainably, narrowing the gap with other regions, supervision plays the role of a "responsibility filter", a mechanism to ensure fairness, efficiency and transparency.

Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Bon Yo Soan province said: With the province's high potential and determination to effectively implement investment projects in ethnic minority areas, Lam Dong province has been and is continuing to promote the role of elected agencies, the Fatherland Front, organizations, and prestigious people in the ethnic minority community to build a monitoring system that is both scientific and brings practical results, with people at the center. Directing State investment resources to truly reach each village, bringing about clear and comprehensive changes to ethnic minority areas.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/xa-hoi/202504/tang-cuong-giam-sat-du-an-phat-trienvung-dong-bao-dtts-9ff38f7/