From 10th to 12th October 2011, UN-HABITAT Viet Nam in collaboration with Academy of Managers for Construction and Cities (AMC) have successfully organized the Training of Trainer (ToT) Workshop on Housing Policy Development in Hanoi. The workshop attracted 35 participants from different departments and institutions under Ministry of Construction (MOC) and different universities and research institutes like University of Architecture, University of Construction, Vietnam Institute of Architecture, Urban and Rural Planning (VIAP) and the Academy (AMC). This ToT was under capacity building programme of one of three UNHABITAT projects in Viet Nam to “Support low-income Housing Policy in Vietnam”.

The purposes of the TOT were to strengthen the training capacities in delivery courses to support housing policy development; to further increase the participants knowledge on housing market dynamics and step-by-step, introducing tools, instruments and methods to monitor, analyze and intervene via enabling strategies, programmes and projects. It also aims at strengthening the capacity of policy makers to anticipate policy implications for housing in Viet Nam and to support the translation of national housing policy into local housing development plans. Overall, it would contribute to improve provincial and local ownership in the formulation and implementation of local housing policies and programmes.

The training was structured in such a way that the red threat was the content ‘different dimensions of housing markets & housing market analysis. These were delivered in different modalities: theoretic lectures, guest lecturer, guided exercise etc. The course went through five well designed sessions:

(1) Introduction of innovative teaching methods and how to integrate these in a learning programme

(2) Application of several practical leadership tools from the new EMERGE framework for accelerating successful policy development

(3) Discussion to reach a common understanding of main problems in the Vietnamese housing market

(4) Systematic introduction of enabling strategies across key components of housing sectors

(5) Reflections from real life housing intervention. Prominent Vietnamese Experts including two ex-vice ministers of Constructions and Natural Resource and Environment, have participated and giving lectures at the workshop.

“The workshop was the chance for participants to increase knowledge of housing markets and the market analysis both in Viet Nam and internationally as well as increase capacity to integrate innovative teaching methods into training programmes. We hope participants can apply methodologies and offered knowledge in their practical work, which will be helpful for the development of housing sector”, said Dr. Nguyen Quang, UN-HABITAT Programme Manager said.

The ToT has received good feedback and attendance from participants.