(Tam Ky) From 17 to 20 April 2012, Department of Planning and Investment of Quang Nam in collaboration with UN-Habitat organized training on Multi Sector Investment Planning (MSIP) for Quang Nam Provincial Development Strategy (PDS) with the participation of representatives from UNDP, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and more than 40 officials from different departments, sections, branches and local authorities of Quang Nam province.

This training course aimed to strengthen capacity for local authorities so the objectives are: to enhance understanding of critical needs and effects of strategic investment plan (SIP) within a 'Planning- Programming – Budgeting' linear process of a PDS strategic planning approach; to develop applicable SIP with fundamental skills including pre-feasibility studies, project identification and formulation, strategic project prioritization, economic and financial appraisal and financial policy development; to increase ownership of local leaders and practitioners in formulation and implementation of SIP so that PDS will be realized with immediate effects while have a better opportunity of institutionalization in national planning system; to identify potential private and public partnership opportunities for resource mobilization of key projects under PDS and finally to develop best practice of MSIP training so that it can be up-scaled to a national level and applied for key development strategies for other parts of Vietnam, based on strategic planning process.

"I think the objectives of this training are very practical. Through the training, participants can access to methodologies of multi sector investment planning, apply proposal of strategic frame work and prioritized projects for Quang Nam PDS. In addition, these objectives are suitable with the the action program of Quang Nam People Committee about developing synchronous infrastructure until 2020 under Resolution 13-NQ/TW on 16th January, 2012, of Central Committee of Vietnamese Party term XI", Tran Van Tri, Director of Department of Planning and Investment of Quang Nam province said.

During the training, participants had opportunities to develop further projects of opportunities for QN in addition to reviewing currently developed key project related to PDS. Based on prefeasibility/ opportunities, participants studied and produced a strategic program framework for MSIP including target, goals and outcomes of program aligned with identified projects. They also worked in groups to develop systems for investment project prioritization using quantitative and qualitative criteria in accordance with development strategies identified in PDS. Un-Habitat experts and consultants also introduced key components of investment project review such as economic/ financial feasibility and viability analysis in consideration of risks in market economy. Projects developed within the PDS framework were evaluated based on a set of developed Social and Environmental criteria to see whether there are any social and environmental impact/ opportunities of it for short and long-term. A prioritized and time-phased list with costing of capital investment projects were developed after all, followed by understanding financial analysis and management of projects and matching investment requirement with projected financing sources for the PDS implementation period. Applicable various types of projects financing schemes for priorities can be discussed.