On the morning of May 8th, 2024, in Lao Cai City, the People’s Committee of Lao Cai Province and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam co-hosted a Steering Committee Meeting for The Gender Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism – GREAT 2 Lao Cai Program. The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Hoang Quoc Khanh, Vice Chair of the People’s Committee of Lao Cai Province and Co-Chair of the GREAT 2 Lao Cai Program Steering Committee, and Ms. Cherie Anne Russell, Development Cooperation Counsellor, Australian Embassy in Vietnam and Co-Chair of the GREAT 2 Lao Cai Project Steering Committee. The meeting was attended by members of the Program Steering Committee, representatives from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the GREAT Program Management Unit in Lao Cai, and Cowater International – the program contractor.

This marked the inaugural Steering Committee meeting for the GREAT 2 Lao Cai Program since the formal signing of the Implementation Agreement between the People’s Committee of Lao Cai Province and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam in late March 2024. During the meeting, Steering Committee members were briefed by the Program Management Consultant on the GREAT 2 Lao Cai Program’s objectives, approaches, and key priorities. Accordingly, the Program’s primary goal of Phase 2 remains as ethnic minority women’s economic empowerment. Specifically, the Program will strengthen strategic partnerships with public-private partners, identify areas for improvement, sustain and expand business practices, and support effective policy-making and decision-making. These efforts aim to facilitate the greater inclusion of ethnic minority women.

To ensure the program’s long-term sustainability, GREAT 2 will prioritise partnerships with organisations that have the potential to foster lasting changes in practices. The program will actively seek and collaborate with partners who are committed to and capable of continuing to support ethnic minority women beyond the program’s anticipated conclusion in 2027

To maximize the program’s reach and effectiveness, GREAT will focus resources on effective models while providing targeted support to key partners. This approach aims to foster their autonomy and enhance their ability to replicate successful initiatives beyond the program’s initial pilot areas.

During the inception phase from July 2022 to March 2024, the program conducted research, assessed challenges and opportunities, and developed sector strategies for agriculture, tourism, and cross-cutting areas including digital technology application, financial inclusion, and policy support. The program has also developed projects in consultation with stakeholders and sought co-implementation partners. To date, three cooperation agreements have been approved, and six other proposals are under development. Additionally, the GREAT 2 Project Management Guidelines, the Project Proposal Evaluation Procedure, Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) System, and Management Information System (MIS) have been fully developed and put into operation.

During the first 15-month implementation phase from April 2024 to June 2025, GREAT 2 Lao Cai will prioritise partner mobilisation, stakeholder consultations, and the timely finalisation and submission of program proposals for provincial approval. Additionally, the Program will focus on building partner capacity to ensure that lead and supporting partners are prepared to implement the projects once program approval is completed. In parallel, the Program will work to finalise and sign cooperation agreements, ensuring that funding is disbursed as scheduled.

The second Program Steering Committee Meeting is scheduled to be held in August 2024 to evaluate the progress of priority activities and approve the detailed implementation plan for the period from April 2024 to June 2025.