Joint Circular No. 27/2013/TTLT-BNNPTNT-BYT-BGDĐT guiding the division of responsibilities and coordination among the three sectors of Agriculture and Rural Development, Health, and Education on the implementation of the National Target Program for Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation in rural areas for the period 2012-2015.

JOINT CIRCULAR

Guidelines for the division of responsibilities and coordination among the three sectors of Agriculture and Rural Development, Health, and Education in implementing

The National Target Program on Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation in Rural Areas for the period 2012-2015

__________________________

Pursuant to Decree No. 01/2008/ND-CP dated January 3, 2008 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Decree No. 75/2009/NĐ-CP dated September 10, 2009 of the Government amending Article 3 of Decree No. 01/2008/ND-CP dated January 3, 2008 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

Pursuant to Decree No. 32/2008/NĐ-CP dated March 19, 2008 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training;

This Circular prescribes procedures for receiving, providing health care for domestic violence victims and statistical reports on domestic violence victims at medical facilities.

Pursuant to Decision No. 135/2009/QĐ-TTg dated November 4, 2009 of the Prime Minister on the issuance of regulations on management and implementation of national target programs;

Pursuant to Decision No. 366/QĐ-TTg dated March 31, 2012 of the Prime Minister approving the National Target Program on Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation in Rural Areas for the period 2012-2015;

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development; the Minister of Health; the Minister of Education and Training promulgates this Joint Circular guiding the division of responsibilities and coordination in implementing the National Target Program on Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation in Rural Areas for the period 2012-2015 (hereinafter referred to as the Program).

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Circular guides the division of responsibilities and coordination among the three sectors of Agriculture and Rural Development, Health, and Education in implementing the National Target Program on Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation in Rural Areas for the period 2012-2015.

Article 2. Principles of Coordination

1. Agencies assigned tasks shall be responsible for coordinating with related units to ensure that the Program is implemented effectively.

2. Ensure proactivity, timeliness, and continuity in implementing the Program.

3. Coordination work among agencies in implementing the Program shall comply with Decree No. 144/2005/NĐ-CP dated November 16, 2005 of the Government on coordination work between administrative state agencies in building and inspecting the implementation of policies, strategies, plans, and programs.

4. Agencies shall unify decisions on important issues of the Program before submitting them to the Steering Board or Management Board of the National Target Program on Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation in Rural Areas for the period 2012-2015 (hereinafter referred to as the Steering Board, Management Board).

Article 3. Contents of Coordination

1. Plan development.

2. Implementation of the plan.

3. Monitoring, evaluation, and inspection.

4. Reporting on implementation results.

Chapter II

PROVISIONS ON CONTENT OF COORDINATION

Article 4. Coordination in Plan Development

1. At the Central Level

a) Each year, the Ministries of Health and Education and Training shall develop their respective plans of the Program and submit them to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for consolidation.

b) After receiving the budget notification of the Program, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall take the lead in unifying with the Ministries of Health and Education and Training to develop the plan and allocate funds for projects. The Ministries of Health and Education and Training shall develop plans and allocate funds for projects under their management to localities and submit them to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

2. At the Local Level

a) Following the guidance of the sectoral managing ministry, the Departments of Health and Education and Training shall develop their respective plans of the Program and submit them to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the sectoral managing ministry. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall take the lead in consolidating and unifying with relevant departments (Health, Education, Planning and Investment, Finance) regarding the Program's plan within their jurisdiction and report it to the Management Board for review and submission to the People's Committee of the province (hereinafter referred to as the Provincial People's Committee) for submission to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

b) After being assigned a plan by the Prime Minister, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall take the lead in unifying with relevant departments to advise the Management Board to report to the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee on the allocation of targets and funding for Program projects to implementing units.

Article 5. Coordination in Implementing the Plan

1. At the Central Level

The Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Health, and Education and Training:

a) Shall regularly coordinate, monitor, and direct to ensure that the Program is implemented according to schedule, content, and requirements;

b) Shall unify the issuance of related documents concerning guidance on implementation, evaluation, interim assessment, and final assessment of the Program.

2. At the Local Level

a) After being assigned a plan by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, the Management Board of the Program shall organize a meeting to unify the implementation plan of each sector regarding objectives, measures, and implementation funding;

b) Every six months or at any time, the Management Board of the Program at the provincial level shall organize a coordination meeting with relevant sectors to assess the implementation situation and propose measures for subsequent implementation.

Article 6. Inspection, Monitoring, and Evaluation of Program Implementation

1. Sectors and levels shall be responsible for inspecting, monitoring, and evaluating the implementation of the Program within the scope of their management:

a) At the Central Level: At least once a year, the Steering Board shall organize inter-sectoral inspection, monitoring, and evaluation teams in some provinces across the country.

b) At the Local Level: Every six months, the Management Board of the Program at the provincial level shall organize inter-sectoral inspection, monitoring, and evaluation teams within the province.

2. Updates according to the tracking and evaluation index system shall be carried out in accordance with Decision No. 2570/2012/QĐ-BNN dated October 22, 2012 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Article 7. Reporting on Implementation Results

1. Agencies implementing the Program shall be responsible for reporting on the implementation results to responsible agencies for consolidation, specifically:

a) The Departments of Health and Education and Training shall instruct subordinate units to consolidate the implementation situation of the Program under their management and report it to the Management Board of the province (through the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development) while also reporting to the sectoral managing ministry for consolidation.

b) The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall compile the implementation status of the Program on its jurisdiction to submit to the Management Board for consideration and report to the Steering Committee through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

c) At the central level, the Ministries of Health and Education and Training shall compile the implementation status of the Program assigned to them and send it to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for consolidation and submission to the Steering Committee.

2. The time for submitting reports to the Steering Committee of the Program shall be as follows:

a) Mid-year report: to be submitted before July 30 of the same year;

b) Annual report: to be submitted before March 31 of the following year;

c) Report on water quality monitoring and household latrines: to be carried out in accordance with the current regulations of the Ministry of Health;

d) Report on updating according to the monitoring and evaluation index: to be submitted before March 31 of the following year.

3. The Departments of Health and Education and Training shall submit their reports to the Provincial Management Board and relevant ministries ten days earlier than the time specified in Clause 2 of this Article.

4. Districts, Municipalities, and Towns under provinces (hereinafter referred to as Districts) shall submit their reports to the Departments ten days earlier than the time specified in Clause 3 of this Article.

5. Communes, Wards, and Townships shall submit their reports to the Districts ten days earlier than the time specified in Clause 4 of this Article.

Chapter III

RESPONSIBILITIES OF SECTORS AND LEVELS OF PEOPLE'S COMMITTEES

Article 8. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

1. To develop, review, supplement, and promulgate or propose competent authorities to promulgate financial management regulations, technical standards, incentive policies for investment in construction and management of rural clean water projects, technical standards for such projects, guidelines for management, operation, and protection of facilities, creating favorable conditions for the implementation of the Program; to review and build mechanisms for coordination among ministries, sectors, and localities to effectively implement the Program in line with its objectives.

2. To coordinate with ministries, sectors, and localities in developing and implementing overall planning and annual plans of the Program.

3. Based on the total investment amount of the Program announced, to take the lead in coordinating with the Ministries of Planning and Investment, Finance, Health, and Education and Training to draft the budget allocation plan of the Program regarding the structure and specific allocation levels of projects and sub-projects for ministries, sectors, central agencies, and centrally-administered cities and provinces in line with approved goals and tasks.

4. To organize information dissemination, education, and communication activities on clean water and environmental sanitation in rural areas, unify and develop appropriate communication materials; to guide training for human resources for the Program; to popularize various types of clean water supply and hygienic animal husbandry facilities.

5. To mobilize organizations, businesses, and individuals both domestically and internationally to support funding and technology for the Program; to test and promote new operational methods, technologies, and environmentally friendly water supply and sanitation models that are effective and sustainable.

6. To guide, inspect, supervise, evaluate, summarize, and conclude the implementation of the Program; to report as prescribed to the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the Ministry of Finance.

7. To take the lead in managing and implementing projects and sub-projects:

a) Project 1: Domestic Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation in Rural Areas, including:

Sub-project 1: Domestic Water Supply, comprising: Construction of domestic water supply facilities for rural areas, border guard posts combined with border communities, and prisons, prioritizing areas with particularly difficult access to water sources: highland areas, saline intrusion zones, arsenic and dioxin contaminated areas, and other hazardous pollution zones.

Sub-project 3: Construction of hygienic animal husbandry facilities;

b) Project 3: Enhancing Capacity, Communication, and Monitoring and Evaluation of the Program Implementation.

Article 9. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Health

1. State management (including developing, reviewing, supplementing, issuing technical standards and supervising their implementation) regarding the quality of water for drinking and daily use, personal hygiene, household latrines, and sanitation facilities at commune health stations. Develop policies to increase the proportion of hygienic household latrines and commune health station latrines. Guide, disseminate, and direct sanitation work and construction of sanitation facilities at commune health stations and rural household latrines.

2. Direct provincial Departments of Health and Provincial Preventive Health Centers to develop sectoral plans on rural sanitation.

3. Develop overall plans and annual plans for Project 2: "Rural Sanitation" and activities related to information, education, communication, capacity building, inspection, and supervision of water quality for drinking and daily use, and household latrines under Project 3: "Capacity Building, Communication, and Monitoring and Evaluation."

4. Direct and organize the implementation of information, education, and communication on rural sanitation; personal hygiene, and household latrines including developing communication materials, models, and initiatives to mobilize communities to build and use hygienic latrines; implementing health-promoting hygiene behaviors. Train and provide training to enhance the implementation capacity of the sanitation component of the Program. Direct and guide the establishment of a network of health workers for rural sanitation and select and mobilize this network for sectoral communication work.

5. Mobilize organizations, businesses, and individuals both domestically and internationally to support funding and technology for rural sanitation, test and expand new operational methods and new technologies for rural sanitation to ensure effectiveness and sustainability.

6. Direct Provincial Preventive Health Centers to inspect and implement monitoring indicators for sanitation (household latrines, water supply, and commune health station latrines) according to the Monitoring and Evaluation Index.

7. To take the lead in managing and implementing projects and sub-projects:

a) Lead, manage, and implement Project 2: Rural Sanitation, including:

Sub-project 1: Construction of hygienic household latrines;

Sub-project 2: Construction of clean water facilities and hygienic commune health station latrines;

b) Manage and implement the capacity building, communication, and monitoring and evaluation components of rural sanitation, including inspection and supervision of water quality for drinking and daily use, and household latrines under Project 3: Capacity Building, Communication, and Monitoring and Evaluation.

8. Guide, inspect, supervise, evaluate, conduct mid-term reviews, and final summaries of the Program's implementation; report as prescribed to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Article 10. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Education and Training

1. Develop, review, supplement, and issue regulations and technical standards for construction and design models of clean water and sanitation facilities in schools suitable for each region, locality, and user group as well as the management and use of these facilities. Guide, disseminate, and supervise the implementation of construction and inspection of clean water and sanitation facilities in kindergartens and primary and secondary schools.

2. Guide provincial Departments of Education and Training to develop sectoral plans to ensure effective implementation of the Program.

3. Develop a sub-project plan 2 (under project 1): Construction of clean water facilities and hygienic latrines in kindergartens and primary and secondary schools and allocate funds to provincial Departments of Education and Training after receiving project funding notifications.

4. Organize the implementation of training, information, education, and communication activities on clean water, personal hygiene, and environmental sanitation in kindergartens and primary and secondary schools. Guide management, use, maintenance, and upgrading of school clean water and sanitation facilities to ensure their effective and sustainable use.

5. Mobilize organizations, businesses, and individuals both domestically and internationally to support finance, technology, and new technologies for the construction of clean water facilities and hygienic latrines in kindergartens and primary and secondary schools.

6. Guide, inspect, supervise, evaluate, conduct mid-term reviews, and final summaries of the Program's implementation; report as prescribed to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

7. Manage and implement projects and sub-projects:

a) Sub-project 2 (under project 1): Construction of clean water facilities and hygienic latrines in kindergartens and primary and secondary schools;

b) Participate in managing and implementing project 3: Capacity building, communication, and monitoring and evaluation of the Program's implementation regarding clean water and hygienic latrines in kindergartens and primary and secondary schools.

 Article 11. Responsibilities of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities

The Management Board shall direct relevant units to organize implementation according to the management responsibilities assigned as follows:

1. Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

a) To compile all activities of the Program. Coordinate with the Department of Planning and Investment and the Department of Finance to guide relevant departments, sectors, and localities in building overall plans and annual plans for the Program. Compile plans regarding objectives, tasks, financial requirements, and propose solutions for implementing the Program within the province;

b) Directly manage and organize the implementation of:

Project 1 (including Sub-project 1: Domestic Water Supply and Sub-project 3: Construction of Livestock Shelters in Accordance with Sanitation Standards);

Project 3: Component on Enhancing Capacity, Communication, and Monitoring and Evaluation of Domestic Water Supply and Construction of Livestock Shelters in Accordance with Sanitation Standards.

c) Direct the organization of mid-term reviews and final evaluations of projects assigned within the province.

2. Responsibilities of the Department of Health

a) Direct the Provincial Center for Preventive Medicine to act as the lead unit in building project 2 plans: Rural Sanitation and related information, education, communication, capacity enhancement, inspection, and monitoring activities concerning drinking water quality and household latrines under project 3: Enhancing Capacity, Communication, and Monitoring and Evaluation;

Direct the inspection and supervision of drinking water quality and household latrines at commune health stations. Train and conduct workshops to enhance the capacity of implementing the sanitation component of the Program. Establish a network of health workers for rural sanitation; select and mobilize village-level health systems to participate in promotional activities aimed at changing personal hygiene behaviors and environmental sanitation, and constructing and using hygienic household latrines;

b) Direct the Provincial Center for Preventive Medicine: Inspect and implement monitoring indicators for sanitation (household latrines, domestic water supply, and commune health station latrines) according to the Monitoring and Evaluation Indexes; directly direct the implementation of:

Project 2 (including Sub-project 1: Construction of Hygienic Household Latrines; Sub-project 2: Construction of Clean Water Facilities and Hygienic Commune Health Station Latrines);

Project 3: Component on Enhancing Capacity, Communication, and Monitoring and Evaluation of Rural Sanitation; inspect and supervise drinking water quality and household latrines.

c) Direct the organization of mid-term reviews and final evaluations of the Rural Sanitation project within the province.

3. Responsibilities of Departments of Education and Training

a) Develop plans for sub-project: Construction of clean water facilities and hygienic latrines in kindergartens and primary schools. Direct relevant units to implement information, education, and communication activities to raise awareness among students to change behaviors regarding clean water and environmental sanitation, personal hygiene in kindergartens and primary schools;

b) Directly manage and organize the implementation of:

Sub-project 2 (under Project 1): Construction of clean water facilities and hygienic latrines in kindergartens and primary schools;

Component: Enhancing Capacity, Communication, and Monitoring and Evaluation of Clean Water and Sanitation in kindergartens and primary schools (under Project 3).

c) Direct the organization of mid-term reviews and final evaluations of the sub-project on construction of clean water facilities and hygienic latrines in kindergartens and primary schools within the province.

4. Responsibilities of the People's Committees of districts, towns, and cities under provinces

a) Coordinate with relevant departments to direct district offices and People's Committees of communes, wards, and towns to implement the Program within their areas.

b) Assign the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development or another unit to act as the lead unit to coordinate the implementation of the Program.

5. Responsibilities of the People's Committees of communes, wards, and towns

Direct relevant units, individuals, and households to implement the Program within their areas according to guidance from higher levels and sectors.

Chapter IV

IMPLEMENTATION

Article 12. Implementation Organization

1. At the Central Level

a) The Chairperson of the Management Board directs, manages, and organizes guidance for ministries, sectors, and localities to effectively implement the Program;

b) Assist the Management Board with a permanent office located at the National Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation Center for Rural Areas (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development). The Medical Environment Management Agency (Ministry of Health) and the Student Affairs Department (Ministry of Education and Training) are two lead agencies under the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Training that cooperate with the permanent office.

c) The permanent office and lead agencies jointly hold quarterly meetings to assess the implementation situation and propose measures for the next phase's plan, with participation from the National Center for Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation in Rural Areas and the Partner Office (under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development).

2. At the Local Level

a) The Chairman of the People's Committee of the province establishes the Management Board in accordance with Decision No. 366/QĐ-TTg dated March 31, 2012 of the Prime Minister approving the National Target Program on Rural Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation for the period 2012-2015 to assist the provincial People's Committee in organizing the implementation of the Program within the province;

b) Assist the Management Board with a permanent office which is an agency under the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (the Provincial Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation Center for Rural Areas or the Provincial Water Resources Management Agency). The Department of Health assigns the Provincial Center for Preventive Medicine, and the Department of Education and Training assigns a suitable unit to act as the lead unit to coordinate with the permanent office;

c) The permanent office and agencies designated as lead units hold quarterly meetings.

Article 13. Implementation Provisions

1. This Circular takes effect from July 15, 2013.

2. During the implementation process, if there are difficulties or obstacles, please promptly report them to the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Health, and Education and Training for coordination and resolution./.