Joint Circular No. 676/2006/TTLT/UBDT-KHĐT-TC-XD-NNPTNT guiding the implementation of the Socio-Economic Development Program for Particularly Difficult Communes in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the period 2006-2010.

JOINT CIRCULAR

Guidelines for Implementing the Socio-Economic Development Program for Particularly Difficult Communes in Ethnic Minority Areas and Mountainous Regions for the Period 2006-2010

period 2006 – 2010 for ethnic minority areas and mountainous regions

_____________________

Pursuant to Decision No. 07/2006/QĐ-TTg dated January 10, 2006 of the Government Chairman approving the Socio-Economic Development Program for Particularly Difficult Communes in Ethnic Minority Areas and Mountainous Regions for the period 2006-2010 (hereinafter referred to as the Program 135 Phase II), the following ministries: the Committee for Ethnic Minorities, Planning and Investment, Finance, Construction, Agriculture and Rural Development hereby issue these guidelines:

Part I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. These Circulars guide the implementation of the tasks of Program 135 Phase II according to Decision No. 07/2006/QĐ-TTg dated January 10, 2006 of the Government Chairman (hereinafter referred to as Decision No. 07/2006/QĐ-TTg) and shall be implemented on the territory of communes and villages, hamlets, wards, neighborhoods (hereinafter referred to as villages) based on decisions of the Government Chairman.

Article 2. Program 135 Phase II will be funded from various sources: central budget, local budget, contributions raised, with the central budget providing support. The role of self-reliance and self-improvement of poor households and the entire community in escaping poverty must be promoted, linking the rights and responsibilities of ethnic minorities with their participation in the program. Provincial People's Committees (hereinafter referred to as Provincial People's Committees) have the responsibility to mobilize local resources, units, organizations, and all social strata within and outside the province, and integrate other programs and projects in the area to implement the program.

Article 3. All funds must be incorporated into a unified management plan. The allocation of central budget support funds to localities each year must ensure that all communes, villages, and hamlets under the program benefit, notify each commune, invest according to purpose, target, effectively, and prevent waste. The central government allocates support funds to provinces based on the number of communes and villages in the province; at the local level, fund allocation must be carried out according to criteria. Provincial People's Committees establish criteria based on geographical location, area, population, poverty rate, and special conditions of each commune and village, submit them to the Provincial People's Council for decision as the basis for specific fund allocation to communes and villages, not evenly distributed.

Article 4. Implementation of the program must be transparent and democratic at the grassroots level, fully involving the participation of the people in the process. Provincial People's Committees direct the implementation of transparency according to current regulations.

Article 5. Increase decentralization for commune-level management of individual projects under the program. Provincial People's Committees and District People's Committees (hereinafter referred to as District People's Committees) have the responsibility to guide and strengthen cadres to assist communes so that they can directly manage.

Article 6. Implementation of the program at the commune level must achieve benefits: Communes receive investment support for socio-economic development; commune and village cadres and the community are trained and improved in capacity; people have jobs and increased income from participating in the commune's program implementation.

Article 7. Starting from 2008, every year review communes and villages that have completed their goals to remove them from the scope of the program's investment.

Part II

SPECIFIC PROVISIONS

I. IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS AND POLICIES

Chapter 135 Phase II has four tasks, the tasks of the program are implemented through projects and policies, specifically as follows:

1. Project to Support Production Development and Economic Structure Transformation, Enhancing the Production Capacity of Ethnic Minorities (referred to as the production development support project).

2. Project to Develop Essential Infrastructure.

3. Project for Training and Capacity Building for Village Cadres and Community Members.

4. Policy to Support Services, Improve and Enhance People's Livelihoods, Legal Aid to Raise Legal Awareness.

The following are specific provisions regarding the implementation of the projects and policies of Chapter 135 Phase II.

1. The Project to Support Production Development

1.1 Objectives

a) Poor households (according to the poverty standard set forth in Decision No. 170/2005/QĐ-TTg dated July 8, 2005 of the Prime Minister on the issuance of the poverty standard applicable for the period 2006-2010) will be prioritized for additional support in service activities of the project;

b) Groups of households residing in communes and villages within the scope of the program will be supported partially for investment development activities of the project.

Households benefiting from the policy must be publicly and democratically selected at the grassroots level, with the People's Committee of the commune compiling a list through the permanent office of the People's Council of the commune for approval by the People's Committee of the district.

1.2 Content of Investment The production development support project includes the following activities:

1.2.1 Supporting agricultural, forestry, fishery, and industrial extension activities;

1.2.2 Supporting the construction and dissemination of production models;

1.2.3 Providing seeds, livestock, and production materials (applicable for poor households);

1.2.4 Supporting the purchase of equipment, machinery, and tools for post-harvest product processing. The framework of support levels and specific types of equipment and machinery shall be guided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

1.3 Procedures for Project Preparation, Review, and Approval

1.3.1 The procedures for project preparation, review, and approval shall be guided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

1.3.2 Investment planning: The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall take the lead, coordinating with relevant departments to guide the investment contents suitable to local conditions. Each investment content must be developed from village level, chosen through discussions among villagers. Based on the investment contents chosen by the people and the number of households benefiting, the People's Committee of the commune shall prepare plans for submission to the People's Committee of the district for review and approval, and report to the People's Committee of the province;

On the basis of reports from districts, the People's Committee of the province shall approve annual capital plans, overall plans, and plans for mobilizing various sources of capital;

1.3.3 Based on the capital plan for the project approved by the Provincial People's Council, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall take the lead in formulating specific support levels for each content and beneficiary group for submission to the People's Committee of the province for decision-making to serve as the basis for budget estimates and final settlement;

1.3.4 Based on the project implementation capital plan assigned by the provincial People's Committee and the support standards, the People's Committee of the district shall approve the budget estimate for each commune, report to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Planning and Investment, and the Program's permanent office for monitoring and supervision;

1.3.5 Capital for building models and purchasing equipment and machinery for post-harvest processing shall be allocated from the development investment fund, while other project contents shall be allocated from the operating budget of the annual plan;

1.4 Implementation Organization

1.4.1 The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development assists the People's Committee of the province in managing state affairs related to the project within the province, with specific responsibilities according to the guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

1.4.2 The People's Committee of the district assigns a unit within the district to manage and implement the project; based on the capacity of commune cadres and specific conditions of the project, the People's Committee of the district may assign commune-level management for some or all project contents;

The People's Committee of the district is responsible for directing, guiding, inspecting, and supervising the implementation of the project within its jurisdiction;

1.4.3 Specific activity contents, implementation procedures, acceptance, handover... shall follow the guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

    2. Project to Develop Infrastructure

2.1 Targeted Construction Projects

2.1.1 Construction Projects at Commune Level:

a) Transportation infrastructure from commune to village, inter-village roads. Funds from Chapter 135 shall not be used to invest in automobile roads leading to the commune center;

b) Small-scale water conservancy works serving within the commune or inter-village areas;

c) Electricity infrastructure from commune to village. Funds from Chapter 135 shall not be used to construct electricity infrastructure leading to the commune center;

d) New construction and upgrading of schools and classrooms at the commune center, including comprehensive facilities such as electricity, water supply, desks and chairs, dormitories for boarding students, primary school classes, kindergartens, nurseries, teachers' residences, and auxiliary facilities at villages where necessary;

e) New construction and upgrading of commune health stations, including comprehensive auxiliary facilities such as electricity, water supply, and essential equipment purchases according to standardized commune health station criteria;

f) Markets: Only supporting the construction of market sheds and initial land leveling up to 5,000 square meters;

g) Community houses in villages with 50 households or more;

h) Centralized water supply systems.

2.1.2 Construction Projects in Villages within District II:

a) Transportation infrastructure from village to commune center;

b) Small-scale water conservancy works: construction of culverts, dams, pumping stations, canals, and structures on canals within the village area...other small-scale water conservancy works with a capital under 500 million VND;

c) Electricity infrastructure from commune to village;

d) Construct primary school classes, kindergartens, nurseries, teachers' residences, including furniture, electricity, and water supply facilities;

e) Community houses in villages with fifty households or more;

f) Centralized water supply systems;

2.2. Project Sponsor

2.2.1. Infrastructure projects under Program 135 are small-scale projects constructed within the commune or village scope; the Provincial People's Committee delegates to the District People's Committee the authority to decide on investment in infrastructure projects under this program within its jurisdiction.

2.2.2. Depending on the scale and nature of the project, the Provincial People's Committee decides whether the district or commune shall be the project sponsor. If the project is managed by the district, the District People's Committee shall be the project sponsor; if managed by the commune, the Commune People's Committee shall be the project sponsor:

a) Small-scale infrastructure projects with simple technical requirements are delegated to the commune as the project sponsor, such as:

- Rural roads to villages constructed using manual methods;

- Irrigation works mainly involving canal excavation and embankment construction;

- Primary school and kindergarten classes in villages;

- Community houses;

- Water supply systems for villages;

- Other projects with an investment capital below three hundred million dong;

- Construction projects in villages located in the second key area within communes.

b) Projects outside the above provisions shall be sponsored by the district. During implementation, based on the specific scale and nature of each project and the capacity of commune officials, the District People's Committee may delegate larger projects to the commune as the project sponsor.

    2.3. Project Management Board

2.3.1. The level responsible for sponsorship decides on the establishment of the project management board.

The establishment of the project management board is carried out as follows:

a) At the district level as the project sponsor: The District People's Committee establishes the project management board or assigns it to an existing board. The Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the District People's Committee does not concurrently hold the position of head of the project management board. The district-level project management board opens an account at the provincial treasury and has its own seal.

b) At the commune level as the project sponsor: Utilize the commune's general project management board to implement tasks. The commune's project management board has legal personality, opens an account at the provincial treasury, and uses the commune's seal for transactions.

2.3.2. Responsibilities of the Project Management Board:

a) Carry out procedures for land transfer, site preparation, and other preparatory work for construction;

b) Prepare design documentation and construction cost estimates for the sponsor to organize review and approval according to regulations;

c) Prepare tender documents (if applicable) and organize contractor selection;

d) Negotiate and sign contracts with contractors pursuant to the sponsor's authorization;

đ) Supervise construction when having sufficient capacity and cooperate with the commune's supervision board to monitor construction progress; report progress;

e) Inspect, settle, and finalize accounts according to signed contracts;

g) Manage quality, quantity, schedule, costs, safety, and environmental protection during construction;

h) Inspect and hand over completed projects;

i) Prepare annual implementation results, investment capital reports, and final settlement reports upon completion and commissioning of the project;

k) Perform other tasks authorized by the sponsor and be accountable to the sponsor.

In these responsibilities, if the project management board lacks the necessary capacity, it must hire consultants; in cases where required consultants are unavailable, the District People's Committee will assign competent officials to assist the project management board.

2.4. Commune Supervision Board

2.4.1. The commune supervision board is responsible for supervising construction projects implemented within the commune from the initial survey phase through construction, inspection, handover, and final settlement.

2.4.2. During construction, the commune supervision board collaborates with the sponsor's supervision team (project management board supervision, consultant supervision) and author supervision teams to oversee quality, quantity, material prices, construction progress, and serve as members of inspection teams at various stages.

2.5. Planning for Construction of Infrastructure Projects

2.5.1. New communes added to the program must establish construction plans before implementing construction activities. Communes transitioning into the investment program must review and adjust their construction plans to align with production planning and residential layout. Infrastructure investments should be planned efficiently to serve concentrated populations, avoiding scattered and isolated infrastructure development.

2.5.2. The Commune People's Committee selects a competent consulting unit to prepare the construction plan, which is submitted to the Commune People's Council for approval by the District People's Committee. Funds for plan preparation are allocated from the budget for Program 135.

2.6. Investment Plan

2.6.1. Based on the eligible investment targets specified in Article 2.1 and the list of projects in the commune's construction plan, from the second quarter of each year, the Commune People's Committee announces and organizes public participation, including social organizations, to select the priority projects and scales for inclusion in the next year's implementation plan. The plan is consolidated through the Commune People's Council and reported to the District People's Committee for consolidation and submission to the Provincial People's Committee for approval.

2.6.2. Following the Ministry of Planning and Investment's guidelines for annual plan formulation and the list of projects for the following year's investment plan, the Provincial People's Committee approves the preparation plan as a basis for sponsors to organize economic and technical reports.

    The capital for preparing the economic and technical report is allocated in the plan from the State budget investment for the project under Program 135.

    2.7 Preparing, reviewing, and approving the economic and technical construction report.

    2.7.1 For infrastructure investment projects at communes and villages, which include small-scale works that do not require an investment project, only an economic and technical construction report needs to be prepared, and the investment must be completed within no more than two years. For works with a capital amount below 500 million VND already included in the planning, the economic and technical report only needs to state: name of the work, name of the investor, construction location, scale of the work, source of capital, construction time, completion time, construction design drawings, and estimate.

    2.7.2 The economic and technical construction report shall be prepared by the investor selecting a unit with legal personality and sufficient capacity to implement, and submitting it to the People's Committee of the district for review in accordance with regulations before approval.

    2.7.3 Management of investment costs for infrastructure projects shall be carried out in accordance with Circular No. 01/2006/TT-BXD dated May 17, 2006, issued by the Ministry of Construction, guiding the preparation and management of investment costs for the Economic-Social Development Program for Communes in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas during the period 2006-2010.

    2.8 Implementation of construction investment projects.

    The implementation of construction investment projects shall comply with the Construction Law, the Bidding Law, Decree No. 209/2004/NĐ-CP (Decree No. 209/2004/NĐ-CP) dated December 16, 2004, of the Government on Quality Management of Construction Works, Decree No. 16/2005/NĐ-CP (Decree No. 16/2005/NĐ-CP) dated February 7, 2005, of the Government on Project Management of Investment Construction, and other guiding documents. For infrastructure projects under Program 135, due to their specific nature, certain detailed provisions shall be implemented as follows:

    2.8.1 Selection of construction contractors.

    a) Direct award of construction contracts:

    Encouragement of bidding procedures for all construction activities. The following cases may apply direct award procedures: tender packages for consultancy services related to construction with a value under 500 million VND; tender packages for procurement of goods and construction works with a value under 1 billion VND belonging to development investment projects; tender packages for procurement of goods with a value under 100 million VND belonging to projects or regular procurement budgets; in these cases, if deemed necessary, bidding procedures may be organized.

    b) In selecting construction contractors, project management boards must publicly announce at public places, on local radio, newspapers, and television, and send letters to contractors at least ten days prior to the tender date, providing information about the project and selection conditions. Each project must have at least three contractors participating in the selection process, and the project management board selects the most suitable contractor to submit to the Chairman of the People's Committee of the district for decision.

    The Provincial People's Committee shall specify the procedures, methods of selecting contractors, and construction contracts.

    c) For major tasks primarily using manual labor that can be undertaken by the commune, the investor may entrust the commune to organize construction and bear responsibility themselves. The investor directly signs contracts with the people through commune construction teams to facilitate participation in labor, increase income, prioritize poor households and women, and ensure supervision of contract execution and payment to the people by the commune monitoring board;

    The investor creates conditions for commune residents and other labor forces such as border guards and troops stationed in the area to participate in constructing infrastructure and developing the economy in communes under Program 135.

    d) Projects that can be undertaken by commune residents may temporarily receive up to 50% of the annual capital plan; projects constructed by enterprises may temporarily receive up to 30% of the annual capital plan.

    2.8.2 Supervision of construction activities.

    a) The construction supervision organization includes the investor, supervisory consultants, author supervisors, and the commune monitoring board. The investor selects a consulting unit with sufficient capacity to supervise construction. If there is no supervisory consultant organization as prescribed, depending on specific conditions, the investor organizes the supervision of construction and bears responsibility for their decisions.

    b) Investor supervision is carried out according to Article 21 of Decree No. 209/2004/NĐ-CP.

    2.8.3 Acceptance, handover, and operation management of works.

    a) Acceptance of works: The investor organizes the acceptance of completed works; the acceptance team consists of:

    - Representative of the project management board;

    - Representatives of the units: Design consultants, construction organizations, and supervisory consultants;

    - Representatives of the investor's supervisor, the commune monitoring board, and representatives of organizations and individuals managing and using the works;

    Depending on specific circumstances, the investor may invite additional relevant parties to participate in the acceptance.

    b) Handover of management and operation of works

    - After acceptance, the investor must hand over the works to the People's Committee of the commune for allocation to village groups, units, or individuals responsible for management, use, maintenance, and transfer all related documents to the People's Committee of the commune.

    - Infrastructure works serving common benefits within the commune and village groups, funded by the State budget and other sources, shall be maintained and repaired;

    - Works and components serving business services or benefiting households and groups of households shall be managed and maintained by users;

    - Based on Decree No. 209/2004/NĐ-CP and this Circular, the Provincial People's Committee shall provide detailed guidance on maintenance and repair operations.

    3. Training and Capacity Building Projects for Commune, Village, and Community Cadres.

    3.1 Target Groups for Training and Capacity Building:

    3.1.1. Civil servants at the commune level, full-time and part-time specialized staff at the commune level, and part-time staff at village and ward levels as stipulated in Decree No. 121/2003/NĐ-CP dated October 21, 2003 of the Government on the system and policies for civil servants and officials at communes, wards, and towns.

    3.1.2. Staff assigned to assist the commune by superiors.

    3.1.3. Members of the management board and supervisory board at the commune level;

    3.1.4. People of high standing in the community at the village and ward levels;

    3.1.5. Outstanding producers who play a positive role in poverty reduction and rural development work at the commune and village levels;

    3.1.6. Cadres within the planning scope of the commune;

    3.1.7. Legal aid volunteers at the commune level and members of legal aid clubs at the commune level.

    3.1.8. Ethnic minority youth aged 16-25.

    Among the above groups, priority shall be given to ethnic minority cadres and female cadres.

    3.2. Training and capacity building content

    a) Policies for economic and social development in ethnic minority and mountainous regions;

    b) Management mechanisms and implementation of Program 135: knowledge on project investment management, monitoring and evaluation, comprehensive reporting, settlement and final accounts...of projects and policies under Program 135 Phase II;

    c) Agricultural extension, forestry extension, fishery extension, industrial extension, credit for the poor, effective poverty reduction models to enhance production development skills to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty;

    d) Grassroots democratic regulations and community participation in program implementation: planning, investment supervision;

    e) Vocational training support for ethnic minority people (to be implemented in conjunction with Decision No. 81/2005/QĐ-TTg dated April 18, 2005 of the Prime Minister on short-term vocational training support policies for rural laborers, applicable only to youth aged 16-25);

    g) Relevant legal knowledge.

    3.3. Training and capacity building materials

    Training and capacity building materials are organized and compiled by the Committee for Ethnic Minorities in collaboration with relevant ministries and sectors for publication; specific local materials are directed by the provincial People's Committee to compile and use uniformly at the local level.

    3.4. Training and capacity building forms

    3.4.1. Short-term centralized training at county and provincial training institutions;

    3.4.2. On-the-job training: dissemination at meetings, broadcasting through village radio systems...Distributing materials, organizing field trips for learning both within and outside the province;

    3.5. Training and capacity building plan

    3.5.1. Based on the training and capacity building content and target groups, the Commune People's Committee will tally, classify the level and professional competence, select those who wish to participate in training and capacity building, and report to the County People's Committee;

    3.5.2. The County People's Committee will classify the target groups, consolidate training needs, establish a training plan, and report to the Provincial People's Committee;

    3.5.3. The provincial office in charge of Program 135 will organize the annual and long-term training and capacity building plans and submit them for approval by the Provincial People's Committee;

    3.5.4. Based on the actual project funding plan, the provincial office in charge of Program 135 will coordinate with the Department of Planning and Investment and the Department of Finance to develop a funding allocation plan, report to the Provincial People's Committee, and submit it to the Provincial People's Council for decision and record separately;

    3.5.5. Project implementation funds are allocated from the state budget's operating expenses. The use of training and capacity building funds is applied according to certain expenditure items suitable for the type of training and capacity building as specified in Circular No. 79/2005/TT-BTC dated September 15, 2005 of the Ministry of Finance guiding the management and use of training and capacity building funds for state civil servants. For commune-level civil servants and non-specialized staff at the commune and village levels, all costs for study, accommodation, and travel are covered from the training and capacity building fund of the program; the cost is applied according to certain expenditure items suitable as specified in Circular No. 118/2004/TT-BTC dated December 8, 2004 of the Ministry of Finance regarding the regulations on travel expenses and conference expenses for administrative agencies and public service units nationwide.

    4. Support policies for services, improving and enhancing the living standards of the people, and legal assistance to raise legal awareness.

    The Committee for Ethnic Minorities will lead and coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to build support policies to be approved by the Government and subsequently guide their implementation.

    II. USE OF INVESTMENT FUNDS:

    1. Investment capital:

    Program 135 Phase II is funded from various sources as stipulated in Decision No. 07/2006/QĐ-TTg:

    1.1. Central government budget (including both loan and foreign aid funds) directly invested in Program 135;

    1.2. Local government budget directly invested in Program 135;

    1.3. Legally raised funds at the local level; support from various economic sectors, social organizations, and other localities contributed in cash, materials, and labor; resources mobilized locally, mainly materials and labor, not cash for poor households.

    2. Allocation of project and policy funds

    2.1. Budget preparation, allocation, and management shall be carried out in accordance with the State Budget Law and related guidelines;

    2.2 For communes implementing Program 135 tasks from the local budget as decided by the Prime Minister, the provincial People's Committee shall allocate funds to ensure at least the equivalent level of central government funding.

    3. Use of central government funds

3.1. The State budget funds shall only be used to support projects and policies in accordance with the contents specified in Section I, Part II of this Circular.

3.2. Operating expenses for the program steering bodies at all levels shall be guaranteed from local budgets and other lawful sources to implement the program. For provinces receiving additional balance supplements from the State budget, the program's operating expenses may be used to fund the activities of the steering board; the annual support amount shall not exceed 0.5% of the total State budget support funds for the program, with a minimum of 50 million VND per year and a maximum of 500 million VND per year, starting from 2007. The People's Committee of the province shall specify the specific amounts for each level.

3.3. Program 135 investment funds from the state budget must be centrally managed and settled through the Treasury. For contributions in the form of materials, donations in kind, labor, or completed works, based on the unit prices of materials and the value of labor days, financial authorities shall convert these into Vietnamese dong to issue revenue orders and simultaneously issue expenditure orders sent to the Treasury where transactions are conducted to record the value of the works and aggregate them into revenues and expenditures of the State budget.

3.4. Based on the supplementary budget allocation targets from the State budget assigned by the Prime Minister at the beginning of the year, and decisions on supplementary allocations from the State budget made by competent authorities during the implementation of the budget (if any), and the results of periodic implementation, the Ministry of Finance shall transfer funds to localities according to the progress of achieving the set goals and tasks.

    III. PROCEDURES FOR COMBINATION, ASSIGNMENT AND REPORTING OF PLANS

1. The process of building, combining, and assigning annual plans shall be carried out concurrently with the general plan-making process guided by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, but reported and assigned as a separate item in the annual plan.

2. In accordance with the guidance of the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance, provincial-level People's Committees shall prepare annual investment plans and budget estimates for implementing the program together with the time frame for preparing the annual State budget estimate, and submit them to the National Ethnic Minorities Commission, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the Ministry of Finance for consolidation and submission to the Prime Minister.

3. Assignment of Plans: Annual plans shall be assigned as follows:

3.1. Pursuant to the delegation of authority from the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Planning and Investment shall notify the total project and policy funding amounts of the program to the provinces.

3.2. Based on the budget estimates assigned by the Prime Minister and the guidance of the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance, the provincial People's Committee shall direct the Provincial Department of Planning and Investment and the Provincial Department of Finance to integrate various funding sources within their jurisdiction, prepare detailed capital allocation plans for units and subordinates according to the budget management hierarchy, and report to the provincial Steering Board before submitting to the provincial People's Committee.

3.3. The provincial People's Committee shall submit to the Provincial People's Council for decision on the allocation of funds to implement the program and assign it to units and subordinates for execution.

    IV. PROCEDURES FOR MONITORING, EVALUATION AND COMBINED REPORTING

1. Monitoring and Evaluation

1.1. The provincial People's Committee shall be directly and fully responsible for the quality, progress, and effectiveness of the program within its jurisdiction. Based on the objectives of Program 135 and the actual conditions of the province, the provincial People's Committee shall direct the districts to establish achievement indicators according to the annual and phase-by-phase progress and the end of the program to serve as a basis for monitoring and evaluating the program's results throughout the province.

1.2 The provincial People's Committee shall direct relevant units and districts to regularly organize inspections of program implementation. The provincial Program 135 permanent office shall take the lead in proposing inspection plans and contents, assisting the provincial People's Committee in summarizing and reporting evaluation results to the central Program 135 permanent office (National Ethnic Minorities Commission).

1.3 The provincial People's Committee shall direct relevant departments, district People's Committees, and related units to create favorable conditions for local People's Councils at all levels, the United Front and social organizations at all levels, and communities to participate in supervision and cooperate in supervising program implementation.

1.4 National Ethnic Minorities Commission:

- Shall take the lead in coordinating with relevant ministries and sectors to propose plans and organize inspections, supervision, and evaluation of program implementation annually, mid-term, and at the end of the program;

- Shall propose annual audit plans for program implementation to be submitted to the Government for decision.

2. Combined Reporting

2.1. The provincial People's Committee shall be responsible for directing the organization of data collection and reporting at all levels to compile reports to be submitted to the Central Steering Board. At each level, the program management agency must have dedicated staff for combined reporting work. Before submitting reports, the requirement is that the project sponsors must reconcile figures confirmed by the Treasury where accounts are opened.

2.2. The provincial People's Committee shall report to the National Ethnic Minorities Commission, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Office of the Government on a quarterly basis. The content, forms, procedures for reporting, and monitoring and evaluation indicators shall follow the guidelines of the National Ethnic Minorities Commission. In addition to the general report, specialized agencies of the province shall report to higher-level agencies as prescribed.

2.3. The central Program 135 permanent office shall compile and submit reports to the Central Steering Board every six months and annually.

PART III

IMPLEMENTATION

1. Based on this Joint Circular and their respective functions and responsibilities, central ministries and sectors shall provide guidance and detail necessary contents.

2. The provincial People's Committee shall provide detailed guidance suitable to the local conditions and characteristics.

3. The provincial People's Committee shall delegate the provincial ethnic affairs department to act as the program's permanent office. The program's permanent office shall take the lead in coordinating with provincial departments to assist the provincial People's Committee in managing the program and shall have the following responsibilities:

3.1. Coordinate with the Provincial Department of Planning and Investment and the Provincial Finance Department to guide the districts in preparing annual plans and consolidating the implementation capital plan for each year within their jurisdiction to report to the Provincial People's Committee;

3.2. Take the lead in drafting the implementation capital plan for projects and policies under Program 135 for each district and submit it to the Provincial Department of Planning and Investment and the Provincial Finance Department for integration of funds within the jurisdiction;

3.3. Based on guidelines from central ministries and sectors, take the lead in coordinating with relevant units to advise and propose the Provincial People's Committee to issue appropriate guidelines in accordance with local conditions;

3.4. Implement certain components of the training and capacity-building project for grassroots cadres and communities when assigned by the Provincial People's Committee;

3.5. Take the lead in assisting the provincial steering committee for target programs to organize inspections, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting according to the regulations of the province and the Central Steering Office of Program 135;

3.6. Perform other tasks assigned by the Provincial People's Committee;

4. The Provincial People's Committee decides to establish a permanent office for Program 135 at the district level. The district-level permanent office advises the District People's Committee on managing, directing, inspecting, and compiling reports on the program's implementation from implementing units and communes with projects throughout the district;

Depending on the division of responsibilities for project implementation and specific conditions, the District People's Committee may assign responsibilities to a single unit to manage all projects and policies or delegate management to individual units based on specialized fields;

Each commune has a Project Management Board established by the District People's Committee upon the proposal of the Commune People's Committee. The composition of the commune Project Management Board includes fixed members: leaders of the Commune People's Committee, accountants, commune specialists responsible for overseeing each project, term-based members (village chiefs or deputy village chiefs...) where there are works or projects in the village, and representatives of beneficiary units and individuals;

The commune Project Management Board has legal personality, can open an account at the District Treasury, and use the commune's seal for transactions. The Project Management Board is responsible for managing all projects and policies within its jurisdiction as assigned by the District People's Committee;

The Provincial People's Committee provides detailed guidance on the organization and operation of the commune Project Management Board and the commune Supervisory Board;

5. Ministries and levels, based on their functions and responsibilities, are responsible for directing, inspecting, supervising, and urging compliance with this joint circular;

6. This circular takes effect fifteen days after its publication in the Official Gazette, and all previous documents that conflict with this joint circular are abolished. Any issues arising during implementation that are not suitable should be reported to the Central Steering Office of Program 135 for study, amendment, and supplementation to improve completeness./.