1553 proposal on the implementation of selected value chains en

Proposal on the Implementation of Biodiversity Friendly Value Chain
For Livelihood Development in PNKB NP Buffer Zone
1. Introduction
To forward with achievements of livelihood development for buffer zone communities in
previous phases, and on the basis of locals’ urgent demand, GIZ Component of the PNKB
Regional Project commits to continue its supports on livelihood development focusing on
biodiversity friendly value chain and poor communities, especially for women and ethnic
minorities. Beside its continued supports on buffer zone livelihood development, project
activities will enhance capacity on monitoring impacts of social economic development on
biodiversity conservation in the national park for its partners at all level. Based on its
capacity, experience and complete operation system, the Department of Agriculture and
Rural Development (DARD) and its line agencies at all levels are identified as main partner
for jointly implementing these activities.
With the objective of the phase “Approaches and learning experiences for integrated
nature conservation in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang region are used for local management and
national policy-making”, it is expected that the results, approaches and experiences of the
project of the final phase will be documented and integrated into the current government
system of livelihood development for local households in the buffer zone and other
regions. Sustainable livelihood development in buffer zone requires typical measures of
linking biodiversity conservation of PNKB NP. The selection of potential and biodiversityfriendly livelihood activities for suitable target groups is necessary and crucial in this
phase. Furthermore, the supports need to ensure that these livelihood activities not only
increase sustainable income for each benefited household, but up scaling potential and
community as the beneficiaries are also important. Thereafter, a sustainable and marketoriented approach of supporting poor and semi-poor households and ethnic minorities in
developing selected livelihood options is essential.
The project was cooperating with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
to conduct a “Selection and Planning Workshop for biodiversity-friendly livelihood
development in the Buffer zone of Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park” in February 2014 in
Dong Hoi. The project partners at all level participated actively in experience sharing and
discussion on selection of the most potential livelihood alternatives that can be supported
with the project’s means and capacities. For further detail information of workshop
outputs, kindly see the detail workshop report.

2. Main Outputs of the Workshop and Advisory with District and Commune
Authorities
According to the Workshop Report, 06 livelihood models were selected out of 17
proposed potential livelihood alternatives. The participants use three sets of criteria (11
1


specific criteria) that are relevant to biodiversity friendliness and market-orientation. The
selected alternatives include: Chicken Raising, Bee Keeping and Honey Production,
Integrated Agro-Forestry Model, Tourist Souvenir Products made from Bamboo and
Rattan, Mushroom Cultivation and Sweet Potato Cultivation.
Based on the outputs, project team had consulted a technical group of DARD and agreed
on lists of livelihood models that will be supported by the project in the buffer zone under
this phase. These include: 1) There are 5 selected alternatives instead of 6 models as
agreed during the workshop, as Sweet Potato production is rather challenging for ethnic
minorities and poor households due to lack of cultivated land; and 2) 11 communes
instead of 13 communes in buffer zone were reselected for implementation (crossing
Hung Trach and Phu Dinh Communes, as there are no ethnic minorities in these two
communes and low impact level to the NP). See List of Selection Criteria and Selected
Alternatives in Annex 1.
By late May, 2014, project officer and DARD, Division of Agriculture and Rural
Development at district level, and agriculture extension system consulted to district
authorities and 11 buffer zone communes on selected potential livelihood models in
order to identify a suitable model for each commune, considering specific conditions and
capacity. After the discussion and analyzing with representatives of the communes, each
commune agreed to implement 02/05 selected models. Most highland communes
selected two models, tourist souvenir products made from bamboo and rattan and beekeeping and honey production due to natural condition, habit and local capacity. AgroForestry model will be implemented in mid-land communes because households have
plantations and regeneration areas. The mushroom cultivation model was selected for
implementation by some communes, neighboring to the PNKB NP for its high market

potential to restaurants for tourists and for availability of production material source.
Chicken rising is popular and flexible to different conditions. Besides, the local authorities
and communities proposed many potential alternatives with other characteristics for
project’s support. Nevertheless, due to limited resources in technical assistance and time,
the project is focusing on the selected activities. See Result Report on Consultancy with
District and Commune Authorities.
3. Approach
Within the PNKB regional project framework, the technical assistance of GIZ component is
designed as a basis for financial supported activities to upscale project impact to buffer
zone communities. Besides livelihood activities supported by GIZ, the financial support
component has supported buffer zone households with forest handing-over, production
plantation, regeneration, ingenious plantation and community forests with an aim to
create employment opportunities and to increase income. Over 700 households have
been supported on plantation and regeneration; 09 community groups have been
supported on implementation of community forest model. The cooperation of supported
resources between project components is required to increase project impacts to these
2


beneficiaries. The following basic issues need to be considered for selecting project
approach in order to implement livelihood supports to communities:
 Based on actual experience of livelihood development under project support in
previous years and actual community demand, value chain approach for the poor is
recommended to apply. This approach will enhance production skills and new
technical knowledge for households, encourage them to participate in competitive
market and through the involvement, they get updates on markets, marketing
skills and develop their capacity through interacting with other agents in the
market. The supports to households on implementing selected livelihood products
help them one way or another to update and apply advanced production
technique, using new genre in production to improve product quality and quantity.

 It is more important to find out how to link the beneficiaries to markets and focal
enterprises. The participation of local business in supporting households to
implement livelihood models for activity sustainability in the future need to be
considered and enhanced.
 The main target groups of the project in this phase are the poor and semi poor
households, with a focus on women and ethnic minority groups. Thus,
implementation methods and livelihood model selection should be in accordance
with their capacity, conditions and custom. A suitable approach will increase
production knowledge and skills to create sustainable income for participated
households. This then help increasing their awareness on natural resource and
forest protection.
 Using technical consultant services and providing existing input services at the local
need to be promoted to secure linkage of producers to service providers and
ensure the sustainability of activities after the project support ends. This also helps
promoting consumption of outputs for households as well as provides input
services and offers site technical assistance during the production process in the
future.
 DARD will select the participated households carefully based on specific criteria to
ensure their capacity and up scaling conditions for implementing the activities. List
of households will be provided by local government and appraised by DARD,
Division of Agriculture and Rural Development at district level. During the selection
process, the households that received supports on plantation and community
forest by the project will be considered if they meet given criteria. Due to different
conditions for each model, list of criteria for household selecting on each model
will be basically different. See List of Criteria for household selecting on each model
in Annex 2.
 For its sustainability and upscale within communities, there will be a benefit
sharing mechanism to ensure selected households to have concrete commitment
on responsibilities and benefit sharing to nearby households.
3

 Currently, the project “Sustainable Rural Development for the Poor” funded by
IFAD is implementing on 8/13 buffer zone communes, with objectives of livelihood
improvement for poor and semi-poor at these communes. Value chain and linkage
to focal enterprises approach are applied for implementation. This is a good chance
for cooperation and integrating supports by different projects in the same area to
enhance maximum benefit for beneficiaries and on the other hand, to reduce
implementation expense and overlapping.
 Within the technical assistance framework of GIZ component, there are around
300 households in this phase; especially ethnic minorities will be supported with
livelihood models. In the hope that the approach and implementation method will
be a basis for up scaling in buffer zone communes and reaches to more benefited
households from livelihood support fund by financial support component, KfW, in
the project last years.
 Beside, GIZ will support DARD and Division of Agriculture and Rural Development
at district level to develop evaluation and monitoring system for livelihood models
in this current phase. Through the activity, capacity building for officers at all level
and standard MRV process and results of livelihood models in buffer zone will
provide precious data for planning process of social-economic development at
local level.
4. Implementation Process and Method
Due to different production cycle, technical requirements, materials and technical
consultant services to each activity, implementation method requires to be diversed for
suitable and effective implementation of each value chain. DARD is the main partner at
provincial level and Division of Agriculture and Rural Development of three districts are in
line partner at district level during implementing these activities at local area. Based on
partners’ experience and speciality as well as on technical service providers, to ensure a
smooth and effective implementation of technical assistance, expected method of
implementing product value chain will be applied at buffer zone communes as following:

- Argo-Forestry and Chicken Raising activities will be implemented through local
contract between GIZ and DARD. In which DARD and District DARD are responsible
to implement on site and follow up the process. DARD will make input service
contract for the activities, technical consultant service contract for locals for a
successful implementation.
- Other activities including Tourist Souvenir Products from Bamboo & Rattan,
Mushroom Cultivation, Bee-keeping and Honey Production will be implemented
through technical consultant service contracts and input service contract between
GIZ and service providers. DARD, District DARD and the project will coordinate to
follow up the activity implementation and achievements.

4


After consultation with DARD, 05 product value chains was selected and proposed for
implementing at 11/13 buffer zone communes based on their natural conditions and
specific characteristics. These communes include:
Table 1: List of Product Value Chain in each commune and participated households:

Product Value
Chain

Bo Trach District

Minh Hoa District

Unit
Sơn
Trạch

Phúc
Trạch

Tân
Trạch

Thượng
Trạch

20

20

Tourist Product
Souvenir from
Bamboo and
Rattan

Hous
ehol
d

Mushroom
Cultivation

Hous
ehol
d

Bee-Keeping

Hous
ehol
d

Integrated AgroForestry Model

Hous
ehol
d

2

Chicken Raising

Hous
ehol
d

10

10

5

5

17

17

34

24

Total

Q.
Ninh
Dist.

6

Xuân
Trạch

Thượng
Hóa

Trung
Hóa

Hóa
Sơn

Trọng
Hóa

40

6

Dân
Hóa

25

Total
househo
lds

Trường
Sơn

25

130

6

6

2

3

2

14

20

10

3

10

2

10

6

2

3

3

7

5

5

8

5

20

17

17

51

39

42

3

25

60
28

275

4.1. Tourist Product Souvenir from Bamboo and Rattan by Ethnic Minorities:
Based on the output from the pilot activity on souvenir products from traditional bamboo
and rattan handicrafts made by ethnic minorities in Dan Hoa and Trong Hoa communes,
Minh Hoa district, the project will continue supporting under this current phase to upscale
the pilot results to the whole commune and to potential communes. With the pilot
outputs, over 10 production groups were found in Y Leng (Dan Hoa). La Trong 1 and
Ramai (Trong Hoa). The groups were supported on pilot producing 04 types of products
(03 designed for man labors and 01 designed for woman labor) based on designed
proposed by the consultant who based on traditional products of Khua and Sach People.

After 10 months of implementation, around 35 products were made by the group and are
on sale in PNKB tourism center. Over 20 members of multi groups joined a study tour to
traditional handicraft villages in Hue with objective of raising awareness on products and
markets. Besides, under supports by Mekong Sub-Region Project, over 20 craftsmen in
Truong Son commune formed a group, designed products and guide on crafting products
5


with high art value. These products were used in a showroom by Van Xuan Co. Ltd. in an
international fair on handcrafted bamboo and rattan.
The important point is how to continue supports for these groups to strengthen their
skills and create more employment opportunities and sustainable income from these
products? With that approach, it is expected that the continued support on tourist
souvernir products from traditional bamboo and rattan by ethnic minorities will be
implemented in a higher level and approach to different groups with more unique
designs.
Aim to identify clearly of scale and participated households as well as commitment and
desires of local authorities and of benefitarias, a quick survey will be done in mid
September, 2014. Collected information will be used as a basis and orientation for
planning a specific support schedule and drawing a suitable approach.
The supports will expectedly focus on:
 Enhance group operation and skill training (for groups found in a pilot time and
supported by Mekong Sub-Region Project)
 Survey skilled households and identify potential groups in new communes and
support on group establishment (for new communes)
 Support on designing some new products and have technical training to groups
 Train craftsmen for the groups
 Support on developing traditional handicraft village model in a commune
 Train on business skill and linkage to markets
 Link products to sale stores in PNKB tourism center and within the province

Method:
 Technical consultant service contract will be signed to Van Xuan Bamboo and
Rattan handicraft to provide supports on group building, training, product
designing and producing training, linkage products to the market (the only
enterprise provide the service in the province)
 Connect to Craft Link Co. to provide intensive training on teamwork skills and
group development
 DARD, District DARD and local governments is responsible to follow up during
implementation, achievements; local government supports the groups
Scale and Expected Location:
 Strengthen 12 existing groups with around 90 participated households in Dan Hoa,
Trong Hoa and Truong Son
 Develop 05 new groups with around 40 participated households in Tan Trach and
Thuong Trach
Expected Outputs:
 Around 15 skilled groups develop stably (around 130 participated ethnpport in this phase will
focus on helping famers to be more proactive on the seedling/chick in the area. In the 9
communes were selected for implementation in this phase, 7 communes were supported
incubators to help famer proactively on the quality seedling to reproduce. Due to the
power, Tan Trach and Thuong Trach commune cannot use this technology. However,
farmers can buy seedling from Son Trach commune. Each commune will choose a
household which is responsible for management and using the incubators to ensure that
the whole community gets benefits.
The supports will expectedly focus on:
 Support for the technical training for households
 Support breeding chickens and inputs (veterinary medicines, vaccines ...)
 Consulting to make the henhouse
 Consulting and supporting the technical issues at the household level
Method:
 Local grant was signed by GIZ and DARD to support for the implementation of the

models
 DARD, District-DARD, commune authorities play a role on the monitoring the
implementation process and results of the model; local authorities will support the
famer production groups.
 The contract to provide the technical training and inputs/materials for the farmers
will be signed with the district-AEC and stakeholders by DARD.
 Project, DARD and local authorities will develop the mechanism of management,
using and getting benefits from the incubators.
 The commune, village is responsible for monitoring the implementation process
and prepare a list of beneficiary households
Scale and Expected Location:
 Approximately 60 households will be supported in 9 communes
 5-10 household/commune will be supported, 70 chickens (90% hen) and other
inputs
Expected Output:
 95% households successfully and maintain the chicken raising after the
implementation.
 Create the jobs for 1-2 workers per household
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 Increase more than 30% monthly income of the household
 Households committed to scaling up

4.6. Support to develop the systems for monitoring and evaluation of livelihood
models in the buffer zone:
With lack of capabilities and limitations of equipments, staff in all level encountered many
difficulties and challenges in the monitoring, evaluating and reporting the results of the
livelihood models that were supported from many program/projects in the buffer zone.
Besides, the management of this information in a systematic way, that provides the

relevant authorities in the local socio-economic development plan, still faces a lot of
difficulties. Therefore, DARD and District DARD has proposed the project to develop a
system to support the monitoring, evaluation and reporting for all kind of livelihood
activities in all levels (province, district, commune).
The supports will expectedly focus on:
 Establish the software on the computer for monitoring system, evaluation and
report at the district and provincial offices
 Develop monitoring forms and periodic reports
 Training for staff at all levels (including AEC staff at district and commune level)
 Providing the necessary equipments for provincial office (Technical division) and
districts
Method:
 Contract with a technical consultant to support to set-up the system; training staff;
develop the forms…
 GIZ provided the necessary equipments
Expected Location:
 DARD Office (Technical Division)
 District-DARD in 3 districts
Expected Output:
 95% staff at all levels can operate the system
 Cooperate with relevant departments in monitoring and evaluation
 Reports is used by the authorities involved in the socio-economic development
plan
5. Expected Budget
With the approach mainly focused on technical support and within a limited budget, the
support of GIZ will focus on capacity building, knowledge and skills of beneficiary groups
to ensure the sustainability and impact of livelihood activities in the community after the
project finish.
((See the attached proposed budget)
6. The schedule for implementation

11


Products
Activities
1. Developing the
proposal and
contracts
2. Field trip,
survey and
choosing the
household
3. Enhance the
farmer group
4. Develop the
training course
and the training
plan
5. Technical
training
6. Training for
the group and
design the
products
7. Support to
build the
house/factory
8. Training course
for farmers to
make the new

products
9. Supply the
seedling,
breeding and
inputs for the
farmers
10. Training the
farmer groups,
support the
during the
production time
11. Technical
support at the
household level
12. Technical
support at the
household level
13. support the

Time
5 -20/9

Handicrafts

Mushroom

Beekeeping

x

x

25-30/9

25-30/9

x

1-10/10

x

12-30/10
12-30/10

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

12/2014
– 5/2015
12/2014

–
10/2015
12/2014

x

x

x

15-25/11

25/11 –
30/12

x

Remarks

x

1-15/11

1-20/11

Chicken

x

Agroforestry

x

x

x

x
12


farmer group,
Develop the
Village of
Traditional
handicraft files
14. Marketing
and selling
products
15. Final
workshop and
report

– 3/2015

4-8/2015

x

810/2015

x

x

x

x

x

7. The cooperation mechanism and responsibilities of the implementation






Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARR), District-DARD, in collaboration
with PPMU will over-all supervise and direct the implementation of models in the buffer
zone.
DARD and Project will cooperate and use of the technical services and other inputs to
connect local producers with service providers, and collect the outcomes/products as well
Local authorities (district, commune and village) is responsible for monitoring the
implementation at the households
There should be coordination between projects, programs that is implementing in the
area to ensure minimal the cost, human resources and avoid duplication
DARD, in collaboration with project and stakeholders, is responsible for the final summary
report

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Annex 1:
1. List of Selection Criteria
Pre-selection Criteria (internal workshop)
1. Innovativeness (new in the area)
2. Significance and potential for up-scaling
3. Availability of Skills /Capacities at community level
4. Competitive advantage (over other locations)
5. Biodiversity-Friendliness
Selection Criteria (Selection Workshop proper)
Economic Criteria
6. Market Demand
7. Market Access
8. Potential for Value Addition
9. Sustainability
10. Capacity of Supporting Services
Social criteria
11. Labour Intensity
12. Opportunities for Women
13. Compliance with cultural traditions
14. Compliance with government strategies
Environmental criteria
15. Biodiversity-friendliness
16. Reduction of pressure on PNKB NP
2. The final selected products

14

Annex 2: Criteria for the selection of farmers to participate the livelihood model
General Criteria
- Priority for the poor or near-poor households, women and ethnic minorities.
- The households who live on the forest, illegal logging and wildlife poaching.
- Priority for the households who participated the afforestation activities of the PNKB project.
- Enthusiastic and have adequate resources to implement the model (land area, human resource and capital for contribution, etc ...)
- Ability to learn in the training process as well as in the application of new science and
technology.
- Undertaking during the implementation process, are willing to share experience and
knowledge with other famers.
The criteria for the specific model
1. The basic criteria for the chicken raising model (this model can be integrated into the agroforestry models)

N
o
1
2

Criteria

Yes

No

Other

Having appropriate cage/ committed to make the cage
1
for chicken, warm enough in the winter season.
Willing

2
to make a new henhouse or improve the old
one
Can
3 invest lighting systems, heat systems for chicken

3
4
5

4
Feed for chicken available
There is enough garden/yard area for the chicken free5
range raising
Experience
6
of chicken raising/ or willing to learn

6
7

Enthusiastic, willing to share the experiences for other
7
farmers
Human
8
resource available.

8

15


2. The basic Criteria for the handicrafts model
No.

Criteria

Yes

No

Other

Choosing
1
the villages which have a great number of
weaving farmers
2
Available of rattan and bamboo materials

1
2

3
Famers have the good weaving techniques

3

4

Willing to learn new weaving techniques

4

5
Commitment, enthusiastic, creative

5

6
Team work and think about community

6

7
7
8
8
1.
-

The basic criteria for the mushroom cultivation model
Resources: human resources, material
Contribution capital for the model investment.
Ability to learn the new technology in the training process and apply the new technology
in the implementation.
Enthusiastic, eager to learn.

No

Criteria

1

High area, not affect from the flood

2

Clean freshwater available

3

Firewood available

Yes

No

Other

Requirements of the factory: The minimum area of
15m2, height minimum 2.5m; cool, ensuring light (
enough to read), rotation air.
4

For factory: commitment to upgrading the house at the
guidance of the technical staff
For making new factory: commitment to build
according to the plan agreed between the household
and technical staff that ensures project requirements.

5

Human resources: at least 02 labour/household
16


6
7

Easy to access the household
Choose 03 households, nearby make a group, ensure
the criteria

8

Enthusiastic, eager to learn.

9

Ability to digest and apply technology techniques

2. The basic criteria for the beekeeping model
No

Criteria

1

Ability to digest and apply technology techniques

2
3

Priority for the households which have experience/
knowledge on the beekeeping model.
Interested in the beekeeping model

4

Ensure food/flowers sources

5

Human resources available

6

Inquisitive, enthusiastic, and willing to share the
experience to other farmers

Yes

No

Other

Yes

No

Other

7
8
3. The Basic criteria for the Agro-forestry model.
No

Criteria

1

Ability to digest and apply technology techniques

2

Forest land available, can combine to develop the
agricultural model on that forest land
Having adequate resources: human resource, land,
capital for contribution…
Inquisitive, enthusiastic, and willing to share the
experience to other farmers.

3
4
5
6

17

Agro-forestry model
* Forest: Available
* Cultivation: maize, peanut, banana, lemon-grass, edible cannas…
* Stock: chicken, cow

18