Introduction to RDSC

BACKGROUND

Rural Development Services Centre (RDSC) is a private development enterprise specialised in social science. Incepted in 1993, RDSC has been delivering its services since 1 July 1994. It was granted a license, #48-DK-KHCNMT, in 24 January 1995 by the Hanoi Science and Technology and Environment Authority. Today, RDSC is a well-known local organisation for its achievements in rural development and capacity building.

MISSION

RDSC holds that in the setting of Vietnam's socio-political and economic reforms, private organisations could effectively and creatively contribute to the rural development in the country, specifically to poverty reduction. RDSC believes that in Vietnam sustainable poverty reduction and equitable growth can be achieved by addressing structural, as well as, economic causes.

RDSC mission is to build capacities in poverty alleviation for the poor people, both women and men, and their organisations, local mass organisations, local government, social organisations and individuals, by providing quality training and consultancy services and through own project implementation, supporting construction of a just, democratic and prosperous society in Vietnam.

PROGRAMMES

RDSC operates various grass-roots-based integrated development programmes, which include institutional strengthening and organisational development, income generation, agricultural extension, and primary health care in participatory and gender-sensitive approaches. RDSC’s services are extended to the rural poor without prejudice to their religions, sex and ethnicity.

Being a nation-wide organisation, RDSC works in the North, Centre and Central Highland Plato. This coverage ensures RDSC with a richness in its continuous learning in different contexts, such as geo-climatic, cultural and social, of peoples in these areas. In the North, the Phu Tho Programme started in 1995; in the Centre- the Quang Binh programme- 1997, and in the Plato, the Kon Tum Programme- 2003.

STRUCTURE

RDSC is very close to grass-roots realities. Since 2004, the Quang Binh Programme is handled by RDPR, a local NGOs. Among RDPR's three founder RDSC is the most important one. Since 2006, the Phu Tho and Kon Tum programmes are operated by RDSC's branch offices, although much earlier RDSC maintained its project offices in all project districts. Among its full-time 18 staff, only five (including administrative satff) are based in Hanoi.

Since late 2004, RDSC's training and research programmes are operated by the Institute of Development Mangement Institute of Asia Ltd (IDMA). IDMA emerged from RDSC's Research and Training Unit and takes over this function, being close part of the organisation.

PARTNERS

RDSC's primary parters are Community-based Organisations, which are formed and miantained by villagers to address their needs. CBOs provices services, such as micro-finance, veterinary, rice seeds production, animal seedlings, irrgation etc, to their members. Today, more than 60 CBOs function in communities to assist their members, the poor and women, in improving their livelihood and strenthening their access to available public services.

RDSC is grateful to its international partners, who provides it with financial and technical support. Since 1996, ICCO (the Netherlands) has been the largest, and most prominant donor to RDSC. The Foundation for International Training assisted RDSC in building its training capacity. CECI helped RDSC with curriculum development and training its trainers.

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