Publications

Written by Mekong Institute

The two-day Roundtable Meeting marks the end of Phase 3 of the Mekong Institute – New Zealand Ambassador Scholarship (MINZAS) Program. MINZAS is a collaborative program between the Mekong Institute and the New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok aiming to provide professional development opportunities for master's degree students from CLMT countries through a structured training program and research assignment under the guidance of experienced regional and international experts. An important part of the scholarship program is to provide the scholars a training course on Research Methodology.

The training course on Research Methodology was held from March 4 – 28, 2013 at the MI Residential Center in Khon Kaen Province, Northeast of Thailand. At the end of the four-week training course, the participants developed a research proposal that incorporated the knowledge and skills acquired during the training. The proposal was to be conducted upon their return to each of their respective countries based on the agreed methodology and timeframe.

The twelve research proposals are: (1) The Effects of Rice Contract Farming on Smallholder Farmers' Incomes in Cambodia: A Case Study in Toul Sala Commune in Barsedth District, Kampong Spue Province, (2) Factors Contributing to the Success of Agricultural Cooperative Farms, Case Study: Ye-Nant-Tha Agricultural Co-operative Farm, Mataya Township, Mandalay Region, Myanmar, (3) Analysis of Pomelo Value Chains in the Yangon Region, Myanmar, (4) Value Chain Analysis of Mandarins in Selected Areas of Myanmar, (5) Rice Value Chain in S'ang District, Kandal Province, Cambodia, (6) Value Chain Analysis of Sesame in Magway Township, Myanmar, (7) Rural Household Vulnerability Assessment Study to Climate Variability: The Case of Peang Lvea Commune, Odongk District, Kampong Spue Province, Cambodia, (8) Financial Development, Trade Openness and Economic Growth in the CLV Countries, (9) The Effects of Trade Liberalization on Myanmar's Foreign Trade with Selected Asian Countries, (10) Impact of FDI on the Economic Growth of Lao PDR, (11) The Impact of Household Savings on the Development of Rural Livelihood: Evidence from Luang Prabang, Northern Laos; and (12) Business Development and Market Expansion of Women Entrepreneurs: Case Study of SMEs Community in Chiang Rai Province.

The MINZAS Roundtable Meeting provided a platform for the scholars to present and share the research results. The meeting also created a platform for deliberation of the results and validated the findings among experts. Two subject matter experts were invited to present an overview on the research topics in the context of the GMS. Home advisors of the twelve students were also invited to provide comments and feedbacks for further improvement of the research reports.

Written by Mekong Institute

The two-day Roundtable Meeting marks the end of the Phase 3 of the Mekong Institute New Zealand Ambassador Scholarship (MINZAS) Program. MINZAS is a collaborative program between the Mekong Institute and the New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok aiming to provide professional development opportunities for masters degree students from CLMT countries through a structured training program and research assignment under the guidance of experienced regional and international experts. An important part of the scholarship program is to provide the scholars a training course on Research Methodology.


The training course on Research Methodology was held from February 02 29, 2012 at the MI Residential Center in Khon Kaen Province, Northeast of Thailand. At the end of the four-week training course, the participants developed a research proposal that incorporated the knowledge and skills acquired during the training. The proposal was to be conducted upon their return to each of their respective countries based on the agreed methodology and timeframe. The twelve research proposals are (1) The Study of Cross border Myanmar Migrant Workers Labor Market: Policy Implications for Labor Management in Chiangrai City, Chiangrai Province, Thailand; (2) Response of Lao Government to Chinese Investments in Service Sector in Namtha District, Luang Namtha Province, Lao PDR; (3) Impacts of Chinese, Outward Investments on Agricultural Transformation and Rural Development: Evidence from Oudomxay, Northern Laos; (4) Factor Affecting  Trade between Laos and Principal Trade Partners; (5) Impact of Increasing Trade on North-South Economic Corridor on Hmongs Ethnic Way of Life in Chiangkhong District, Chiangrai Province, Thailand; (6) Impact of Border Closure on Local Economic Border Communities: A Case Study of Chong Chom Checkpoint, Kap Choeng District, Surin Province; (7) Identification of Underutilized Crops in Mondulkiri Province with Emphasis on Socio-Economic Aspect (Case study in two communes, Mondulkiri Province); (8) Socio-economic Impacts of Community-Based Natural Resource Management in Siem Reap Province; (9) Peoples Participation in Community-Based Natural Resources Management in Prek Tnout Community Protected Area, Kampot Province, Cambodia; (10) The Economic Impact of Adopting Good Agricultural Practices in Mango Production on Farmers in Sagaing Region; (11) Does Microfinance Reduce Poverty in Lao PDR Case Study: Soukhoumar District Champassak Province, Lao PDR; and (12) Beliefs and Rituals of Khwan in Tai Khoen Community in Kyaing Tong, Shan State, The Republic of the Union of Myanmar.


The MINZAS Roundtable Meeting provided a platform for the scholars to present and share the research results. The meeting also created a platform for deliberation of the results and validated the findings among experts. Three subject matter experts were invited to present an overview on the research topics in the context of the GMS. Home advisors of the twelve students were also invited to provide comments and feedbacks for further improvement of the research reports.

 

Written by Mekong Institute

The GMS has arrived at a crossroads in meeting the needs and keeping the balances whereas hydropower presents great economic and energy gains, at the same time, concerns have intensified over the potential cumulative impacts the proposed schemes have on the environment and the peoples livelihoods in the Mekong Basin

In response to this dynamic situation, the Mekong Institute had the pleasure of organizing a regional seminar sponsored by the Government of P.R. China and hosted by the Royal Government of Cambodia on Water Energy and Environmental Protection in the GMS Meeting the Needs andKeeping the Ecological Balance held from March 21-23, 2012, in Cambodiana Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The seminar focused on promoting regional cooperation for sustainable management oft he growing number of hydropower projects in the region. It included detailed discussions and presentations on regional experiences, developing regional technical knowledge and sharing best practices relevant to all stages of planning and implementation.

The seminar was attended by over 70 representatives from state agencies, private enterprises and civil society from across the GMS and beyond who are directly involved in sustainable hydropower and environmental protection in the GMS. The three-day event was organized in three parts. Day one provided an overview on sustainable
hydropower development featuring presentations on Cambodias current status and issues an exemplary sustainable hydropower plant in China, and an overview of the importance of hydropower in the context of the GMS. Day two gave experts from each GMS country the opportunity to update everyone on each countrys current water energy statuses, sharing lessons learned and best practices in the aspect of hydropower development. That same day, a courtesy call was made to H.E. Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, and was followed by a dinner cruise along the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers. On the third day, three discussion groups were formed to deliberate on three top priority issues concerning South-South Cooperation:
(1) Regional WaterEnergy and Power Interconnection,
(2) Subregional Environmental Protection, and
(3) Setting-Up Regional Water Energy Networks in the GMS. The first group deliberated on power interconnection issues, and found that the main issues are: the lack of coordination between sectors and countries, environmental concerns to be considered, negotiation imbalances, and the absence of a master plan for all countries to adhere to. The recommendations included putting-up environmental protection guidelines and information-sharing


Proceedings of the Water Energy Development and Environmental Protection in the Greater Mekong Subregion
A Regional Seminar with the theme: Meeting the Needs and Keeping the Ecological Balance mechanisms, setting-up a regional regulatory framework on negotiation, and for the Mekong Countries to develop a master plan jointly.

The second group raised the following issues in subregional environmental protection: the lack in researches and studies on the environment as well as the dissemination thereof, the need for strong commitment from investors to improve or provide sustainable livelihood, and the lack of a regional legal framework among countries that are affected. To these issues, they recommended that the governments should take the leading role in research and the dissemination thereof, strengthen the environmental monitoring system, develop a regional legal agreement on benefit-sharing, and develop a Regional Environmental Fund.

The third group was tasked to identify, if a regional network would be set-up, who it shall comprise of, what their roles would be and what possible engagements or activities they could set forth. With this, they have identified that the new task force or network should comprise of: various officials from the GMS and its working groups, organizations like the MRC and MI, the private sector, academe and development partners, as well as a presence from ASEAN economic/ socio-cultural agencies. Their roles would be to coordinate, mobilize funds, plan & monitor, negotiate, transfer or disseminate information and support policy makers with activities ranging from database development, meetings and seminars, researches, capacity-building activities and many others.

In summary, all three priorities discussed pointed to the same needs:

(1) a regional platform or body for discussion and collaboration;

(2) a regional framework or master plan that takes into account the different countries needs and concerns and (3) a regional information/data sharing mechanism toconnect and update all stakeholders on matters of importance and relevance in the development of sustainable hydropower.

The seminar resulted in a number of significant outcomes including:

A heightened and updated understanding on the issues, challenges and needs concerning hydropower in the different countries in the GMS

A shared understanding that a common platform, or framework for the Mekong Mainstream is needed in order to protect and balance the various needs of the upstream and the downstream countries

An increased awareness on the benefits, importance and underlying opportunities in South-South Cooperation

Recognition that a wide range of stakeholders need to be involved in all stages of the process, from development to implementation

With this, the Mekong Institute pledges to disseminate the results of the seminar to all participants, sponsoring and host governments, and aims to work with partnering organizations and interested Southern donors to develop proposals to implement the recommended actions garnered from the seminar. MI will also communicate back to all participants on the approved projects their recommendations helped put forth.

Written by Mekong Institute

Regional cooperation and integration is making headway and the Mekong Region is rapidly moving    towards    a    new    operating    environment.    The    Mekong    countries    (Cambodia,    Lao PDR,    Myanmar,    Thailand    and    Vietnam)    are    part    of    several    cooperation    frameworks, notably ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA),    and    the    Ayeyawady    Chao    Phraya    Mekong    Economic    Cooperation    Strategy (ACMECS).    The setting up of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 20I5 will establish ASEAN    as a    single    market    and production    base    with    a free    flow    of    goods,    services    and skilled labor.    Simultaneously, ASEAN has liberalized trade and investment and integration among    ASEAN    under    AFTA.    This    has    resulted    in    the    implementation    of    The    Common Effective Preferential Tariff    (CEPT) system which reduces Tariff rates of all imported goods between ASEAN members to zero (2010    for the    six old members 2015    for the    four new members).    ASEAN    has    also    liberalized    its    trade    and    investment    with    China,    Korea    and Japan (ASEAN + 3) and then with India, New Zealand and Australia (ASEAN + 6). AEC as well as    AFTA    are    envisaged    to    address    development    disparities    and    to    accelerate    the integration of the new ASEAN members, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam, into the regional community.

In 2010, the Ministerial Meeting of the Friends of the Lower Mekong (FLM) has agreed on the importance of close cooperation among donors and the Mekong Countries to enhance effectiveness,    mobilize resources,    and    promote synergy    of    regional assistance    programs aimed at supporting inclusive, sustainable, and environmentallyresponsible growth. They noted the    importance    of effectively    managing sustainable and equitable    development in the    Mekong    region    and    discussed    challenges    affecting    these    countries    in    a    variety    of sectors,    including    the    environment,    public    health,    social    development,    livelihood,    food security,    education, and infrastructure.    With this, they    acknowledged the    importance    of conducting assistance programs in the Mekong Region in a transparent manner and agreed to    continue    discussion    to    develop    a    sustainable    and    effective    cooperation    mechanism among parties.

1. HanRiver Declaration of Establishing the MekongROK Comprehensive Partnership for Mutual Prosperity The    Republic    of Korea    (ROK) has    long    been    providing Overseas    Development    Assistance (ODA) in the Mekong Region. With its plan to double its ODA in the region by 2015, ROK wants to contribute in Mekong Countries in areas where it can have the greatest impact, preventing    duplicity    and    ineffectiveness    in    its    regional    efforts,    and    underlining    the importance of local ownership in these efforts.

In October 2011, ROK    hosted the    first Foreign Ministers    Meeting between ROK    and the five    Mekong    Countries in    Seoul    and    all    six    Governments    have    agreed    to set    forth    The MekongROK Comprehensive Partnership for Mutual Prosperity(the Partnership) with the following objectives: We    shared    the    view    that    the    Partnership    should    aim    to    promote    friendship    and cooperation between the Mekong region countries and the ROK in a wide range of areas,and thereby:

    deepen    the    ASEANROK    Strategic    Partnership   established    at    the    I3th    ASEANROK Summit held in October 20I0, Hanoi, Viet Nam

    contribute to sustainable development of the Mekong region

    narrow    the    development    gap    within    ASEAN,    accelerate    the    ASEAN    integration    and expedite the process of ASEAN Community building scheduled for the year 20I5

    enhance regional cooperation and community building in East Asia with ASEAN playing a driving force1To move forward, the Foreign Ministers Meeting has tasked the Senior Officials to come up with plan of action to implement the vision set forth in the Declaration.


 

Written by Mekong Institute

This module-based learning strategy anchors on the holistic approach and alternative futuristic concept where each module will be carried out as follows:

Learn to do. Each training module will start with the participatory training sessions where concerned trainees are trained on the concepts, techniques and tools to be employed to accomplish the real tasks of planners. At this cognitive stage, Learner-Centered Instruction applied where the trainer is a leader of a community of learners, devising ways to promote inquiry,higher order thinking, problem solving, higher levels of literacy and engagement. This is a conceptualizing stage which requires the trainer to process and draw on a rich knowledge base of content, methods appropriate to the content, and technology appropriate to the contents.

Do to learn. This competency-based module has been classified as a form of work-based learning. Immediately after the new skill/knowledge have been acquired, the trainees will then carry out their corresponding assignments, i.e., consultative meetings, workshops, instructional courses, etc. During this practicum, the group members are encouraged to consult with the assigned trainer/mentor regularly to ensure that the work is carried out as planned with the agreed process and completeness. This application of "doing" (psychomotor) enables the learner to apply the ideas and concepts expressed as cognitive objectives.

Share to Learn. After the assignment is completed, there will be a synthesis and evaluation session where each individual/ group will have a chance to present their outputs and share the learning/working experience with other individuals/ groups. The presentation will be the actual products of the group work. Lessons learned and practical experiences from the actual applications will be shared and innovative knowledge and skill will emerge and be institutionalized. These affective objectives enables the learner to examine his own perceptons, beliefs, and attitudes about issues.

Altogether there are nine modules and they are-

(1)Setting the Contact and Expectation

(2)Participatory Approach Service Delivery and Principle of Adult Education

(3)Required Core Facilitation Competencies of a Professional Services Organization

(4) Effective Facilitation Skills and Tools

(5)MI Standards Training Program Cycle, Checklist and Communicaton Procedure

(6)Monitoring, Documenting and Reporting Capacity Building Program

(7) Designing and Facilitating SLV, Field trip and Excursion

(8) Finance and Adminstrative Support, and

(9) Integrating Skills and Way Forward

Written by Mekong Institute

The MEKONG INSTITUTE (MI) was pleased to host the Mekong Forum 2011. As an Inter-Governmental Organization chartered by the six Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) governments, its principal mandate is to serve the human resource development needs for regional integration and cooperation in the GMS. MIs own goals and strategies for the next 5 years are framed within the context of an integrated ASEAN community. As such, MI took the initiative to construct a broader platform for meaningful dialogue on Human Resource Development (HRD) and capacity building in the GMS and ASEAN region.

The Mekong Forum was designed to provide a unique opportunity for a cross-section of organizations interested in regional cooperation and integration to learn about the latest developments in integrating the GMS into the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), to discuss the implications for GMS countries, and to identify issues and barriers while exploring collaborative solutions for integration. Forum activities focused on how best to help narrow the development gap between the less developed GMS countries, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) and the rest of the ASEAN states.

It was MIs intention to create an open, informal and supportive environment to bring together delegates from a variety of organizations - private and non-profit, governmental and intergovernmental, civil society, research and academic institutions as well as development partner agencies. The Forum offered the opportunity for delegates to learn about recent developments and collectively identify the benefits, challenges and issues of GMS integration into the AEC by 2015. There are too many HRD and capacity building needs in the Subregion for any single organization to address. Therefore it was hoped that by bringing interested organizations together they would find ways to initiate the exploration of opportunities for future collaboration and partnerships. Exhibit space was provided for those organizations who wished to distribute further information to Forum delegates.

The Forum was organized in two parts. Expert speakers set the context for the journey from GMS to AEC 2015 in an Opening Plenary Session on the morning of the first day. Over the next day and a half, delegates worked together in parallel Discussion Groups to identify key constraints and mitigating actions.

Forum speeches covered the history of regional cooperation, set out requirements to achieve the AEC by 2015, compared the challenges and opportunities faced by the CLMV countries with the poorer countries of Europe during the formation of the European Union, identified the tangible connectivity already taking place and planned within the Subregion and identified specific HRD and capacity building issues facing the CLMV countries. Two common themes emerged from those speeches:
integrating GMS into AEC presents both opportunities and challenges for individual countries in the Subregion
HRD and capacity building are the catalyst for accelerating the economic and social development of the CLMV countries, which is a prerequisite for a successful AEC.
Discussion Groups were formed around the three most pressing HRD and capacity building issues: Implementing Free Trade Agreements, Integrating Small and Medium Sized Enterprise into ASEAN and Global Value Chains, and Improving Cross-Border Contract Farming Facilitation and Implementing Good Agricultural Practices.

Discussion Group participants deliberated the barriers and constraints faced by CLMV countries in addressing each of these issues. They then identified potential collaborative partnerships and arrangements to overcome these barriers and constraints. Specific Ideas covered: policy dialogues, training, research, seminars and workshops, forums, outreach, study visits, peer support programs and media campaigns.

The following three areas emerged as the highest common priority needs going forward:
Institutional there is a need to put in place appropriate and enabling institutions to engage with and communicate to all impacted stakeholders
Implementation there is a need to strengthen the capacity of government agencies tasked with implementing different AEC requirements and private sector organizations (e.g. Chambers of Commerce and Industry) to disseminate information, particularly at the provincial and local levels
Innovation - there is a need to enhance the ability of all stakeholders to cope with the changing environment and rapid developments that integration with AEC is bringing.

The Mekong Forum resulted in a number of significant outcomes including:
Heightened awareness and understanding of the challenges and opportunities for the CLMV countries as they move to integrate with the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015
A shared understanding that strengthened public-private partnerships are needed to implement AEC 2015 requirements
Recognition that a wide range of stakeholders need to be involved in all stages of the process, from development to implementation
A shared sense of urgency to initiate responsive HRD and capacity building initiatives.

The Mekong Institute remains committed to playing a key role moving forward.

Written by Mekong Institute

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE TH

Executive Summary

The development of facilitation to this point has, for many professional service organizations, been a development of facilitation abilities and skills in individuals. Increasingly it is becoming accepted that in order to be effective in today's organizations, people must possess some combination of the following abilities; leadership (a long term view which sets the tone and direction), management (an immediate view which encompasses planning and getting things done), and facilitation (a global view devoid of content which enables people to achieve their objective).

In order for facilitation to be developed as a core competency for the organization, certain organizational needs must be met in order to support this delivery system. Where the focus has previously been placed on developing facilitation skills within individuals, a focus must now be placed on developing structures and strategies within an organization which supports a facilitative approach to their service.

In collaboration with GIZ, the Mekong Institute organized a five-day training course on Facilitation As a Core Competency: a Training of Trainers for professionals from CARD, MRD, MoI, SNEC, LI, GIZ, CEDAC, LWD, VBNK, PNSA, and FOCTA of Cambodia, PAFO and GIZ of Lao PDR, YASTD and YNCIQ of China. The training course was conducted on 4-8 April 2011 in Mekong Institute, Khon Kaen, Thailand.

This training course was not a conventional training course; it was a skills studio workshop emphasizing interaction and experimentation. The training course was delivered in seven interrelated modules utilizing a variety of inter-active and experiential learning methodology and tools.  The training programme contains of seven modules as follows:

Module 1: Setting the Context of the Training

This module contains activities that are essential for enabling free and open participation right from the start of the training programme. This module helps trainers to prepare the groundwork, break the ice, explore group limits and give the overview of the training workshop and advanced facilitation model.

Module 2: Facilitation Processes

This module gives generic model of facilitation, an overview of some tools and techniques one needs for facilitating, and description of some interpersonal phenomena one needs to be on the lookout for. The best way to learn facilitation is, of course, to do the work and have someone give you feedback. The next best thing is to observe someone else facilitating.

Module 3: Participatory Approach to Service Delivery & Intervention Design

Modern organizations, whether corporate, government, or NGOs, increasingly face the challenge of responding to rapidly changing circumstances. These same organizations are often expected to involve stakeholders in decision-making processes, making any such process more complex and difficult to manage. These two challenges are often at odds with each other, the former requiring speed and agility and the latter requiring time and patience. The increased need for timely collaborative problem solving and participatory decision making in businesses, organizations, and communities worldwide has led to an increase in the use of group facilitators to support those processes.

Module 4: Managing Change to Build Facilitative Organization

This module focuses on how to analyze the forces of change in order to institutionalize facilitation as core competency of the organization. The module allows participants to identify facilitating and hindering factors at their work place as well as find the ways to overcome constraining factors through different tools and simulation exercises.

Module 5: Facilitating Conflict Negotiation

This module focuses on the definition of conflict, the process of conflict and the resolution of conflict. Participants are provided the presentation of conflict management and asked to work as group on conflict management to identify the real conflicts that happened in their lives, analyze the factors that contributed to the conflict and work on how to solve those conflicts.

Module 6: Implementation of Workplan (preparation for the field work)

Participants demonstrate skills in preparing group for field visit (clarification of objectives and expected outputs, member assignments, materials, tools). The structured learning visits to three study sites, Dong Bang Community Learning Center, Nampong Self-Help Group, and Sriviroj Farm, in Khon Kaen of Thailand provided the participants on how to prepare field work by using facilitation skills. The information market is used as a tool in presentation of the results from the field work.

Module 7: Integrating Skills and Way Forward

This module focuses on the integration of different sets of concepts and tools in developing facilitation as core competency (internal training, mentoring, coaching, reuse framework, knowledge repository, blue sky, etc). Participants will go through exercises on how to manage different interaction and intervention scenarios, promote full participation, handle difficult group dynamics, fostering inclusive solutions and ensure participatory decision-making in the professional services firm.
 

Written by Mekong Institute

One of the recommendatons, made by the Mekong Insttute Stakeholder Consultative Meeging in July 2007, was to implement a series of regional training courses for middle to senior level officials from government agences, recruitment agences and private organization involved in the sending and receiving of migrants in this sub-region.

By the end of that year, the Mekong Institute (MI, and independent Inter-Goernmental Organization (IGO) working in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), and the Mekong Migration Network (MMN), a sub0regional network of migrant support NGOs and reserch institutes, had agreed to co-organize a training course and a series of activities on labour migration management. These activities included that development of a training curriculum, organizing an Expert Meeting to present the draft training curriculum, conducting the Training of Trainiers( TOT) course and, subsequently, conducting the three-week training course.

The three-week course on labour migration management is expected to take place in November 2008. MI and MMN, together with consultants, developed a draft training curriculum. The Expert Meeting was organized to present the draft curriculum and gain feedback from migration experts and government officials to ensure the content and training method are appropriate and relevant.

The Expert Meeting was designed to allow participants to share information regarding in-country training or workshops and collaboration mechanisms, to identify gaps n the draft currculum and dentify alternative training methods, to suggest alternative training methos (if necessary), to suggest possible resource persons for the course, and to identfy the appropriate government agencies to invite to the course.

MI and MMN co-organized the Expert Meeting on Labour Migration Management in the Greater Mekong Sub-region from May 13 to 15, 2008. With the financal support of The Rockefeller Foundation, 20 experts from the field of migration and middle to senior level offcials from relevant Ministries from the sx GMS countries attended the Meeting.

The Meeting began with a presentation about MI and its work on migration, followed by a MI-MMN capacity building program background and objectives of the training course. The frst day's sessions comprised an overview presentation of the training couse draft Modules and their topics, and discussions on the proposed methodology. Open discussion throughout the session allowed MI and MMN to learn rom the experts and the delegates, for te betterment of te curriculum.

The Meeting's second day consisted of a presentation of each Module n detail and workshop discussions on the content and methodologes for each module. Group presentations on these dscussions followed, and included identifying potential reseouce persons and target partcipants. The third day was for MI and MMN staff to devise the action plan, discuss roles and responsbilities, and develop a draft Cooperation Framework for 2009-2010.

Written by Mekong Institute

The Mekong Institute (MI) organized the expert meeting on Mekong Institutes Labor Migration and Care Program on 11 July 2011 at MI Training Center located in Khon Kaen, Thailand.

The one-day meeting aims to provide space for the experts to validate and prioritize the needs of labor migration management and skill standardization and recognition in the GMS, as well as to elaborate on a join plan of actions for the next three years.

The experts raised some questions for MI to clarify on how, who, and whose that the need assessment has been conducted with and implied to. The key word actors is significant to be indicated in order to design an effective framework and cooperation.

There is no objection in terms of MIs focused areas: labor migration management and skill standardization and recognition. However, the experts questioned on how MI is going to run the program on skill standardization and recognition. Furthermore, the experts recommended the linkage and integration of MIs labor migration framework with the existing ASEAN framework on migrant workers, ASEAN Integrated Economic 2015-2020, ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, and international labor standards.

After the group discussion on action plan based on three MIs modalities; research, training and policy consultation, the meeting came up with the recommendations on what, how, and with whom to run the training and consultation program. Regarding the research, experts pointed out there are many researches on this issue already but what MI has capacity to do is to digest researches by merging with existing international frameworks and labor standards. Then create a handbook in simple local languages to facilitate the consultation meetings or trainings for better implication and implementation of the labor migration policies among the GMS which considering as a main gap of migration management.
 

Written by Mekong Institute

The two-day Round-table meeting marks the end of the Mekong Institute's GMS Based Research Cycle. The GMS-Based Research Cycle is a 10-month program offered by Mekong Institute to participants from 6 GMS countries on an annual bass. This program invites young GMS researchers for training on a research methodology and provides a modest grant for implementing sub-regional research in their respective countries. The program is designed to provide young GMS researchers/ professionals the knowledge and skills to undertake research independently or in collaboration with GMS researchers. Its main purpose is to improve the participants' competence on the key issues and concepts  of the research process and the actual implementation of applied research.

In 2009 GMS-based Research Cycle, 22 young GMS researchers were involved in five sub-regional research projects. These projects are: (1) Credit Accessibility of Small and Medium Enterprises  (SMEs) in the Greater Mekong Sub-region: A Case Study of Manufacturing Sectors in Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam, (2) Trans-boundary Production n Agriculture: A Case Study of Maize Contract Farming in Cambodia and Lao PDR, (3) Rural Household's Accessibility to Public Health Care in Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand, (4) Impacts of Land and Forest Policies on Livelihood of Ethnic Minorities: A Case Study in the Uplands of Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, and Thailand, and (5) Labor Migration in East West Economic Corridor: A Case Study of Vietnam. All of the research projects were undertaken with financial support from New Zeland Agency for International Development.

The MIRAC Round-table meeting provides a platform for GMS researchers to share the results of their research projects. On this occasion, young researchers were given the opportunity to present their findings in a research forum, validate the research fndings with GMS stakeholders, obtain feedback and recommendations from experts, and discuss the utilization of research forum, validate the research findings with GMS stakeholders, obtain feedback and recommendations from programs. Several experts were invited to present an overview on the research topics in the context of the GMS. Discussants were likewise invited to provide feedback and suggestions on how to improve the research report.