Abstract
This report evaluates the performance of the Support for Trade Acceleration Projects (USAID/STAR I and STAR II) that were conducted under contract to Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI) in Vietnam between 2001 and 2010 and ventures a look forward, partially based on the scope of work for the follow-up to STAR II, known as STAR+. The confluence of a unique set of circumstances created the initial demand for STAR in 2001 and gave it the impetus to propel it forward. The Government of Vietnam (GVN) adopted a new economic growth strategy in the 1990s to transition to a market-based economy and open the economy to international trade. The GVN used a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the United States and accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) as instruments to accelerate the transition process. The GVN requested technical assistance to facilitate revision of its commercial laws, legal procedures, transparency and appeals processes to meet BTA and WTO requirements. The GVN established an effective command structure to coordinate and direct technical assistance, backed by GVN senior political authority. USAID management granted broad operational flexibility to the technical assistance providers. USAID/Vietnams STAR Project Performance: Notwithstanding STARs enormous advantage in providing assistance to a host country government that placed high priority on legal and procedural reforms, STAR effectively delivered a large volume and variety of technical assistance typically using the same tools employed by other USAID technical assistance projects (e.g. technical experts, workshops, study tours, discussions and seminars with clients), but with greater impact. The STAR programs accomplished their objective to help the GVN satisfy BTA and WTO accession requirements.