The Evaluation Committee of IFAD's Executive Board undertook its 2013 annual country visit to Viet Nam from 20-24 May. The objectives of the visit were to:

• gain first-hand knowledge and experience of the work of IFAD in the country;
• provide more informed guidance on strategic, operational and evaluation matters to the Executive Board, IFAD Management, and IOE.

The following Committee members were represented in the visit: Brazil, Egypt, Finland, Germany, India, Indonesia, and Nigeria. Members from Japan and Norway were unable to participate. Two Board members (Canada and China) also accompanied the Evaluation Committee as observers. IFAD was represented by the Associate Vice President PMD, Director APR, Acting Director IOE, the Vietnam CPM, and others.

The Committee had a chance to visit two IFAD-financed projects in the south of the country, and hold discussions with Government authorities (at the national, provincial and district levels), project beneficiaries, private-sector partners, multilateral organizations, women's union, think tanks dealing with small agriculture and rural development, and others.

The Chairman of the Evaluation Committee (Indonesia) will present a written report with findings and recommendations from the Vietnam country visit to the September 2013 Executive Board session.

Previous country visits of the Committee since the year 2000 have taken place to: Syria (2001), Indonesia (2004), Mexico (2006), Mali (2007), the Philippines (2008), India (2009), Mozambique (2010), Brazil (2011), and Ghana (2012).