VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES NGUYEN KHAC TOAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FROM THE PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE OF NEW RURAL CONSTRUCTION (A CASE STUDY IN IN HOA BINH, QUAN[.]
VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES NGUYEN KHAC TOAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FROM THE PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE OF NEW RURAL CONSTRUCTION (A CASE STUDY IN IN HOA BINH, QUANG TRI, CA MAU) Major: Social Work Major code: 76 01 01 SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL THESIS Ha Noi, 2023 The thesis has been completed at GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Academic supervisors: Assoc Prof Dr Trinh Van Tung Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Thanh Binh Examiner 1: Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Thi Thai Lan Examiner 2: Assoc Prof Dr Tran Hoang Diem Ngoc Examiner 3: Prof Dr Nguyen Hiep Thuong The thesis will be defended before the Panel of Examiners at the Academy’s meeting held in: …………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… at………, on…………….2023 This doctoral thesis can be found at: Library of Graduate Academy of Social Sciences INTRODUCTION Rationale for the research Although there have been numerous studies on community development (CD) and new rural areas (NRA), there are still limited in-depth and scientifically systematic studies from a social development perspective placed within the context of building new rural areas Therefore, the selection of the research topic "Community Development from the Practical Experience of New Rural Construction (A Case Study in Hoa Binh, Quang Tri, and Ca Mau)" is highly necessary, timely, and holds both theoretical and practical significance Aims and objectives of the research (1) Build theoretical bases, methodologies, and approaches for the research regarding community development in the construction of new rural areas (2) Evaluate and analyze the current application of principles, mechanisms, and processes of community development from the practical experiences of building new rural areas (3) Assess and analyze the context, as well as identify certain issues arising during the 2021-2030 phase of building new rural areas, in order to develop solutions that promote community development in the construction of new rural areas Research topic, research subjects and research scope 3.1 Research topic Community development from the practical experience of building new rural areas 3.2 Research subjects The research subjects consist of rural residents (mainly farmers), and local officials including party officials, government authorities, specialized personnel under the People's Committee, officials from various associations, and members participating in the Steering Committee and Management Board of construction projects during the process of building new rural areas 3.3 Research scope 3.3.1 Spatial scope The study takes place in three provinces: Hoa Binh, Quang Tri, and Ca Mau In each of these provinces, two districts and two corresponding communes are selected One commune has successfully implemented the construction of new rural areas, while the other commune has not yet achieved success in this regard 3.3.2 Time scope The study period spans from 2016 to 2020 Some synthesized content, analysis, and evaluation with independent indicators are updated in the data report of 2021 Research Methodology and Research Method 4.1 Research Methodology Research on community development (CD) from the practical experience of new rural construction (NRC) in Vietnam in the recent period belongs to the category of evaluative research It involves the process of collecting, evaluating, and analyzing data on the current application of principles, mechanisms, and processes of CD from the practical experience of NRC in order to confirm the hypotheses 4.2 Research methods 4.2.1 Document analysis method We conduct research on exploiting and utilizing documents related to the guidance and implementation of the National Target Program for New Rural Construction by central and local authorities They study various secondary materials, including reports and papers summarizing the 5-year and 10-year implementation of the National Target Program for New Rural Construction in communes, districts, and provinces, along with other relevant documents 4.2.2 In-depth interview method The study conducted 48 in-depth interviews in the research area: a total of 18 provincial, district, and commune-level officials, evenly divided among 03 provinces (2 officials per level), and 30 residents evenly distributed among 06 communes, with residents per commune 4.2.3 Group discussion method In each selected commune, the research team organized 01 focused group discussion with the participation of 08 residents 4.3 Sampling Method Based on the population list of 06 communes provided by the local government, the study selected a simple random sampling method The expected sample size was 720 individuals, evenly distributed among the 06 communes, with 120 individuals per commune However, during the actual implementation, the total number of sampled units obtained was 741 individuals 4.4 Research Questions and Hypotheses 4.1 Research Questions Question 1: How was the outcome of the new rural construction in the study areas during the period 2016-2020? Question 2: How was the application of principles, mechanisms, and community development processes in the construction of new rural areas in the study areas carried out? What is the role and significance of applying these factors to the construction of new rural areas? Question 3: What challenges are posed for community development in the period 2021-2030, and what solutions are needed to promote community development in the upcoming phase of new rural construction? 4.4.2 Research Hypotheses Hypothesis 1: The implementation and outcomes of constructing new rural areas in the three communes of Cao Sơn (Hoa Binh), Vinh Chap (Quang Tri), and Tan Thanh (Ca Mau) are better compared to the three communes of Mai Hich, Mo Ó, and Nguyen Phich in their respective provinces Hypothesis 2: In places where farmers and local communities play their roles as subjects and actively participate, and where the Steering Committee for New Rural Construction effectively applies the principles, mechanisms, and processes of the National Target Program on New Rural Construction, there will be success in constructing new rural areas Conversely, in places where the role of farmers and local communities is not implemented or not fully implemented, the results of new rural construction will be limited, and even failure may occur Hypothesis 3: If solutions related to training and development of personnel, enhancing the role of subjects and promoting people's participation, empowering the community, and effective mobilization of resources, along with the establishment of suitable community organization models are applied, the role of community development in new rural construction will be increasingly important New contributions to the scientific field of the thesis Firstly, the research has systematized the concepts and operationalized several new relevant issues and approaches to community development in the construction of new rural areas Secondly, the dissertation contributes to the theoretical supplement of community development in the construction of new rural areas Thirdly, the dissertation affirms that the current system of principles, mechanisms, and processes of community development in the construction of new rural areas in Vienam aligns with the Party's leadership and the state's viewpoint in this field Fourthly, for the first time, this study integrates the three core contents of "principles," "mechanisms," and "processes" to assess and explain the significance of applying these contents in the construction of new rural areas Fifthly, it proposes solutions to promote community development in the construction of new rural areas Sixthly, the research results allow for the confirmation and affirmation of the initial hypotheses put forward Theoretical and practical significance of the thesis 6.1 Theoretical significance This study confirms that community development and the construction of new rural areas have common goals and interrelated impacts Through enhancing the role of farmers and rural residents as subjects and effectively applying the principles, mechanisms, and processes of community development, successful construction of new rural areas can be achieved 6.2 Practical significance Firstly, the dissertation provides a comprehensive evaluation of the results of the construction of new rural areas in the research areas Secondly, for farmers and rural residents, this study contributes to raising awareness of their roles and responsibilities in the process of constructing new rural areas as subjects Thirdly, local party committees and authorities can study and apply some theoretical content of community development, especially promoting active and maximum participation of the people to achieve the goals of constructing new rural areas Fourthly, the Vietnam Farmers' Union and relevant associations can propose solutions to enhance the role of farmers as subjects in the process of constructing new rural areas by correctly and fully applying the principles, mechanisms, and processes of community development Fifthly, the dissertation can be used as a useful reference material in training and research at educational institutions Structure of the thesis In addition to the introduction, conclusion, reference list, and appendix, the dissertation consists of four chapters: Chapter Overview of research on community development in the construction of new rural areas Chapter Theoretical basis of community development in the construction of new rural areas, research methodology, and research methods Chapter The current application of principles, mechanisms, and processes of community development in the construction of new rural areas in Hoa Binh, Quang Tri, and Ca Mau Chapter Context, key issues, and solutions to promote community development in the construction of new rural areas Chapter OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW RURAL AREAS 1.1 Some studies on the theory of community development in Vietnam In Vietnam, the majority of previous studies on community development have been associated with the implementation or evaluation of development programs and projects, rather than indepth and comprehensive research on community development in all dimensions In recent years, community development has been approached and discussed as one of the integrated and interdisciplinary scientific intervention methods (with sociology and psychology being the two main disciplines) Based on the theory and methods in social work, authors Nguyen Hoi Loan and Nguyen Thi Kim Hoa have mentioned various approaches to social work In addition to describing social work with individuals and groups, the authors have presented some aspects of social work in community development The authors also introduce principles and steps in the process of community development 1.2 Some studies on community development practice In Israel, community development is clearly demonstrated in the model of the "agricultural cooperative." This is considered the "incubator" of the country which is known as the "startup nation." The Australian government encourages the development of cultural diversity, taking cultural diversity as a characteristic and driving force of social development In South Korea, the Saemaul Undong (New Village) movement emerged in the 1970s under the government's leadership through the creation of support mechanisms for projects related to community livelihoods In Vietnam, author Nguyen Quang Vinh Binh has summarized the model of community self-management in the exploitation and protection of aquatic resources in Thua Thien Hue; author Vo Dinh Tuyen has studied, synthesized, and evaluated the current status of community forest management; author Hoang Hung has analyzed community participation in small-scale water development in Quang Binh; author Nguyen Thi Lan Huong has assessed the current situation of community-based management models for centralized rural water supply projects in Vietnam 1.3 Some studies on the institutional and policy framework for building new rural areas Many documents related to the New Rural Construction Programs from the governments, ministries, departments, and provincial People's Committees show that there are numerous policies for agricultural development and new rural construction Particularly, these include the Central Resolution No (10th tenure) and the Central Resolution No (13th tenure) on agriculture, farmers, and rural areas; the National Target Program for building new rural areas 1.4 Some studies on the subjects of people participating in community development in building new rural areas In practice, many localities have witnessed various new models, innovative approaches, and effective methods in mobilizing and harnessing the role of people as the subjects participating in community development in building new rural areas Chapter THEORETICAL BASIS OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW RURAL AREAS, RESEARCH METHODOLOGY, AND RESEARCH METHODS 2.1 Some basic concepts and related issues 2.1.1 Some basic concepts 2.1.1.1 Concept of rural areas Rural areas are understood as areas outside the inner city and town centers These are regions that are still underdeveloped, lacking economic and social resources for construction They are managed by the local administrative level, which is the Commune People's Committee "Nông thôn" (rural areas) in Vietnam is a term used to refer to the land where people mainly engage in agricultural activities within the territory of Vietnam (≥ vocational level) tended to rate the application higher than those with lower education levels The ethnic Kinh group applied these principles more effectively than ethnic minority groups 3.2.7 Current situation of strengthening coordination among organizations and individuals within the community The results showed that there was a relatively strong coordination between local residents and Women's Union, Farmers' Association, and Veterans' Association, while the coordination with Youth Union was rated lower People in rural areas and in communes that have achieved New Rural Construction targets tended to give higher evaluations for the application of these principles compared to people in mountainous regions and in communes that have not yet met the New Rural Construction criteria Younger social groups (2539 years old) tended to rate the application of these principles higher than older social groups (≥ 60 years old) 3.3 Current situation of the application of mechanism regarding community development in new rural construction 3.3.1 Participation of citizens in raising awareness about new rural construction (People know) Research findings indicate that farmers and rural residents have accessed information about New Rural Construction through two main channels: 'through the Farmers' Association officials' and 'through direct community meetings.' People in the delta region have higher and better access to information compared to those living in mountainous areas, with the most prominent channel being through the Farmers' Association at the commune level Communes that have achieved New Rural Construction standards outperform those that have not The younger social group (25-39 years old) tends to have higher access to information about New Rural Construction than the older age groups (40-59 years old and ≥ 60 years old) The majority ethnic group, Kinh, shows higher overall information absorption about New Rural Construction than other ethnic groups All 16 communication channels in the delta region are considered more effective than those in the mountainous regions 3.3.2 Current situation of people's participation in the exchange of issues regarding new rural construction (People discuss) Both farmers and rural residents participate more actively in discussions related to projects at the village or commune level However, when it comes to projects managed by district or provincial authorities, there is very little engagement from the local population This finding is consistent with the discoveries made by BTAP, CDI, and ACDC: 'In surveyed communes, for projects directly assigned to the villages to implement (according to specific mechanisms), people are directly involved in providing opinions and actively participating in construction to meet their needs This is in stark contrast to projects carried out entirely by external contractors under the management of higher levels, where people are not involved, not contribute, and merely passively benefit' (BTAP, CDE, and ACDC, 2018: 55) Farmers and residents in the delta region participate in discussions about new rural construction projects much more than their counterparts in the mountainous areas In communes that have achieved the new rural standards, people are much more engaged in discussions compared to those in communes that have not yet attained the NRC (New Rural Construction) standards 3.3.3 The current situation of citizen participation in decision-making regarding the construction of new rural areas (People participate in decision-making) Research results indicate that the level of citizen participation in deciding the content of New Rural Construction Projects (NRCP) is higher in the plain areas compared to the mountainous regions The middle-aged group (40-59 years old) has the highest involvement in decision-making for NRCP, while the participation of individuals aged 60 and above is the lowest Male participation is higher and more significant than female participation Additionally, 17 the higher the educational level (≥ vocational level), the more engagement in decisions related to NRCP 3.3.4 The current situation of citizen participation in implementing new rural construction activities (People do) Research findings show that the level of citizen participation in decision-making has varied based on different levels of NRCP projects: projects that are closer to the people, managed at the village or commune level, have a moderate level of citizen decision-making involvement On the other hand, projects managed at the district or provincial level lack citizen participation or have very weak decision-making roles 3.3.5 The current situation of citizen participation in inspecting and monitoring new rural construction (People inspect, monitor) Basic inspection and monitoring activities have been carried out primarily for NRC projects managed at the village/hamlet and commune levels, mainly focusing on transportation and irrigation infrastructure Community inspection and monitoring have proven effective However, a significant challenge lies in community inspection and monitoring for projects managed at the district or provincial level or undertaken by private investors, where community involvement is weak Citizens in the plain areas are more actively and effectively engaged in these activities compared to those in mountainous regions In three communes that have achieved NRC standards, the level of participation in inspection and monitoring of NRC projects is much higher than in the communes that have not yet met the standards The middle-aged group (40-59 years old) has the highest involvement in inspection and monitoring Male and female participation in inspecting and monitoring NRC projects or constructions are equivalent Notably, the supervisory role of community monitoring teams, Farmers' Association, and Veterans' Association is prominent 18 3.3.6 The current situation of citizen participation in utilizing the achievements of building new rural areas (people enjoy) The surveyed citizens assessed that their enjoyment of the results of the New Rural Construction at the end of the 2016-2020 period was slightly better in seven criteria: National defense and security, Quality of the political system and access to the legal system, Residential housing, Education and training, Healthcare, Electricity, and Schools There were two areas where the surveyed citizens felt that their level of enjoyment did not change much: Rural commercial infrastructure and cultural infrastructure For the remaining ten criteria, their level of enjoyment has improved somewhat compared to before, but it is not yet clearly defined 3.4 The current situation of applying the community development process in building new rural areas In general, the application of steps in the community development process (CDP) from the practical implementation of the New Rural Construction (NRC) Program in surveyed areas has been relatively high, ranging from 71.7% at Step 7, which involves evaluating the results of NRC projects and transferring them to appropriate management authorities, to 84.6% at Step 1, which involves assessing the local issues Analyzing the correlations, it was found that people in the delta and people in the communes which achieved NRC standards rated much highter compared to those in regions and communes in mountainous areas or areas which had not achieved NRC standards The middle-aged group (40-59 years old) rated the application of the CDP by project management authorities the highest, while the elderly group (≥ 60 years old) rated the application of the CDP in NRC projects the lowest There was no significant difference between men and women The higher the education level of the social group, the higher their evaluation of the CDP application The Kinh ethnic group rated the application of CDP steps higher than the ethnic minorities in rural areas regarding the NRC implementation." 19 Chapter CONTEXT, KEY ISSUES, AND SOLUTIONS TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW RURAL AREAS 4.1 Context of new rural construction After 10 years of implementation, the National Target Program on New Rural Construction (NTP-NRC) has achieved significant and comprehensive results, which are considered "tremendous, historic, and all-encompassing." The country has experienced new momentum and strength, witnessing positive changes in the rural landscape, and improvements in the material and spiritual life of its people However, by the end of 2020, about 38% of communes in the country still had not met the new rural standards, primarily those located in extremely difficult areas, including regions inhabited by ethnic minorities, mountainous regions, coastal sandbank areas, and islands 4.2 Some issues raised Firstly, community development (CD) is a highly advantageous social work approach, but it has not been widely known by many people, including specialized officials in advisory agencies of the Party and the State, from central to grassroots levels Secondly, there is a positive and interdependent relationship between PCD and the construction of New Rural Construction, both sharing the common goal of community development, modern agricultural growth, and the advancement of civilized rural areas Thirdly, regarding the models and practices of CD and NRC, although there have been some experiences in Vietnam and in the three researched provinces, the process of summarizing, evaluating, and disseminating these models for replication remains limited Fourthly, CD and NRC in the three provinces, as well as in other regions throughout the country, face both favorable conditions and challenges However, challenges are more prominent 20 4.3 Principles of formulating solutions for community development in building new rural areas 4.3.1 Principle of the people as the roots" Ho Chi Minh emphasized, "The nation takes its people as the roots with strong roots, the tree will be resilient Building success on the foundation of the people" (Ho Chi Minh, 2011) Every success and victory is built upon the people and considering them as the foundation of the development process In the process of leading and developing the country, the Communist Party of Vietnam always regards "the people as the roots" as a crucial requirement and principle that determines all its orientations and policies The documents of the 11th, 12th, and 13th National Party Congresses all affirm: In all tasks of the Party and the State, the deep and comprehensive viewpoint of putting people at the center must be consistently applied; truly trusting, respecting, and promoting the people's right to mastery 4.3.2 Principle of "Grassroots Democracy” At the 11th, 12th, and 13th National Congresses, the Party continued to affirm: "Building and gradually perfecting the socialist democratic system, ensuring democracy is realized in the practical life at all levels and in all fields Democracy is associated with discipline and order" (Communist Party of Vietnam, 2011) Therefore, in terms of the mechanism of Community Development (CD), based on the theoretical approach of CD and the approach of empowering communities, the principles of "People know, People discuss, People participate in decision-making, People implement, People inspect, People supervise, People enjoy" seem to closely align with the Party's action philosophy 4.3.3 Principle of "relying on research results" Closely following research results, assessing the actual application of principles, mechanisms, and the process of Community Development in building new rural areas in the research area, especially identifying limitations, difficulties, and the issues at hand, based on the context and current conditions to develop 21 solutions that promote Community Development in building new rural areas 4.4 Solutions to promote community development in building new rural areas 4.4.1 Solution of training and development * Targeted training and development recipients: Focus on training and developing officials from political and social organizations, especially the Farmers' Union, mass organizations, Party members, government officials, and professionals in various localities * Content of training and development: Knowledge about New Rural Construction, skills, and methods for New Rural Construction This will equip and enhance the awareness of Farmers' Union officials from the central to grassroots levels regarding New Rural Construction, especially the conceptual framework, principles, mechanisms, and process of New Rural Construction * Forms of training and development - Organize systematic and professional training courses (model training) - Utilize flexible and innovative methods through workshops, vocational training classes, and focused study sessions on specific resolutions - Provide online training and short courses on the websites of political and social organizations at the central level - Develop specialized handbooks on Community Development in New Rural Construction, disseminating them directly and making them available on websites and social media platforms for a wide range of officials, members, and participants to access, study, and apply in practice 4.4.2 Solution of promoting the role of subjects and the participation of rural residents in the process of building new rural areas Central Resolutions (10th tenure) and Central Resolutions (13th tenure) on agriculture, farmers, and rural areas have 22 emphasized the role of farmers as subjects and the responsibility of the Vietnam Farmers' Association in the process of building new rural areas This role is manifested in the following aspects: Firstly, the role of propaganda: The Vietnam Farmers' Association and various community organizations must actively participate in disseminating and popularizing the Party and State's policies and guidelines on building new rural areas among their members and rural residents Secondly, the role of mobilization: (1) Mobilizing people to contribute their labor, funds, land, and resources to participate in building infrastructures, cultural facilities, education, etc (2) Establishing a new cultural life; (3) Collecting and treating waste, planting trees, and protecting the environment Thirdly, promoting the movement of "Farmers striving for excellence in production and business, unity to enrich themselves and reduce poverty sustainably." This is the fundamental essence and requirement of community development, both in theory and practice Fourthly, to further enhance the strong role of the Vietnam Farmers' Association in promoting community development in building new rural areas, it is necessary to implement communityoriented measures (1) Strengthen and build strong grassroots Farmers' Association organizations (2) Enhance the leadership role of farmers and local communities 4.4.3 Solution of enhancing decentralization mechanisms To promote the community development in Vietnam, it is essential to fully implement the following mechanisms: "People know, People discuss, People participate in decision-making, People implement, People inspect, People supervise, People enjow." This approach aims to strengthen the delegation of power to local authorities at the commune, village, hamlet levels, and rural residents The analysis, explanation, and guidance for these delegation mechanisms should be carried out as follows: * Issues that people are informed about in the NRC 23 - The contents people are informed about: Draft planning, plans for NRC in the commune; Socio-economic development plans; annual budget estimates and settlements of the commune; Investment projects, construction works, and the use of various funds and contributions from the people - Forms of informing the people about the above contents: Publicly posting these contents at the commune headquarters; Publicly announcing the information through village loudspeakers * Tasks in which people participate in discussions and decisions: - Contents: Approaches and contributions to infrastructure construction at the commune, village, and hamlet levels, where the people contribute either wholly or partially to the funding, and other tasks within the community that comply with the law's provisions - Implementation methods: Organizing meetings with eligible voters or representatives of households within each village or hamlet; Conducting voting to collect opinions from eligible voters or representatives of households * Content for the people's discussion and voting for authorized decisions: Agreements, conventions of the village; Election, dismissal, removal of village chiefs; Election, removal of members of the People's Inspection Committee, Community Investment Monitoring Board; Election, removal of members of the Village Development Board * Content for public participation in opinions before competent authorities decide: Drafts of new rural construction at commune level; Drafts of new rural construction projects at commune level; Drafts of socioeconomic development plans at commune level, plans for economic restructuring, production restructuring * Responsibilities of the commune-level government in organizing the implementation of people's discussions and contributions: 24 The commune People's Committee is responsible for establishing and approving plans to gather people's opinions on matters within the authority of the commune-level government * People do: After reaching a consensus on options, priority order, resource allocation, the people take direct responsibility for implementing the New Rural Construction * People participate in inspection and supervision: - Content of participation in inspection and supervision: Matters known by the people; Matters for direct discussion and decision by the people; Matters for people's discussion and voting; Matters for public opinions before state agencies with decisionmaking authority - Forms of people's supervision: People directly supervise by exercising their rights to complaint, denunciation, and petition to competent authorities; Recommendations through the Fatherland Front, Farmers' Union, the Steering Committee for New Rural Construction - When exercising the right to supervision, competent state agencies must fulfill the duty of providing sufficient and timely information and necessary documents * People enjoy, hand over, take over, and exploit the use If the results of local community development are civil works, infrastructure systems, or cultural, educational, healthcare, environmental facilities, etc., it is necessary to carry out the handover and transfer to entities responsible for exploitation and use, along with maintenance and upkeep 4.4.4 Solution of mobilizing community development resources Mobilizing resources for community development is both the content and the objective, as well as the solution to achieve the goal of community development Resources include financial resources, material resources, information resources, human resources, social capital, environmental capital, etc Families with financial means 25 contribute money; families with land donate land; those with property contribute their possessions; families with labor to spare contribute their work; and those with knowledge, intellect, experience, management skills, and organizational capabilities contribute to the implementation of NRC projects 4.4.5 Solution of building community organization and communication models for successful community development based on the practical experiences of building new rural areas Firstly, actively participating in building and developing collective economic activities, establishing cooperatives and cooperative unions According to the criteria for recognizing new rural areas, the establishment and effective maintenance of Cooperatives are among the evaluation criteria for meeting the new rural area standards Therefore, whether at the national level or in provinces, districts, and communes, research and attention should be given to implementing solutions to develop the scale, quantity, and enhance the effectiveness of current Cooperatives Secondly, establishing profession-based associations and groups by selecting and mobilizing members and farmers engaged in the production of the same crop, plant, animal, or participating in the same business or service sector These groups share commonalities in the use of production materials, labor tools, organizational methods for production, business and service operations, harvesting, processing, preservation, and consumption of agricultural products They join together in associations or groups, ensuring the "5 same" criteria: Same field of labor, production, business, and service; same concerns; same sharing; same responsibilities; and same benefits Thirdly, participating in the restructuring of rural production through the organization of linkages in production, especially two types of linkages: (1) 4-entity linkage: government farmers - scientists - enterprises; 5-entity linkage, adding banks 26 (financial institutions); 6-entity linkage, adding distributors or consultants (Israel's model) (2) Linkage between farmers themselves Fourthly, establish Farmer Entrepreneurship Groups, Youth Entrepreneurship Groups, Women Entrepreneurship Groups, and proficient Farmer Business Production on the foundation of the national entrepreneurial ecosystem, creating a strong spread to develop into a movement for numerous members and associates to participate in entrepreneurship and innovation Strengthen the dissemination of entrepreneurship and innovation for officials, members, and associates This includes focusing on: (1) Organizing forums, conferences, workshops, and seminars (2) Organizing "Day of Member and Associate Entrepreneurship and Innovation." (3) Introducing exemplary member and associate entrepreneurial and innovative models, rural entrepreneurs, wealthy farmers, and successful business production models (4) Commendating, honoring, and rewarding; constructing exemplary elements * Pay attention to enhancing communication about successful community development models from the practice of building new rural areas It is necessary to disseminate and introduce good models and innovative, practical, and effective approaches for other communities to refer to, learn from, and adapt according to their conditions CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Firstly, based on systematization and continued theoretical development, this thesis contributes to supplementing the theory of community development within the context of building the new rural areas in Vietnam It identifies commonalities in content and objectives between community development and the construction of new rural areas, by highlighting the similarities between the Party's 27 perspectives on building new rural areas and the principles and mechanisms of community development Secondly, the research results confirm hypothesis 1, stating that in the three communes of Cao Son, Vinh Chap, and Tan Thanh, where successful new rural areas have been constructed, the application of community development principles, mechanisms, and processes is better and more comprehensive compared to the three communes of Mai Hich, Mo O, and Nguyen Phich (which had not achieved successful new rural areas at the time of the study) Thirdly, the research results support the research hypotheses, especially hypothesis 2, which has been verified: "Where farmers and local communities fulfill their roles as active participants, and where the Steering Committee for New Rural Construction applies community development principles, mechanisms, and processes effectively, there is success in building new rural areas Conversely, where the roles of farmers and local communities are not fulfilled or are insufficiently fulfilled, the results of new rural construction are limited, or even unsuccessful." Clearly, the application of community development principles, mechanisms, and processes has brought many benefits to the new rural construction process, adhering to the principle of “placing people at the center”, trusting the people, respecting their needs, and utilizing their role as the driving force for their participation Placing people at the center has contributed to activating all resources within the population (human, intellectual, material, financial, natural resources, and social capital) Fourthly, the research results also affirm the important role of community development and its close relationship with the construction of the new rural areas as an effective method for the sustainable and comprehensive development of agriculture, farmers, and rural areas In the upcoming period, the construction of the new rural areas is placed in a new context where the Party and the state are highly concerned about the role of agriculture, farmers, and rural 28 areas The nation's strength and power have been enhanced, and the internal resources from the people are abundant and more substantial However, there are still remaining areas that need to continue building the new rural areas, mostly in challenging regions Therefore, the research results of this thesis allow the researcher to propose the implementation of five interwoven, combined, and synchronized groups of solutions to promote community development in the construction of the new rural areas to achieve the set objectives These five solutions are as follows: (1) Solution of Training and Development (2) Solution of enhancing the role of subjects and promoting people's participation (3) Solution of enhancing decentralization mechanisms (4) Solution of mobilizing resources for community development (5) Solution of building community organization and communication models for successful community development based on the practical experiences of building new rural areas Fifthly, based on the research findings, there is additional scientific basis to make theoretical and practical proposals and recommendations to be sent to state agencies, policy planners, especially a large number of Party officials and authorities at all levels (those directly involved in directing the construction of the new countryside from central to local levels) These proposals emphasize the need to apply community development principles, mechanisms, and processes in the construction of the new countryside, as well as in the development of agriculture, farmers, and rural areas in Vietnam as a whole, with a vision towards 2045 The ultimate goal is to make Vietnam a country with modern agriculture ranking among the world's top 10 largest agricultural exporters 29 PUBLICATIONS Nguyễn Khắc Toàn (2022), "Mobile human resources in the national target program on new rural construction (Case study of the two provinces of Quang Tri and Hoa Binh)," Journal of Ethnic Studies, Issue 11 Nguyễn Khắc Toàn (2022), "Community development mechanisms in building new rural areas from the practical experience of Quang Tri and Hoa Binh provinces," Journal of Human Resources and Social Security, Issue 11, October 2022