In 2015, the Vietnamese Government began negotiating a Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (VPA FLEGT) with the European Union. The VPA will create multiple impacts on households and small businesses engaging in the timber supply chain.

The Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD) – the Chair of the Steering Committee of the VNGO-FLEGT Network - teamed up with the Network’s members and researched to assess the capacity of households to comply with legality requirements for timber logging, transporting, and processing in Kon Tum province from August 19^th to 26^th, 2015. The research targeted households logging dispersed trees and processing timber.

This baseline study in Kon Tum province aimed to identify the initial state of the above-mentioned vulnerable groups, potential issues of timber legality, and their capacity to comply with timber legality requirements. The study will be the basis for the VPA independent monitoring by civil society.

Before the baseline study, SRD and VNGO-FLEGT Network had conducted a scoping study in the districts of Dak To, Ngoc Hoi, Kon Ray, Kon Plong, Dak Ha and Kon Tum city from May 28^th to June 4^th, 2015. The study had collected valuable information about households logging dispersed trees and processing timber in Dak Ha district and Kon Tum city.

In addition to Kon Tum province, baseline studies were also conducted in Binh Dinh province (in July 2015), Nghe An and Hoa Binh provinces (in August 2015). 

More photos of the research: 

-SRD-