The Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) is a UNDP-managed global partnership that supports 30 countries, including Viet Nam (VN), to enhance their financial management for biodiversity (BD) conservation in line with the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

The Policy and Institutional Review (PIR) is the first technical report of any country’s BIOFIN project, followed by two other technical reports, including the BD Expenditure Review and the BD Financial Needs Assessment. A PIR is a widely used approach to assess the strengths and weaknesses of policies and institutions within a given sector.

The aim of the BIOFIN PIR in VN is to analyze the country’s fiscal, economic, legal, policy, and institutional framework as the baseline for initiating, improving, and scaling effective BD finance solutions, as well as to identify barriers to their improvement or expansion. In developing specific recommendations for the mainstreaming of BD solutions that address legal and financial policy, institutional responsibilities, and finance mechanisms, the PIR establishes a baseline context and orientation for the entire BIOFIN process.

The BIOFIN PIR in VN was conducted by independent consultants from May 2017 to February 2018.