Background and justification

SCORE Vietnam started in 2011 with a focus on the wood processing industry and has supported sector associations to deliver training and consulting services to SMEs and to share improvement results and best practices highlighted through this work in the sector. The SCORE programme in phase 3 focuses on embedding the SCORE Training into local partners’ service portfolio provided for their member enterprises. As requested by Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag association (LEFASO) for assistance to improve its services to members in improving productivity and working conditions, initial discussion was made to seek for potential cooperation with SCORE program.

On 21 to 23 of March 2018, the SCORE National Programme Coordinator and the SCORE Regional Programme Manager undertook a fact finding mission to understand better the challenges in the sector and LEFASO’s capacity to provide additional services to its members. The fact finding mission visited 2 enterprises and confirmed the information provided by LEFASO on the below challenges faced by its members:

• High labor turnover led to high labor cost
• Limited management capacity
• Low productivity
• Limited access to technical support for production improvement

The ILO SCORE Programme and LEFASO agreed to pilot a new training service to LEFASO SMEs member using SCORE Training methodologies.

Objectives

• To improve LEFASO’s business development services provided to members through embedding relevant aspects of SCORE Training.
• To promote the sustainable business practices of SCORE Training to enterprises in shoes and leather sector