The evaluation covered the period of 2008–2020. The ultimate purpose of the evaluation was to support the achievement of goals for the transition process, i.e., transitioning from grant-based development cooperation to increased trade and other mutually beneficial forms of cooperation, in Vietnam and elsewhere in Finland’s partner countries
The evaluation shed light on what are the successes and challenges in the transition process in Vietnam and thereby helped to identify strengths and weaknesses of the transition process. The purpose was also to assist in understanding how development cooperation can support the transition process and build new partnerships and cooperation. The evaluation assisted the MFA to further develop synergies between development cooperation and Team Finland as well as between different development cooperation modalities and instruments in order to support transition as a process.
The following issues were addressed:

• To what extent has the transition process achieved its goal to move from traditional bilateral development cooperation to more diversified cooperation.
• To assess the successes, challenges and possible limitations in the approach, modalities and resources to support the transition process and its goal on building new partnerships and a new type of cooperation.
• How Finland’s development cooperation has supported the transition and how it has contributed to building new partnerships.
• How synergies between different cooperation modalities/instruments, between development cooperation and Team Finland as well as between different actors have been sought.
• What the MFA can learn from its peer organizations, e.g. Denmark and the Netherlands.
• How to best support transition processes elsewhere in Finland’s partner countries and continue support to post-transition phase, with still remaining available resources.

The main sectors of cooperation were Water and sanitation, Forestry, Climate Change, Education, Science, technology and innovation.