The primary objective of the Hanoi RTCCD is to increase the capacity and quality of human resources at the grass roots level. We hope to achieve these goals by implementing activities that assist people in carrying out their own research projects, or by providing them with training that supports community participation in development projects. In addition, research projects designed and conducted by the Center itself, or in collaboration with other Vietnamese or overseas institutions, are intended to have an impact on the process of formulating government community development policy so that an improvement in community development can be reached at a macro-level.
The Center functions primarily as a training and research institution, but also implements projects. It is a nonprofit organization and has adopted five management principles: (1) independence in formulating the Center's development policies, (2) self-financing of activities, (3) independence in human resource development, (4) a community-based problem solving approach in research training and counselling, and (5) acting within Vietnam's legal framework for research and training institutions.