This study aims to outline the vision for the Vietnamese social protection system. It provides discussion of the issues of implementation and performance of the current programme design, especially the issues of budget allocation, implementation and monitoring are explored using qualitative evidence from provincial and local administrators. New analysis based on the data from the Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey (VHLSS) 2010 will be conducted to look at overall performance in targeting and coverage. Finally, it outlines the constraints and opportunities that inform a road map for the future vision of social assistance within an overall system of social protection.