The primary aims of the planning grant are to promote the participation of key stakeholders of the proposed project, including local authorities and relevant agencies and communities, and provide scientific assistance for the project development. Major activities of the project include conducting surveys on socio-economic conditions of the proposed project site, identifying proposed project objectives and activities and assessing their feasibility, and providing needed technical assistance in project design and writing project proposal which will be submitted to GEF/SGP for review and appraisal; and identifying possibilities for project synergies and resource mobilization.

The project Enhancing awareness and local capacity in mitigating and adapting to the impact of climate change, contributing to the implementation of the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol in Viet Nam has the key following activities.
- Enhancing awareness, understanding and knowledge on CC, and building local capacity in mitigating and adapting to negative impacts of CC
- Developing and disseminating technical guidelines on CC for the study, development and implementation of CC projects, and awareness-raising activities on CC
- Recommending the integration of CC adaptation aspects in the provincial plan for socio-economic development. Assisting the project participating provinces to design CC adaptation projects
- Distill lessons learned and recommending GEF/SGP strategic focus in terms of thematic and geographical areas for the implementation of the community-based adaptation project of which Viet Nam is a project participating country.