MOFA follows up on the implementation status of the response actions for the recommendations provided in third-party evaluations. The following presents the implementation status (as of August 2018) of actions in response to the main recommendations obtained from third-party evaluations for FY2016.

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Country Assistance Evaluation of Paraguay

Recommendations

Japan’s ODA should be actively continued as it contributes to enhancing political and economic relations and promoting cultural exchanges between two countries.

Future ODA should be improved in efficiency utilizing various aid modalities such as South-South cooperation (cooperation between developing countries) and regional cooperation (cooperation provided to multiple neighboring developing countries).

Strategic assistance is necessary to reduce social and economic disparities. Target groups should be specified including poor farmers, rural women, single mothers, and indigenous women who need support. Direct assistance to these groups having socioeconomic issues will be effective.

In order to effectively promote Japan’s “high quality infrastructure assistance” in Paraguay, construction specifications need to be shared. In addition to other donor countries and the World Bank, strategic collaboration and coordination is needed with financial institutions for regional development such as the Inter-American Development Bank, the Development Bank of Latin America, Fondo financiero para el desarrollo de la Cuenca del Plata, Fondo para la Convergencia Estructural del MERCOSUR, and the Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure in South America. In this regard, issues facing overall Latin America assistance should be improved.

Implementation status of response actions

Stakeholders in Japan and Paraguay are discussing ways of continuing Japanese assistance to Paraguay, taking into consideration efficiency.

To expand outcomes of “Strengthening Primary Healthcare System” nationwide, Japan has started dispatching experts since FY2018.

Japan has been providing assistance to improve livelihoods for rural women to reduce disparities since September 2016. Also, since FY2017, Japan has been cooperating human resource development to promote the independence of rural women. Furthermore, since December 2017, Japan has been provide assistance to small-scale farmers in order to improve safety of agricultural exports.

With regard to “high quality infrastructure assistance,” Japan is currently considering the feasibility of cooperation in water development field, and is sharing information with the Inter-American Development Bank and the Development Bank of Latin America among other institutions.

Country Assistance Evaluation of Tanzania

Recommendations

Japan’s Infrastructure assistance has become an economic growth foundation in Tanzania. Assistance for strengthening economic growth foundation and promoting industrialization should be continued and increased.

Projects that cover an extensive area cross neighboring country borders, such as the Arusha-Namanga-Athi River Road Development Project, had contributed to the economic integration and revitalization in the East African Community, livelihood improvement of residents in the areas and poverty reduction. Such region-wide cooperation should be further expanded.

Japan states internationally that it contributes to realization of society where all people receive appropriate healthcare, prevention, treatment and function recovery services at a cost they can afford. By assisting Tanzania’s health administration, Japan needs to meet the expectations of the international community and Tanzania.

Implementation status of response actions

Japan will continue infrastructure assistance for strengthening economic growth foundation and promotion of industrialization.

Specifically, projects are underway to widen major roads and develop elevated type intersections to alleviate traffic congestion in Dar es Salaam and surrounding communities. Japan will continue assisting high-quality infrastructure development.

In addition, in the field of industry, industrial development advisors have been dispatched since May 2018 to formulate industrial policy.

To contribute to economic integration and economic revitalization in East Africa, experts have been dispatched to the East African Community since March 2009 and will be continued. In addition, Japan has been providing technical cooperation for facilitating and streamlining customs procedures at the border for five countries in the East African Community (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi), with the aim of facilitating the smooth flow of trade.

The revised latest created country assistance policy for Tanzania states to improve healthcare services, within the focus field of governance and administrative service improvement. Currently, health policy advisors have been dispatched to improve healthcare services in Tanzania.

Evaluation of Japan’s Assistance in the Pollution Control Field

Recommendations

Through policy dialogue and discussions with developing countries receiving assistance, Japan needs to promote the understanding that environmental measures are important for sustainable economic growth based on its own experiences. Japan also needs to provide assistance to promote environmental protection and pollution control measures in developing countries from wide perspectives.

Japan has established a knowledge network by analyzing and organizing knowledge and lessons learned from development cooperation in environmental field. Japan should invite other developed countries, developing countries, local governments, international institutions, and non-governmental organizations to this network to effectively utilize past intellectual assistance experiences.

Environmental problems are a global concern, and Japan’s contributions in the pollution control field based on its own experiences are recognized internationally. Japan should take initiative in creating global frameworks and in global discussion on environmental problems.

Implementation status of response actions

Japan will continue to approach and support to promote environmental preservation and pollution control measures in developing countries from broad perspectives.

Japan has built systems in Mongolia, Iran and Kosovo to review and implement comprehensive actions against pollution by involving various stakeholders.

Japan collaborates with local governments, such as Yokohama City, Shibushi City in Kagoshima Prefecture, Kitakyushu City, and Shiga Prefecture to dispatch experts and survey teams and to accept trainees in Japan. In addition, in Cambodia, JICA has conducted a verification survey with a Tokyo based private company for disseminating technologies and products for removing sludge and garbage accumulated in drainage open channels, and in Vietnam, conducted with a Hokkaido-based company for disseminating environmental improvement technologies using bio-toilets.

Japan will further consider to cooperate with various organizations to gain useful knowledge in assistance, considering their strengths. Japan exchanges information at any time with international organizations and continues to form cooperation projects taking into account the experiences of donor agencies.

Japan will continue to actively disseminate its international cooperation in the pollution control field.

At the third UN Environment Assembly in 2017, Japan announced that it will contribute to global environmental issues by providing technologies and know-how developed through its own experiences tackling pollution.

At the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP1) to the “Minamata Convention on Mercury”, which entered into force in 2017, Japan stated, “We will make even greater contributions rooted in Minamata utilizing various knowledge and personal resources of Minamata.”

 

Evaluation of Grant Aid for Promotion of Japanese Standards ^(Note)

Note: A Japan’s ODA projects for aiming for both development of developing countries, and revitalization of Japan’s economy by promoting Japan’s products to developing countries expected to have an increasing market growth in the future.

Recommendations

When implementing individual projects, efforts must be made to formulate plans after organizing needs by area and sector and identifying projects objectives.

Grant Aid for Promotion of Japanese Standards is intended for the strategic use of ODA to further Japan’s national economic interests and strongly favors Japan’s industrial development in comparison to other aid modalities. However, the principal role of ODA is to solve international issues and help the growth of developing countries, which raises concerns that Japan’s approach to ODA could be subject to criticism. To improve this aspect, Grant Aid for Promotion of Japanese Standards must be specified as contributing to solutions for international issues, such as environment, energy, medical care and disaster issues by exploiting Japan’s experiences and technologies.

Implementation status of response actions

Since FY2017, Japan has organized needs for assistance at the beginning of the fiscal year together with Japanese diplomatic establishments abroad and local ODA executing agency to review future project implementation, striving to form more effective projects in diplomatic activities led by Japanese diplomatic establishments abroad.

When planning projects, Japan thoroughly examines consistency with the needs from developing countries, the recipient government’s requests and development plan and ensures that Japan’s ODA promotes Japanese Standards and Japan’s oversea business.

In addition, during the implementation stage, MOFA releases information about the background, details, and development effects of assistance using specific data, and mentions contributions to global development issues, such as “Universal Health Coverage 2030”, an international collaborative framework based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and “Actions for Cool Earth 2.0” which is to support for developing countries to fight of climate change.

Evaluation of Assistance in the Industrial Human Resource Development Sector in Thailand

Recommendations

Japan establishes country assistance policies and rolling plans for targeted recipient countries, and implements assistance following these plans. In these plans, they must be reviewed considering development status of the recipient country and how to continue to utilize excellent human resources and information aiming for economic development of the recipient country.

In improving the effectiveness and appropriateness of Japanese aid and its diplomatic impacts, the role played by Thai industrial personnel well informed about Japan has been very significant. MOFA should build a system for utilizing and fostering strategically industrial human resources well informed about Japan (identify and utilize talented personnel, pass on information related to human resources and share across organizations, etc.).

Japan’s assistance for industrial human resources development has distinguishing traits and a long history compared to other donor countries and aid organizations. A Medium tool must be created to summarize the defining characteristics of Japan’s assistance for industrial human resources development which can be used for informing Japan’s comparative advantages in the sector and for donor coordination. When doing so, it is important to take into consideration its relation to international aid trends.

Based on the lessons learned and experiences gained from assisting Thailand, Japan should create an assistance model for the development of industrial human resources and utilize it in future assistance to Thailand as well as in assistance implemented by Thailand in the form of South-South cooperation (cooperation between developing countries) .

 

Implementation status of response actions plans

During the State Ministers for Foreign Affairs talks between both countries in 2017, a memorandum on cooperation on Industrial Human Resources Development in Thailand was signed. An agreement was also reached on the need for fostering industrial human resources as a foundation of Thailand’s industrial advancement, along with Japan’s direction in providing assistance in this field. Thereafter, views have been exchanged through minister-level talks in Thailand.

To strategically develop industrial human resources well informed about Japan, surveys are being implemented by JICA. These results will be utilized in strategic selection of government-sponsored Thai students studying in Japan and follow-up surveys of human resources receiving JICA training.

At the Japan-ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting in 2017, documents were prepared and introduced that describe the current situation of Japan’s contributions, including updates of efforts under the Industrial Human Resource Development Cooperation Initiative. In addition, Japans’ Prime Minister and Foreign Minister made statements about cooperating with industrial human resource development.

JICA is currently conducting surveys concerning the industrial human resource development plan for Thailand. Specific cooperation will be considered based on the results of these surveys. In addition, in regard to third-country cooperation (where Japan implements a cooperation project jointly with other donor country or aid organization for the development of another country), cooperation has been implemented in several fields, including measurement base development and materials processing technologies. Consideration will be given for future South-South cooperation while taking into account the intentions of the Thai government.

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