Executive Summary: Country Assistance Evaluation of Cambodia

Full text available here.
https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/oda/evaluation/FY2017/pdfs/cambodia.pdf

Background, Objectives and Scope of the Evaluation

Japan and Cambodia have a good political and economic relationship, and in terms of the aspect of strengthening the relations with the Mekong countries in trade and investment, the continued support to the country is of great importance. This evaluation comprehensively evaluates Japan’s ODA policies for Cambodia, considering the significance of ODA to Cambodia. Its purpose is to obtain recommendations and draw lessons for policymaking and operation of future ODA policies.

Overview of the Evaluation Results

1 Evaluation from Development Viewpoints

(1) Relevance of Policies (Rating: B, satisfactory)

Japan’s ODA for Cambodia is consistent with Cambodia’s development needs, Japan’s higher-level policies, and the international priority. Through cooperation with other donors, Japan has been successfully producing interactive results. However, Japan’s comparative advantage is decreasing because other donors including China have begun using Japanese assistance approach. While the quality of Japan’s aid is said to be high, the quantity is low compare to China.

(2) Effectiveness of Results (Rating: C, partially unsatisfactory)

Japan’s aid for Cambodia is effective in the roads, electricity, water supply, and health care sectors. In the water supply sector, the rate of access to safe water has significantly improved. On the other hand, the effects on agricultural and educational sectors have not been confirmed since the appearance of the effects requires time. In governance sector, Japan has been providing assistance for human resources development to tackle corruption, develop legal and judicial system, manage financial administration, and reform public administration. However, due to the issues of low financial transparency, skills shortages and corruption of judiciary authorities, the effectiveness is not high.

(3) Appropriateness of Processes (Rating: B, satisfactory)

Japan’s ODA policies for Cambodia have responded to Cambodia’s developmental needs and have been formulated through appropriate procedures. The policy monitoring and follow-up have been implemented appropriately, except that it is difficult to understand how public opinion and the results of previous third-party evaluations are utilized in policymaking.

2 Evaluation from Diplomatic Viewpoints

Since its inception in 1954, Japan’s ODA to Cambodia has been highly regarded by the Cambodian government and citizens. Due to frequent exchange visits and bilateral meetings, the relationship between the two countries developed from a donor-recipient to a strategic partnership. Considering Cambodia’s geopolitical importance, Japan’s continued assistance will be an asset to Japan’s diplomacy.

Recommendations

1 Continuing support for “high quality infrastructure,” and simplification and speedup of the procedure

Since Japan is not the top donor anymore in terms of quantity, it should build a position as the best donor by promoting “high quality infrastructure” to the Cambodian government. To improve efficacy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and JICA should further simplify the administrative procedure.

2 Broader cooperation between aid agencies and utilization of private funds to secure quality and quantity

To increase aid quantity, the government of Japan should cooperate with the private sector and donor agencies. Agencies such as the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that are good options as they are capable of making large financial contributions. Effective and efficient cooperation with these agencies will also bolster the quality of infrastructure.

3 Expansion of ODA for human resources development and strengthening of cooperative relationship

Cambodians who have studied in Japan have been making economic and developmental contributions in Cambodia. Japan should provide more opportunities for Cambodians to pursue their studies in Japan to not only support Cambodia’s development but also establish tighter bilateral relationship. Further, since the lack of human resources is one of Cambodia’s urgent problems, Japan should increase assistance for their educational policies reform, including training and reinforcement of teachers. The project for water supply system that Japan’s City of Kitakyushu supports has provided opportunities for the young staff in the city to learn, so establishing reciprocal cooperative relations between the two countries is desirable.

4 Involvement in governance improvement and expansion of cooperation through participation of broader strata of citizens

To ensure Cambodia to receive the required support to build a society based on good governance and lawfulness, Japan must continue to deliver effective aid. In this effort, Japan should seek assistance from NGO’s, civil society and judicial officials to achieve positive outcome. The lawful support will distinguish Japan’s aid from other donors such as China. Giving them honest opinion would be necessary to be a true partner of Cambodia.