Summary of the FY 2019 MOFA ODA Evaluations
Evaluation of the SATREPS Program (Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development) (Summary)
Note: This summary was made by the ODA Evaluation Division base d on the report provided by the evaluation team.
The full text is available here:
| Evaluators (Evaluation Team) |
Chief Evaluator | Prof. Jin Sato Professor, Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, The University of Tokyo |
| Advisor | Dr. Yu Maemura Oliver Lecturer, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo |
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| Consultant | Oriental Consultants Global Co., Ltd. | |
| Target Period | FY 2008–FY 2018 | |
| Evaluation Period | Sept. 2019–Mar. 2020 | |
| Field Survey Country | The Kingdom of Thailand and the Republic of South Africa | |
A member of an evaluation team receiving an explanation of picture cards used to raise awareness of malaria prevention at the Malaria Control Center in Limpopo Province, South Africa.
Background, Objectives and Scope of the Evaluation
SATREPS is a three- to five-year research program that supports joint research with researchers from developing countries under the supervision of MOFA and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). It has been jointly implemented since 2008 by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED). Based on the needs of developing countries, the program aims to address global issues and produce research outcomes of practical benefit to both local and global society by combining competitive research funds for science and technology projects and Official Development Assistance (ODA). This evaluation study not only focuses on the research results of SATREPS and its implementation, but also considers its impact on ODA and Japan's diplomacy with the objective of utilizing the evaluation results to produce recommendations for future policy planning in the field of ODA and international science and technology cooperation.
Brief Summary of Evaluation Results
● Development Viewpoints
(1) Relevance of Policies
SATREPS is consistent with Japan's policy in the field of science and technology as well as its Development Cooperation Charter. Regarding the consistency of SATREPS with the development needs of partner countries and international priorities, as SATREPS requires applicants to ensure that their proposals are coherent with these issues, the coherence of the adopted projects are in effect secured. Case studies conducted in Thailand and South Africa show that the implementation of SATREPS in these countries was coherent with the development needs and policies of ASEAN and SADC. (Rating: Highly Satisfactory )
(2) Effectiveness of Results
SATREPS's inputs, made up of both "Commissioned Research Expenses" for domestic research and the expenses necessary for the enforcement of technical cooperation (including the "Dispatch of Researchers from Japan," "Acceptance of Researchers from Counterpart Countries in Japan," and "Provision of Equipment") are sufficiently implemented. The effectiveness of the results appears to be generally high within the existing evaluation results for individual SATREPS projects performed by JST and JICA. (Rating: Highly Satisfactor )
(3) Appropriateness of Processes
During the implementation process, some projects successfully overcame various challenges as they were carried out based on longstanding mutual trust between researchers from Japan and partner countries. However, it became clear that in some processes the ownership of partner countries may have been weakened. For instance, in some adoption processes, the implementing agencies in partner countries did not receive specific feedback from the Japanese side on why proposals had been rejected. It was also made clear that each partner country has a different system and faces varied challenges in implementing SATREPS, and therefore it is necessary to take account of the individual circumstances of each partner country. (Rating: Satisfactory )
Note: Ratings: Highly Satisfactory / Satisfactory / Partially Unsatisfactory / Unsatisfactory
● Diplomatic Viewpoints
(1) Diplomatic Importance
SATREPS is consistent with Japan's high-level diplomatic policies, including its national security strategy. Furthermore, it represents a concrete initiative for promoting "science for diplomacy" and "diplomacy for science" to integrate science and technology with foreign policy.
(2) Diplomatic Impact
Through joint research between Japan and its partner countries, SATREPS programs have contributed to the achievement of the SDGs through utilizing science and technology, thereby helping to enhance Japan's visibility in the international community. At the same time, it was confirmed that SATREPS has greatly promoted Japan's bilateral and regional friendships with its partner countries by promoting exchanges in the field of science and technology and by building networks among researchers.
Recommendations
(1) Establish a mechanism where local researchers can initiate and form project proposals to foster strong ownership among partner countries
Currently, when applying for SATREPS funding, Japan-based researchers utilize existing networks to approach researchers in partner countries to ask for agreement in formulating project proposals. However, it is necessary to establish a mechanism where local researchers can initiate and form project proposals, in order to promote ownership among partner countries and to better represent their government priorities and market trends in the formulation of projects. For assessing the needs in partner countries, one specific suggestion is to implement a pilot project with academic experts in the field of area studies or the social sciences to conduct a diagnostic study and needs analysis of research collaborations in specific countries.
(2) Facilitate information sharing among stakeholders to strengthen ownership within partner countries
A recurrent issue was that after research proposals are submitted and the Japanese authorities conduct the screening phase, the implementing agencies in partner countries appeared not to have received specific feedback on why proposals were rejected. This not only has a negative effect on the incentives for stakeholders to participate in SATREPS, but also prevents them from reforming and improving their practices. More information that can benefit researchers moving forward should be provided, such as specific information on what criteria led to a proposal being rejected and what improvements could be made to increase the probability of a proposal being selected in the future. It is critical to share appropriate information with the relevant organizations in partner countries and thereby foster ownership.
(3) Establish long-term support mechanisms for SATREPS based on a common understanding of its "social and practical impacts"
Although the concerned authorities and implementing agencies in Japan share a common definition of SATREPS's goal and direction, even after 10 years of implementation, they have yet to come to a common understanding of what constitutes a reasonable target or set of results to which a SATREPS project should aim for and achieve throughout its project cycle. A common recognition between key organizations should be formed, such as through identifying differences in the targeted social and practical impacts given in the project documents of JST and JICA, and the relevant authorities and implementing agencies should share these differences. Furthermore, in order to actualize the social implementation of scientific research and results, JICA should create a new modality that provides opportunities for agencies or research institutions in partner countries to apply for follow-up funding to support supplementary SATREPS-related projects. At the same time, a long-term follow-up mechanism is required to measure the long-term impacts of SATREPS projects and produce generalizable lessons across research fields and regions.
(4) Understand and assess context-dependent challenges across partner countries when implementing SATREPS projects
The challenges faced by partner countries throughout the implementation of a SATREPS project differ significantly across countries, which requires Japan to adopt a flexible stance in addressing these context-dependent issues. JICA should consider what actions are necessary to understand and assess the challenges faced by the organizations implementing SATREPS within the partner countries, and share these lessons amongst JST, AMED, and local task forces.