Japan promotes development cooperation in order to contribute to securing the peace, stability, and prosperity of the international community. Official Development Assistance (ODA) is public funding for this purpose, and ODA evaluation is the task of assessing and analyzing the implementation status and effects of ODA.

ODA evaluation has two objectives. The first is to improve ODA management and make ODA more effective and efficient by investigating its implementation status and effects. The second is to ensure public accountability as well as to gain public understanding and support by publishing the evaluation results.

Japan has steadily conducted ODA evaluations since 1975, prior to the enforcement of the Government Policy Evaluations Act (GPEA) in 2002. It has developed its evaluation methodologies based on not only actual practices but also the evaluation criteria of international institutions engaged in ODA, including the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD-DAC).

This Annual Report gives an overview of the ODA evaluations by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of Japan conducted separately from evaluations based on the GPEA.

Implementation Framework

In Japan, ODA policies are planned and formulated by MOFA, while the implementation of individual ODA projects is primarily the responsibility of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). ODA evaluation is conducted through mutual collaboration between MOFA and JICA with different roles.

Currently, MOFA primarily evaluates ODA policies by commissioning third parties such as external experts and consultants. JICA, on the other hand, mainly evaluates the individual projects that it is responsible for implementing.

MOFA also assists partner countries in enhancing their evaluation capabilities.

Utilization of ODA Evaluation Results

It is important that the results and recommendations obtained from ODA evaluations be taken seriously by relevant parties such as MOFA, which is responsible for planning and formulating ODA policies, and JICA, which is responsible for implementing individual projects, and that they be utilized for formulating ODA policies and implementing ODA projects.

Accordingly, once the evaluation is completed, evaluators report the results and their recommendations directly to MOFA officials. In the next fiscal year, MOFA and JICA work together to formulate specific actions in response to the recommendations. Then, two fiscal years after the evaluation, MOFA checks the implementation status of these response actions and publishes the results in its annual evaluation report.

It is through this process that MOFA promotes ODA management and ensures public accountability, which are the objectives of ODA evaluation.

Evaluation Targets

ODA evaluations (Third Party Evaluations) conducted by MOFA are classified into Country/Regional Assistance Evaluations, which target ODA policies for specific countries or regions, and Thematic/Schematic Evaluations, which target specific themes such as education, health, or the environment, as well as specific aid modalities (schemes) such as technical cooperation or grant aid.

Since FY2017, MOFA has also been conducting third-party evaluations of individual grant aid projects in which the maximum amount of aid offered is one billion yen or more. Internal evaluations are conducted for individual projects in which the maximum amount of aid offered is at least 200 million yen but less than one billion yen.

ODA individual evaluation reports (internal evaluations)
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/ms/oda/page24_000056.html

Evaluation Viewpoints/Criteria

MOFA conducts ODA evaluations (third-party evaluations) from two different viewpoints: the extent to which Japan’s ODA contributes to development in partner countries (Development Viewpoints), and the effects that the evaluated ODA policies have on Japan’s national interests (Diplomatic Viewpoints). MOFA’s ODA Evaluation Criteria are described below.

1 Evaluation from Development Viewpoints

MOFA has set the evaluation criteria described below as suitable for evaluating Japan’s ODA policies based on the six internationally recognized Evaluation Criteria presented by the OECD-DAC (Relevance, Coherence, Effectiveness, Impact, Efficiency, and Sustainability). Under each criterion, specific verification items are provided.

Relevance of Policies

How relevant is the ODA policy to Japan’s high-level policies, the needs of partner countries, and global priority issues? How outstanding is Japan’s ODA compared to that of other donors?

Effectiveness of Results

To what extent are the initial targets and objectives achieved in line with plans? What were the specific outputs, outcomes, and impacts?

Appropriateness of Processes

How appropriate is the process of planning, formulating and implementing the ODA policy and implementation structure? Has effective coordination with other donors, international organizations, NGOs, and other actors been undertaken?

2 Evaluation from Diplomatic Viewpoints

Diplomatic Importance

In what respect is Japan’s ODA important in resolving global priority issues, strengthening bilateral relations, and promoting Japan’s security and prosperity?

Diplomatic Impact

How has Japan’s ODA contributed to promoting Japan’s presence in the international community, strengthening its bilateral relations, and promoting Japan’s security and prosperity?

ODA Evaluation Guidelines & Handbook

MOFA has published “ODA Evaluation Guidelines,” which set out the basic principles of MOFA’s ODA evaluations, and “ODA Evaluation Handbook,” which describes the specific evaluation methodologies and procedures. These are prepared mainly to be applied in practical ODA evaluation work, but also offer useful information for anyone interested in ODA and its evaluation.

https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/oda/evaluation/basic_documents/index.html

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