Follow-up ODA Evaluation Results
Actions in Response to Recommendations of Evaluations in FY2021
The following are the actions in response to the recommendations raised in the five ODA evaluations conducted in FY2021.
Evaluation of Japan’s ODA to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
Recommendation 1: Supporting Timor-Leste’s Economic Takeoff through “High-Quality” ODA Provision
Japan will continue to provide support in areas where its strengths can be applied, including quality infrastructure and disaster risk reduction. It will also continue to increase development effects by linking Japanese grant aid with technical cooperation, thereby contributing to the further economic development of Timor-Leste. In formulating projects, attention will be given to utilizing Japanese technology and strengths, starting from the process of project selection.
Recommendation 2: Expanding Support for Environmental Infrastructure in Anticipation of Timor-Leste’s Graduation from Least-Developed Country (LDC) Status
Japan will continue to consider the provision of support toward environmental infrastructure through ODA loans (yen loans) including the Special Terms for Economic Partnership (STEP) (Note). In doing so, it will engage in many consultations with the government of the partner country so as to provide support in areas that meet the needs of the partner country, and where Japan’s strengths can be utilized.
(Note) The Special Terms for Economic Partnership (STEP) was introduced in July 2002 with the aims of utilizing Japan’s superior technologies and knowhow to enhance the “visibility of Japanese aid” through the transfer of technology to developing countries.
Recommendation 3: Fostering Professionals and Industrial Workers in Cooperation with the Technical Intern Training Program
JICA is engaged in efforts to contribute to economic development in developing countries and regional revitalization in Japan through its overseas and domestic offices, led by the Office for Foreign Human Resources established in April 2021. While keeping close attention on the program for the conclusion of agreements on the acceptance of technical intern trainees from Timor-Leste, it aims to continue developing future initiatives.
Recommendation 4: Becoming a Preferred Country for Investment through Environmental Improvement and Promotion of Tourism Resources
To contribute to Timor-Leste’s nation-building in the area of governance, support is provided during each national election. Japan will also consider support based on the country’s needs regarding the development of legal systems. Reviews will also be undertaken for support that contributes to the diversification of industries.
Recommendation 5: Contributing to Overarching Policy Covering the Entire Infrastructure Sector to Create “Resilient Infrastructure”
Since Timor-Leste restored its independence, Japan has continuously cooperated with the country in the area of road maintenance and management, and will keep providing assistance with a view to further strengthening Timor-Leste’s capacity in this area. This includes the ongoing dispatch of experts on road infrastructure quality management. Japan will also participate actively in consultations with economists from other donor countries, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank, share its experiences and lessons learned in the field of infrastructure, and strive to contribute more in the future toward dialogues at the policy level.
Recommendation 6: Strategically Expanding Japan’s ODA to Strengthen Timor-Leste’s Governance Capacity
When revising the next Country Development Cooperation Policy, MOFA will consider clarifying the priority areas that are put forward by high-level diplomatic policies, including the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). It will also continue to formulate projects while paying attention to these areas.
Evaluation of Japan’s ODA to the Republic of Peru
Recommendation 1: Maintaining the Basic Policy of “Contributing to Sustainable Economic Development”
When revising the current Country Development Cooperation Policy dated September 2017, MOFA will conduct a review based on recommendations on the appropriateness of maintaining the basic policy of “contributing to sustainable economic development.”
Recommendation 2: “Selection and Concentration”: Continued Assistance through Various ODA Schemes in Three Priority Areas
When revising the current Country Development Cooperation Policy dated September 2017, MOFA will conduct a review based on recommendations on the need to continue providing support in the three priority areas of “improving socio-economic infrastructure and narrowing disparities,” “environmental measures,” and “disaster risk prevention measures.”
Recommendation 3: Strengthening Cooperation with the Funds and Activities of Diverse Entities
In future assistance, Japan will continue to actively pursue possibilities with regard to collaboration with the private sector and international institutions, as well as collaboration between effective ODA schemes (loans, grant aid, and technical cooperation).
Recommendation 4: Necessity of Continuing Technical Cooperation that Leads to Long-Term Human Resource Development
In Peru, collaborative projects with universities and research institutes through the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) scheme and other programs have been actively adopted to date. In future assistance, Japan will continue to pursue the possibility of implementing projects that contribute to the further evolution of government-academia cooperation.
Recommendation 5: Maintaining Cooperation with Communities of Japanese Descendants
In the development of projects under various ODA schemes, Japan will focus on whether there are elements that could enable cooperation with communities of Japanese descendants, and pursue the possibility of cooperation where they are present.
Recommendation 6: Responding to Infrastructure Needs in Consideration of Peru’s Natural Environment and the Impact of Climate Change
When reviewing assistance toward infrastructural needs in the future, Japan will give full consideration to the impact on climate change as well as the natural environment of the target region, the decentralization situation, and appropriate implementation that is both environmentally and socially considerate.
Evaluation of Japan’s ODA to the Republic of Malawi
Recommendation 1: Further Strengthening of Measures that Contribute to the Entry of Japanese SMEs and NGOs, and the Improvement of the Investment Environment
In cases where the need to intervene is recognized and if it is appropriate to do so after verification of entry barriers to investment and access of foreign companies and NGOs to Malawi, Japan will consider dispatching legal experts and implementing thematic training through technical cooperation, taking into consideration constraints on the availability of experts and Malawi’s priority compared to other countries within the African region. With regard to the proposal to modify the selection criteria for the ABE Initiative, members of private companies and entrepreneurs are already eligible to apply. So instead of amending the selection criteria, Japan will carry out selection appropriately, bearing in mind the recommendation.
Recommendation 2: Establishing a “Human Resources Bank” (Tentative Name) for Malawian Students and Trainees (who Have Studied or Are Studying in Japan) to Strengthen Their Network Building and Utilization
As the provision and utilization of information on the past international students and trainees as open-source information is not appropriate from the perspective of protecting personal information, Japan will continue to promote effective networking by promoting reunions for exchange students and trainee alumni. (Programs implemented under the ABE Initiative include “Networking Events” and activity reports by returned trainees, as well as homecoming report presentations and networking events aimed at facilitating exchanges with Japanese corporations.)
Recommendation 3: Strategic and Continuous Utilization of JOCVs and Core Human Resources on the Malawi Side
The selection of senior JOCVs and experts for Malawi will be carried out based on the abilities required for the posts. However, experience as a JOCV in the country will also be taken into consideration for posts in which experience as a JOCV is deemed to be useful.
There are already many cases where former project managers for Japanese cooperation in Malawi and former Malawian trainees are involved in Japan’s new cooperation projects. Japan recognizes that these people have the potential to become key figures in bilateral relations in the future. While paying attention to the recommendations and giving consideration to budget constraints, Japan will examine the possibility of further strengthening relations with them if they are found to be highly effective on a case-by-case basis.
Recommendation 4: Strengthening Public Relations Strategies Aimed at the People of Malawi
Japan recognizes that existing media outlets, such as newspapers and radio, continue to be highly influential in Malawi. Taking these conditions into consideration, in order to strengthen external communications based on the recommendation, the JICA Malawi Office will identify former Malawian JICA trainees and exchange students who studied in Japan with strong communication skills, and consider the possibility of disseminating information via their social media and other tools.
Japan will consider effective means of communication including collaboration with Malawian influencers and artists on a case-by-case basis.
Evaluation on Japan’s Education Cooperation Policy
● Recommendations on the Policy Content of Japan’s Education Cooperation
Recommendation 1: Prioritizing Designated Priority Areas
In the formulation of the next policy, Japan will consider if it is possible to prioritize assistance in fields designated as priority areas.
Recommendation 2: Setting Periods and Goals
In the formulation of the next policy, Japan will review how to incorporate the implementation period of the policy, and the establishment of criterion and targets that should be achieved.
Recommendation 3: Contents of the Policies (Purpose, specification of target fields, promoting collaboration with other actors and entities, etc.)
In the formulation of the next policy, a review will be carried out on the possibility of separately setting out elements such as the purposes of cooperation and the target fields. In this policy, many good practices have emerged in aspects such as information exchanges and mutual cooperation within the region, effective collaboration and cooperation with diverse actors, utilization of various assistance schemes to enhance effectiveness, and the incorporation of activities in other development sectors. Having been appraised for contributing to “Learning for All, All for Learning,” Japan will continue with these initiatives and continue to expand the impact of education cooperation while enhancing its sustainability. At the same time, Japan will put effort into building and maintaining long-term relationships of trust with beneficiary countries so as to secure the effectiveness of Japan’s assistance. Japan will also continue to work on maintaining diverse aid modalities.
● Recommendations on the Policy Formulation and Implementation Process of Japan’s Education Cooperation
Recommendation 4: Effective Use of Existing Platforms in Policy Formulation
The formulation of the education cooperation policy has been carried out while listening to the opinions of the relevant ministries and agencies, JICA, and experts. However, to enable discussions through more open and transparent processes, Japan will review the effective use of existing platforms.
Recommendation 5: Effective Use of Existing Platforms in the Inspection of Policy Implementation
To date, the implementation status of policies has been verified by the International Education Cooperation Liaison Council. However, as the Council only held a limited number of meetings, efforts will be made to hold meetings multiple times a year in order to increase the opportunities for verifying the implementation status of policies. In addition, reviews will be conducted on the establishment of implementation periods for policies to enable the implementation of third-party evaluations at suitable timings.
Recommendation 6: Incorporation of MEXT’s Knowhow and Cooperation
The International Education Cooperation Liaison Council is attended by representatives from MOFA, MEXT, and JICA, and engages in the sharing of information. As such, MOFA will consult with MEXT and JICA to consider the need to convene separate regular meetings for the three agencies only.
Recommendation 7: Communication from Leaders and Continued Dissemination to ODA Implementing Agencies
To date, Japanese leaders have taken advantage of appropriate opportunities to communicate Japan’s policies to the international community. With regard to the dissemination of the same policies, MOFA will conduct reviews on continued dissemination internally, and to overseas diplomatic missions and JICA.
Recommendation 8: Diplomatic Perspective in the Monitoring of Individual Projects
MOFA will verify the diplomatic importance of projects at the adoption stage, and exchange information with the local diplomatic mission and JICA’s overseas offices from the implementation stage of projects. It will conduct reviews on monitoring and various surveys on the impact of cooperation, while maintaining a diplomatic viewpoint. In the evaluation of projects, it will gather information on the diplomatic importance and diplomatic impact and conduct verification through hearings with partner governments, embassies, and consulate-generals, and JICA’s overseas offices, and other means. Based on these, it will consider including the relevant information, if available, in the reports.
Evaluation of Japan’s Grant Aid to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Economic and Social Development Programme) in FY2017
● Recommendations for the Project
Recommendation 1: Early Implementation of On-site Monitoring by the Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka
Coordination is ongoing with a view to early implementation, while giving full consideration to the socio-economic situation and security, which have become more unstable due to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis.
Recommendation 2: Study of Strategies to Support Development Around the Port of Trincomalee Area
Economic development support is provided to the region around the Port of Trincomalee, including ODA loans (yen loans) for the Rural Infrastructure Development Project in Emerging Regions (E/N signed in April 2017. 12,957 million yen). Examinations will continue to be carried out for economic development support toward the same port region.
● Recommendations and Lessons Learned for the Grant Aid (Economic and Social Development Programme) by MOFA
Recommendation 3: More Proactive Dissemination of Information on Projects
Going forward, proactive efforts will be made to publicize the project based on the timing for monitoring in the field and the completion ceremony. For other grant aid projects implemented by MOFA (Economic and Social Development Programme), efforts will also be made to further strengthen the dissemination of information obtained in a timely manner.
Recommendation 4: Clarification of Project Objectives and the Logic Model for Achieving Effectiveness
In developing projects under the Economic and Social Development Programme, reviews will be conducted on the concrete measures to clarify the logic for manifesting the purposes and effects.