-- To enhance the impact of ODA, Japan will endeavor to develop a better understanding of the specific conditions in individual developing countries and to provide forms of assistance that match the needs and conditions of developing countries. For this purpose, Japan will actively undertake various types of studies and promote policy dialogue with developing countries.
-- Through the coordination of the pertinent ministries and government agencies, Japan will formulate "country assistance programs" based on current "country assistance policies." These country assistance programs will be formulated for major recipient countries of Japanese ODA and will specify the significance of the assistance provided by Japan, its basic objectives, the priority issues and fields, and the form of assistance to be deployed. These formulations will be based on a time frame of approximately five years.
-- Country assistance programs will take an integrated approach to all forms of assistance and will take into account coordination and collaboration with other donor countries and international organizations, and collaboration with the private sector.
-- Japanese diplomatic missions and the local offices of ODA implementing agencies will be more actively utilized, as they are in the best position to grasp the situations of and needs in developing countries.
(1) Preliminary Studies and Environmental Considerations
-- To enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of ODA, preliminary studies will be conducted in accordance with country assistance programs to identify, formulate, and select appropriate projects. This process will be coordinated by maintaining close contact among related offices and, where applicable, the necessary adjustments will be made to avoid redundancies in preliminary studies conducted by ministries, government agencies, and related organizations.
-- When necessary, rigorous examinations will be undertaken in accordance with environmental guidelines to assess the impact of assistance projects on the environment and regional communities. Appropriate measures will be taken in response to the findings. Depending on the assessed environmental impact, a proposed project may be canceled. To ensure that the proposed project contributes appropriately to sustainable development, alternative proposals will be formulated when necessary.
-- In taking environmental matters into consideration, due attention will be paid to the importance of local participation and information disclosure in line with existing systems and situations in recipient countries. Procedures and standards pertaining to environmental considerations will be reviewed and improved as necessary.
-- Monitoring of project implementation and progress will be upgraded and strengthened. When problems arise during implementation, efforts will be made to achieve the expected results by utilizing various available forms of assistance and by ensuring their coordination.
-- Ex-post evaluation of completed projects, including identification and assessment of environmental impact, will be conducted in as many cases as possible, with results being made public.
-- To improve the objectivity of the evaluation process, evaluations by experts, NGOs, other third parties, and persons from recipient countries evaluations will be expanded.
-- In addition to determining whether a project purpose has been achieved, an evaluation will be directed at the impact on local and regional communities, the environment, and macroeconomic conditions.
-- Follow-up actions will be taken as required by evaluation results. Efforts will be made to provide feedback on the evaluation results so that relevant lessons can be incorporated into future project formulation.
-- Efforts will be made to create better evaluation systems by developing and introducing effective evaluation methods corresponding to the specific features of assistance projects.
Successful implementation of assistance ultimately depends on the skills of people. Thus, the availability and utilization of individuals with appropriate skills stands as extremely important requirement for the efficient implementation of assistance. Efficient implementation should involve both the employment of experts with outstanding knowledge and skills in specific fields and undertakings, and the use of local experts with specialized knowledge of local conditions. Furthermore, it is necessary to maintain effective communications and collaborate with personnel on project sites, local executing agencies, and educational institutions.
In light of the above, due attention will be paid to the following points.
-- Further efforts will be made to train human resources for development. Personnel exchanges with other donor countries and with international organizations will be promoted, including the dispatch of personnel to international organizations and joint participation in studies. Likewise, personnel exchanges among implementing agencies and educational institutions will be promoted.
-- In order to respond more effectively to the growing diversity of demand for assistance and changes in forms and methods of assistance, efforts will be made to train and support individuals with high levels of expertise. University and graduate school internship programs will be utilized for this purpose and the mutual recognition of academic credits among development-related courses will be promoted.
-- To ensure access to experts with specialized knowledge and skills, the public recruitment of experts will be stepped up and larger numbers of personnel will be recruited from local governments, NGOs, universities, and other institutions.
-- Active use will be made of private-sector consultants and, where necessary, efforts will be made to strengthen their skills.
To establish broader understanding and support for ODA, it will be necessary to promote public relations activities, the disclosure of information both domestically and abroad, and enlist the cooperation of the various strata of society and organizations in project implementation. From the perspective of increasing national involvement in and visibility of Japanese aid, it will be extremely important to expand Japan's personnel contribution to the international community by effectively utilizing Japan's own human resources.
In light of the above, due attention will be paid to the following points.
-- Efforts will be made to enlist the cooperation and participation of private enterprises, local governments, NGOs, labor and management organizations, and other members of society in the implementation of ODA.
-- Given the growing interest of the Japanese public in development assistance, the cooperation and participation of various age groups, extending from youth to senior citizens, will be enlisted in the implementation of ODA.
-- In addition to providing support for NGO activities, ODA projects and related tasks will be more extensively consigned to NGOs, universities, think tanks and other organizations. Similarly, efforts will be made to further promote the participation of local governments in development projects.
-- Efforts will be made to increase public relations for Japan's ODA activities, both domestically and abroad.
Japan's disclosure of ODA information has received high marks in the international community as evidenced by the "Peer Review Report on Japan's ODA"(1995) compiled by the OECD's DAC. However, further progress must be made in disclosing information to the public in order to gain support and understanding.
In light of the above, due attention will be paid to the following points.
-- From the perspective of providing access to integrated information, efforts will be made to improve the content of annual reports on Japan's ODA .
-- Further efforts will be made to disclose information pertaining to project tender processes and individual projects.
-- Transparency of assistance will be improved through the preparation and publication of a long list of ODA loan candidate projects.
-- In addition to expanding the scope of information disclosure, efforts will be made to render the information more understandable and easier to use. For this purpose, the available of ODA information over the Internet will be expanded.
-- Information will be supplied to the national media as well as to the local media and local communities.
-- In view of the fact that the public does not have direct access to overseas ODA sites, efforts will be made to create opportunities enabling the Japanese public to come into contact with ODA projects.