Japan's Official Development Assistance White Paper 2007
Next PageMain Text > Part II ODA ODA Record for FY2006 > Chapter 2 Details about Japan's Official Development Assistance > Section 6. Formulation and Implementation of Aid Policy > 1. System for Formulation and Implementation of Aid Policy > (5) Enhancing Functions at the Field Level
(5) Enhancing Functions at the Field Level
To further improve development assistance in terms of its strategy, transparency, efficiency, and accountability, it is indispensable to strengthen the role of the field level in the development of country-specific aid strategies. Based on this understanding, the ODA Charter stipulates the policy of "strengthening functions of agencies in the field" whose specific elements are detailed in the Medium-Term Policy on ODA, which was formulated in 2005. Under this policy, the functions of the ODA-TFs consisting of Japanese Embassies and aid agencies at the field level must be strengthened so that they can play a leading role in the process of policy-making and implementing assistance. In addition, it is essential that ODA-TFs grasp, comprehensively and accurately, what development issues are of highest priority for each recipient country and what Japan can do to address these issues. In particular, it is important for ODA-TFs to gain a deep understanding of the socio-economic situations of each country and to systemize it by appointing staff with extensive knowledge and experience of the country in question, as well as having close collaboration with local people familiar with the local environment.
ODA-TFs fulfill a wide range of roles in addition to clarifying needs of each recipient country as described above. These include participating in the formulation of Country Assistance Programs which specify the direction and prioritized sectors of Japan's assistance, undertaking policy consultations with recipient countries, strengthening cooperation with other donor countries and institutions, and offering suggestions on possible collaboration and review of aid schemes as well as selecting candidate projects for development assistance. Among these, donor coordination at the field level is particularly important since PRSPs are now in the process of being formulated and revised in cooperation with donors and other related organizations under the ownership of recipient countries. Japan is also actively taking part in such activities.
See Section 3 for details about situation in Latin America
Furthermore, a post of "coordinator for economic cooperation" was established in FY2006 in order to respond appropriately to such movements in aid coordination and to strengthen the structure for collecting information and implementing studies, as well as for transmitting information concerning Japan's policies related to aid coordination and making relevant recommendations. In this manner, as specified in the ODA Charter and the Medium-Term ODA Policy, Japan actively utilizes promising external human resources, and is engaged in creating a structure of overseas diplomatic missions capable of implementing assistance more efficiently and effectively.
<Country-based ODA Task Forces>
One of the measures to strengthen the functions of agencies in the field is training by teleconferencing (hereafter, "teleconference seminars") which has been implemented since FY2005 with the cooperation of the Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development (FASID). Teleconference seminar programs are prepared in accordance with the requests and needs of ODA-TF. The ODA-TFs in various countries throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America link up and hold lively discussion on specific topics. Through these teleconference seminars, officers and researchers in the field of development assistance both in the local area and in Tokyo share a common awareness of problems. As a result, the extensive experience of countries where aid coordination has progressed and the discussions conducted at DAC, the World Bank, and the IMF are useful to the actual provision of assistance in the field.
In FY2006, eight teleconference seminars were held among 36 ODA-TFs in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In these seminars, issues common to many ODA-TFs are taken up, including sector-specific topics such as gender equality, investment, economic policy assistance, as well as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Fast Track Initiative, and Multilateral and Bilateral Collaboration in the Water and Sanitation Sector.
Functions of Country-based ODA Task Forces
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Research and Analysis of Development Needs: ODA-TFs attempt to strengthen their function for research and analysis of socio-economic situations of recipient countries and the development efforts by the governments themselves in order to help them meet their development needs. This is being made possible by familiarizing themselves with socio-economic situations of recipient countries through their counterparts and exchanging opinions with major donor countries, international organizations, NGOs, and academic research institutions.
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Formulation and Consideration of Assistance Policies: ODA-TFs formulate Country Assistance Programs as well as policies for priority and sector issues, and undertake policy consultations with the recipient governments in order to foster shared perspectives and understandings.
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Formulation and Selection of Candidate Projects for Development Assistance: ODA-TFs conduct careful studies for formulating and selecting candidate assistance projects, and collaboration in, and review of, assistance instruments (grant aid, loan aid, technical cooperation) with a view to improving the aid effectiveness.
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Strengthening Collaboration with the Local Donor Community: ODA-TFs participate actively in donor coordination in a manner consistent with Japan's assistance policies, while undertaking close collaboration with the local aid community, principally international organizations and other donor countries.
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Strengthening Collaboration with Japanese Relevant Parties in Recipient Countries
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Review of Japan's aid projects
- Information Dissemination and Public Relations
Chart II-42 List of Country Assistance Programs and Countries with Country-based ODA Task Forces
